Comparative cultures and politics sophomore Steven Book models the outfit he wears at MSU basketball games and demonstrates how he usually acts in order to get the crowd excited. Book won the Coke Zero Ultimate Dream Job contest. He said he came to MSU to enroll in James Madison College.
Even if the MSU men’s basketball team doesn’t make it to San Antonio for this year’s Final Four, one Spartan will be representing the Green and White April 5-7.
Steven Book was chosen last week as one of four winners of the Coke Zero Ultimate Dream Job contest, which means he’ll be spending the next three weeks watching every NCAA Tournament game and writing a blog on his experiences from San Antonio.
When the comparative cultures and politics sophomore got the job offer, which includes Final Four tickets, there was one word that fit the bill: unbelievable.
“I still can’t believe it,” Book said. “Everything’s paid for. The flight down there, hotel, meals, and then I’ll be paid some money for winning the contest.”
On Sunday, Book arrived for his housing assignment, a 40-foot motorcoach parked under a giant tournament bracket at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The motorcoach is decked out with six flat-screen TVs and broadband Internet service.
Book said he submitted his entry, which required a 200-word essay and a photo detailing his commitment to NCAA basketball, without any real expectations.
“I thought there was no way I could get picked for the job with so many people going for it,” he said.
Book, an Izzone section leader, said his winning essay wasn’t something he thought was special.
“I thought it was almost kind of stupid because I used the ‘Spartan 300’ theme we’ve used all year and described how getting ready for basketball games was like getting ready for battle,” he said.
But Russell Baker, brand manager of Coke Zero, said Book’s dedication to college basketball stood out during the selection process.
“From writing a college basketball blog to being a section leader in the Izzone, to camping out for season tickets, Steven lives and breathes college basketball,” he said.
The gig is enough to make anyone jealous, including Book’s friend and fellow Izzone member Cory Connolly.
“I was pretty jealous,” said Connolly, an international relations junior. “Every day, he seems to find out something new (about the trip) that’s better and better.”
During his last weekend on the job, Book will be accompanied by Sean Elliott, who spent 12 years in the NBA, at the Final Four.
“He had a big career at the University of Arizona and hit some pretty amazing shots in the NCAA tournament. It will be cool to get his perspective,” Book said.
The contest initially seemed like a hoax to Steven’s father, Greg Book.
“I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this is too good to be true,’” Greg Book said. “But the more we checked into it, we found out it really was real and wasn’t a hoax. The next thing we thought was how in the world will we allow him to miss three weeks of school.”
Classes were the biggest concern Steven Book had after hearing the news of his win, but he said his professors have been as excited as he is.
“Each professor set up a different outline for how I’ll have to submit my work for the three weeks until I get back,” he said.
Book said he’s excited to explore San Antonio, and hopes he’ll have some company representing MSU at the Final Four.
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“The potential is there for a deep run,” Book said. “They have to play for these seniors, (Drew) Neitzel and (Drew) Naymick. They’ve worked so hard this year.”
