What started as a “joke of an idea” for freshman business administration major Tyler Miller and his friends has gone viral. Each Wednesday, Miller hosts a weekly competition on Illinois State University’s Quad promoted and shared through his TikTok channel.
In two months, 12 competition videos have received more than 2.1 million total views. Participants have competed in categories ranging from “best dad jokes” to “evil laugh competition.” Miller’s top-performing video so far, “Anime Voice Competition,” received more than 1.1 million views on TikTok. As the weekly competitions have grown in popularity, they have also helped create a community on campus that encourages students to get involved and have fun.
“These events have had an impact on students, specifically freshmen who are new to campus, as it gives people an easy way to get involved and meet other students with similar interests,” Miller said.
Approximately 65 people attended the weekly competition on October 16 with the theme “Brainrot Competition” drawing inspiration from trends popular among college students.
Each week, Miller and his panel of judges rate each contestant’s performance on a scale from 1-10, and the winner receives a prize that gets bigger as the number of participants increases.
“We typically market our events with a mystery prize. This has ranged from food items we have in our dorms to gift cards and cash,” Miller said. “I personally believe that most participants would compete whether a prize was offered or not.”
Even as the weather turns colder this fall, the crowds continue to gather and bring energy, cheering for everyone brave enough to compete. With the lighthearted and creative nature of the competition, the audience is supportive and eagerly anticipates each new contestant.
“From the start, we always believed in inclusion and support to anyone who competed. This meant clapping for every performance before and after,” Miller said. “We also never charge anyone to compete or spectate, and we allow anyone to participate.”
Miller’s efforts have drawn the attention of Dr. Byron Craig, interim chief equity and inclusion officer, who stopped by a competition while cutting across the Quad earlier this semester to see why students were taking turns making animal noises, much to the amusement of the crowd around them.
“When I asked them why they were doing this, I was so impressed with their response that, after being invited back, I decided to hang out with them and whenever I have some time, go out and support them,” Craig said.
“For me, it’s so important that they created this event just because they want to make sure all freshmen, and others who come out to the Quad, have a chance to feel like they belong and are included in something at ISU—something that connects them in that moment,” Craig continued. “That’s the spirit of Redbird inclusion and belonging, what the Office of Equity and Inclusion is working to create, that will make our students successful and give them an excellent experience while at ISU and, in the long run, provide them with good memories as alums.”
What started off as a joke for Miller and his friends—Ben Thomson, Joel Bulka, Cole Loiacano, Quentin Gueffier, Justin Crow, Anton Augusto, and London Keisel—has turned into something with a greater purpose. Although they’re not an official registered student organization, they’ve become a widely recognized group that is connecting students across campus.
“Our mission and goal in moving forward is to continue growing our community, by continuing events for the foreseeable future, while allowing everyone to feel welcomed and involved.”
Miller’s TikTok competitions can be watched on his TikTok account: @Teemilly21, and competition updates can be found on the public ISU Snapchat stories.
