The University of South Dakota kicked off Dakota Days Monday night with a free comedy show, which almost filled Slagle Auditorium to its 1,250-person capacity. The Dakota Days Planning Committee and the Campus Activities Board joined forces to bring comedians Graham Elwood and Doug Benson to USD. Junior Brad Omland, the event coordinator for the D-Days Planning Committee and a member of Campus Activities Board, said the show was a success. "Everyone laughed and both the audience and the comedians got free stuff," Omland said. "We had what I would call a sold-out crowd."
Omland said Benson and Elwood were scheduled to perform after the original concert, Mac Miller, fell through. "We had originally wanted to start D-Days with a concert," Omland said. "When that date didn't work for Mac Miller, we decided a comedy show was the next best option."Omland said students packed Slagle Auditorium because the show was free and because the Mac Miller concert pre-sale started after Benson's show.
"They charged us $9,000, and normally they charge $15,000, so we figured we'd let students see them for free," Omland said. "Doug Benson isn't as well-known on college campuses, so we figured students were more likely to come see him if they didn't have to pay to see him."The fact that the show was free was the reason sophomore Elizabeth Green decided to attend, she said. "I like to support events on campus and it was a good, clean way to spend a Monday night," Green said. Sophomore Laine Greblunas said she decided to go see Benson because she had heard he was cool and had seen him on VH1.
"He's hilarious on VH1, so I thought I'd go see him in person," Greblunas said. "He was cool. He was definitely funny, but there were too many stoner jokes for my personal taste."The college humor made the show hilarious, Green said. "I thought it was pretty hilarious," Green said. "There was a lot of inappropriate college humor that made it great."Greblunas said shows like Benson and Elwood are good for USD to bring in. "It brings the students together," Greblunas said. "It's something fun and something that all college students can listen to and somehow relate to."Green agreed these events add to the college experience.
"It's a good way to bring the campus together in a fun way," Green said. During the show, Benson thanked the audience for coming out "since there's a lot of other things to do around here." Sophomore Jenna Bassingthwaite said that joke is the reason USD needs to continue to bring performances like Benson's to campus. "There's not a lot to do around here so we need events to go to that don't involve drinking, especially if we're underage," Bassingthwaite said.