Get ready, Iowa State. Student talent is going to be bigger and better for Veishea 2012. Every year, two student talent competitions take place: Cyclone Idol and Veishea Says I’m Funny.

Last year, Samantha Johnson blew the judges away with her rendition of “So Small” by Carrie Underwood. After winning Cyclone Idol, Johnson was stopped by multiple people around campus with congratulatory remarks.

“I actually had a few people of campus recognize me and come up to me and congratulate me, and also a few people in my classes have come up to congratulate me,” Johnson told ISUtv’s Evonna Sweis. “It feels pretty good and being in the Daily is awesome too.”

Winning Cyclone Idol got Johnson the trophy, an iTunes gift card and two hours of studio time.

Another event showcasing student talent is Veishea Says I’m Funny, a student stand-up comedy competition that’s certain to leave you in stiches. Last year’s winner, Jordan Tuerler, explained how it felt to win VSIF and what it took to come up with his act.

“Winning VSIF was very satisfying,” Tuerler said. “Three years earlier, I had performed and failed and I was pretty disappointed about it, so much so that the year in between winning and losing I decided not even to perform. Since my first try at VSIF, I performed at a lot of open mics in Ames and Des Moines, so the second time around I felt a lot more comfortable. It was especially satisfying because of the amount of preparation I put into my act the week before the show.”

Tuerler’s act involved an awkward character he had been using called Gary Kagslow. Tuerler got up on stage and began his awkward display, which ended with him dancing around in a cupcake bikini to Katy Perry’s “California Girls.”

If Tuerler could give any newcomers advice, it would be “prepare.”

“If you are thinking of doing stand-up, like you really want to do it, go find an open mic tonight,” he said. “Go tonight, not tomorrow, not next week. If you don’t do it as soon as possible, you are hurting yourself because that’s just less time you have on stage.”