The Off-Campus Student Association’s upcoming Wild ‘N Out competition shows the importance of the presence of black culture on campus.
Wild ‘N Out is a comedy show that discusses and criticizes current social problems such as race and gender. Over time, the show has become a major component of black culture in America.
By serving as a creative outlet for African Americans, Wild ‘N Out lets individuals express themselves and talk about issues in society.
Hannah Munford (‘21), head organizer of Rollins’ Wild ‘N Out and vice president of the Off-Campus Student Association, said, “One of the reasons to have this show on campus is to give representation to individuals to work on black culture. It allows for the inclusion of other cultures on this campus and is important for the Rollins mission statement about diversity and global citizenship.”
Modeled after the iconic MTV show which debuted in 2005, the participants perform, improvise, and use their creativity to compete in teams.
“Originally, it was about American sketch comedy,” Munford said. “Then it was about freestyle rapping, but now it has changed, as historical transformation has gone on, and it’s more about roasting culture, which is intrinsic to the black community.”
Niko Ellison (‘21), advisor for Rollins’ Wild ‘N Out, said, “It means so much to the African American community as a whole. It is a keystone show for our culture, and I think bringing it to Rollins is very important.”
The initial phase of the casting process began with a video audition that had to be submitted to the Instagram or Facebook of the Off-Campus Student Association.
The participants who were selected during the audition process will be called back for another round of auditions. This is where they will engage in workshops where they will meet other contestants and hear the rules of the competition.
“For a good audition, what we are looking for is that you just be authentic and true to yourself; in this competition we value effort more than talent,” said Munford. “You can follow a pattern like in the actual show or break it out of the box, but whatever you do, do it well,” said Munford.
The auditioners will find out the results around the first week of March.
“The selected performers will begin doing group auditions, where they will get to choose their stage name and rehearse some of the actual challenges from the show, such as ‘Hood Jeopardy,’ ‘I Plead the Fifth,’ ‘Got Props,’ and more,” Munford said.
Those chosen to move on to the next round will perform a rap and take part in freestyle and roasting battles at Dave’s Boat House on April 10.
Only 20 people will advance to the final event, and they will be split into two even groups.
At the workshops, the participants will meet to talk to one another about the topics they may be allowed to use as part of their performance while roasting or rapping against another contender.
“All of the comedians on the show will have consent to roast each other about the topics they do; they don’t need to be roasted about something they are uncomfortable with,” Munford said. “All of this is well-established before they are even on the show.”
Music will be provided by DJ Robed Finelus (‘21). He said that Wild ‘N Out is a great opportunity for people to come together and build community.
Finelus said, “I think that it is important for people to feel that their personalities are represented … We each are our own individual person, and not knowing everybody else at times makes us feel alone … but I feel that a show like Wild ‘N Out gives a chance for people to go out and be themselves and feel welcomed.”
As a roasting and comedy show, Wild ‘N Out has often been conflated with tones of mockery towards other contestants, but Munford assures the Rollins community that the show is all about having a good time.
“I want the audience and school to know that this is supposed to be a fun event that everybody can vibe to, and it is not targeted towards anybody to make them feel bad about themselves,” Munford said. “When people go to this event, it is supposed to be a way to have fun and be a college student.”
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