On Friday, April 8 something amazing happened. I saw a lipdub made by world-changers at the University of British Columbia, where I work. And so did about 250,000 people who are part of the UBC or Lipdub or Youtube communities. You see, it’s a beautiful thing. I mean, when people and technology fuse with creativity, humour, public space, physical-feats, and shared organizational purpose, well, inspiring moments of community happen.
You know what? I’m just going to stop writi- … watch the video.
As a proud alumnus of Bishop’s University (the 2,000-student-anti-UBC) it is now my official duty to say things like “Nice video, but you know this kinda thing happens at Bishop’s every Frosh Week, right? We’re just not allowed to share it or Molson would sue us because of all the branded beer bottles in the shot…it happened before, when we invented lipdubbing in 1843” or “I thought 50,000 people studied and worked at UBC – is 0.02% of the school in this video and, if it is, is this an acceptable level of engagement?” or “C’était un essai bon, bien sur, même si il n’était pas bilingue!”
Alright, I’ve served my alma mater well.
This experience moved me for many reasons. First, it’s so not UBC. Or at least how so many people think of this you’re-a number-not-a-name kind of institution. Second, since Bishop’s hasn’t officially recorded its lipdub yet, I enviously shared it with my parents (both UBC alumni) and, about 11 minutes after emailing it to my dad, they called me to share their elation about this brilliant new recruitment strategy.
Hmmm. Is it that? Perhaps recruiting new people with this sexy and social piece of new media was a part of the whole idea. The truth is, though, that this playful lip dup is a true reflection of how far UBC has come and where it is going. I don’t think that it’s a stretch to connect this supercool lipdub with the “Enriched Educational Opportunities” from Place and Promise: the UBC Plan. Because people who engage with their school like the ones in the video did were probably enriched by a small class experience, international learning, community service learning, meaningful undergraduate research, or experiential learning. And they’re way more likely to positively engage this community today and, probably, forever.
Well done, UBC. I felt enriched just watching the video! And it makes me proud to be a part of this place of mind.