Last night the Ferguson Theater was filled with laughter as six-second Vine clips and user submitted short films graced the screen at Bama Laughs.
Bama Laughs, which was co-sponsored by University Programs and the department of human nutrition and hospitality management, allowed University of Alabama students to submit their own short videos for a chance to win scholarships.
Students who attended were greeted by popcorn, drinks and Big Al as they poured into the theater. After the show, students voted on the video they enjoyed the most. The contestant who won the six-second Vine clip portion was awarded a $50 scholarship, while students who won one of the two short film portions received $300 scholarships.
“I enjoyed the short films better – they were longer, more interesting and had a story line,” Jordan Brooks, a senior majoring in restaurant hospitality management, said. “I think it would be great with a different theme. They had a great turnout and this is something that students would want to go to again.”
Brooks also said University Programs did a great job providing food and entertainment, aside from minor technical difficulties.
Videos screened did not fail to garner the crowd’s interest. User submitted videos ranged from a bullied kid becoming a superhero in “Iron Board,” a satire of student life in “Things UA Students DON’T Say,” a peek into what really goes on when owners are away from their dogs in “K9 to 5,” the struggles of being a chime master in “The Chimemaster” and an Alabama girl who dared to be different in “Bama Gurl.”
The Vine clips also elicited laughs and touched on student problems like driving through campus on a sunny day, the struggle to wake up and stay awake for class and frustration with required classes.
Jennifer McCollum, a graduate student in public administration and an organizer of Bama Laughs, said this event is different from other comedy shows on campus because it is put on for students, by students. Students who submitted Vine clips were given the category of “UA student problems” to help steer their comedic direction.
“We knew that would be really funny because a lot of students always hash tag ‘Uastudentprobs,’ so that’s the direction they wanted to go in, because they knew they can get laughs out of the audience,” McCollum said.
McCollum also said she wants students who attend to feel pride in their fellow classmates as they watch their hard work.
“We have such talented and diverse students at The University of Alabama, and we really want students to leave here knowing this is what we have here at UA,” McCollum said. “It’s one thing to see it, but it’s another to have it happen on your campus.”
