Jay Pharoah coming to Brandeis for 'Deis Day

‘Saturday Night Live’ star known for his impersonations of Jay Z, Kanye West, Will Smith, and President Barack Obama

Brandeis students will have a chance to show off their school pride this Sunday, April 6, at the second annual Deis Day. This year’s event, which is free for all students, will include the first-ever Brandeis Spirit Parade, a barbecue, a Battle of the Bands competition, and a performance by Jay Pharoah of “Saturday Night Live,” who is known for his spot-on impersonations of Jay Z, Kanye West, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and President Barack Obama.

Sponsored by the Brandeis Student Union, Deis Day will coincide with Admitted Students Day, providing an opportunity for prospective students and their families to see the academic and social sides of Brandeis.

Deis Day will kick off at 12 p.m. with the Spirit Parade, which will feature golf cart floats decorated by Brandeis clubs, organizations and sports teams. The parade will start at the Theater Lot and will work its way through campus, past the Shapiro Campus Center, the Science Center and Goldfarb Library, then turning left onto Loop Road and finishing on Chapels Field.

A barbecue lunch of grilled hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken, as well as Kosher and vegetarian options, will be held at Chapels Field following the parade.

The Battle of the Bands competition will start at 2:05 p.m. Six bands will play 20-minute sets and compete for the honor of being named the best student band at Brandeis. Deis Day headliner Pharoah will close out the event when he takes the stage at 5:15 p.m.

To help commemorate the event, the Brandeis Bookstore is selling Deis Day tee shirts for $5.

More information on Deis Day, including the schedule in case it rains, can be found on Facebook.