In general, clubs in high schools exist to help teenagers embrace or develop talents, discover who they are, or to simply be in a unique social environment. Bowie has a plethora of organizations, from the Gay-Straight Alliance, to Hula Hoop Club, to Comedy Club.
Comedy Club is a type of organization that helps its members improve in many aspects. Encouraging quick-thinking, confidence, and many other useful traits.
“Confidence is probably the most important,” senior Martin Pandola said. “You need to decide something and stick with it. Half of what makes improv hard is actually getting up there and participating.”
Specific aspects of comedy, improvisation in particular, largely rely on teamwork and cooperation.
“Having each other’s back is the most important thing in improv,” New Movement theatre (TNM) Conservatory Director Amy Pacheco Jordan said. “This has taught me a lot about living. In an improve comedy scene, being positive is more funny than being negative; same with life. In improv, you have to work together in a caring way or the scenes fall flat; same with real life. Improv has taught me to be a kinder, more open person and I am glad for that.”
The club also generally has a positive affect on its members, though it requires attention and effort, regardless of how long the member has been involved.
“To join comedy club you must go through an intense comedy evaluation test,” sophomore Nick Genin said. “We practice improv once or twice a week and write material whenever we can to make a good show, to be a successful comedian you have to be funny. Pretty simple. The club has helped me with improv and helping me think on my toes.”
It is very possible to get a job concerning comedy in the real world as well, which Jordan exemplifies. Having 10 years of in-theatre experience has given her time to try multiple different perspectives in the theatre, and with comedy.
“I didn’t know anything about improve until I started [at TNM], but now I could not live without it,” Jordan said, “It’s an amazing rush to create new scenes on stage as they appear in my head. I love the creativity.
As a whole, this club involves effort. The effort required is further increased when one is a member of multiple organizations. For example: theatre is a popular additional activity.
“If you count cross country and track or theatre as clubs, then I take part in those besides Comedy Club,” Genin said. “I spend about 15 to 20 hours a week on clubs, not counting theatre. With theatre I spend about 50 hours a week during shows on club activities. They give me less free time but not anything I can’t handle.”