Day 70: Campus Celeb Moment

I never thought I’d experience my fifteen minutes of fame, but today, it happened. It all started with that ridiculous Marketing Strategies video we submitted last week. The one with Faisal’s accidental outburst and Yusof’s chair-tripping cameo. Apparently, our professor not only loved it but decided to showcase it as an example of “creativity and humor” during today’s lecture.

I walked into class, bleary-eyed and clutching my usual lifeline—a cup of mediocre cafeteria coffee. Amanda was already seated, flipping through her notes. She glanced up and smirked. “Big day for you, Eddie,” she teased.

“Why?” I asked, instantly suspicious.

Before she could answer, Faisal strolled in with his usual flair, a grin plastered across his face. “You’re about to find out,” he said, plopping into the seat next to me.

As soon as class started, the professor wasted no time. “Today, I want to show you an outstanding example of how to think outside the box,” she announced, queuing up a video on the projector. My heart sank when I recognized the opening scene: Amanda’s “CEO” monologue filmed in our dimly lit dorm hallway.

The class erupted into laughter before she even finished her first line. Seeing Amanda in full “corporate mode,” holding a marker as a makeshift microphone, was already absurd enough. But the real comedy began when Faisal’s off-screen “Why am I still awake?” interrupted her speech, followed by Yusof’s spectacular fall over the chair.

I sunk lower in my seat as the video played on. The laughter grew louder with each scene—Faisal’s impromptu dance move, my shaky camera work, and Yusof’s exaggerated thumbs-up at the end. By the time the credits rolled (which Faisal had cheekily labeled “A Disasterpiece by Team Survival Mode”), I was certain my face was as red as the cafeteria’s chili sauce.

“That,” the professor declared with a smile, “is how you make marketing fun and memorable. Well done, Team 5.”

The applause was deafening, and I wanted to disappear under the desk. Amanda, ever the perfectionist, leaned over and whispered, “At least they didn’t notice the typo in the tagline.”

But Faisal was basking in the glory, waving at the class like he’d just won an Oscar. “Thank you, thank you,” he said, grinning ear to ear.

The rest of the day was surreal. Everywhere I went, people stopped me to comment on the video. Some mimicked Faisal’s outburst, while others asked if Yusof’s fall had been staged (it wasn’t). Even Daniel, who had contributed the least to the project, managed to ride the wave of fame, claiming he had “helped edit the bloopers.”

During lunch, a couple of juniors approached our table. “You’re the guys from the video, right? That was hilarious!” one of them said, holding up their phone.

Faisal didn’t hesitate. “Autographs are free, but photos will cost you,” he joked, earning a groan from Amanda.

By the end of the day, I had to admit: as embarrassing as it was, the whole experience had been oddly fun. Sure, I’d probably be known as “that guy from the marketing video” for the rest of the semester, but at least it gave everyone—including me—a good laugh.

Lesson of the day: Sometimes, success comes in unexpected forms, and laughter is the best way to survive the chaos of campus life. Now, if only I could stop Faisal from printing T-shirts that say, “Why am I still awake?”