The University Board will be hosting “A Shot of Reality” at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Grand Ballroom at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Two comedians will be hosting the comedy event and will be discussing alcohol awareness and the dangers of alcohol as well as addressing issues such as alcoholism, binge drinking, health risks, drunk driving and others.

Tess McArthy, the University Board Human Potential Coordinator, said the show is a good way for students to become more aware of alcohol dangers in a funny and lighthearted way.

Eliza Daugherty, the University Board concert coordinator, said she thinks the show will be a good learning experience.

“It will be really cool for people to learn about drinking in general, the dangers of it and how it relates to college students,” Daugherty said. “People know that you drink in college, but they don’t always see how dangerous it can be. This just brings a different perspective to it because they combine comedy with it, so it’s not just somebody lecturing at you and talking at you. They’re engaging with you, and they’re interactive, and they try and incorporate the students as much as they can.”

According to McArthy, members of the University Board discovered A Shot of Reality last semester and decided to bring the show to Eastern.

“Dallas Lancenese, our spotlight coordinator last semester who is now our chair, came to me and said, ‘Hey, I found these comedians. They seem pretty funny, and they promote a good cause,’” McArthy said. “I said, ‘OK, I’ll watch some clips and see if we want to bring them.’”

McArthy said students can expect a lot of good laughs from the show.

“Hopefully students can learn a little bit more about the dangers of alcohol,” McArthy said. “EIU does a great job with AlcoholEdu talking about standard drinks and things like that, but it’s always nice to have a little bit of a refresher without it getting shoved down your throat.”

The show uses comedy to keep the topics light and friendly, McArthy said.

“It’s not like a forced educational experience,” McArthy said. “It’s just entertainment and, hey, you might learn something along the way.”

What McArthy said she is most looking forward to is the entertainment aspect of the show.

“I always like watching our comedians and our entertainers that we bring in,” McArthy said. “I think it’s always a really fun experience. Places like EIU are really lucky to be able to bring in such talented and great artists and entertainers.”

Mercury Bowen can be reached at 581-2812 or mjbowen@eiu.edu.