Comedians Leave IC Laughing — And Registering

By Dan Verderosa, September 10, 2018
Mike Birbiglia’s “Stand-Up & Vote” tour raises funds for voter registration efforts.
A man laughing in front of a microphone

Comedian Mike Birbiglia performs at the Ithaca College Athletics & Events Center.

(Photo by Giovanni Santacroce)

Comedian Mike Birbiglia performs at the Ithaca College Athletics & Events Center.

(Photo by Giovanni Santacroce)

The crowd in the Ithaca College Athletics and Events Center was in stiches on Friday, September 7, laughing along with comedian Mike Birbiglia on the first stop of his “Stand-Up & Vote” college tour.

Special guest performers Emmy Blotnick, Nick Griffin, Jo Firestone and Seaton Smith joined Birbiglia, telling jokes that veered from U.S. politics to online dating.

All net proceeds from the show benefitted HeadCount, Rock The Vote and Vote.org, three nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations that register voters and encourage voter turnout. A group of IC students and HeadCount volunteers were on hand to register any unregistered voters in attendance.

Birbiglia urged audience members to inform themselves and vote in upcoming elections this November.

“Research anything you care about, look at where the local candidates stand on that and just go and vote,” he said. “Because you’re voting on what your country is going to be.”

A young woman signing a form on a table

IC students register to vote prior to the “Stand-Up & Vote” comedy show.

(Photo by Giovanni Santacroce)

IC students register to vote prior to the “Stand-Up & Vote” comedy show.

(Photo by Giovanni Santacroce)

IC students working with Chrissy Guest, assistant professor of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies, produced several video packages to entertain and educate the audience before and after the show. They also provided live video and sound support during the performance. The video packages will be used at other stops during the “Stand-Up & Vote” tour.

The event was sponsored by the Ithaca College Center for Civic Engagement, Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life and School of Humanities and Sciences.