By Ashleey Williamson
For Weekly Surge

Every year for the last 16 years, MTV has launched a new season - sometimes multiple seasons - of its signature reality TV show. Since its premier in 1992, "The Real World" has been the longest running reality show in TV history, and it's not coming to an end anytime soon. According to MTV, "The Real World" ranks among the highest rated cable TV shows viewed by ages 12-34, and with each season, continues to rank No. 1 for that demographic during its time slot versus its basic cable competition.

Filming of the 20th season wrapped up in December, and for the last three months, friends and family of Coastal Carolina University student David Malinosky have waited patiently for the show to finally air.

You can catch your first glimpse of Malinosky and the rest of "The Real World: Hollywood" cast on MTV at 10 p.m. Wednesday (April 2) on the first-ever "The Real World Awards Bash." The award ceremony will feature seasons 1-19 and give awards in different categories to the 100 or so past cast members. It will be the first time MTV will announce and introduce the new cast members, too, so make sure to tune in.

So how'd a CCU student end up in the bright lights of Hollywood?

Last spring, MTV came through Columbia to the University of South Carolina to hold casting auditions for "The Real World: Hollywood." Although the popular TV show has been filmed in California three times before, this is only the second time it's been shot in La La Land; The Real World: Los Angeles aired in 1993. Jon Murray, co-creator, chairman and president of Bunim-Murray Productions stated in a press release: "It's exciting to bring the show back to Los Angeles and more specifically Hollywood. Much like our L.A. cast 14 years ago, most of this year's cast hope to pursue their entertainment career goals while living in The Real World house."

That is exactly what Malinosky plans to do.

Malinosky, also known as Dave Sky, is one of seven cast members who made it through the exhausting casting process and landed himself a spot on "The Real World: Hollywood." Although he's not originally from the Grand Strand, Malinosky has lived in Myrtle Beach for the last three years while attending CCU.

When he heard about the casting auditions just a few hours away, Malinosky was hesitant to go. He was doing exceptionally well in his senior year at Coastal, and besides that, he had also recently helped create the university's Recreation Sport Management program (RSM). "I was really starting to get into the grind," he said.

Networking with people in the NFL and NBA, working as an intern with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, and being president of the RSM program are just a few things that scratch the surface of how well things were going for him. "I was really starting to get into full swing, and then my friend asked me if I wanted to go audition for The Real World." The last thing Malinosky wanted to do was miss school, "But I said 'screw it,' and now eight or nine months later, it kind of worked out," he said with a smile.

Malinosky was born in Portsmouth, N.H. on March 8, 1985. The 23-year-old has been playing sports since he was old enough to swing a bat. "He's always been an active child," his mother, Nancy Malinosky, remembers. "He's been a jock since he was in elementary school."

Throughout grammar school and high school he devoted his time to playing sports. In high school, he was the captain of the football team. He also wrestled, played baseball, and joined track and field. Sports were part of his life since he could walk, and he was determined to continue his passion of physical activity all throughout college.

Malinosky decided during his senior year in high school that football and sports were what he wanted to do in college. He was recruited by and signed to play football for Millersville University in Pennsylvania, but realistically decided it wouldn't be the best idea, knowing he would never be big enough to play in the NFL. "They didn't have my major, so I decided that a lifetime of what I wanted to do was more important than four years of football."

The decision not to attend Millersville University led him to enroll at the California University of Pennsylvania. The school had the sports management major he wanted, and he also was able to walk onto the football team.

Unfortunately, Malinosky hated the school and was completely unhappy, he remembers. "I was totally miserable at the school. It was probably the only time in my life I've ever been depressed. It was so bad I only stayed a semester."

It was then that he transferred to Hagerstown Community College in Maryland, very close to his home in Pennsylvania.

All seemed well for the well-decorated athlete until March of 2004 but trouble was around the corner. While attending the community college, he was devastated by a motorcycle accident while joy-riding through a parking lot. "I had just gotten a crotch rocket, and I will say that I probably was a little ballsy. I was rolling through the parking lot one night, and I got clothes-lined by a chain. It took me down, and just totally ripped apart my right side."

The accident left him hospitalized with serious injuries: a shattered hand, bruised hip, and multiple staples in his head. "I was told I would only ever maintain a moderate activity level, and I just refused to be handicapped." Malinosky was determined to overcome the injuries, regardless of doctors' orders for physical therapy. After attending only two sessions of therapy, he decided he would take his own route to recovery. A cast on his right hand and a leg brace on his right knee came off prematurely - not because the doctors took them off, but because Malinosky himself cut them off, eager to get back to a normal life. As dangerous as his decisions were, in no time he was back to his old self and ready to see what was ahead.

