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Rapping with Pudi

By Jessie Bazan, Comm '14

Meeting a favorite celebrity can be an intimidating experience for any fan. However, as Marquette students Stephanie Graham and Megan Schneck learned, rapping for the star is a surefire (and impressive!) way to break the ice — especially if that celebrity is lovable Marquette alumnus Danny Pudi, Comm '01, star of the NBC comedy series Community.

Pudi and The Avalancheros comedy group recently returned to campus as featured guests on the Diederich College of Communication's Diedrich Ideas: What's So Funny? The student-run program brings in experts from different fields to explore how ideas can make a difference, and this time, the focus was on comedy. During the post-program reception, Community enthusiasts Schneck and Graham wowed Pudi with their rendition of his "Jehovah's Witness Rap" (as seen on season three's Christmas episode).

"The rapping was really nerve-wracking, but he seemed genuinely impressed and appreciative that we had taken the time to learn it all," Graham, a Spanish and journalism sophomore, says of Pudi, who danced and beatboxed alongside her and Schneck. Afterward, the three chatted about Community characters, and Pudi engaged the students in the show's famous Troy and Abed handshake before they took off.

Schneck describes Pudi as a hilarious comedian and an even better, down-to-earth person. "Just looking at his reaction shows that he appreciates his fans, enjoys contact with them and is extremely sweet to them," says Schneck, a political science sophomore. "He is the kind of alumnus Marquette should be proud of."

The university community is indeed proud of Pudi, who came back to campus not only to perform in a big Saturday night improv show, but also for a charity event that raised money to create a theatre scholarship in the name of Marquette artistic associate professor Phyllis Ravel. Pudi returns often to support his alma mater, including recently taking on a familiar campus role as "tour guide" for a day.

"I think he's a genuinely kind, funny person, and it's so refreshing to meet people like that who are in show business," says Graham. "And it's even cooler that he went to Marquette!"