“You guys have a beautiful bowling alley,” Bo Burnham said. “Have fun paying off that bowling alley for 20 years. That’ll be worth it.”
Burnham, a comedian, and DJ Khaled, a music producer, entertained students Friday night at the Reitz Union Board Entertainment’s third annual Big Orange Festival. RUB Entertainment paid Burnham $31,000 and Khaled $50,000.
RUB used the entertainment fee students pay as part of UF’s tuition to host the event, said Rene Ciarmataro, 22, the Big Orange Festival chairman. This was the first time the festival used the new spaces in the expanded Reitz.
“There is so much more space for us to enjoy,” the UF telecommunication senior said. “We wanted students to enjoy what the Reitz Union has to offer.”
Along with performances from Burnham and Khaled, RUB Entertainment opened the Game Room all night for free, brought in sculptures — including a big orange — on the ground floor and offered students free food.
Burnham’s show started in the Grand Ballroom at 9 p.m. RUB had 910 tickets for the show, all of which were claimed.
Amber Shepherd, a UF health education and behavior junior, said she got in line to see Burnham at 3 p.m.
“He peeked his head out before when we were waiting in line, and he waved at us,” the 21-year-old said.
During his act, Burnham berated an audience member who used his phone during his performance.
Barrett Swartz, a UF finance sophomore, said he didn’t expect Burnham to address him.
“He insulted my name and continued to do it throughout the show,” the 20-year-old said. “I’m totally fine with that. I love Bo.”
Burnham said he spent the day walking around campus, going to the Florida Natural History Museum and the Reitz Union.
“I went to your natural history museum," he said. “Wonderful. I didn’t know how much genocide happened here. A lot of natives here; not a lot now. Where’d they go, Barrett?”
He also joked about the number of scooters on UF’s campus during his act.
“If I have one note for this school: cool it with the f-----g Vespas,” he said.
DJ Khaled performs at the Reitz Union as part of the Reitz Union Board Entertainment’s Big Orange Festival on Friday night.
Hundreds of students watched Khaled on Snapchat from the Rion Ballroom, where he was supposed to begin at 11 p.m. An hour later he took the stage.
The famous Snapchatter filmed his fans reacting to his mixing and his inspirational messages he has become known for. Fans waved paper cutouts of keys and signs with phrases from Khaled’s Snapchats, including “They.”
“He took pictures of a lot of students, which I’m sure made a lot of them happy,” Ciarmataro said.
UF exploratory freshman Alison Wilfong said she thought students walked away with Khaled’s positive outlook.
“The more you listen to him, you realize he has a very optimistic attitude,” she said. “I think that’s why he relates to young people so well.”
Khaled offered advice to students in between playing songs from his label.
“You are already on the right path because you’re in school,” he said to the audience. “You are the new young kings and queens of the world.”
Bo Burnham performs at the Reitz Union as part of the Reitz Union Board Entertainment’s Big Orange Festival. More than 900 students came to watch the comedian on Friday night.
