When looking for a club to join while still acclimating to life at college, you may find that you want an extra-curricular that is low-maintenance, easy-going, and won’t take a large chunk of time out of your weekly routine. A lot of on-campus clubs require some degree of seriousness and focus, such as the campus newspaper, the Good Five Cent Cigar which allows students to pitch ideas for news pieces, as well as write, research, and conduct interviews for said news pieces; the Philosophy Club that meets to hold debates and discussions, the Student Entertainment Committee which plans events and activities each semester, and the Powerlifting club, that well, power lifts! 

If you want a weekly activity within a tight-knit group that involves minimal stress, creativity-fueled games with intermittent comedic relief, and a hysterical performance at the end of each semester, you might be interested in Rhody Ridiculousness: URI’s improv club! They can be found on instagram @rhodyridiculousness

The organizational structure of the club begins with an audition held at the beginning of each semester with prospective members showcasing their quick wit and actors’ prowess through the medium of the skit-games played at each meeting.

Those selected to join by the board of the club will be able to return once a week every Tuesday. However, even if one isn’t selected they are more than welcome to come to any of the open meetings that are held on the first of every month. I more than recommend taking two hours out of your night to do this once the semester picks up and workload increases to “get your sillies out.” 

Rhody Ridiculousness club activities are structured around a handful of games played on a rotational basis. These games impose rules on players that create lively skits with twists, turns, and laughs; and in turn, these games also make players stronger actors by forcing them to convey a wider range of character archetypes and emotions. Whereas acting in any production often leads to players being “typecasted” and confined to certain roles arbitrarily assigned as befitting to them, the improv club functions as a kind of “range bootcamp,” that forces one out of their comfort zone. President Lauren Jardner, a sophomore, emphasizes that, “You don’t need to bring anything but yourself!”

I personally attended several of these open meetings with my friend who is a member, and as someone usually only driven out of her shell when absolutely necessary, I found it surprisingly easy to let go of inhibitions, go with the flow of each game, and just be plain silly. Both the executive board members of the club, and regular members do their part to make the environment as comfortable and welcoming as possible. There is no air of judgment present and no group-politics that you may or may not find in other clubs centered around a specific major, track of interest, or group of friends. 

By the time this blog comes out it will be a while past audition day, but don’t let that stop you from coming to the next open meeting on Tuesday, November 1st! There will also be another audition day early during the second semester, so if you like the vibe of the open meetings you should shoot for a permanent spot. 

For those whose interest is piqued by the nature of this club, but are dissuaded at the idea of any type of performance: fear not. Having been in attendance at last year’s showing myself, I can say that the turnout isn’t typically huge. The audience is mostly friends of the members with a few parents and family members scattered in between. No one who attends the showings is looking for anything but a few laughs and to support a loved one. If you ask me, this is probably one of the least intimidating performances you could be in at URI, if not the least. 

Rhody Ridiculousness open meetings are held at the Memorial Union in Room 360 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm on the first Tuesday of every month. This blog writer hopes to see new faces at the first open meeting of a club that truly deserves the attendance– and if not, I still definitely will be there!

My name is Samantha Melia and I am a junior, double-majoring in journalism and political science. I am also working toward a minor in philosophy! I write in my free-time and I have always loved to do so, whether it is completely creative writing, stories, or more academic essays. Some of my poetry can be found on my instagram account @poetryslamsam, here I showcase some of my favorite pieces from a portfolio that I began compiling during my sophomore year of highschool, and still add to regularly to this day. I am also an avid hiker who most easily finds peace of mind deep in the woods far away from other people. Over the pandemic I developed a special interest in mycology, the study of mushrooms, which is funny because I do not consider myself scientifically-minded by a mile. Pictures of the mushrooms and fungi I’ve found on my hikes can be seen on another secondary Instagram account I have, aptly dubbed @urifungylady (fungi is purposely spelled incorrectly to cue to the fact that I am, in fact, a funky lady). Eventually, I’d like to use my education for a good purpose, and do some form of advocacy journalism internationally. The world is increasingly uncertain, and many other people think there isn’t much that can be done to make it a better place. I am no authority on whether or not those people’s assertions about the state of the world are incorrect, but I think the job of a journalist is incredibly important, and that truth brings light. If it doesn’t make the world a better place, it can at least help us to see a little clearer.