What has two legs, a microphone and made Linfield College students laugh alongside their parents?

Comedian Kevin McCaffrey took the stage in ICE Auditorium before a crowd on Parent’s Weekend. While students were worried they may have had to repress some laughter in front of their parents, parents were concerned that a comic stroll down memory lane might not be setting the best example for their young students. The subject of college drinking was an undeniable elephant in the room.

Nonetheless, McCaffrey took the stage and swiftly dealt with the tension, congratulating parents and students on the fact that everyone in that auditorium was spending at least some portion of their Saturday sober. From there, McCaffrey began his exploration of his college experience and laughter was the immediate result. One comical fact that arose was that, as a former student at Ball State University, McCaffrey praised Linfield’s football team for their impressive streak of winning seasons. Unfortunately for Ball State, they once held the nation’s longest losing streak, justifying McCaffrey’s classification of Ball State as the “anti-Linfield.”

The range of topics exploded from their including everything from the proper spelling of “douche”, to Catholicism, to facial collisions with New York pigeons. The challenges of overcoming a pesky and sexually hyperactive roommate were also addressed, sparking laughter throughout the crowd. Eventually, McCaffrey shared with the audience his hilarious drinking story in which he pulled out his wallet, opened the cash compartment and happily threw up into it. Even the elephant in the room was laughing after that story, as parents and students together laughed aloud without reservation.

It was definitely a unique crowd that night, but McCaffrey saw the positives: “I was a few years out of college, so there were certain things I talked about that parents mainly got, and there were other things the students mainly got. With a crowd like that, hopefully someone was getting everything,” McCaffrey said.

The crowd that night had an equal appreciation for McCaffrey. Even parents spoke well.

“His set was funny and gave a glimpse into the life of a college student. Parents who went to college definitely remembered situations from their own experience that could relate,” mother of freshman Connor Campbell, Denise Campbell said. Students showed their appreciation as well with many hearty laughs and applause.

What this event truly illustrated was the unique opportunities Linfield provides to its students. While this night was not particularly academic, it was a different way to unify parents and students in the Linfield experience.

“It was a great time to be able to laugh with my mom about college. In a weird way it was a bonding moment,” Connor Campbell said.

There may have been worries for some parents that their student may find themselves throwing up into a wallet, but there was the understanding and hope that one day these students would reflect upon their time at Linfield and tell stories of their own with great affection.