If Jimmy Fallon worked as a golf cart attendant and filmed Snapchat videos, he might land a spot on the Auburn Campus Story.
That’s how Nathan Pass, also known to Snapchat users as the “golf cart guy,” describes his Snapchat persona.
Donning a Southern accent and a burnt orange Auburn University Club cap, Pass shoots 10-second videos while driving golf carts in the morning, cracking jokes and occasionally offering advice to viewers.
The senior in sociology started filming snaps while he ate breakfast before his boss came into work at the Auburn University Club, making goofy football game predictions and other jokes.
The early morning videos led to his first appearance on the Campus Story and the beginning of his Snapchat character.
“I guess I developed a little bit of my Snapchat personality, the extreme Southern accent, which I don’t talk like in real life,” Pass said. “I’m pretty goofy in general. That definitely comes out. I’m not faking the goofiness.”
Campus stories are collections of Live Stories from Snapchatters that are only available for select college campuses, according to Snapchat’s website.
Users can submit their Snaps to the Campus Story, and a Snapchat coordinator managing the Campus Story selects which videos appear on the Story.
After appearing on the Campus Story continually, Pass realized submitting videos early in the morning increased his chances of being selected.
“That was like my spot was the morning spot,” Pass said. “Every morning at 7 a.m. exactly ... that’s how I realized I could get on there [the Campus Story] on a regular basis.”
Pass joined the cart staff May 2015 and reports to work every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning.
His first task of the day is also his opportunity to be featured on the Campus Story.
Each morning he unplugs charged golf carts from a stash of 60 carts at the University Club and cruises along a semicircle of sidewalk to a stretch of space beside the clubhouse where he lines the navy blue carts, one by one, for members.
“Those Snapchats are like 10 or 12 different gold cart rides,” Pass said. “It’s basically a 10-second travel time — perfect for Snapchat.”
Split, a dog who lives down the street, often joins Pass in the passenger seat of the carts, becoming the interview subject for some of Pass’s videos.
Pass said he tries to stick with a random theme most days, which sometimes means drawing inspiration from fresh experiences. However, the videos are unscripted.
“Most of them are one take,” Pass said. “Most of them I start it and kind of hope it finds its way along.”
In several videos, Pass is delivering a Chick-fil-A chicken biscuit to his boss Brooks Moody, who he refers to as the “bossman” in his Snaps.
“Some mornings I’m a little groggy getting here, and I get my biscuit and talk to Nate, and it kind of makes the day get started a little better,” Moody said.
Moody joked that he schedules Pass first thing in the morning for the breakfast.
“I’m scared not to [bring Chick-fil-A] now,” Pass said with a laugh.
"Can we please ban golf cart guys from the campus story?" one user wrote. But Pass said the comments don't bother him.
Some users also think he manages the Auburn Campus Story, which Pass denies.
Madeline Bonifay, junior in chemical engineering, said she enjoys seeing Pass' Snaps early in the morning.
"I think he's funny, and it's like a nice addition to the story every day," Bonifay said. "I like when he gives advice. I know one day he talked about not letting other people push you around or something, and I thought that day was really funny."
But Pass’ long-term goals don’t include film, though he occasionally helps The Auburn Plainsman multimedia staff with video productions.
After he graduates this December as a fourth generation Auburn student, he plans to join the Police Academy to serve the Birmingham area, though he’d like to become a federal agent one day.
“At the end of the day, I have a good time with (Snapchat), and if other people laugh, then that’s just a bonus,” Pass said.
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