Name: John Michael White
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mathematics
Hometown: Saint Petersburg, Florida
Relationship Status: Single
Courtesy: Annie Grafe
Her Campus (HC): What are you involved in on campus?
John Michael White (JMW): I was involved with the UROP program, which is the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. I was able to do research with Dr. Prosper, who is a professor at FSU from CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The research that I had to do was experiment with a statistics method called bootstrapping, which was supposed to take the actual data from the Higgs boson and then randomize it to simulate another collision experiment. The most I did with that was that I found out that the total number of different outcomes the experiment could have had matched that of another well-known physics theorem. And that’s all I did.
HC: That sounds like a lot! What are you the most involved in right now?
JMW: I do stand-up comedy on campus and off campus. In addition, I run a show in Railroad Square called Film Crashers. Basically, three comedians make fun of a bad movie in real-time. It’s hilarious and a great event at the Crumbox in Railroad Square once a month. I’m also working on making content for the Internet, including a podcast with a comedian and good friend of mine, Tekk Johnson.
HC: Where do you do stand up?
JMW: Mostly at Birds Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack on Wednesdays at 9 p.m., the Club Downunder open mics and the all-arts open mic at the Student Life Cinema. Sometimes there are shows at Birds on Fridays too. Shows are sporadic, but I try to get as much stage time as I can.
HC: What is your podcast called? How can people access it?
JMW: It’s called The Bakery Podcast and it goes up every Thursday on SoundCloud. I try to put the episodes on YouTube as well in case people are averse to SoundCloud.
HC: What do you talk about on your podcast?
JMW: Tekk and I are new to podcasting so we’re trying out some topics through conversation. He and I usually talk about pop culture and nerdy things. Last episode we had a guest – local comedian Casanova Matt Bailey. We just talk about our days and stories from the shows we’ve done as comedians in town and around Florida.
HC: It sounds like you’re a very accomplished performer. What’s important to you as a comedian, a host and an artist?
JMW: As a performer, what I really try to do is keep myself from alienating people with being offensive. I try a different angle with political or social topics. For example, instead of making fun of Donald Trump, I make fun of people who constantly complain about Donald Trump. At the same time, it’s important to me to avoid raising unnecessary conflicts while still being true to myself as a performer. That makes the crowd more comfortable and prepares them for whatever you’re going to say next.
HC: Who are your favorite comedians and performers, locally and professionally?
JMW: Locally, I’m going to have to say Tekk or he’ll hit me. I like Ryan Mawson, who is another member of the Howler Monkey Comedy Troupe that I’m a part of. I like you (Immeke Schmidt), because you bring something different to the stage and you’re fun to watch. And Jess Ekdahl, because of her material and the way she uses it, in addition to the fact that we look the same. Oh, and Jon Clark. Professionally, I love Big Jay Oakerson, Tom Segura and Ron White. He’s one of my all-time peeps.
HC: If you could play any venue in the world, where would you want to do stand-up?
JMW: I also do stage magic, so if I were to perform magic I would want to perform in a big theatre in Las Vegas. Comedy-wise, if I ever had the chance to do Madison Square Garden – it wouldn’t be the proper energy, but I think it would be fun.
HC: Where can people reach you and see you perform?
JMW: You can find me on twitter @jmwsays and @BakeryPodcast. I’m currently making a Facebook page for me and The Bakery Podcast as well, so look out for that!