“This looks like the school Harry Potter went to,” said comedian Ronnie Jordan about Guilford as he took the stage. The auditorium erupted with laughter and it was clear that he had the audience’s full attention.Not but a few minutes after 9 p.m. on Jan. 30, Jordan graced Dana Auditorium with his presence and delighted the small crowd that awaited him. His lovable nature and loud stage kept every student captivated.

Each laugh was like a communal sigh of relief. Jordan’s relatable humor and knack for impersonations (especially of American Idol winner, Ruben Studdard) made the crowd love him. He touched on the “universal language” of being broke, college and roommates, honey buns, and the overweight person inside all of us.

“If there’s nobody in the house, I might polish off a whole pack of hotdogs,” he joked, “But that’s not the gluttonous part-I drink the hotdog water as a chaser.”

First-year Mary Gerlich was enthusiastic about Jordan’s act.

“He was fantastic,” she said. “There was so much humor there that the average college student could relate to, especially everything about roommates.”

Jordan ended his act by offering useful advice to aspiring comedians before selling his CDs after the show. “Get as much stage time as you possibly can: open mics, karaoke nights, anywhere there’s a mic. Go up there, get your skills sharp.”

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) chose Jordan from a lineup of other comedians who were part of a tour of colleges across the nation. Executive Chair of Music and Live Performances for CAB Lauren Manley said that Jordan was “.totally worth bringing. His comedy is hilarious and refreshing, especially his bit about the honey buns.”

Ronnie Jordan got his start in Atlanta when he was pushed to get on a stage at an open-mic and discovered how well received his brand of humor was. Since then, the Uptown Comedy Corner in Atlanta has named him the Rookie of the Year, and he has toured with and opened for The Queens of Comedy.

In 2003, Jordan headlined the RJE Comedy Cabaret Tour. Currently, in between tours he is a writer for That Comedy Show on Turner South Network and serves as a mentor in the Atlanta Youth Convention.

The relatively undersized turnout to Jordan’s Friday night performance could only be attributed to general student apathy and stress-factors all too prominently connected to the beginning of a new semester. However, those who did see Jordan found that the act was just the break they needed.

“I liked our previous comedians better, but he was really enjoyable,” said sophomore Grant Gross. “I came out of the auditorium much happier.