On Sept. 20, Stove’s Cabin Crew held its first stand-up event of the semester in the Student Lounge. The laid-back yet energy-filled vibe was exactly what students needed to get out of the back-to-school blues. The room was packed — with zero empty seats in the house, people resorted to bringing in chairs from the Ram Cafe so they could squeeze into the event. 

There were 15 performers lined up for the night. Stefan Valenti, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’22, opened the event by taking dad jokes — actual jokes about his dad — to another level and, along with comments about his barber, shared the humor of some uncomfortable moments with the audience. Noé Gauchard, FCLC ’21, and Grace Thomas, FCLC ’23, followed up with some all-too-relatable self-deprecation, and Adam Himada, FCLC ’23, reminded us how much power our parents truly had when naming us. All three comedians had the audience roaring with laughter, and even a member of Fordham Public Safety decided to join the fun.

The event was also a learning experience. Thanks to Percy Wu, FCLC ’21, students left with some new words in their vocabulary, specifically Chinese swear words and guidelines for how they should and should not be used in a sentence. Emily Krichmar, FCLC ’21, went with a classic Mrs. Maisel-esque vibe about their polar-opposite parents and boy problems. From Krichmar, students learned to  always ask the person they’re dating if they know what body wash is.

Casey Brennan, FCLC ’21, dedicated her performance to bringing awareness to the struggles of Android users and the power of the green bubble. The audience then got to reminisce on the spontaneity of childhood with Robert Sundstrom, FCLC ’22. If you live in his building, beware of simultaneous floods and fires; he once started both in his house on the same day as a kid. but who doesn’t miss being a “kidiot?” 

Nick Catapano, FCLC ’20, brought us back to reality by sharing his coming-of-age story about having to see many different “ologists,” and his “where is the doctor putting his finger next” anecdote had everyone nearly crying with laughter. The president of Stove’s, Maddy Casale, FCLC ’20, followed up with stories about bullying her little brother that showed us how much we should appreciate the strange nature of sibling love. 

As the night was winding down, Anna Moneymaker, FCLC ’22; Chuck Chandrasekaran, FCLC ’23; Natalie Grammer, FCLC ’21 and Sabrina Crivellone, FCLC ’20, kept up the buzz and made sure there was never a lull in the crowd. Andy Vega, FCLC ’20, finished off the show with an egg-cellent bit about how small his mouth is. He can’t fit an egg in it, but he made up for it with spot-on impressions.

At the end of the show everyone reluctantly shuffled out, but that was after an enormous chorus of laughter and cheers for all the performers. Their stand-up acts allowed each of them to bring their own story to the table and individualize their bits so there was always a fresh plate of jokes from each person. 

When asked if they had anyone that inspired them to pursue stand-up, Himada answered “Dave Chappelle,” Brennan named “John Mulaney” and Casale said “Tina Fey, queen, of course.” Somewhere down the line, we might be treated with a Stove’s Cabin Crew Netflix special, but until then, they’ve got an improv show on Oct. 11 at 9 p.m.