Former SNL star to headline Homecoming Week comedy show

Andrea Diaz-Ariza/Contributing Writer

This year’s Homecoming Week included Panther Prowl, the annual comedy event featuring comedians from around the country. The Nov. 1 show starred Jay Pharoah, best known for his role as an SNL cast member for six seasons and upcoming HBO show “White Famous.”

During his time at SNL, Pharoah became known for his impressions of celebrities on the show which made him a memorable cast member.

Homecoming Week is a time when students celebrate school pride and enjoy the activities put together by the Homecoming Council. They are able to take part in a variety of activities no matter what their interests are.

Safiyah Baxter, Homecoming Council social media chair, shares why she finds Homecoming week so great for fellow Panthers to be involved.

“We have events for every type of student, which is a big advantage of being able to have the celebrations last a week,” said Baxter.  “Some students may prefer music, others parades and comedy as well. It shows the Homecoming council’s commitment to diversity for all kinds of interests.”

“I was a huge fan of his Jay-Z impersonation on SNL; I really hope he does it this time,” said Baxter. “He was great to watch on SNL which is why I think he’s the perfect choice for our event. It’s comedy – who doesn’t like that?”

Courtesy of Flickr.

The Homecoming Council teamed up with SPC to sponsor the comedy special this year, which gave them the opportunity to make this year even more unforgettable. Executive board members spent a week compiling a list of comedians from film, TV and social media. After debating various candidates, they felt confident that Jay Pharoah was the best choice for the 2017 Panther Prowl.

“Jay Pharoah had the right material to appeal to students,” said Jordan Thompson, the Overall Homecoming Director. “Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how he transitions from SNL to stand up.”

Pharoah’s performance took place at FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Each year, the Homecoming Council experiments with different stage setups to keep the show interesting, and this time was no exception. With a 360-degree stage, Pharoah was be able to interact with the audience from all sides and keep them engaged throughout the show.

A limited number of free student tickets were made available Oct. 8. Non-FIU students were able to purchase tickets for only $25. The event will take place Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m.