The return of Funny Freakin' Friday

Wilson Hall was filled with laughter on Nov. 4 when comedian Josh Sundquist took the stage at 7 p.m. He began his set with a short quip about the JMU Starships, which had evidently amazed him when he first came onto campus, and then continued with his stand-up show, “We Should Hang Out Sometime.”

The event was part of the University Program Board’s (UPB) Funny Freakin’ Friday, where every year, UPB brings a comedian to campus to put on a show. “We traditionally do [this event] about once a year, but we haven’t done it in a few years because of COVID,” said Natalie Fini, a Junior and the Spirit and Traditions Director of UPB. “We asked Josh Sundquist to come. He’s a disabled comedian and a funny guy.”

Fini also shared her excitement at booking Sundquist, as he’s a comedian she’s enjoyed listening to for a while. “I had seen videos of his routine, and I recognized some of the jokes. I also really liked the way he talked about his different relationships.” Fini said her favorite part about planning the event was choosing Sundquist. “I was so excited to have that authority and be able to choose someone who I thought was very good for our campus.”

Sundquist is also a Harrisonburg native and of the 215 in the audience, a few actually knew him personally from school or other places. “He shared a set based on his dating history and how he grew up,” said Fini. “All of the stories were about Harrisonburg, so that was pretty cool.” Sundquist shared anecdotes about local restaurants, a mini golf center and the local Regal movie theater.

By the end of his set, the audience was laughing at every word, and many people flocked to take photos with him afterward. Overall, his humorous act had heart and a sweet message about treating yourself the way you want others to treat you.

To learn about upcoming UPB events, follow @upbjmu on Instagram.