March 29, 2024

By ALYSHA MILLER

Going back to school after a month, during which some students hibernate, can be tough. By the middle of the first week of trudging through the cold to get to class, students were far from amused.
To lighten things up a little, a free 90-minute Comedy Nooner was held in the Doon campus Sanctuary on Jan. 11 by CSI.
The event started with a full house as students ate lunch between classes, but emptied over time.
Dillon Mandlsohn, a Canadian comic who has appeared at comedy festivals from Boston to Seattle as well as at Just For Laughs Montreal, headlined the show. Joining him was Christina Walkinshaw and Alex Pavone from Toronto.
Mandlsohn’s act included jokes about his car being stolen after he left it running in his driveway. “The cops don’t care. I called them, thought I accidentally called Bell.”  He also talked about why students should avoid an education in the arts if they’re expecting to make money, making fun of himself for doing that and suggesting nursing or science as alternatives. “Nurses – they may say no, but they never say, ‘Ew.’”
Pavone also talked about education. Before reminiscing on how much he hated construction work, he shouted, “Stay in school!” He also compared himself to Super Mario because of his moustache, saying his mom called him a pedophile, and made fun of American security at sports events.
Walkinshaw talked about performing at military bases in Korea, explaining that the people there love Canadians – which she loved too – until she heard, “This is awesome, you’re from Canada! You can tell me what’s going on in hockey right now!”
“I’m from Toronto, we don’t have playoffs here,” she replied.
Though he was the main act, Mandlsohn performed to the smallest audience.
“And you’re going to class.”  “Oh, you have class? Too bad,” Mandlsohn joked with the students who had to leave his show.
“I was assessing the audience earlier but it’s completely different, I can’t make fun of the firemen now,” he said as a group of firefighting students left.
Most of the people laughing along with the show had no idea it was taking place until they had taken their seats to eat their lunches.
There were posters around the school to advertise the event, but these were mostly, if not entirely, overlooked.
“Many students have accounts on Facebook and Twitter, both of which CSI also use,” said Nicci Price, a first-year graphic design student. “I would have liked to have seen an advertisement there. I don’t usually have time to read all of the posters around the hallways.”