Aug. 7, 2025
They sing, they dance – they check your vision! Ferris State Optometry students earn kudos for energetic hype video
The Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University offers more than a world-class education. It’s about being part of something bigger.
And this summer, MCO Doctor of Optometry program students captured that spirit in a bold, acclaimed hype video celebrating what makes Ferris State special: a tight-knit student community, top-notch facilities, and unmistakable Bulldog pride.
“We're a very professional school and we’re very focused on our studies,” said Marino Markho, a fourth-year student who helped organize the video. “But this video shows we also have a little pizzazz and are fun people to be around.”
From aerial views of Ferris State’s campus to dance moves all over MCO, the video features dozens of optometry students strutting their stuff and singing “Refract That,” an eye care-themed musical parody of Akon’s “Smack That.”
The four-minute video premiered June 26 at the annual American Optometric Student Association meeting in Minneapolis, blazing across a massive screen in front of hundreds of optometry students from across the country.
But it was more than just pre-conference entertainment. It was a high-energy brag about life at MCO. And the crowd loved it.
“It was a great chance to show other students of optometry and doctors what MCO is all about,” said Samuel Hibbs, a third-year student who took part in the video.
Starring in the conference’s official hype video is a coveted accolade; Ferris State earned the honor by winning the Spirit Award at the previous year’s Optometry Student Bowl.
For students, the video wasn’t just about school spirit. It was a celebration of everything they’d worked for.
“This is something I’ll remember doing forever. I can show it to my patients, I can show it to my kids and say, ‘Look at what your dad was doing at MCO,’” said Tristan Voelker, a fourth-year student from Manchester, Iowa.
From start to finish, the video was a student-led effort.
Markho wrote most of the parody’s lyrics, Gretchen Stuben was lead choreographer, and about a dozen students had singing roles. All MCO students were invited to participate in one way or another.
“MCO obviously has this community of people who love eyeballs so much,” Markho said. “But until this, we never knew they also had such great musical talent. It was really cool to see that side come out, too.”
The video has proven a great opportunity to hype Ferris State’s optometry program.
MCO is the oldest optometry college in Michigan and prepares doctoral and post-doctoral students for careers serving others through its research, scholarly activity, evidence-based clinical education and patient-centered care.
The program is intentionally selective, accepting only 40 students annually. Smaller class sizes allow MCO to provide a personalized education emphasizing collaboration and practical experience.
“But a lot of times, in the broader optometric education community, people sometimes fail to think about Ferris and Michigan College of Optometry because we're rural and a little farther away from a large population center,” said Dr. Daniel Taylor, MCO’s dean.
“This really opened some eyes about the level of spirit and camaraderie our students have — not to mention how attractive our facilities, our campus and our town are.”
The video also featured an introduction from five-time Grammy-nominated artist Akon, who congratulated MCO and all future eye doctors of America.
“Sometimes we don't really take the time to understand how much time is put into everything that they're doing and the work that they do to make sure that everything is great — especially on the vision side of things,” Akon said. “We need y'all out here, man, so keep doing your thing.”
Voelker said he’s happy to have helped spread the word about MCO.
“We’re very blessed with a damn good program, but we also know how to have fun,” he said.