The Convo will again play host to a spring event — but rather than music, Hot Pockets quips will headline an April comedy night.
Ohio University Student Senate President Zach George announced Wednesday the stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan has been signed on to the Thursday, April 18 show, a role he will receive $65,000 to fill.
“(Gaffigan) was the biggest name on the list so I’m excited to hear we got him,” George said.
The Campus Involvement Center, responsible for organizing the event, is working to confirm two more comedians, according to Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the CIC.
The $150,000 set aside to fund the show comes from the $800,000 General Fee dollars formerly allocated to the multipurpose center, according to a previous Post article.
Less than two months ago, talk of a comedy night began after a survey showed 60 percent of students who responded said they preferred having three smaller concerts in Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium over one large concert in The Convo, according to a previous Post article.
George acknowledged a “comedy night” and “spring concert” aren’t the same at last week’s Senate meeting.
“The comedy night was proposed by Zach. I think we just listened to him,” Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi said. “Is it possible students might have preferred OU use the money to make the current spring performance lineup cheaper or free instead of having the comedy night?”
Conducting another survey to gage student interest never crossed his mind, George said.
Lombardi added he wasn’t sure whether or not another would have been effective.
“Throughout this, (I) just offered a different option in terms of a different … genre,” George said. “This was kind of my prerogative and talking to others … they all approved of it.”
Originally $94,000 from OU’s Performing Arts Series — funded by the General Fee — was set to go toward a spring music concert. Normally the CIC recollects this money through ticket sales.
With tickets priced at $5 per student, the university aims to cover roughly $31,000 in operational costs, George and Lombardi said — as opposed to recouping costs through ticket sales as the Performing Arts Series does.
Bob Saget, Jeff Garlin, Nick Kroll, Seth Meyers and Aziz Ansari are among comedians to perform at OU since 2011.
“Comedians have been successful (at OU) the past few years,” George said. “Laughter is something everyone can relate to whereas country, hip-hop etc. isn’t.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
