WSU Liberal Studies Undergraduate Joel Bartley headlined a free comedy show organized by the Residence Life & Housing in the Endeavor Room Thursday night.
Comedians Nate Washington and Sam Webb also performed. All three acts were popular with the crowd.
Assistant Director of WSU Residence Life Daniel Schraeder explained why SWAT decided to organize a comedy show.
“It’s something the students have been asking for,” Schraeder said. “All SWAT’s activities are totally student-selected.”
Bartley was doing a stand-up set at Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub in Dayton where he ran into Schraeder. Schraeder mentioned the shows that SWAT organized on WSU’s campus, and Bartley expressed interest.
“It’s better to get a good demographic of people that are actually my peers, rather than someone’s grandmother,” Bartley said. “Some of my crude jokes don’t go over well with people’s great grandmas.”
Bartley got his start in comedy about four years ago, when he happened to walk by a bar near OSU that was hosting an open mic night. He signed up for a slot and gave himself a pep talk in the bathroom mirror before discovering that it was actually a music open mic night. He was really disappointed but returned for comedy night the next day.
“That’s pretty much how I got started: just doing open mics and sort of goofing off,” Bartley said. “It progressed sort of fast and I started winning comedy competitions so I thought maybe this might be something I could seriously pursue.”
There’s usually have at least one entertaining activity for students on campus most weekends, according to SWAT’s faculty advisor and Community Director of Residence Life Kate Page.
“Tomorrow night [Friday] we have the Price is Right happening. It’s a game similar to the TV show,” Page said. “Sunday, we have the Super Bowl Party.”
A calendar of SWAT-organized events can be found on the WSU Residential Community Association website.
