Geraldo Rivera is a mustachioed reporter for FOX News. Greg Giraldo is a standup comic. While one spends his time reporting on wars and showing off his massive facial fuzz, the other is a somewhat less famous. And at 8 p.m. tonight, Giraldo will add Syracuse University’s Schine Underground to his long list of entertainment venues.

Senior television, radio and film major Jake Goldman, University Union co-director and the man responsible for bringing the comedian to campus, says that UU was first drawn to Giraldo by his status as a little known performer. Fellow comedian Kevin Brennan will be joining Giraldo during the show.

‘He’s a guy who’s always out on the road. He’s not a television star,’ Goldman said. ‘He’s a good old fashioned standup comedian who is very big right now.’

However, Giraldo could be considered a TV star. He has appeared on late night shows such as ‘Late Night with Conan O’Brien,’ and often contributes a segment to the show ‘Last Call with Carson Daly.’ Giraldo was also the star of the cancelled ABC sitcom ‘Common Law,’ which was loosely based on his experiences at a law firm in New York City.

Although the sitcom was cancelled, Goldman assures SU students that Giraldo is a big time comedian, with some big dates coming up in major cities.

Giraldo grew up in Queens, and studied English at Columbia University. Like many college students, he struggled to find a career path. In order to try to spark his career, he took the LSAT test for law school. After achieving an exceptional score of 47 out of 48, he attended Harvard Law School and soon landed a job at a prestigious law firm. After some time spent at the firm, however, Giraldo decided law wasn’t his ideal career path. He performed at an open-mike night in New York, and before he knew it, his career in comedy took off.

For most SU students, the entertainer is best known for his role on the cancelled Comedy Central show ‘Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,’ where he held the main role. On the show, Giraldo and fellow comedians joked about current events and traded witty barbs with each other.

The show may have helped shaped Giraldo into the entertainer he is today, who, says Goldman, is a great social commentary comedian who pretty much talks about anything.

The Underground performance is one of many Giraldo is doing on his tour. His ability to entertain young audiences earned him the ‘Campus Performer of the Year’ award in 1997 from the National Association for Campus Activities.

Students seeking a break from studying, or even just a creative way to procrastinate should seek the humor and witticism of Giraldo’s energetic persona.

‘He is a really bright dude. Harvard Graduate,’ Goldman said. ‘He will talk about politics and what is going on in the world.’