The president of Macalester College awakes to a bagpipe-playing alarm, delivers helium to a chemistry lab and solicits donations while wearing a sandwich board. All in a day's work.

Or so a YouTube video pretends.

A five-minute video produced by the St. Paul college offers a humorous behind-the-scenes look at the job of President Brian Rosenberg. "Come to think of it," he says, while posing for an art class, "a lot of my job involves things that are not, technically, part of my job."

Sent to alumni, faculty, staff and prospective students, the video has "gone viral" -- or as viral as higher ed videos go. As of this writing, it had nabbed 30,000-plus views, showed up in a dozen blog posts and even brought a bump in donations.

Its star is a natural.

"He's very comfortable speaking to people," said Amy Phenix, director of communications and public relations. "But we didn't know he was going to be such a funny straight man. His ability to play these funny scenes in a very straight way worked really well."

Unlike a slickly produced "music video" from Johns Hopkins University, Macalester's -- with awkward cuts and hand-held shots -- feels like your typical YouTube video. It's funny and kind of amateur, which was the goal.

"It's about the personality of the college," Phenix said. "While we're a place that prides ourselves on academic rigor, we also don't take ourselves too seriously."

Even funny moments illustrate something about the college and the young people who choose it. At one point, Rosenberg puts his tray on the lunch table of a diverse group of students and thinks of something to say.

"You guys watch that show 'Jersey Shore'? That show is bananas, man."

The students stare at him, silent. One rolls his eyes.

"Hegemony?" Rosenberg tries.

The group erupts in animated debate. They are Macalester students, after all.

Jenna Ross • 612-673-7168