Stand-up comedy contest for students

Junior Cody Hughes will be defending his title against 23 other UNC students tonight as they vie for one of several opening spots for comedian Lewis Black — an opportunity Hughes has won for the past two years.

The students will compete in the Student Stand Up Competition for the chance to open for Black, as well as The Daily Show’s John Oliver, Wyatt Cenac and Rory Albanese in Friday and Saturday’s performances.

Hughes’ first stand-up experience — and his first win — was in this competition two years ago.

ATTEND THE COMPETITION

Time: 7 p.m. today
Location: Student Union Cabaret
Info: http://www.unc.edu/cuab/events.shtml

“The first year it just blew me away. It was one of the best shows I ever did, and it was just really surreal,” he said.

For the competition, each participant has three minutes to impress the audience. A panel of judges will choose winners based on audience reaction, stage presence and the humor and originality of the jokes.

“Whatever makes a good comedian a good comedian, that’s what we’re looking for,” said Sam Morgan, the CUAB comedy chairman and coordinator of the festival.

Some participants have been polishing their routines for more than a month.

“I’ve been working on my three-minute piece for about two months now,” Hughes said. “I put a lot of work into my jokes.”

But another win would be pure luck, he said.

“I know there are a lot of good and funny people out there,” he said. “It’s been such a great opportunity to win two years in a row.”

The competition is the first event in the seventh annual Carolina Comedy Festival, which ends with Friday and Saturday’s performances from the comedic heavyweights in the Carolina Comedy Jam.

The Carolina Union Activities Board is sponsoring the festival.

“My philosophy is, if you’re not laughing once a day, there’s something wrong,” said Amanda Kao, CUAB president. “We just want to provide a really great show for the students.”

Senior Scott Banks, a returning competitor in the stand-up show, is hoping that his final year in the competition will be better than last year.

“I tried last year but didn’t do that well,” he said. “I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. I’ve been doing it for three years, and winning is really the next goal for me.”

Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.