Comedian Nick Banks

By Adriane Fraser (Whetstone staff writer)

Nick Banks returned to Wesley College to perform his comedy show for Homecoming Oct. 3.

Junior Tiara White was among about 50 students who attended Wells Theater to watch Banks, who had appeared at freshman orientation.

“I was very excited that he was coming back because I seen him when he came for freshman orientation,” White said.

Slim Cole, Banks’ fraternity brother, opened for him.

Banks began his show with a videos about church, which got the crowd warmed up and ready to laugh.

“I was skeptical at first on how funny he was going to be and thought he would be like every other ‘comedian’ I’ve seen and not actually make me laugh,” sophomore Jeanine Olivares said.

Banks came out wearing a wig and got the audience involved by getting them to clap to a song.

He showed some of his Instagram videos with college skits about school loans, relationships and different types of women’s hair.  He also did stand-up comedy.

“I liked the second show better than the first one he did because he brought videos and was more interactive with the audience and the material was a lot funnier,” White said.

“A lot of ideas for my shows and Instagram are based on real life experience,” Banks said.

Olivares said she was impressed by the way Banks performed and how original his material was.

Jessica Curry-Keith, alcohol education coordinator, found him on a friend’s page on Instagram.

“I brought him back because I thought that Nick was awesome the first time he came,” Curry-Keith said. “He didn’t just come out and do stand up, he came out and spoke with the students like a person. He had a lesson behind every joke he told.”

Banks said that he always has had a passion for comedy.

“Growing up as a kid I just would always find a way to be silly and funny around family members,” he said.  “I was the class clown in my classes growing up,”

Banks started out by making a funny video for Instagram and got a lot of positive reviews and decided to keep going. That’s when he realized comedy is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

“With no hesitation I would come back to Wesley for any event,” Banks said.