Think there’s nothing you can do to help fight Animal Cruelty in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Melissa Jernigan, Lana Matsuyama, Dyna Tortorici and Olivia Tortorici
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Consulting Producer- Mary Micari
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Samantha Schimdt, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
What do George Clooney, Steven Tyler, that other fat guy and eggplant parmesan have in common?
They were all… Presidents?
As some of you may know, throughout On the Leesh’s year-long project, “What You Can Do” we’ve been trying to acknowledge our national holidays. After looking at the calendar some weeks ago, Jess, Alicia and I saw the upcoming, President’s Day Holiday looming on the calendar. We all looked at each other and said, ‘What can we do for President’s Day that relates to “What You Can Do”?’
“What You Can Do” is an active project – a series that offers active solutions as to what a person can do about the issue of their choice. What exactly can one do that’s active on a holiday that honors previous US Presidents? Does that even qualify as a “What You Can Do”? This was debated at length. Then, after some heated discussions, one of us (I can’t remember who) said, “Can you guys name all 44 Presidents in order – or at all?”
For a moment, only the hum of our computers could be heard, then, quietly, not looking each other in the eye, we all said, “No.”
Yikes.
That felt… well… embarrassing. There we had it. Our active solution: the “What You Can Do” President’s Pop Poll!
In a ‘couldn’t be any less scientific poll’ we asked some On the Leesh friends and family to answer these two questions:
1. Can you name the first 10 Presidents (in order OR at all)
2. How many Presidents total can you name (again, we asked if they could do it in order)
The results were (drum roll please…)!
1 Person!
Yes. Out of about 30 people, only 1 person could name all of the 44 Presidents of the United States. Next best was 39 (and he’s our website guy… we now feel smarter just by association).
Everyone got Washington. In fact, many got the first three: Washington, Adams and Jefferson. On the other end of the spectrum, Obama, Bush 1 and 2 and Clinton were often named, but there weren’t many Fillmores, Taylors or Tylers. The middle was described as a blur or simply with a “?”. Some other people summoned memories of High School names to jog their brain. One person got many of the President’s last names by associating them with celebrities: Steven Tyler, Dolly Madison and Harrison Ford to name a few. We also had someone thank HBO for their mini-series on Adams (it’s good to know today’s entertainment can also be educational). Yet another was thinking of who was on what bill of money. I guess we all have methods…
With this united front of failure, I think everyone would have ended the quiz the same way as one of my friends who wrote, “My shame and I are signing off now.”
So, if you’re at all like us, have a look at the full list written below. We should all learn it and commit it to memory. What You Can Do in one minute this President’s Day? Make a pact with me to learn all of our President’s names. It’s our history and it’s our present.
Oh, and maybe these fun little facts might help you remember as well (courtesy of kids.nationalgeographic.com):
Harry Truman was a haberdasher before he became our 33rd President.
James Polk was the first President to have his photograph taken.
Abraham Lincoln, measuring in at 6 feet, 4 inches, has been our tallest US President
The first President to have a stepmother? That would be Millard Fillmore (our 13th President)
And as promised, here is the full list:
1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
5. Jame Monroe<
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Martin Van Buren
9. William Henry Harrison
10. John Tyler
11. James K. Polk
12. Zachary Taylor
13. Millard Fillmore
14. Franklin Pierce
15. James Buchanan
16. Abraham Lincoln
17. Andrew Johnson
18. Ulysses S. Grant
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
20. James Garfield
21. Chester A. Arthur
22. Grover Cleveland
23. Benjamin Harrison
24. Grover Cleveland
25. William McKinley
26. Theordore Roosevelt
27. William Howard Taft
28. Woodrow Wilson
29. Warren G. Harding
30. Calvin Coolidge
31. Herbert Hoover
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt
33. Harry S. Truman
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower
35. John F. Kennedy
36. Lyndon B. Johnson
37. Richard M. Nixon
38. Gerald R. Ford
39. James Carter
40. Ronald Reagan
41. George H.W. Bush
42. William J. Clinton
43. George W. Bush
44. Barack Obama
An interview with the cast and crew of the 4th Universalist Society’s production of the Vagina Monologues to honor V-Day.
Shot, Directed and Edited by – Alicia Arinella
Music by – Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Special Thanks: Nancy Robillard, Deborah Roth, Joanna Foley and everyone at the 4th U Society’s production of the Vagina Monologues, and Dennis Arinella
Think there’s nothing you can do to support After School Programs in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Barbara Dubin & Ronnie Lavine
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical information provided by: The After-School Corporation, www.tascorp.org
Special Thanks: Susan Brenna and everyone at The After-School Corporation, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to support Education in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Tella Storey
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical information provided by: The Literacy Site, www.theliteracysite.com
Special Thanks: Rosemary Jones and everyone at The GreaterGood Network, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to support an African Student’s Education in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Alicia Arinella
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical information provided by: Books for Africa, www.booksforafrica.org
Special Thanks: Patrick Plonski and everyone at Books for Africa and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to support Education in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Desmond Dutcher
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission
Statistical information provided by: The After-School Corporation, www.tascorp.org
Special Thanks: Susan Brenna and everyone at the After-School Corporation and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
Think there’s nothing you can do to support Education in 1 Minute? Watch this.
Starring: Karen McGarrell & Keanna McGarrell
Written by: Julie Tortorici & Jessica Arinella
Shot, Edited and Directed by: Alicia Arinella
Produced by: On the Leesh Productions
Consulting Producer: Mary Micari
Music by: Banana Whale
What You Can Do Logo Created by: SCG Siddharth Creative Group
Additional Footage Provided by: Shutterstock, Inc. Used by Permission & Young Audiences New York, www.yany.org
Statistical information provided by: Kids in Need, www.kidsinneed.net
Special Thanks:
Everyone at Kidsinneed.net, Ronnie Lavine, Jessica Crone, John Schultz and everyone at Young Audiences New York, and Dennis Arinella
For more information, please visit – www.whatyoucando365.com
On the Leesh Productions is a New York based company devoted to the production of innovative, energetic, and challenging film and theater. We are comprised of a core team of collaborators interested in new and provocative subject matter, in unhindered visual experimentation, and in realizing the work of like-minded creative artists and writers.
