The Community Engagement and Learning requirement (CEL-2) encourages students to design opportunities to build community and seek innovative ways to address critical needs as defined by communities and organizations in and outside the College.
As a student are expected to:
-Engage in at about 40 hours of CEL-2 activities
-Address a community-identified need (on- or off-campus)
-Reflect on the meaning of the experience
Weekly meetings Friday 5-7 in person and/or via zoom. Bi-Monthly Zoom Stand Up Show
Hampshire Stand Up is one of the only clubs left on campus. We met in person, when possible, and held shows via zoom. Our work was on the need for a sense of community. With so few activities happening on campus this year due to Covid, any event becomes extremely important. Our shows were publicized on community social media and on bulletins around campus to get the zoom link out. Our shows aimed to add regularity during these otherwise hectic times. Everyone and anyone is welcome in Stand Up Club or at our events. Both remote and socially distanced performance and audience options provided a space for connection and laughter, creating a small but close-knit community this year. There is often even space at the end for audience members to try out a set if they would like. We also recorded performances to share with people who were not able to make it to the live performance
I joined this club because I was looking for community. After finding this space, I realized that stand-up could connect to my Div 2 and my growth as a communicator, artist, and person in general. Performing both on stage and over zoom came naturally to me. Workshopping my sets with the group was so similar to critique on rough cuts in my film classes. I had never liked 'performing'. I wanted to be behind the camera or in the editing room. Stand Up gave me an excuse to forget about the process and focus on the content. A good comedian is an effective communicator.
Next year I will be staying in the club and continuing on with Stand Up. The prospect of more in-person showcases and collaborations with other community performers is exciting. As is fostering connections in the Hampshire Community and in my own personal work.
Stand-Up Community Norms (as of 4/17)
1. No interrupting; feedback only after the end of a joke
2. Content violations
a. No racial/offensive slurs
i. No jokes about marginalized groups, especially ones that do not pertain to us
b. Do not make light of heavy triggers
3. Always run jokes by the group before performances/shows
a. Do not change content last minute
4. TOMATO → If someone’s joke makes you uncomfortable, yell out “Tomato!” the member of the group will stop the joke. Members do not have to explain the cause of their discomfort, only if they choose to.
5. Be respectful and listen to your peers.
6. Address trigger warnings towards the beginning of a performance
7. Our meetings are judgement-free
a. If someone violates these norms, all members should meet and openly communicate (in a respectful and non-judgemental manner).
Signatures:
Lilly Hershey-Webb
Hudson LaPrade
Sidney St. Ives
Sean Song