Going Clubbing: Stand-Up Comedy Club
Darrell Goss, Class of 2021, is a Psychology major with a Sociology minor from Los Angeles, California. As the President of the Stand Up Comedy Club, he enjoys helping aspiring comedians to learn more about their craft and how they can provide laughter and thought provoking content to the audience of Santa Clara University.
Neil Nguyen, Class of 2021, is a Computer Science major from San Jose, California. As the Treasurer of the Stand Up Comedy Club and an active performer on stage, Neil loves to “waste time and write jokes”. For Neil, hosting writing labs for the Stand Up Comedy Club is fulfilling because it enables him to guide members of the club that are willing to try out new things and to help them get out of their comfort zone.
Welcome to our Going Clubbing series, where we invite members from the clubs and organizations that we love on campus and those that we believe should be highlighted for their contributions to our college experience. In this installment, Malachi brings on Darrell Goss and Neil Nguyen to represent our beloved Stand Up Comedy Club! We discuss how Darrell and Neil started doing stand up comedy, their favorite stand up comics and the specials that inspired them to pursue comedy, the necessity of writing labs for up and coming comedians, memorable moments in the club, the impact that the club has had on our campus culture, collaborating with other schools, and their mission as executive members of the club. P.S. Malachi tells a joke in this episode… was it funny?
Interview Highlights
1:40 - When did you guys start doing stand-up comedy and how did you get involved with the leadership roles within the stand-up comedy club?
3:50 - After seeing how well you guys perform on stage and engage with the audience, it was clear to me that both of you have studied the art of stand-up comedy for a while. Who are some of your favorite comics and what specials inspired you and made you want to do stand-up comedy yourself?
6:47 - As a stand up comedian, do you feel pressure to censor yourself and your thoughts while you’re on stage? How much comedic freedom do you believe that you truly have in this climate?
8:50 - Why is the writing lab that the club provides for up and coming comedians essential to their improvement?
11:16 - Considering that your club routinely hosts shows in which you are one of the prominent performers, how difficult is it to manage your time with school responsibilities, club activities, and writing material for your sessions?
13:10 - What is the most memorable event that you’ve held with the club?
14:53 - What is a significant impact that you believe your club has had on our campus culture?
16:39 - The most recent event that the Stand Up Comedy Club held was on November 12th through Zoom. Did the virtual event meet your expectations and were you happy with the turnout?
20:36 - Do you plan on continuing to perform stand up comedy once you graduate? How do you see comedy playing a role in your life after college?
22:24 - What would you say is your mission as an executive member of the club? What do you want students to know about the club and what it has to offer?
24:13 - Malachi tells Darrell and Neil a joke.
25:42 - VoSC custom questions.