New UA Engineering Student Organization to Host Dinner and ‘Clue: The Musical’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The College of Engineering does Amateur Radical Theater, known as COE does ART, will present dinner and an interactive musical based on the board game “Clue” in the H. M. Comer Theatre. Shows will be April 13 at 8 p.m., April 14 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and April 15 at 2 p.m.

COE does ART, a new student-led organization at The University of Alabama, aims at disproving the stereotype that engineers are not capable of producing creative works of art.

“Our main goal with COE does ART is to simply get engineers involved in the arts,” said Samantha Smyth, a junior majoring in chemical engineering and president of COE does ART. “We are simply doing something different from what many people expect of engineers, which is a goal in itself.”

Smyth and Mary Kathryn Sewell, a junior majoring in chemical engineering and vice president of COE does ART, serve as founders of the organization and directors for the upcoming musical.

“It was pretty easy to find engineering students willing to participate in ‘Clue,’ because most members of COE does ART were involved in the arts in high school,” said Sewell. “Most people assume the academic demands of the engineering program make it hard to find time to participate in theatre and musicals. So, we thought why not bring the arts to engineers.”

Members of COE does ART and the “Clue” cast include:

Ben Baxter, a junior majoring in industrial engineering from Dothan

Michael Brown, a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering from Monroeville

Victoria Grefer, a senior majoring in English from New Orleans

Evan Harvey, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering from Guntersville

Danielle Hill, a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Tuscaloosa

Joseph Kornegay, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from West Blocton

Sandy Le, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Tuscaloosa

Christopher Loftin, a senior majoring in musical education from Pelham

Katie Lolies, a senior majoring in metallurgical and materials engineering from Gadsden

Aundrea Lollar, a graduate student in chemical engineering from Northport

Katy Middleton, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Decatur

Daniel Sullivan, a junior majoring in chemical engineering from Millry

Robyn Sumner, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering and mechanics from Athens

Nikki Wheelus, a junior majoring in aerospace engineering and mechanics from Northport

The cost for attending “Clue” is $8, and the show is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the Crimson Arts Box Office in the Ferguson Theatre.

COE does ART is a collaboration of the College of Engineering and UA’s Creative Campus Initiative.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.