MIT SHASS welcomes Leslie Jones to campus
Tickets to the Leslie Jones Event
MIT SHASS welcomes comedian and actress Leslie Jones to campus for a performance at Kresge Auditorium on Saturday, February 19, at 7:00 p.m.
This event, sponsored by the MIT SHASS De Florez Fund for Humor, is open to all MIT students, faculty, and staff. Register now for the chance to receive two free tickets.
Who ya gonna call?
Leslie Jones is best known for her starring role in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, in which the actress portrays Patty Tolan, a sharp-witted New York City MTA worker with encyclopedic knowledge of the city’s history, who joins the team after an encounter with a spooky subway spectre. Much of the film was shot in Greater Boston, and Kristin Wiig’s character, Erin Gilbert, is even an MIT alumna.
Hired by Saturday Night Live (SNL) as a writer in 2014, Jones joined the cast after a memorable on-air appearance during the show’s "Weekend Update" segment. She has been cited by Vulture as an “SNL standout,” and Slate magazine recently praised Jones as “a fiercely independent performer whose brash and unapologetic riffs can ruffle feathers—a welcome risk.”
Taking risks has paid off for Jones, whose film credits also include Chris Rock's Top Five (2014) and Judd Apatow's Trainwreck (2015).
The de Florez Fund: MIT’s “magic lasso”
Jones’s performance is sponsored by the SHASS De Florez Fund for Humor. Each year, the De Florez Fund hosts two major comedy shows on campus while supporting community projects that share the virtues of good humor with MIT.
Founded in 1988 by MIT alumnus Peter de Florez ('38), the fund supports projects that “impress students with the importance of humor in all aspects of life, both personal and business.” In the words of Jay Keyser, MIT Professor of Linguistics Emeritus, “A sense of humor is to an MIT student what the magic lasso is to Wonder Woman. You can survive without it, but boy does it come in handy.”
Major grants are issued twice annually. The next deadline to apply is February 26, 2017. Those seeking smaller grants—of $750 or less—may apply at any time.
MIT students, staff, and faculty who would like to attend the Leslie Jones show on February 19 should enter the online ticket lottery by Sunday, February 12, for the chance to receive up to two free tickets.
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Tickets to the Leslie Jones Event
Story prepared by MIT SHASS Communications
Editorial team: Sarah Goodman, Daniel Pritchard