Comedian coming to Washburn

Regina Budden

Washburn students can relax from the mid-semester rush next Tuesday, thanks to the Campus Activities Board. Kyle Dunnigan, a popular stand-up comedian, will be coming to campus to perform his sketches free to the public.

Dunnigan has had several sketches appear on his show on Comedy Central, and has performed at a few comedy festivals. Other television appearances on his resume include “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

These credentials were part of what made him a good fit for Washburn, said Amanda Repp, director of entertainment for CAB. She said she is responsible for random acts of entertainment, and discovered Dunnigan at a conference for CABs from different Midwest universities.

“We saw Kyle Dunnigan perform and thought he’d fit Washburn,” she said.

As part of her job, Repp supplies whatever activities she can, including bowling and skate nights, but the real job is deciding on one big act to bring in each semester. For fall, she set up the magician act, and so Dunnigan’s performance will be the climax of entertainment for the spring, she said.

Repp said she knew she wanted a comedian going into the conference, but the toughest part was finding one that was right for Washburn.

“We’re a pretty conservative school,” said Repp.

She said that it was difficult balancing that comparatively conservative humor with the college’s youthful population.

“We saw a number of other comedians, but they got really offensive,” said Repp. “Kyle Dunnigan just fit. He appeals to a younger crowd, but he doesn’t cross the line in terms of being too offensive.”

Dunnigan will perform at 7 p.m. March 31 in the Washburn Room of the Memorial Union. Repp encourages all students to take advantage of this opportunity to see good comedy.

“I just think that he was hysterical, and he’s well-known,” said Repp. “A lot of the students will enjoy him.”