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Jumping In: The Challenge of a Reluctant Improv First-Timer

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Lights, camera, comedy! While many enjoy watching or participating in the spontaneous rush of improv and comedic acting, Cal Poly freshman Declan Henry is not amongst those “many”. Henry, being more interested in “serious or dramatic acting” has always seen improv as an afterthought when it comes to performance. After being nagged by his good friend Mady Kubiak to participate in a workshop hosted by Smile and Nod member, Isaiah Covarrubias, Henry finally agreed to give it a try. Kubiak assured him that Covarrubias’ energy and “dedication to the art” would make him feel at ease, but Henry remained unphased. Nervous and skeptical, he walked into his first improv class, bracing himself for annoyance and a possible disaster. Little did he know that this unexpected challenge might just push him outside of his comfort zone in ways he had never imagined, teaching him and the rest of the participants the true importance of comedy and community. 
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Memes & Maturity: How College Can Shape a Sense of Humor

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  A chuckle echoes through the air. Long nails clack against the phone screen to like post after post. Various distorted audios play as Zoey Meraz, a Cal Poly freshman who runs a local comedy meme page, scrolls through her social media feed. Meraz was previously the owner of a comedy account with over 10,000 followers, but since her time at Cal Poly, she has decided to archive her account and start from scratch. Meraz hopes that with her new environment and peers, her followers will adhere to her fresh perspective on comedy and relate to the new era of humor that college has introduced to her.   Marley: Can you please state your name and your connection to comedy?  
Zoey: My name is Zoey Meraz and my connection to comedy is my meme account on Instagram, I don’t know if I want to say the name…it’s embarrassing wait. Okay, it's AlphaEdgelord on Instagram.  Marley laughs, Zoey starts as well Zoey: I know, I know, please I literally used AI to name it  Marle...
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Unscripted Harmony: Smile and Nod’s Improv Made-up Medical Musical

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Cal Poly’s very own "Smile and Nod" comedy improv team took the stage on Feb. 8 to welcome lights, laughter, and now, lyrics. Adding on to their comedic improvisation, the team performed their very own on-the-spot musical, with spontaneous songs, dialogue, plot lines and choreography. Using nothing but impulsive piano melodies and instinctual harmonies, the unexpected storyline of a medical center on the beach, lost memories and an uncertain evil, was brought to life. The images below capture the exhilarating energy of improv while also depicting the realism of performance. The team banded together to create a one-of-a-kind performance, to prove once again that the funniest stories are often the ones made up on the spot. The team's improvised choreography during an impromptu song Team Member, Colin Elman, playing the piano  An audience member and  performer, Ruby Intner, hugging after the show The audience applauding after an improvised song Grace Bennett depict...
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Cal Poly’s Improv Team is Building Community, One Laugh at a Time

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In a small, comfortably lit lecture hall that neighbors the performing arts center, a group of Cal Poly students step into the light that shines from above them.  These comedians embrace the audience with no scripts and no plans, but with a vision for laughter and community.  Smile and Nod is a student-led improv comedy team at Cal Poly that aims to create sketches from crowd suggestions and impromptu actions. "Improv is an opportunity for people from all majors and age groups to just come together and bond over comedy," said Isaiah Covarrubias, a first-year on the team. By letting everyone in the room have a part in the show, the team highlights the importance of maintaining a relationship with both each other, and the audience. From “Summer Camp Murder Mystery” to “The Heroes vs. Villains”, Smile and Nod’s themed show nights target public interests and common comedy tropes while adding an individual flare.  Smile and Nod's logo projected above their stage set-up The qui...
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How The Rise of Dark Humor Promotes Controversial Coping

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At the 2024 SLO Comedy Festival, comedian Alex Hooper was labeled as the most notable act by “blending dark humor with silly, unapologetic positivity” as his description on the show’s site states. Despite the numerous acts and comedians that took the stage, audiences were most drawn to the controversial comedy form that Hooper displayed. More notably, Hooper’s popularity spans larger than local. He was one of the most famous comedians in show attendance, having appeared on America’s Got Talent, Comedy Central and headlining at comedy clubs in over 30 states.  Dark humor has emerged from its underground domain both locally and globally, but what made such a controversial form of comedy, and the performers who practice it, become so favored over the last decade?  Alex Hooper, shown here on America’s Got Talent , was the featured act at the 2024 SLO Comedy Festival ( NBC) Sometimes criticized for being insensitive or inappropriate, dark humor is a comedic practice that typical...
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