You Can't Help but Laugh When Seasoned Comics Dare You to Stifle

4 News You can’t help but laugh when seasoned comics dare you to stifle that smile By Ashley Mallo tant puts one marshmallow in his or her Staff Writer mouth and says “Fluffy Bunny.” The The posters plastered around cam- process is then repeated until the phrase pus practically screamed: “WANTED! can no longer be heard through the ever- Anyone with a weak sense of humor… growing mouthful of marshmallows.) Anyone with a weak kidney… WE CAN The three contestants for Fluffy Bunny MAKE YOU LAUGH.” The two-hour lined up and just as they were about to comedy show that came to Olivet on start, Meritt said, “It appears we don’t Nov. 2 seemed to do just that. Students have the marshmallows… What we are who were hesitant to attend might have gonna do is have each of you tell us how thought that headlining comedians many marshmallows you could have Jimmy Meritt and Joe Anderson were fit in your mouth if we actually had the novices at their craft, but they now lay marshmallows… and be honest.” Van- to rest any such doubts, because these Syckle was a contestant for this match- comics obviously know and love what up. “I’ve played this game before and I they do. know I can do it with eight,” said Van- Meritt has been in the comedy busi- Syckle. The winner of this marshmallow- ness for eight years and has opened for less version of Fluffy Bunny ended being Last Comic Standing’s Ralphie May, junior Libby Lydy with nine and a half. Saturday Night Live’s Kevin Nealon, the “Everyone thinks we are gonna bring out cast of ABC’s Whose Line Is It Anyway, the marshmallows after they say their and VH1’s Doug Benson. Anderson number and see if they can really do it, is also a known comedic personality, Robert Baker/ECHO but we never have the marshmallows,” having won a MTV stand-up comedy We Can Make You Laugh performer Joe Anderson (left) sings for contestant freshman Ben said Meritt. Once VanSyckle learned competition, and performed for two years Aldrich. this, he said, “That’s cheap!” with the famed Second City theatre. At the end of the night, after six of Alongside that, Anderson has also landed make contestants crack up. Only two out songs, used an audience member to gain the eight contestants had lost the battle to a commercial gig for Big Boy and has of the eight people who sat in that chair inspiration for a ballad called “Our Love, hold back their laughter, students wanted recently released some of his own songs walked away with the prize of $25, but it’s somewhere between feet and faces.” to know what Meritt and Anderson do on iTunes such as “Siamese Twins AKA everyone who participated got a T-shirt. “I thought it was really funny, I with the money. “Whatever money we Jeff & What’s His Face,” and his paro- The number of people who failed the enjoyed it thoroughly,” said sophomore don’t give away at the show, we donate dies of Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day,” and challenge was abnormal, according to Tyler VanSyckle. “It was hysterical,” said to IJM (International Justice Mission). The Verve Pipe’s “The Freshman.” Meritt. He said, “We normally get about sophomore Sierra Clark. “My favorite They are a well-known organization that For the five years, these two men half the people.” part was when Jimmy (Meritt) was rant- fights human trafficking,” said Anderson. have been traveling around the country One of Meritt’s stand-up pieces ing his naughty jokes.” “They came to my church, and they had together, putting on “We Can Make You was about Starbucks’ coffee cup mottos. After the opening stand-up acts, the a great line ‘A lot of people ask why do Laugh.” The challenge is simple: Sit in “[The cup said] ‘No man is ever as tall comedians started to get the crowd more bad things happen, what’s the plan? We the prop electric chair and keep a straight as when he kneels down to help another,’ involved. They had their own property are the plan.’” For the past couple years face for two minutes while keeping eye and then at the bottom there was that appraisal, just like Antiques Road Show, they have been donating to IJM and are contact with either Meritt or Anderson little disclaimer,” said Meritt. Anderson, and even started to play a healthy game able to give roughly $2,000 a year. as they do outrageous bits of comedy to who has a knack for making up funny of Fluffy Bunny. (To play, each contes- Fraternity has fun, provides service by raking leaves at Congregational Church By Jim Sullivan give up that easily.” Service Day]”. in the post-modern world, and included Staff Writer About nine members of the fraternity Church Pastor Jack Brown said, speakers from all over the Midwest. October 27 was a windy day in raked leaves and bagged them up for the “They volunteered over the last three Brown said, “This is very timely Olivet, but members of Phi Alpha Pi church. “Part of the Compact is social years with projects for both the church for us.” According to Brown, Phi Alpha Fraternity gathered to rake leaves. The responsibility,” said sophomore Shan and the community. We’ve had a good Pi has also helped with interior work for wind made the task challenging, yet they Pileri, “and I got to spend time with my rapport with them and they follow the church as well. persisted in raking the leaves around the frat brothers. It’s a blast and a chance to through.” As they approached a last pile of grounds of the Olivet Congregational help out the community.” The raking was done just in time for leaves, one fraternity member allowed Church that afternoon. The fraternity had volunteered to the church to look spiffy for a “Leading his brothers to bury him in the pile. As “Yeah, it’s been a pretty good chal- rake leaves for the church on Service from the Wilderness” conference which for the challenge of trying to rake leaves lenge with the wind,” said junior Jesse Day, but senior Michael Baker said, “A took place Oct. 28-30. The conference on a windy day, Pileri said, “We just have Holmes, “but we’re determined; we don’t lot of the leaves hadn’t fallen yet [on addressed challenges and opportunities fun with it.” Olivet College ECHO November 12, 2010.

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