There’s no better way to start off a long and busy school year than with a little light-hearted fun. That’s exactly what happened at NYU’s second annual Class Clown Comedy Show. The Welcome (Back) Week Marquee Event, organized by the Class Activities Board, showcased a comedian from each of the student years.

First to take the stage was freshman Christian Masinsin, who hilariously poked fun at himself, taking no more than a minute to declare that he is “a gamer, or in other words single” and that his current favorite game is “Don’t Get Stabbed: New York Edition,” which he claims he’s getting pretty good at. He ended his time with an on-stage costume change, singing his own remake of “Wicked’s” classic hit “Popular,” replacing the refrain with the the words, “the next prez will be Donald Trump.” Masinsin confessed “I was really afraid. I was shaking both before and after the show. It was interesting.”

Up next was sophomore “Comedy Queen” Bonnie Q. Harris. Harris’ performance was scattered with impressions including a Saturday-Night-Live-style skit about Welcome Week at NYU and an offer to see her breast, “Lefty,” if someone would buy her a lunch larger than the single raisin she gets to eat “every other Tuesday” on her current meal plan.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity,” Harris said. “I remember seeing this last year and thinking it’s my biggest dream to be able to be the class clown.”

Third to step into the spotlight was racy Dominican junior comedian, Sebastian Jimenez. Describing himself as an immigrant “on Donald Trump’s hit list,” he blamed “The Godfather,” the film that taught him English, for his obnoxious voice. He went on to joke about his first experiences in the United States, when he believed that Applebee’s was a culinary delight, and that love could be found outside Walmart.

“I started hitting up the open mics in New York,” Jimenez said. “It’s like performing at a strip club in the morning shift sometimes, where you only get the drunks who stayed over from the night. They’re like half awake, half asleep and don’t give a shit what you’re saying. But it toughens you up.”

Finally, senior Ben Marshall discussed the trials of suit shopping for lanky, concave-chested Neanderthals like himself, and his disappointment when, upon meeting Brandon Stanton, he failed to make it into “Humans of New York.” He ended the show by offering advice to freshmen. He reminded them that inevitably, they would embarrass themselves and that the well known advice not to walk with headphones in was basically useless.

Overall, the show was a hit and the audience and comedians certainly shared a few good laughs. “It was a great show,” Marshall said. “There were some very funny people. I was just truly honored to be a part of it.”

Email Katherine Armstrong at [email protected].