Rich Kids Comedy club partnered with Team Kosovo to benefit the student body and campus organizations.
GOOD EXPOSURE
Liam Timoti, junior communication studies major and leader of mission’s Team Kosovo, expressed that the connections he had with members of Rich Kids Comedy inspired the creation of the fundraiser event that occurred on Nov. 1. A total of $600, 80 percent of the proceeds, were raised for Team Kosovo’s general fund to use for their three week long mission trip to Kosovo in Europe taking place in January 2016.
“Tonight we are partnering with Rich Kids for a fundraiser for Team Kosovo,” Timoti said at the event. “I just have a lot of friends on Rich Kids and they said that it would be cool ― them hosting a show for us.”
Matthew Porter, senior accounting major and president of Rich Kids Comedy, expressed the benefits of hosting these kinds of events.
“It gives them good exposure, we give them a percentage of whatever we earn from the show and that will certainly help them in their goals because we know that money is always a tough thing for the teams to come by, so we see this as a way to serve them,” Porter said.
PARTNERING WITH SMU
Rich Kids Comedy has partnered with Biola’s Student Missionary Union in the past, as well as other events such as film premiers on campus. These outreach events are a way for Rich Kids Comedy to fulfill the vision they have for the club.
“The [new Rich Kids Comedy] mission statement includes a line that says, ‘We’re here to use the talents that God has given us to serve the student body,’” Porter said. “This year more than any other we have a message and a goal and a purpose and I feel like it brings the team closer.”
DYNAMIC CHANGES
This year, Rich Kids Comedy consists of 13 members, nine returning and four new. A total of 60 students auditioned for a spot in the club but many were turned away because the club functions best when small, due to the type of training that takes place during their weekly practices. They practice with games from their shows, which are usually in groups of approximately three or four members.
“Basically what you see in the shows is what we do in practice,” said Jordan McKinney, senior cinema and media arts major and member of Rich Kids Comedy for four years. “A lot of people think that just because it’s improv it’s all on the spot but we want to refine and learn what’s good that you’re doing and how to continue good habits on stage.”
While the club’s dynamic changes annually when new members are brought into the group, one of the major changes that has occurred over the years is the amount of people interested in Rich Kids Comedy. It has grown to be a prominent club on campus with many students interested in watching performances as well as participating themselves. Porter proposed at Student Government Association on Oct. 29 for funds to host a Rich Kids Comedy Community Day on Nov. 13 to allow students to participate in an improv workshop.
