By Stephanie Huynh, Editor-In-Chief
Feature Photos by Aneirin Rockwell, Photographer

The 11th Annual Mega Musical Chairs (MMC) was held on Oct. 4 at The Grounds. Over 1,000 tickets were sold and more than $18,000 was raised through various fundraisers and sponsorships. Just as it sounds, MMC is a giant game of musical chairs where the winner chooses a charity to donate the prize pool to.

After four hours of gameplay, Connor Lewis was the last man sitting. Lewis is a senior double-majoring in biomedical sciences and English, and he chose to donate the $18,000 winner’s check to his fraternity’s philanthropy, Feeding the Gulf Coast.

“As a former member of the MMC board, and in line with ATΩ’s creed, I can’t imagine a more gratifying full-circle moment, and I thank everyone involved for making this provision of thousands of free meals possible,” said Lewis.

Connor Lewis won MMC 2024, and he donated the prize pool to Feeding the Gulf Coast. Photo courtesy of Mega Musical Chairs.

MMC is sponsored by the Alabama Zeta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) on campus, and it was previously awarded a prestigious international award from the Association of College Unions International for the 2016 Student-Driven Program of the Year. This year, the co-directors of the event were Cindy Nguyen, a senior biomedical sciences major, and Myra Bajwa, a junior biology major.

“After spending nearly a year planning every small detail and tirelessly raising funds, it was deeply rewarding to see the event come together,” said Nguyen. “This year was one of the most challenging for MMC, particularly due to financial constraints, but we stepped up and worked harder than ever.”

In case participants weren’t sure where to donate the game prize to, various nonprofit organizations lined the arena to promote their mission, encouraging students to get involved and find a way to make a difference in their community.

“While it might sound cliché, my favorite part about Mega Musical Chairs is that it’s all for charity,” said Nguyen. “There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing a group of undergraduate students dedicate so much time and energy to promoting and raising funds for an event that directly benefits the Mobile community.”

Anna Holland, a junior exercise science major, shared that this year was the third time that she has attended. “This is one of my favorite events to do,” said Holland. “It’s for a good cause, and it’s a big game of musical chairs so it’s really entertaining to watch.”

The next game will take place in Fall 2025, so make sure to keep up with Mega Musical Chairs through their Instagram, @mega_musical_chairs.

“Being able to do your part in making MMC successful, [whether] that’s through playing or just buying a ticket to watch, is extremely rewarding,” said Bajwa. “MMC wouldn’t be what it is without how much we raise through ticket sales and with the support of our USA students. Ultimately, it’s all for charity and a good cause to serve our community!”