???Beginning this summer, a local company will offer a marketing credit for students who can effectively throw a Frisbee at a garbage can with a hole in it.
???The makers of the popular local game KanJam have teamed up with SUNY to offer credits for students willing to act as brand representatives for the company.
???"Anybody who is interested in a career in marketing can get tremendous experience," said Susan Kirkpatrick, a representative from Cenergy Communications, KanJam's brand marketing agency. "We're looking for somebody that has the right personality, is engaging, takes some initiative and [who can] have some fun with the whole thing."
???To play KanJam, players set two cans 50 feet apart and one teammate throws a Frisbee to another teammate on the other side, said Mitch Rubin, a KanJam co-partner.
???The players attempt to deflect the disc into can to get three points, but can get two points if the Frisbee hits the can without going in. The first player to earn 21 points wins. However, if the Frisbee makes it into the hole in the side, the player wins instantly.
???KanJam was once a very different game than what it is now, according to Rubin.
???"[Some friends and I] were playing a game called Garbage Can Frisbee," Rubin said. "Over time, rules were developed and more people played. We went to get a patent but the patents office said it was too similar to other games. We came up with the instant win slot and they approved the game."
???The game gained popularity after the creators pushed it into high school and middle school gym classes. Rubin said that 1,100 schools used KanJam by 2005.
???Students who become "Jambassadors" for KanJam this summer will hold two-hour demonstration games on campus and at various stores around the area, according to Kirkpatrick.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
