With the fall semester coming to a close, the Comedy Club alleviates the tension of finals week with lighthearted stand-up routines at “LOL at the Library” as part of the “De-Stress Fest.” On Dec. 13, members and fans of the Comedy Club came together to perform stand-up for one last time before the spring semester.

To prepare for the performance and to ease any pre-stage nerves, the club watched Bill Burr interviews on the rickety projector. Burr is known for his crude humor and social commentary featured in his six stand-up specials and celebrated podcast. 

The routine started with the club president, Ethan Lyte joking about his Jewish faith and his struggles during the holiday season. “I don’t know if you know this, but every Jew knows every other Jew in New Jersey.” 

With anxiety and stress on the rise during finals week, this study break is what William Paterson University students need to distract themselves from the tension for a few hours. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation. These can both help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. 

Lyte later joked about his struggles with online dating on Tinder and opening up too soon to his unresponsive matches. The night continued with a line up of 7 comedians. The diverse routines were comprised of the “Dora the Explorer” live-action movie, Chinese holistic medicine, daddy issues, Marshalls and a rap performance. 

One of the most notable performances was by Jen Fiori, whose stand-up consisted of quick witted social commentary. “I’m white, I’m so white that I learned about Cardi B from NPR,” joked Fiori. She followed this statement with an allusion to Batman being a part of the Klan. 

“They were able to make poignant comments about stressful topics. But, it lighted the mood because if you’re able to joke about your pain it makes it easier to deal with,” said Kenneth Fisher-Marciano, a student at WP who fully understands the anxiety surrounding finals week. “It’s good to be able to laugh when you are stressed about what is going on in your life.”

For those who find distractions in places other than comedy, the De-Stress Fest has a wide variety of activities including yoga, coloring and chair massages. Students should always remember to be putting their health and well-being before anything else in life, especially finals week. 

The Comedy Club will keep the laughs going next semester. Meetings are every Wednesday night, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Student Center in room 168A. The club’s Instagram handle is @thecomedyclubWPU and their Twitter handle is @comedyclubWPU