After attending two colleges, regaining his motor skills, and still not quite finding his niche, he decided to move south to the beach and attend CCU. A friend of his from high school was enrolled there, and Malinosky felt the total change of scenery would be good for him. "I packed everything up Christmas Day, 2004, and drove through the night - through a blizzard - on [Interstate] 95."

Malinosky then enrolled at CCU in the spring of 2005.

Don Rockey, RSM Program Coordinator, remembers when he first met Malinosky. Since Malinosky was a sports management major, Rockey was his academic advisor, and also taught one of his classes. "He came in my office to talk about requirements for the major. He was just really energetic and enthusiastic about what he wanted to do," Rockey said. There wasn't a day that went by, after the two had become acquainted, in which Malinosky didn't go to his advisor with an idea, plan, or new direction with which he wanted to experiment. He was always coming up with something new for the RSM program, which hosts activities for students at the school as well as kids in the community. His motivation and ambition made it clear that he was destined for success, Rockey said. "Dave is definitely the person that jumps in with both feet," Rockey said. "He's not one to put a toe in and check the temperature. He just jumps right in."

And jump right in he did. As soon as he enrolled at CCU, Malinosky was immediately involved in different athletics. He joined the cheerleading squad, was running triathlons for CCU, and became a starter for the lacrosse team, despite the fact that he'd never picked up a lax stick in his life before. Everything was falling into place for Malinosky, and that's about the time he was approached by Brandon Conti, the friend who urged him to try out for "The Real World.''

After his first interview with MTV in Columbia, he was quickly called back for a second - and then a third. After numerous callbacks and interviews, Malinosky dropped the bomb on his mother that he was flying to L.A. for one final interview. "And when he went out for that, I knew," she said. "I just knew."

Not surprised - and not happy - Nancy Malinosky had to accept that her son, less than 30 credits away from graduating college, was quitting school to pursue something he had dreamt of all his life. Whether it be fame, fortune, or extreme success in sports management, Malinosky wasn't 100 percent sure what he wanted to do with his life. But he knew that whatever he did, it wasn't going to be average; he would never live an average life.

"I always said that I felt like I was meant for something. I was different, and I never wanted to settle for a normal life. I wanted to live by my own rules and do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. And if that was possible, I just felt like I was going to figure it out."

A large number of students at CCU are excited about Malinosky's appearance on "The Real World." When asked how they felt about one of their peers being on the upcoming season, numerous students replied that it was a great opportunity to represent CCU. Their replies were substantiated by an enormous welcome-back party thrown by a friend of his; the gathering soon became known in student circles as the "The Real World Party." More than 300 people showed up at the party to hopefully catch a passing glance at their fellow Chanticleer who would soon be achieving overnight fame.

Some students, on the other hand, disagree that Malinosky's moment in the limelight will give Coastal a positive reputation to the millions of "The Real World" viewers.

Michael O'Connor, a junior health promotion major at CCU, argues, "I don't see how one person from our school is going to be able to represent us as a whole. For all we know, he could go on the show and make a complete ass of himself. Automatically, all the viewers are going to hold that stereotype against everybody who attends Coastal."

This may be true, but as for Malinosky, everything has been working out just fine on his end of the bargain since he arrived in Columbia for the auditions.

Making it onto "The Real World" is a grueling four-month process. Every year, thousands upon thousands of hopefuls send in their tapes and show up at the casting calls. After waiting in line usually well beyond two hours, you receive a written questionnaire to fill out which contain questions to help producers gain a little more insight as to whom you really are.

Once you finally get your chance to be interviewed, it's do or die time. Don't feel comfortable talking about your childhood? Bye. Get nervous and show any signs of it? Bye. It's time to sell yourself to the best of your ability. The casting directors have no time for those who are afraid to show their true selves; after all, that is what the show is all about.

The interviews are completely random, and there are no set questions you can prepare to be asked. Much like any other interview, it's vital to show the producers what you have to offer to them and their show. Needless to say, extraordinary personality, charisma and confidence are just a few things that are going to increase your chances in receiving a call back. Good looks never hurt, either.

Although Malinosky did have to miss some classes during the interview process, he did finish out the spring semester 2007. Last summer while he was staying in Myrtle Beach he received the call that he had been chosen. There was no need to leave immediately, since filming didn't begin for another couple of months, but he immediately packed his things and headed home to Waynesboro, Penn., where he grew up.

"I had no problems leaving everything behind," he said. He had made some friends, but wasn't involved in a serious relationship with anybody at the time. He knew this was his chance and he was determined to take full advantage of the opportunity. "It was weird because I had been living in the same room and apartment for two-and-a-half years, but once I did travel out there, it was just awesome. I was like, 'Wow, I'm on the other side of the country. This is where it all goes down.' It was surreal; it was nuts."

