The one thing I really love about Purchase is not just its diversity in students, but its diversity in clubs. There are tons of clubs to join on campus that are open to everyone, and it’s easy to find the one right for you. There’s Cheese Club, Nerf Club, Complexuality, FORTH, Philosophy Society — the list goes on! However, there is a new club that is making it’s way into the Purchase community — Stand-Up Comedy Club.
Stand-Up Club started in 2014 but became recognized as an official club in the fall of 2015. Oona O’Brien is the current president of the club. She is a sophomore philosophy major and even did some stand-up back home in Syracuse. “We meet Sundays at 9 p.m. to share material to see what works and what doesn’t work,” Oona says. “It’s a place to have other people hear your material.” Oona first heard about the club when former president and Purchase alum Daniel Laitman had posters up around campus. At that point, it only consisted of three people, but now the club currently has 11 consistent members meeting every Sunday.
So besides comedy, what does this club do? “We plan to go to open mics around the Westchester area, and sometimes in New York City,” Oona said. The club is a very friendly environment, and the members are very open to hearing new jokes. They each give each other constructive criticism on their bits and sets and even share a laugh or two.
Why start a stand-up club? “It was always something I wanted to do,” Oona said. “And I like funny people!” By workshopping their material, the members are given feedback on how their jokes sound. If the jokes go over well in the meeting, the members perform them on stage at various open mics. So far, the club has hosted two showcases at Purchase’s student center (or “the Stood”), and one in the social sciences room they usually meet in. The club even invited members from the Binghamton Stand-Up club to join them on their April 1 show. The collaboration was successful, to say the least. Purchase Stand-Up Comedy Club will be hosting another show on April 30 in the Stood. They will also feature Liam Connors of the local band Strawberry Blonde to play a few acoustic songs between sets. The show will start at 8 p.m.
It isn’t easy to write comedy, but if anyone wants to try their hand at it, this super friendly and fun group of students can help you improve your skills. By practicing at open mics, it allows everyone to get used to being on stage or in front of a crowd. If you'd like to check them out, they meet on Sundays at 9 p.m. in the social sciences building, room 1020. They also have a Facebook page!
