By Jordan Moore

Laughter. According to Marshall Brain, the founder of Howstuffworks, “laughter is the physiological response to humor.” Guess what? It’s contagious too. Brain also stated that Neurobiologist Robert Provine suggests that it is contagious due to the “other neural circuits in the brain” that “generates more laughter.”

For some college students, November can feel stressful because there are only a few weeks left in the semester. However, there may still be a lot of assignments left to complete, especially assignments that can affect their entire grade point average. As a result, if students live on campus, they may find it difficult to squeeze time in to travel or drive to do something fun. An on-campus free comedy show would save people some time and money. Utilizing the Middleton Auditorium in Strickler Hall would be a nice space to have the comedy show because it can hold a lot of people and there is an elevated stage.

The Middleton Auditorium

November is also the month when daylight saving time ends and people receive less daylight.

TimelyCare, a mental health support organization, has stated that SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can be difficult, in particular, for college students because “instead of getting up early and having a regular routine like they did in high school, college students often stay up late to study or socialize. This often leads to sleeping in if they don’t have morning classes, making it harder to get the vitamin D needed to ward off symptoms of SAD.” Some college students may not have the time or money to receive consistent therapy. A one-time comedy show event, that they can participate in or watch with their friends, may bring some happiness into their lives, even if it is for 2 hours. Because laughter is contagious, if someone laughs, they are highly likely to laugh as well and have a good time. That feeling of community may also combat those feelings of SAD.

Of course, U of L would have to hold auditions and know beforehand the content that the participants will be talking about, as some content may not be appropriate. Having a comedy show also helps gain experience for students who would like to be professional comedians.

Laughter and fun are needed in the month of November, so why not a comedy show on the University of Louisville’s campus?

Photo Courtesy // Jordan Moore