Rod Roddy doesn't call the name of a Ball State alumna every day.
Lucy Bansley, a May 2002 graduate, is an exception.
When Bansley was chosen to be a contestant on "The Price is Right," she got more than she bargained for.
"We were just looking for something to do, and it was fun," Bansley said. "I didn't expect anything to come out of it."
But something did come out of it. After getting to contestants' row and eventually onstage, Bansley walked out of the studio with a washer and dryer set valued at $1,900 and a brand-new 2003 Dodge Caravan.
Bansley isn't the first Ball State student to appear on the show. In November 2001, senior John Newbold won $6,000 and a clock valued at $750.
Bansley's appearance on the game show will be aired 11 a.m. Wednesday on CBS. Bansley went to the Sept. 30 taping of the show with four friends.
Kathryn Gilbert, a fifth-year acting and musical theatre major, was one of the first people to hear of Bansley's success.
"She called me when she got home and we were just screaming into the phone," Gilbert said, laughing. "I couldn't even understand her at first."
Jess Carfield, a senior telecommunications major, was another person that heard an earful from Bansley.
"She called me, and I thought, 'That's interesting,'" Carfield said. "I was very happy for her."
But the prizes weren't the only reward for Bansley's participation in the game show.
For Bansley, it was another step on the road to success.
After graduating in May, Bansley, who majored in theater and telecommunications, moved to Los Angeles to break into the entertainment business. She said she hopes her appearance on "The Price is Right" will give her much-needed exposure to boost her acting career.
"It's great to put on my resume something interesting about me," Bansley said. "Out here, they (entertainment tycoons) don't want to hear as much about acting gigs but that you're real and human.
"Everyone has done their share of theater, but they want each person to be unique."
Competition in the entertainment industry is tough, Bansley said.
"Every three people I meet are actors, which is great, but it hinders (a career)," she said.
But Bansley already has her foot in the acting door.
While at Ball State, Bansley was cast in three "Everything You Need" commercials as well as several stage plays on campus.
Since moving to Los Angeles, Bansley has worked in several theatrical productions and is currently acting in "MacBeth" for the Shakespeare Now theater company. She was also recently cast as a high school cheerleader in NBC's "American Dreams" in a featured extra part.
But Bansley still has to wait until she gets her dream job.
When Carfield and Gilbert graduate, they plan on joining Bansley in Los Angeles and the three of them dream of creating their own independent film production company, Bansley said.
"I'm just waiting for them to get out here," she said.
Gilbert said she doesn't doubt that Bansley will succeed.
"Lucy is the most driven person I know and extremely talented," Gilbert said. "She's also one of the most caring people I've known and she loves to be around people. And she's always been driven about acting and wanted to be the best."
Carfield said he's optimistic about Bansley's future as well.
"She's energetic, fun, passionate and cares about what she does," he said.
Bansley said she dreams of making it big in Los Angeles but keeps things in perspective.
"Acting is a dream of mine, but you need to put together a business plan in order to make it happen," Bansley said. "It's not just the fame. I just want to be happy, and I know what makes me happy."
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