To raise funds for the YCC, Your Community Connection, The Weber State University Activities team and Phi Gamma Lambda fraternity organized an interactive student mixer on Jan. 18.
The Laugh Out Loud social was the first of several upcoming events in the Weber’s Happening series. It hosted 75 students, two guest entertainers The event raised over $258 and $180 were donated to the YCC.
Magician and student Conner Rountree has performed all over Utah and at Sundance multiple times. The Laugh Out Loud social was his first performance in front of a large audience.
“I do card manipulation, anything involving small objects and sleight-of-hand. I really prefer to be up-close and personal, because magic that happens within your hands and so close up is something much more special because you can see the moment it becomes magical,” said Rountree.
Evan Wecksell, a New York City singer, songwriter and comedian, also performed at the social, making Utah the forty-sixth state of his career. According to Wecksell, humor allows him to express what is wrong within a situation without having people take offense.
“Comedy is an opportunity for people to blow off steam,” Wecksell said.
While pursuing a child development degree, Wecksell participated in open mics from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m., which he refers to as his “graduate school education,” in New York City and Long Island. Doing this made him comfortable with being on stage.
Colton Michaelsen, the president of the Lambda fraternity, and Chibuike Chikere-Njoku, activities team member, were involved in the event’s planning.
Chikere-Njoku hosted the event and holds a position on the activities team. “The activities team holds events every Wednesday as part of Weber’s Happening,” Chikere-Njoku explained.
“One of the reasons I came to the U.S was to discover myself and to see what interests me,” Chikere-Njoku said. Working on the activities team has since allowed him to explore his creativity.
“We like to pick titles that are catchy and people will relate to, that’s how I came up with LOL,” he said.
“A comedy show is unique, we got a comedian that has been here before for the Greek system. Being a part of Greek life is a great way to get involved, great social aspects and also a great way to find ways to help the community,” Michaelsen said.
