Elicia Robertson almost didn't attend the University Activities Board's adaptation of the television game show "The Price is Right" on Saturday night at the Business College Complex.
"I decided to come at the last minute," the English sophomore said.
But at the end of the night, it ended up being a good decision.
Robertson had the closest bid in the event's Showcase Showdown and walked away with an $1,860 prize package that included a plane ticket to Europe and a 15-day Eurorail pass.
Altogether, about $6,000 in prizes were given away, most of which were donated by local businesses, said Rachel Bomeli, officer of UAB's special events committee. All groceries used during the pricing games were donated to Eve's House, a shelter for battered women, Bomeli said.
Six students at a time were called at random from the roughly 200-person audience to "come on down" to the stage and bid on prizes varying from personalized bottles of Jones Soda to a cooler that was a lifesize model of the Star Wars character R2D2.
The student that had the closest bid to the prize's actual price without going over won the prize and got a chance to play one of the show's pricing games. Games included "Now or Then," "Spelling Bee" and "Hole in One or Two."
Political science junior Carol Bontekoe played the fan-favorite game Plinko, fulfilling what she called "a lifelong dream." Most contestants said it was the game they liked best.
"If there's one experience in my life that beats going to Africa or studying abroad in Europe, it would be playing Plinko at UAB's Price is Right," Bontekoe said.
Political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore Grant Lyman played "Bob Barker" for the evening and history sophomore Jake Boylan served as the show's famous announcer "Rod Roddy," albeit without the announcer's signature sequin sport coat.
Just like in the real show, contestants turned to the audience for help when they were stumped.
"I've been lucky - the crowd has been really kind," said computer engineering junior Adam Sanborn, who won about $200 in gift certificates to different local businesses while playing the Grocery Game.
Contestants even got to spin a variation of the show's Big Wheel, and the four contestants that got closest to $1 in one spin or a combination of two spins competed for the Showcase.
As the wheel slowed down after Sanborn's spin, it appeared headed for the $1 section, but stopped short suddenly at 35 cents.
"I almost fell over," Sanborn said.
Many audience members said they enjoyed being part of the TV studio atmosphere.
"I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to go to the real one, so this is the next best thing," said Calvin Winbush II, a marketing junior.
Bomeli said she hopes the event was popular enough to make it into reruns.
"If everyone loved it, we'd love to do it for them again," Bomeli said.
And "The Price is Right" purists need not worry - at the end of the night, Lyman remembered to remind the audience to have their pets spayed or neutered.
