DSU comedy club spotlight
By Jessica Berget, Editor-in-Chief
They say laughter is the best medicine, so with finals around the corner, there is no better way to destress than with the DSU comedy club.
The comedy club meets every Monday from 5 to 7 pm in room N4305 of the New Westminster campus and Thursdays at the same time in room 207 of the DSU building.
The club was created in 2017 by Carter Grenier, but has since moved on to a new president, Michele Provenzano. In an interview with the Other Press, Provenzano explains the purpose of the club and how it came into fruition.
She mentions that it was organized because the former president and founder Grenier realized this was a niche that needed to be filled. The club was made for people who love comedy and want to meet other like-minded individuals. It’s also a space that allows people to be comfortable while trying new things.
“The purpose of the club is to appreciate comedy, encourage people to get 0ut of their comfort zone and try new things like improv and stand-up. A lot of people watch stand-up and really love it but are too scared to try it, so we try to be a really welcoming environment” she said. “We try to have a good time, make each other laugh, and goof around.”
Attendees of the club meetings can expect board and party games, watching stand-up and sketch comedy, improv—which Provenzano says tends to be people’s favourite part of the night. “We love improv at comedy club.” And of course, a comedy club meeting wouldn’t be complete without lots of laughing.
As the new club president as of this year, Provenzano has a vision for the club to get people involved and to meet new people and have fun.
“I want it to be a place people can come and feel comfortable and feel like it’s a real community or a family. There’s a big group of regulars and it feels like a family to me and I’d like to see that expand and be a place where people feel welcome and destress.”
Provenzano also sympathizes with those who may be too shy to try out something like comedy but encourages people who are thinking of trying out the club to just check it out despite the initial anxiety.
“I totally understand, I was really scared prior to going to my first meeting. I was overthinking everything but once I stepped into the room, I was like this is just a great group of people and I’m super comfortable. We really try to get everyone involved so if you’re quieter we’ll try to encourage you to join the conversation, but we won’t force you.”
There are also some future events the comedy club is planning for students to look forward to. “What we do at the end of each semester is a stand-up comedy showcase which we do one of the lecture halls,” she said. “In the past it’s just been friends and family but this semester I’m hoping to get more student turnout. Show people what the comedy club can do.”
