Among many exciting activities during Welcome Week, one of the main events was Chicago’s Second City sketch comedy and improv show. Second City has been actively performing shows for over 50 years.

Second City is known for taking no prisoners. The topics of their shows range from songs about the wonders of Adderall to acts about sorority prostitutes. Each sketch becomes more and more racy yet all the more entertaining.

Welcome Week can be daunting for any freshman, and the Second City show seemed to dissolve many first-week jitters.

“Seeing the show was definitely a good way to meet people and bond with future classmates,” said Bradley Sholman, a freshman. “It felt very easy to connect with classmates while laughing at hilarious sketch comedy.”

With the abundance of activities during Welcome Week, it can be difficult to choose which ones to attend. The Second City show seemed to be a popular choice, however.

“There are so many activities during Welcome Week, but I knew Second City was going to be one of the highlights because they hold nothing back and always make their shows insanely captivating and hilarious,” said Jake Fessler, a freshman.

Audience participation was a large part of the show. The performers used suggestions from the audience for many of the improv skits. One student even participated in a skit about a fraternity. Freshman Theatre student Jamie Abrams was timid at first but rose to the challenge.

“It was a lot of fun. I was caught off guard at first because I had no idea they were going to bring me onstage, but it was still fun to be a part of,” Abrams said.

In addition to the many freshmen who attended the show, there were also a large number of upperclassmen who decided to attend.

“I had never seen a Second City show before and couldn’t pass up the opportunity when I heard that they would be performing at DePaul,” Amy Stern, a junior, recalled.

Welcome Week may be geared towards new students, but it does not mean that upperclassmen cannot enjoy the opportunities as well.

Many who went to the Second City show left with a new lighthearted perspective on college life, forgetting some of the stress that comes with the first week of classes.

Those who missed the show should be sure to see the next one because, in the words of the Adderall song, “I don’t need to sell you because once you think you’re smarter, you’ll come to me.”