Five University of Portland students have been awarded $3,333 Brian Doyle Scholarships in Gentle & Sidelong Humor, having agreed to publicly share a project that “brings the community together in laughter, acts as a statement that the cultural bias to cruel humor and constant irony is shallow, promotes helpless giggling, and insists gently that true humor is a weapon against violence and greed,” as set forth by donor John Beckman ’42, who began the scholarships with his wife Patricia to honor Brian Doyle, known for bringing light, laughter, and levity to nearly every subject he wrote or spoke on.
The recipients are:
- Rachel Booth, who intends to elevate her pug Spencer to fame in a series of hilarious videos and photos on Facebook. “I think this would be a goofy and fun way to remind people of the joys of life.”
- Kaitlyn Buys, who is planning a campus-wide UP Medallion Treasure Hunt in Spring 2019. A medallion will be hidden on campus, with one comedic clue or riddle posted daily until the medallion is found — a chance for “camaraderie and plain simple fun” as a remedy to college stresses.
- Bridget Donnelly, who will film a series of comedy sketches about the absurdities of college life. “We college students tend to complain about basically EVERYTHING, but I like to turn those complaints into jokes because it helps remind us of how lucky we are to be here.”
- Georgia Paulk, who will bring to life a”7-minute Story Slam” in Mago Hunt. Each entrant will have exactly 7 minutes to tell their funniest true story. By hosting a funny story slam, “we’d all get a chance to share the laughter and love of our lives with others.”
- Tyson Reddig, who proposes to culminate his stint as president of UP’s Actually Gavin Improv (formerly the Bluffoons) by organizing a weekend-long comedy & improv festival at UP in Spring 2019. “I honestly see comedy as my life’s calling. I know how hard life can be, and if I can bring some cheer into someone’s day who’s struggling, that makes me happier than anything else ever could.”
We can’t wait to see what happens.