MTV decided to do two things differently this season: the producers cast six roommates but let the audience pick the seventh roommate, and they jumped on the "going green" trend, which seems to be taking over Hollywood. While Malinosky was aware of the eco-friendly amenities, he had no idea what he was really in for. Hybrid cars, solar panels, recycled trashcans and countertops, bamboo floors, and appliances in the kitchen constructed to help utilize less water throughout the four months in the house. "Thank God the cars were hybrids, because we had to fill them up with our own money," Malinosky said.

It's always fun to watch the first episode of "The Real World" as all seven cast members meet for the first time. Everybody finds themselves asking who the gay one is, who the hottest one is, who might be the slut, and which two are going to hook up? Malinosky, like the rest of us, had those same initial inquiries. He arrived at the house with one of the female roommates; she seemed to be nice and excited to be part of the experience, "but when we got to the house, I looked around the corner and saw the other girls and I really wasn't impressed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not

calling anybody ugly," Malinosky quickly added in, "But to be honest I was really kind of let down." That's understandable, considering he did fly across the country to live with three women in a beautiful mansion in Hollywood. Nobody wants to be disappointed after that much anticipation. "But everybody was really nice," he said. "Obviously, it always starts out that way."

Once all of the roommates are moved in and the partying begins, drama is sure to ensue at any moment. Malinosky agrees, and at the same time, addresses one of the most common myths about "The Real World." "Absolutely zero of it is scripted, and that's very hard for people to believe sometimes. They don't have to create drama; it creates itself."

Producers know what they're doing when they cast members every season. They take the seven most diverse people they can find, all with extremely strong personalities, and throw them in a house for four months. In time, people's bad sides are going to come out, lies are going to be revealed, and housemates' pet peeves toward one another eventually take over, causing some to lose control. This is where all the drama comes from; this is all real, Malinosky said. "There are things that happen to people that are life-changing," Malinosky said solemnly. "There's fights, there's hook-ups, and there's fights again. There are situations where people learn a lot and there are cast members' lives that are changed forever because of the events that happened during the show."

With all the scandal and drama going on, it's pretty surprising that the fourth wall (you know, that line between the cast members and the camera men) rarely gets broken.

Producers, directors, and cameramen stick to their job and that includes not interfering or speaking to any of the cast members. The only people allowed to interact with each other are the seven roommates. Regardless of having a camera in your face 24/7, you just learn to deal with it, Malinosky said. "You see this person who has a camera every day or every other day and you kind of become comfortable with that person." After a while, it's like the cameras aren't even there, he said. "And that's the way you have to treat it."

Every season, the housemates are assigned to a certain job during the duration of the show. Because this upcoming season's cast members are all aspiring entertainers, their job was to take improvisational classes from Charna Halpern. The Improv Olympics (iO) was founded in Chicago in 1981 by Halpern, with the assistance of the late Del Close. Besides being the founders of the iO, the two are also known for revolutionizing improvisational comedy. The iO theaters offer training sessions as well as performance venues for improvisational actors. Since its 1981 opening, the iO has expanded to two other regions of the country. You can now catch shows at the iO West in LA, and the iO South in Raleigh, N.C.

"The Real World: Hollywood'' cast met three-to-four days a week at the iO West taking three hour classes. The group's task spanning the three months of work was learning long-form improvisation, which requires a team of actors to be able to feed off of the audience's suggestions. Their last test was one final performance in front of a large audience. "The job was incredible. For once out of 20 seasons, I feel that it was the first job that you could actually do something with. It is a true transferable talent," Malinosky said.

After four months of filming, fighting, working and playing, it was time to go home. Although he didn't want to leave, Malinosky was definitely ready to take the hidden microphone off, get away from the cameras, and go home to relax for awhile. Most people have this idea that being on the show is all fun and games, but according to Malinosky, "it's very stressful. It can be tiring and completely exhausting. I was ready to get out of the house," he said. "I was like 'alright, this was fun, but it's time to get going."

Dave Sky is now traveling the U.S. doing numerous promotions for the show. Starting in early May, a tour promoting "The Real World: Hollywood" will be hitting the biggest cities across the U.S. at the hottest nightclubs. Other cast members from Hollywood, as well as past season roommates, are expected to be present at various locations. The tour is hosted by Joe Connor, president and CEO of VIPNight.com, a website based out of Conway which consists of updates and information on nightlife activities across the U.S.

Connor has tremendous faith in the tour and what it can do for Malinosky, CCU, and Connor's promotional website. He stated, "This VIP tour will only further David's soon-to-be overnight fame, while putting CCU and VIPNight.com on the map."

Besides traveling and promoting, Malinosky and some friends have developed a clothing line called Red Flag. They are currently working on "Red Friday" shirts, worn on Fridays to honor fallen troops. Other business ideas are floating around amongst the Red Flag guys, but they're keeping information on that under wraps until future notice.

Other than that, Malinosky says, "I'm just hangin' out, waiting for things to pop off and get started."

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