Faculty and staff at The University of Alabama have organized a comedy event to reduce stress before exams.
The show is called “Laugher is the Best Medicine, Except When It’s a Suppository: A Stress Reduction Comedy Show for Alabama Students,” and will take place Friday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. in H.M. Comer Hall. The show will consist of performances by students and faculty and will include members of the Counseling Center staff discussing ways to handle stress before finals.
Pete Ludovice, a chemical engineering professor and the executive director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship Program, and Nathan Wagener, an aerospace engineer in the Remote Sensing Center, will each perform a stand-up routine for the event. Both have performed at similar college events previously, and they have a combined 30 years of stand-up comedy experience.
Ludovice explained that the event is meant to be a fun, laughter-filled break from the stress of preparing for exams.
“The idea is to get the students there to laugh, take their mind off whatever’s bothering them or stressing them out,” Wagener said.
Two student groups, the Crimson Comedy Collective and the Crimson Improv Team, will also be part of the show. These student-led organizations meet weekly to practice comedy performances, especially improvisational comedy.
“We all love to be able to get up on stage and practice and show people what we’ve been working on,” said Jesse Mullins, president and founder of the Crimson Improv Team and a senior studying management in the Accelerated Master’s Program.
For some students on the improv team, comedy has been more than just fun; it has also led to personal growth.
“I used to have terrible stage fright, like shaking and everything, and now, being in front of 10, 20 or even more people, it’s completely fine,” said Jacob Soler, a junior studying environmental science.
Freshman member Mia Massey, an advertising major, has used her experience with comedic improv to build confidence.
“The feeling of getting laughter back is so rewarding, and it’s like a weird confidence booster, even when you take hits,” Massey said.
Since the show will take place just before exams, a time of the semester when many feel overwhelmed, it will have a particular focus on mental health and managing stress. Mental health professionals from the UA Counseling Center will share their advice on coping with stress.
“It’s great if there’s any time that we can help people laugh and forget about all the stress of tests for a minute,” Mullins said.
