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Freshman looks to bring laughs to campus with comedy club

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By Emma Zaremba

Features Editor

    Too often, performance spaces around campus such as the Skeller, the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts and the Garrett Theater are filled with nothing but silence. One Bonaventure student discovered what was missing and found a way to cure the quiet with laughter.

   Freshman journalism and mass communication major Dakota Ward grew up watching “Saturday Night Live” and fell fast for comedy. With an interest in performing and scriptwriting, he knew comedy was in his future and he would have to start making his mark right away.

    “My main goal in college was to start a comedy club group, just to get my feet into the doorway,” Ward said. “In this (college) atmosphere, it really did just make me want to create a club.”

    Ward told himself he would start the necessary paperwork for the club last semester, but he kept putting it off until a certain influence at home convinced him to take the chance.

    “My mom really pushed me to do it, and I’m a momma’s boy, so I did it,” Ward said.

    Chris Mackowski, professor of journalism and mass communication and adviser of the club, recalled his experience getting to know Ward and his passion for comedy. From the beginning, Ward clearly stated his dream of being a stand-up comic.

    “He came to Bonaventure and I had him for class last semester,” Mackowski said. “In 14 years teaching here, I’ve never had anyone say ‘I want to be a stand-up comic,’ which I thought was fantastic.”

    Looking for advice, Ward approached Mackowski with his idea to kick off the club.

 

“He finally approached me saying ‘I want to do this comedy club,’ and I said, ‘well lets make it happen,’” Mackowski said. “I said, ‘if you guys need an adviser for your paperwork or something, I’d be happy to help you out.’”
After that little push from his mom and advisement from Mackowski, there was no turning back. The club was making its way into the Bona Bubble with Ward as its leader.
“I’m the kind of guy that likes to get the name first,” Ward said. “I created the name ‘The Laugh Pack SBU Comedy,’ then I created a logo, because I’m an artsy guy and my mom helped me because she’s a graphic designer, and then I created an idea.”
Ward’s first written proposal didn’t go as planned, so he decided to write a bigger one and fill out a Student Government Association (SGA) approval form.
“I typed up the proposal, sent it in, they loved the idea and here’s the comedy club,” Ward said.
Creating a club has more steps than writing a proposal and filling out a few forms. There must be an established set of leaders, or in this case, “pack leaders” prepared to direct and manage the club’s activities.
“I’m the pack leader, then we have a co-pack leader, a pack stage leader and a pack media leader,” Ward said. “(As the current pack media leader) I figured I would see who else is really good at advertising and keeping a website, Facebook and Twitter. I already purchased a website, laughpacksbu.edu and there’s already a Facebook and Twitter, but they aren’t public yet.”
Pack stage leader and junior political science major Arin Liszka explained how she got involved with “The Laugh Pack.”
“I’ve known Dakota my whole life, and with him coming here, I just kind of hopped on (the idea) with me and my friends,” Liszka said. “When he had the proposal and all this stuff telling me what all the leaders are going to do and he said ‘Oh, you know you’re going to be one,’ I said okay.”
Liszka’s experience with backstage work made it easy for Ward to assign her the role of pack stage leader.
“She’s going to help out with telling people where to go and help basically make the show run, creating the technical side of it,” Ward said.
When asked what the club’s schedule looked like, Ward was happy to explain his plan.
“For this year I only want one performance,” Ward said. “That’s the only thing we want to do to get our feet wet. We just want to get ready for next year, because hopefully next year we’ll have tryouts and get a comedy group.”
Because the semester is more than halfway through, Ward hopes to have one show in April focused on improv comedy.
“There has to be some rehearsal, but it’s mostly off-the-head and you go up there and act out. It’s fun,” Ward said.
Next year, Ward said he hopes to make these comedy shows a weekly or biweekly event and hopes to have tryouts to join the team.
“We want to do tryouts, but everyone makes it,” Ward said. “If there’s a lot of people then we will make an A and B team, but right now we’re sticking with an A team.”
Even if a student is inexperienced with comedy, Ward claimed the club will give an opportunity to improve their on-stage performance. However, people interested in the performance side aren’t the only ones Ward is looking for.
“I want to bring all these artsy people (together),” Ward said. “Advertising and communications, writers, people that like to do film and anyone that is interested and thinks they can do art…I would like them to join.”
Mackowski shared his view on what the Bonaventure campus lacks and how this club will help to make it better.
“My sense at Bonaventure is that we don’t have a campus culture where people are congregating down in the Skeller, for instance, to have an open mic night, or for people to have a jam night with their band,” Mackowski said. “I know that there are those sorts of events, but I don’t know that they are as regular as they could be or maybe even should be. It’s nice to know that there’s one more thing going on.”
No matter the amount of people in attendance, regular comedy shows will be good for the Bonaventure community, according to Mackowski.
“There’s still something to be said about getting up in front of people in a public space and performing that just does wonders for a person,” he said. “It’s great experience. The type of product they’re offering, making people laugh, you just can’t go wrong there. It’s good for everybody.”
Liszka also looks forward to the experience of each performance.
“Even if you don’t think you’re funny, there has got to be someone who does,” Liszka said. “It’s a good opportunity to enjoy yourself, let loose and have fun.”
“The Laugh Pack” will require a lot of teamwork, according to Ward. Members will learn how to function as a unit and work toward a common goal while being funny.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Ward said. “It’s going to seem like you’re actually part of an acting company and part of a comedy troupe. If you think you’re funny, why not go up on stage and show that you’re funny?”
If you’re interested in joining “The Laugh Pack,” there will be a meeting on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Murphy Auditorium.

zarembek11@bonaventure.edu

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