Neha Saini, wearing red, stood frozen on Turlington Plaza on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old was one of about 200 students who took part in the first Global Awareness Flash Mob. Bertrhude Albert, a UF instructor for effective oral communication, had her students freeze for about five minutes to draw attention to issues such as sanitation, suicide and human trafficking.
While students sat frozen, nine students dressed in red took turns yelling statistics. The students who froze told a story through nonverbal communication, Albert said. They represented how people can get caught up in the present and not look at what’s going on in the world.
The red shirts of the students shouting facts represented the urgency of the statistics, she said. Black, worn by the rest of the students, represented their compliance with everyday life.
Molly Vise, a UF biology senior, said the purpose of this flash mob was to encourage ordinary people to be aware of what’s going on in the world.
“We have a very passionate millennial generation,” the 21-year-old said. “It was really nice working toward the things that all millennials are worried about right now.”
Albert said she wanted the students who participated in the event to experience how powerful communication can be and inspire UF students to take action and make a difference in the world.
“I hope that students really captured the heart of what was being said and are able to be the change,” Albert said.
Bertrhude Albert leads the Global Awareness Flash Mob at Turlington Plaza on Tuesday. Participants froze in place for five minutes while other students shouted statistics on current issues in the world. Albert teaches a class of 200 students that focuses on heightening oral communication skills.
