President Munson’s hilarious quest takes RIT campus on creative comedy escapade

In what has become a late summer tradition, President David Munson and his wife, Nancy, have returned to the screen with their latest “welcome back” video, this time tasked by a mysterious stranger to search the RIT campus and retrieve the legendary source of its creativity.

In “Raiders of the Golden Brick”—inspired by the iconic Harrison Ford character “Indiana Jones,” a swashbuckling archaeology professor who spends his free time tracking down lost artifacts in mythic locations—the Munsons face a series of daunting challenges in which they discover that the pursuit of creative excellence is no easy task.

“Working on the newest video was lots of fun,” said RIT’s president. “I still remember seeing the first Indiana Jones film with Nancy. We loved it.”

Munson broke onto the video scene when the former University of Michigan engineering dean portrayed “Obi Wan Munson,” who the Detroit Free Press wrote “drops hip-hop rhymes with a lightsaber in his palm and a Wookiee in his posse.” (The video was timed with the highly anticipated premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.)

While the RIT videos have certainly shown the comical side of RIT’s “first couple,” they also have served as a “great icebreaker with new students—and their parents!” Munson said.

“Last fall, for the two months after New Student Convocation, I literally could not make my way across campus, because of the continuous requests for conversation and selfies,” he said. “Truthfully, this is the way it should be.”

“For sure, these videos have shaped students’ perceptions of Nancy and me,” he added. “They see us as fun-loving and approachable. The number of shout-outs across campus and selfie requests have been astonishing.”

Each of the videos also creatively demonstrates the university’s combination of technology, the arts, and design.

“Equally important, the videos show that we are intentional about having fun at RIT,” Munson said. “We work hard, we play hard, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Very few schools in the nation have the capability to produce and the confidence to showcase these types of videos. At RIT, we need not conform—quirky is good. We are proud to be who we are.”

The Munsons’ earlier performances in community theater have helped prepare the couple for their video roles.

He credited Dan Swinton, assistant director of University Video Productions at RIT, and his talented production crew at Marketing and Communications for the video’s creative flair. 

“They write the script, arrange for all of the filming venues and set-ups, do the filming from every conceivable angle, and then do all of the special effects, editing, and post-production,” Munson said. “Nancy and I have the easiest parts. We shoot the gags and place our trust in Dan and his wonderful team of creators.”

His personal video favorites, so far, are from 2018 and 2022. In 2018, Munson busily prepares the campus for new students, with Nancy as his coach. “That video contains a lot of silly scenes and also features the now infamous ‘high-five intern.’”

Last year's video began with the premise that Munson’s alma mater made a mistake and he never received his degree. “So, I had to go back to college here at RIT to receive my degree and reclaim my job as president,” he quipped. “Once again, Nancy was my sidekick. There are plenty of funny and yet relatable scenes in that video. Without question, the 2022 video has been the favorite of students and parents. I am still hearing about it!”

What can the RIT community expect next year?

“I have an idea for 2024, but it remains a secret,” the president teased. “If we can pull it off, it will be wacky and wonderful!”