Students channel their inner Jimmy Kimmels to create “Columbia After Dark.”

Complete with a live audience, comedian-hosts, branded graphics, and mock studio band, Professor Jackie Spinner’s Opinion and Commentary class recently produced their own late-night talk show: “Columbia After Dark.” Transforming Columbia College Chicago’s Live Studio into the likes of Stephen Colbert’s Ed Sullivan Theater, students put together this end-of-semester project, lending their talents on both sides of the camera to create an engaging and entertaining showcase of their media skills.  

Comedic Commentary  

For the show, students channeled their inner Jimmy Kimmels, delivering their class’s takes on the day’s news and politics while taking gentle jabs at topics like Columbia, artificial intelligence, and job searching. Moving to imaginary commercial breaks, a Columbia mock band using blow-up instruments enthusiastically “played” along with recorded music to mark the moment.

“It was a mix of facts but also jokes,” says Jaylen Barlow, a Journalism major, who participated in the project. “But that's a part of late night. Everyone, at any point in time — every politician, every celebrity — is getting roasted during a late-night segment.” 

The polished project, which was taped for posterity, came together incredibly quickly following a lightning bolt moment, according to Spinner.  

“I thought of the idea the night before our Week 14 class, and I had students write and produce the material in groups the following morning. Then we produced in Week 15 with a single rehearsal that morning,” she says. “Honestly, the thing that made it possible is that all of these students have media arts skills that go beyond traditional journalism. I can’t think of anything that showcases this better.” 

Roles That Mirror the Real World 

For the project, students took on roles that mirrored a real late-night production, with the entire group contributing to the jokes and commentary.   

Senior journalism major Andria Childress, for example, stepped into the spotlight as one of the show’s four hosts. 

“This project was actually my favorite part of the class,” Childress says. “We came up with all of the jokes, all of the material. We decided who was going to be the host, and it was a really good close to the class.” 

Behind the scenes, Barlow served as one of two producers, running the control room and ensuring the show stayed on track.  

For Barlow, the live taping production experience was a resume builder.  “This is another great skill that I can tell recruiters about in the future,” he says.  

Stepping Out of the Box 

Beyond the jokes, the project reinforced serious lessons about commentary taught in class and even opened some mental doors about potential careers.  

For Childress, who initially envisioned a career as a beauty editor or a job in social media, the late-night show helped her become a better writer, but it also opened her eyes to new possibilities of what she could do in front of a camera.  

“It really got the wheels turning,” she says. “This project didn’t box me into what I felt like I had to do.” 

She credits Spinner with encouraging her to step out of that box. Something, she thinks is common with the student experience at Columbia.  

“Because we have teachers who've worked in their fields, they've worked with different people,” she says. “They've worked in different lanes, and so they're able to see something in you that you might not necessarily see in yourself."

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