Aspiring MSU comedians gathered in the Union's Ohio State Room on Tuesday night, hoping to extract a chorus of belly laughs from a University Activities Board judging panel.
The comedians were auditioning for a slot in the upcoming "Last Spartan Standing" competition, the MSU version of the "Last Comic Standing" NBC television series. The show is part of UAB's "Joke's on You" comedy weekend, which starts Sept. 30.
A second night of auditions will take place today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The judges will then choose which performers will appear in "Last Spartan Standing."
"This is only the second year," UAB member Emily Money said. "Last year everyone got in (to the competition). If we have 15, we'll take 15. If we have 10, we'll take 10. We've got about three hours to fill."
The comedians joked about topics such as sex, racial stereotypes and religion. Communication senior Jordan Alvarez joked about fashion trends.
"What if popped collars are still a big deal 10 years from now," Alvarez said during his routine. "Imagine the presidential debates: 'Yes, I'd like to know where the candidates stand on popped collars.' Do they prefer 'up' or 'down?' My follow-up would be, 'Beer pong or flip cup?'"
Although some of the auditioning comedians had performed stand-up before, others were first-timers, such as preveterinary medicine freshman Danny McGaheran.
"That was a lot harder than I thought it'd be," McGaheran said. "I was shaking."
The judging panel consisted of Money, preveterinary medicine junior Jennifer Marshall and communication senior Cheryl Brodowski.
The 2004 "Last Spartan Standing" was a one-night event.
This year's event will be held over two nights. The contestants will compete on Sept. 30, followed by a performance by comedian Eric O'Shea. The winner will open for comedian Isaac Witty during two Oct. 1 performances on campus. Witty has performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and soon will be featured on Comedy Central's "Premium Blend."
The contestants will perform Sept. 30 in front of a different three-judge panel that includes O'Shea, comedian Matt Duncan, and an undetermined UAB member. However, pleasing the judges will only be half the battle. Half of the final voting will be determined by audience participation. Each member of the audience will be given a ballot at the door.
Admission to both nights of the "Joke's on You" comedy weekend is free with an MSU student ID card.
