James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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c mhoR Comedian returns for first Funny Freakin ' Friday of the year hrongs of students packed into Taylor Down Under for the first Funny Freakin ' Friday of the year on September 6 to see amateur comedian Adam Mamawaia. The University Program Board brought Mamawaia back after his successful stint of opening for Erik Griffin in spring 201 3. Since he established himself here before it helped when we brought him back, said Junior Maria Buitrago, the public relations manager for UPB. It was one of the most successful Funny Freakin ' Fridays. It was pretty packed and everyone said he was really funny and they had a good time. A New Jersey native and award-winning comedian, Mamawaia opened for the likes of Joel McHale and performed at a slew of other universities across the nation. At just 24, Mamawaia connected with the student audience by tailoring his material and speaking about relationships, college life and more controversial topics such as race. He was really great, very funny, said senior Paige Ober. I liked that his humor wasn ' t vulgar. Mamawala ' s easy-going personality and sense of humor were another reason that UPB chose to bring him back He was just a really nice guy, said Buitrago. Everyone on the committee that worked with him said they went to Klines with him afterward. WORDS Haley Lambert PHOTOS Julian Williams DESIGN Lauren Stearns 18 i Adam Mamawaia

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President Alger answers questions during his presidential interview. Witnessing such a monumental event in JMU ' s history is an experience I will never forget It is such an amazing time to be a JMU student and see the entire JMU community come together. The Student Inaugural Ball was a blast, and the actual inauguration was so cool to witness. Not to mention, I ' m super excited for the fireworks on the Quad tonight! -Lauren Holder, Sophomore V President Alger talks to a colleague during his trip to Montpelier. ' The week has provided a unique opportunity for JMU students and faculty to come together. From the ice-cream social to the ball and Madison Fest, the Duke spirit of this community makes me realize why I chose Madison. -Taylor Vollman, Sophomore President Alger strolls with his wife and daughter on the presidential walk through campus. 1 think getting a new president at JMU has been great! I got to meet President Alger during the 2012 orientation and I know he is going to do great things for this university. I think it gives us a fresh start from SpringFest in 201 0. It shows we can be an engaged university that works hard and gives back to the Harrisonburg community. I agree that he is a great listener because I got to be a part of it at the Leadership Conference. President Alger will be a great leader at JMU and help it continue to grow. -Mallory Knapp, Senior

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character, Montez, were fans of his edgy sense of humor. [ { OLICS ' Workaholics star performs in Wilson Auditorium More than 300 students crammed into Wilson Hall ' s auditorium, Thursday, March 21 , to watch actor and stand-up comedian Erik Griffin rock the stage with his quintessential humor-intelligent observations hidden behind sexual innuendos and occasional obscenity. Griffin was best known for his role as Montez Walker in Comedy Central ' s Workaholics. He came to James Madison University as part of the University Program Board ' s spring programming and was one of the most successful acts the organization brought to the school in the past year. We weren ' t expecting it to do as well as it did since it was so close to Macklemore tickets going on sale, said senior UPB member Sarah Hasnain. But it did really well. He was so funny! And the audience seemed to agree. He kind of stepped over the line and probably offended some people, said senior Marissa Estera. But I think that ' s part of what made it so funny because he did go there and made those jokes. While some students weren ' t fans of Griffin ' s in-your-face vulgarity, thaf s exactly why other students loved him. As the show let out, approximately 1 00 students crowded in Wilson ' s tiny entranceway, chattering excitedly and recanting their favorite parts of Griffin ' s performance as they waited in line for a meet and greet. They didn ' t have to wait long. Just minutes after his performance, Griffin made his way through the crowd to his merchandise table, stopping occasionally to poke fun at some students and clasp shoulders affectionately. I thought it was cool that he came out and talked to people, said senior Jyoti Gupta. It made him seem more personable. WORDS Haley Lambert PHOTO Julian Williams DESIGN Lauren Stearns Erik Griffin! 19