By: Nick Ketcham
Freelancer

Although there were more flags than people in the Werner University Center Pacific Room on the evening of May 15, the air was casually laced with anticipation as Pete Lee, nationally acclaimed comedian, approached the stage.

Pete stood before the students of Western Oregon University as part of a coordinated effort between the Western Student Activity Board and his nationwide college tour, during which he has visited over 500 colleges.

Just a little over a week prior, Pete Lee was standing before the nation in his first appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, one of his many appearances on national television. Pete has performed on Comedy Central, NBC and CBS, and has been a cast member and writer for major programs such as Fuse T.V.’s “Video on Trial,” VH1’s “Best Week Ever” and the NFL “Top 10’s.”

Pete Lee described himself as a soft, pleasant midwesterner from small town Wisconsin. Throughout the entire performance, Lee showcased his sensitive side with various jokes about love, life and crying so hard in public that actual babies stop crying just to wonder “how much poop does that guy have in his diaper.”

In addition to having funny, unique jokes, Pete interacted with the audience and was able to quickly react to joke opportunities. For example, the squeak of a chair resulted in an accusation that “somebody in the back had stepped on Mariah Carey.”

Despite his busy schedule, Lee took time at the end of the show to interact and take pictures with fans. He also took a brief moment to plug social media accounts as well as a recent segment he did on “The Tonight Show,” which you can watch on his YouTube channel.

Contact the author at nketcham16@wou.edu