History of the ALs and Critics' PickThe ALs began in 2006 as a way to recognize students involved in the cultural arts on campus. The gala event, which can be compared to the Oscars or Tony awards, serves as the culminating program for Critics' Pick. Founded during Creative Campus's inaugural year, Critics' Pick allows students to become familiar with the art of reviewing cultural arts performances. During the spring 2006 semester, fourteen critics were selected from among an applicant pool of fifty UA students and trained by professionals from the Tuscaloosa News and City Magazine. The critics attended all five UA theatrical performances that semester, and select reviews were published in Creative Campus's online magazine, Missing Ink. At the end of the semester, the critics voted on winners in the categories of show, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, set design, lighting, and sound. In 2007, Critics' Pick got its own Web site, which enabled all of the critics' reviews to be published online. Furthermore, the ALs program expanded to include dance and film. A fresh crop of professionally-trained student critics reviewed the University's spring-semester theater and dance programs, then voted on the original theater categories as well as the new theater categories of costume design and overall technical, and dance categories of classical performance, contemporary performance, solo or duet, ensemble, and choreography. As an added twist, Creative Campus interns coordinated a student film festival at a local cafe, where entrants into the ALs film competition were screened. Awards were given at the ALs ceremony for winners in the categories of narrative and experimental film. The ALs continued to grow in 2008. Critics' Pick entered the 21st century, moving to a blog format. The switch allowed for critics to post their own reviews soon after attending each opening-night performance, so that attendees could be better educated before heading to the theater. Critics continued to review all theater and dance performances, and voted to determine winners in those categories. The film element returned in the form of VISUALITY, which took place the evening before the AL's at One Night Only artique on University Boulevard. In addition to student film, the juried show included student visual art pieces. Winners from various film and visual art categories received their awards along with the theatre and dance winners at the 2008 ALs awards show. Jake & Steve from 90.7, The Capstone emceed the 2008 show. View their intro video: The ALffice. Photos from the 2008 event are below.
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