Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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COMEDY IN THE COURTYARD Comedian Cham Ferguson takes his unique humor and dress to the Union courtyard as he plays the part of a during a noon improvisation skit with the Complex Improvisational Theater. — Photo by John Sleezer comedian 21

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Comedian Cham Ferguson unique humor to bring laughter to K-State Cham Ferguson possesses talent. He can juggle, sing, do some rope tricks, and even perform some magic. But above all, Ferguson is funny. I really got my start in Ferguson, senior in speech, said. I tried to do some comedy in high school, but really didn ' t get started the Complex. The Complex is the Improvisational Theatre, a comedy group composed of K-State students. The group performed a variety of acts, ranging from skits to improvisation. Improvisation is my favorite, Fergu son said. It ' s so fresh. The audience is for you, and that ' s the real magic. The audience wants you to do well, so they also radiate a lot of energy. One of Ferguson ' s biggest thrills was when he was the opening act for comedian Steve Landesberg, who in McCain Auditorium. That was great, but I like more of a group thing. Through sports and theatre, I ' ve grown up with more of a group sense. I like working with people, and the people in the Complex are my closest People really liked us, and we all learned a lot, Ferguson said. Unlike some other there is a serious side to Ferguson. You ' ve got to be serious before you know what to laugh at. People are not to admit the things that they observe are funny. By laughing at it, you accept it and understand it. Not everybody does that, Ferguson said. Maybe that ' s why you have a group like ours. It ' s almost like a service — helping to laugh at themselves. Although the Complex does not center its comedy on one subject, the group do a lot with nuclear war, pollution and of course, politics. If there weren ' t as many politicians, there wouldn ' t be as many comedians, Ferguson said. When James Watt resigned, there was a whole lot of material that comedians lost. Ferguson has been active in theater and has been since the sixth grade, and started competitive speech in the eighth grade. He competed OPENING ACT — Reaching to make a point, Cham Ferguson, junior in speech, performs his routine as the warm-up act for Steve Landesburg, a McCain series performer. Ferguson was selected to open the evening ' s as part of a contest to find an opening act. — Photo by Rob Clark Jr. in forensics for eight sea sons, and has gone to national the last two years, where last year he placed fourth in the nation in communication analysis. Besides being active in speech and theater, Ferguson takes an interest in hunting and fishing, and he belongs to the Audibon Society. I ' m also a member of Junkers of America, a club my friends and I started in junior high. We collected junk and did a lot of recycling. We did a lot of charity and service work, but with everyone to school, we don ' t get a chance to do that much any more, Ferguson said. Ferguson would like to make a future out of comedy. The competition is really stiff, Ferguson said, and I ' d like to finish school first. What I ' d really like to do is take the Complex and travel. I would like to do that as long as it would last, he said. By Matt McMillen 20 comedian

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Patti Hannan homecoming Blue Key Union courtyard tradition Trackin Back fo r the Purple Pack Blue Key old alma mater spirit David Carlin Spirit Banner Gamma Phi Beta Pi Kappa Phi Chi Omega Alpha Tau Omega Jim Dickey head football coach Dan Knorr UPC director Barbara Burke composer of the K-state fight song Harry Erickson Kansas Attorney General Bob Stephan Governor John Carlin US Senator Nancy Landon-Kassebaum winners of greek moving float Moore Hall Brenda Hoch Ambassadors Debra Rolph Randall Hildebrand Iowa State homecoming festivities cold weather