By Jesse Seidel
Tuesday, March 6th, dozens of freshmen flocked to UAlbany Campus Center Ballroom, to participate in the World Video Awards. As part of the University at Albany’s Living Learning Communities each world, or cluster of students with shared interests such as the World of Writing, World of Zombies or World of Community Service create a video to promote their own L-LC and to highlight their points of purpose.
Following a 7:30pm reception where there was food and an opportunity to mingle the event proper started at 8:00pm. It was suggested to students that they wear their finery and treat this as they would if they were going to the actual red carpet for the Oscars. The ceremonies began with Leah Rotella, Program Coordinator, and Jeanette Altarriba, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, thanking the Faculty Advisors and the various members of the Living Learning Communities. Then Michael Christakis, Vice President of Student Affairs, showed up on video to congratulate the L-LC’s.
Afterwards, the audience was shown every World Video before going into nominations and victories which are as follows:
Best Moves in a World Video was awarded to the World of East Asian Studies whose video was of three people dancing, each to a song from a different country. In this case Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.
Best Directing/Best Use of Music in a World Video was awarded to the World of Writing, who made a lip-sync/music video of Taylor Swift’s, “Shake it Off”. I thought was impressive not only because of the lip-syncing but because the entire minute plus video was done in one shot!
Faculty Advisor: Jill Hanifan
Best Costumes in a World Video was given to the World of Digital Forensics, which used absurdist, millennial humor to the best of its abilities. It was one of my personal favorites as it was well thought out and cheesy enough to be charming without it being cringe worthy. Faculty Advisor: Fabio Auffant
Best Comedy/Best Picture (Large World) was presented to the World of Global Medicine and Human Rights. Their video was a homage to hit TV show, “The Office”, including the interview format, with each question being contradicted by a humorous cut. One example was, “How do you wake up in the morning?”, preceding a clip of a firetruck barreling down past the university, sirens screaming and lights a-glow.
Best Narration/Monologue went to the World of Creativity and Entrepreneurship, who stated the benefits of an L-LC and how it has helped them in their academic career. (Note, the World of Theatre was also nominated for this title! Whose video displayed the disasters of trying to blend sport and theatre.) Faculty Advisor: Rick Neff
Most Creative World Video was awarded to the World of History and Current Events, who skillfully performed a shot for shot remake of the opening to hit sitcom, “Full House”.
Faculty Advisor: Brian Keough
Best Editing was presented to the World of Security, Risk, and Resilience.
Faculty Advisor: Brian Nussbaum
(Note: World of Zombies was also nominated for this title, for a horror/dream sequence but sadly, did not win.)
Faculty Advisor: Rae Muhlstock
Best Screenwriting went to the World of Business who wrote a diss-rap towards the World of Accounting to charming effect.
Faculty Advisor: Joe Sheehan
Best Picture (Transfer World) was given to the World of Transfer Excellence.
Other Worlds include the World of Fitness and Well Being, a community focused on things such as Physical Fitness and Physical Therapy, the aforementioned World of Accounting which as the name implies is more mathematically oriented, the World of Biology which is the largest of the Living Learning Communities and focuses on the life sciences.
It was a fun and entertaining event credited to the amusing videos, the humorous interludes where various professors were thanked by having their faces sloppily photoshopped onto the previous year’s hit movie characters such as those appearing in Wonder Woman and the Guardians of the Galaxy. It was also a great place to mingle, make connections with professors, as well as, freshmen who may share similar interests.
