Who would’ve thought laundry and knock-off cereal could be so funny? At last Thursday’s “Last Rocket Standing” it was those seemingly mundane topics with a comedic twist that made Chris Sinchok the “Last Rocket Standing.” Sinchok, a senior majoring in computer science and engineering beat out seven other contestants to take home the prestigious title.
The event was sponsored by Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity and raised nearly $600 that will go toward a spring banquet. As the “Last Rocket Standing,” Sinchok won a gift card worth $50.*
“I’m very happy that I won,” Sinchok said. “I think it’s great because the level of competition was so high this year. It’s definitely a privilege to win.”
The comics were judged by a panel of five judges consisting of students and local comedians. Comedians Owen Thomas and Jason Benci, radio personality Corey W. King, and student organizers Josh Schinagle and Jill Kolenski all served as judges for the evening.
The judges didn’t have official scorecards or a rating system but based their opinions on delivery, crowd reaction and stage presence, King said.
“There wasn’t much of a set guideline that we judged by,“ Thomas said. “We mostly went off of crowd reaction, set-up transitions and strength of material. We were taking notes throughout the show and in between breaks we would get together. Chris was very polished, his stage presence and delivery were spot-on. You can tell he had experience.”
“I think Chris is at an advanced level,” Benci said. “This is not his first rodeo, and he’s very well-mannered and knows exactly what he’s doing on stage. He knows how to grab the steering wheel and make the audience laugh.”
While all of the students who participated in the comedy showcase considered themselves amateurs, Benci said overall he was impressed with the level of talent.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I came out, but this was probably the best show I’ve seen as far as open mic,” he said. “I thought everyone was great. They were all very funny and their confidence superceded their fear. No one had any stage fright as far as I could tell.”
While other contestants talked about the tribulations of being a redhead and “butt sex,” it was Sinchok’s relatable jokes and stage presence that set him apart from the rest, Benci said.
Sinchok said he only rehearsed his routine for half-an-hour prior to his performance and that most of his jokes were written 6-9 months ago. During his three-minute routine, Sinchok talked about his lack of money, the frustrations of Rocket Solutions Central and the irony of Trojan condoms.
“Why would they name a condom after a city that was supposed to be the most protected city in the world?” he said during his routine. “The city was 99 percent safe but during that one percent it was destroyed.”
Sinchok said it’s difficult to describe his humor. He cited Dane Cook as one of his comedy idols and said he could relate to the comedian’s offbeat brand of comedy.
“I think I have a more absurd humor,” Sinchok said. “When you try to be yourself that’s when you’re your funniest. Everybody hates Rocket Solutions, so I knew students would relate to that. Local stuff is always good because it’s something people can relate with and they know it’s just for them.”
While Sinchok did admit he has a knack for comedy, the young comedian said he has no plans of pursing a full-time comedy career. He currently performs comedy during the weekdays at Connxtions Comedy Club and considers it a hobby, not a profession, he said.
“Comedy is fun, but I don’t think I will make a full-time career out of it,” he said. “We’ll see where it takes me.”
— Chris Sinchok will be performing at Connxtions Comedy Club on Feb. 12 at 8 p.m.*
*Correction: The original printed version of this article contained three mistakes. The article indicated the gift certificate given to Sinchok was 50% of the event’s proceeds, but it is actually for $50. The tag at the end of the story said Sinchok would be performing at Connxtions Comedy Club on Feb. 12 at 8:30 p.m., but he performs at 8 p.m. In the same tag, we misspelled Sinchok’s last name. The first two errors were the result of our failure to double check information given to us from the sources. These mistakes have been fixed above.
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