Stand Up Comedy Club Helps Students Hone Their Comedy Performances | News
Chasey Sedam performing a stand-up comedy at a Student Union Office Open Mic party.
The Iowa State Stand Up Comedy Club (SUCC) is a group of college students who write and perform stand up comedies locally in Ames. There are about 11 members with an average of 30 to 35 people who come to see their shows.
The club meets every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Carver 0282.
A typical reunion for the comedy club opens with a video of a comedian’s performance. The group then discusses what went well and what went wrong. Then they break up into groups and write jokes for upcoming shows.
The stand up club performs at Mother’s Pub every two weeks, where they try out material for their shows. They also make trips to Des Moines to go to different open mic parties to practice.
It is mandatory for anyone wishing to perform at their show to do at least one open mic to try out potential material.
Caden Washburn is a senior chemical engineering student and is the club president. He was with the club for the four years of his college career.
Washburn described jokes that he told the club he would give Mother’s Pub and other open mics a try to see how the audience reacted.
“It’s doing it [performing] over and over again so you can get the right formulation, ”Washburn said.
Iowa State professor Peter Orazem is the club’s advisor. Orazem advises and guides students in the writing of their programs.
Orazem is also a teaching assistant for Comedy College in Iowa State and already has performing experience.
Along with their shows, the Stand Up Comedy Club also writes the humor section for the Iowa State Daily.
Chasey Sedam, a junior environmental engineering student, is a member of the stand up club.
Sedam recently opened a performance for actress Becky Robinson at Memorial Union’s Maintenance Shop.
