15 stand-up comedians perform in tournament

As part of its effort to find America’s funniest college students, RooftopComedy.com is holding its National College Comedy Competition for stand-up comedians and short-filmmakers. Union Board helped sponsor their IU preliminary stand-up round Tuesday night at the Indiana Memorial Union. \nFifteen IU students each performed a two- to three-minute set and audience members could vote on their three favorites. The eight comedians who received the most votes will proceed to the regional match against winners from Ball State University next month in Indianapolis.\nThe regional winner will go to the national competition in Aspen, Colo., and have a chance to win $1,500. Comedians from 32 schools from across the country will compete for the prize and bragging rights.\nScott Dunn, a regular on the Bob and Tom Show who has also been featured on Comedy Central’s “The Man Show,” played master of ceremonies Tuesday.\n“I like the billboards where God signs His name,” he told the audience in his warm-up. “I can’t prove this, but it’s my theory that’s not really God.”\nAfter encouraging the audience to be kind to performers – “They’re all friends, just some you haven’t met yet” – Dunn introduced senior Matt Fisher.\nFisher, one of the finalists, set the tone for the evening, giving sophomore Adam Mendelevitz a hard act to follow.\n“I’m pushing about six and a half years,” Fisher said – toward a two-year degree from Ivy Tech.\nJunior David Klein then began the first of several Facebook tangents.\n“If you friend me on Facebook, I remember your name and all your favorite movies, because I’m a stalker,” Klein said.\nSophomore Andrew Niemira turned attention to Facebook applications.\n“I just wanna know, which Disney Princess am I?” he said. “I’m Cinderella.”\nSenior Jamel Dotson stuck with the evening’s unofficial theme, Facebook, making social commentary on people who post things they probably shouldn’t.\n“It’s a public forum ... your grandmother, your mother, the police, the CIA – they have Facebook!” Dotson warned. “Even if you’re not a stalker, it’ll make you a stalker!”\nSophomore Torlando Hakes showed audience members why pun jokes don’t translate into other languages and graduate student Deep Mallangada rounded out the evening with a plea to put shower curtains in the men’s locker room before the audience voted.\n“By far, the bar was really high here,” said Briana Lenz, Rooftop Comedy project manager. “Overall, the caliber of the performances was above and beyond what I’ve seen so far.”\nIU students in the audience agreed the competitors gave good performances.\n“I was very impressed,” sophomore Tom Coyne said. “It exceeded what I thought it was going to be.”\nSophomore Rachel Mathias said she liked almost everyone, but she had a clear preference.\n“I liked the really goofy ones,” she said. \nFinalists Fisher, sophomore Jake Butchli, junior Dwight Simmons, freshman Josh Cocks, Niemira, senior Brian M. Frange, Dotson and sophomore Tom Brady will compete against each other and their BSU opponents April 8 at the Crackers Comedy Club in Indy. Rooftop Comedy will provided buses and free admission to anyone with an IU student ID and identification showing they are over 18. Specific details should be posted on www.rooftopcomedy.com/events/college in a few weeks.