She lifted one house. Now she aims to help lift others. A successful “lip-dub” video aired last month to promote the College of Biological Science (CBS) has brought several groups across campus calling on Fatima Chleilat for advice about “rattling their own scene.”
The video showing some 250 students lip-syncing and dancing their way through U of G’s Science Complex has drawn more than 33,000 views since hitting YouTube in late January.
Shot for the CBS Student Council (CBSSC), the video featured students from all three departments in the college. Also included were members of CBS student clubs and the college’s student board of governors, and U of G varsity athletes and cheerleaders.
They lip-synced the song Anna Sun by Walk the Moon, an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The five-and-a-half-minute video follows students through hallways, labs and gathering spaces in the Science Complex – including a launch of balloons and confetti in the atrium – before ending with a mock Mad Scientist explosion outside the building.
The song’s lyrics – “This house is falling apart” – are intended to convey energy and excitement, says Chleilat, a third-year microbiology student and member of the student council’s executive.
She organized the six-hour recording session Jan. 11. The video was shot by Toronto videographer Film4View.
Besides boosting student morale, Chleilat aimed to showcase the college and the Science Complex for prospective students. “We wanted to show you can take biosciences and be well-rounded,” she says.
The lip-dub impressed grads and students during the college’s careers night held last month, says CBS dean Mike Emes: “I am sure it will help further raise our profile across the globe with its potential to connect with young people across media and social interaction networks.”
Chleilat has fielded requests for advice about similar projects from groups on campus, including Student Life, Interhall Council, and the College of Management and Economics.
Chuck Cunningham, assistant vice-president (communications and public affairs), contacted her about plans for marking U of G’s 50th anniversary in 2014. “A video is one of the things we’re looking at.”
He says his postings of the video on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn drew comments from Guelph grads, faculty and staff.
“I think it’s great for not only the College of Biological Science but also the University to see the students’ genuine excitement and enthusiasm. If I were looking at biological sciences and Guelph was one of my choices, this would be a sign of a school where students are pretty happy.”
Chleilat says the U of G campus and school spirit attracted her as a high school student in Cambridge, Ont. Her sister, Enaam, fourth-year human kinetics, belongs to the student board of governors and also appears in the video.