Benji Brown, Lil Duval and Bruce Bruce kept the packed audience in the Al Lawson Teaching Gymnasium in laughter during the 5000 Voter’s Strike Comedy Show, presented by 39th Student Senate and Elections and Appointment Committee. Students were only permitted to attend the show if they voted Tuesday in the spring elections. They had to present a sticker as proof of their voting.
The late Delores DuPont-Randolph started the 5000 Voters Strike in 2003. This year’s EAC Chairwoman Amber Gray, a fourth-year English education student from Jackson, Miss., was responsible for organizing the event. Gray was the first to bring the show back after five years. The Strike was created to encourage Florida A&M students to get out and vote in student elections. “…with this being the close of my 3-year tenure in the Senate, I wanted to do something my title, something positive, something fun, something to give back to the students,” said Gray.
The goal was for 5,000 students to use their right to vote.
“Student turnout isn’t great, so we wanted to increase it by having an incentive,” said Iman Sandifer. The second-year history education student from Hallandale is the student relation’s chair for the Elections and Appointments Committee in SGA.
Comedian Bruce Bruce interacted with the audience asking students in Greek organizations to dance and step. Lil’ Duval also used audience interaction in his routine, walking into the crowd to talk and joke around with students. Benji Brown did impersonations and his popular character “Kiki.”
“Mixing the old school with new school comedy is what the school needs to get students to vote,” said Sandier. The show not only included comedians, but showcased the talent of FAMU students like Quinton Stroud and Kyle Washington. Mahogany Dance Theatre also did a hip-hop performance.
The close of the show brought the anticipation of what students were waiting on.
“I think it was a great idea to get students out to participate in elections,” said Tiffany Armstrong, a public administration graduate student.