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TCU 360

TCU 360

All TCU. All the time.

TCU 360

Students discuss religious topics in a small group. (Photo courtesy of tcuwesley.org)
Wednesday nights at TCU’s Methodist campus ministry provide religious exploration and fellowship
By Boots Giblin, Staff Writer
Published Mar 27, 2024
Students at the Wesley said they found community on Wednesday nights.

Student looks to have dream realized on ABC show

A TCU student has a dream. And, with the help of ABC and its viewers, he’s hoping it comes true. Russ Jowell, 22, will appear tonight on the special preview of ABC’s new show, “The Great American Dream Vote”, at 9 p.m. as one of eight contestants vying for the chance to have their dream realized.

The senior radio-TV-film major from Sugar Land said he came across the show’s casting call months ago by chance.

“I was cruising the Internet one day, saw the casting call and thought it sounded cool, so I applied,” Jowell said. “And that means they liked me since they called me back.”

The show, hosted by Donny Osmond, will feature a new group of six to eight contestants each week who reveal their wildest dreams to a studio audience. According to the show’s Web site on ABC.com, contestants will be paired off into head-to-head match-ups based on their similar dreams as they try to convince the studio audience why their dreams should be fulfilled. The audience will narrow down the group to their favorite two.

At the end of the hour-long show, viewers from across the country will vote via toll-free phone lines and online polls. The winner will be announced at the beginning of the show the following week.

Jowell said he thinks the show’s simplicity is something that will set it apart from the other reality-based programming on television.

“It’s a pretty simple show,” Jowell said. “All you need is a dream – no matter how crazy, wild, big or small. You just have to be able to convince the audience that you really want it.”

When asked what his dream was, Jowell declined to reveal it, even though he said he’s allowed to by ABC.

“It’s something I’ve wanted for five or six years,” he said. “But you’ll have to watch the show to find out what it is.”

Jowell’s friend, Joseph Massoud, said Jowell’s dream is being kept secret to keep an element of surprise for people who tune in tonight.

“Russ wants it to be dramatic when people find out what his dream is,” Massoud said. “That’ll make it more suspenseful.”

According to the show’s Web site, Tuesday night’s preview will feature: a firefighter who wants to open a floral shop for his wife; a computer consultant who wants a famous singer to sing to his wife; an animal rescue advocate who wants to build a Bassett Hound senior center; a high school English teacher who wants to open a chicken theme park; and a 22-year-old student who is prematurely bald and wants a full head of hair.

Jowell said at 22, he was the youngest of the contestants in his group of eight.

To get the word out that Jowell will need people to vote for him, he has enlisted the help of friends and family.

“My grandmother has basically told her entire town,” Jowell said. “And my mom told everyone in her office at work.”

Jowell’s friend Brian Goates said he’ll most likely be wearing a T-shirt today telling people to watch the show and vote for Jowell.

“We’ve created a group and a flyer on Facebook to get the word out,” Goates said. “We want everyone to know Russ is going to be on the show.”

Future episodes of “The Great American Dream Vote” will regularly air on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. on ABC.

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