You can balance extracurriculars or juggle one

You're one of those people who want to do it all. You want to get involved in performance, athletics, community service and a social circle. You could join four different extracurricular groups--and never sleep. Or you could grab three pairs of balled-up socks and head to Sever Quad for the weekly meeting of the Harvard Juggling Club (HJC).

Founded just four years ago, HJC has seen a recent surge in membership, including 150 first-years who have already joined this fall.

Club officers seduced first-years at the activity fair by offering demonstrations and even juggling swords by request--a daring feat, considering the crowd of students clamoring for the sign-up sheet.

"The first year or two was kind of disheartening," says President and Founder Daniel A. Cousin '00. "We had more graduate students than undergrads, but in the last year that really flip-flopped."

Even last week's HJC open house, which conflicted with some popular first-year excursions, boasted about 50 new jugglers intrigued by the club's "3-Ball Guarantee."

"If we can't teach you to juggle 3 balls in 15 minutes, you get your money back," Cousin says. "Plus, it doesn't cost anything to begin with."

HJC is probably best known for tossing clubs and devil sticks in front of Memorial Church at their regular Sunday afternoon meetings, but the club takes its juggling seriously. Last summer, members strutted their stuff at the International Juggling Association festival and competition in Niagara Falls, where Joseph A. Cousin '02 juggled nine balls for 22 catches--and won a gold medal for his efforts.

"It's both a sport and an art," Daniel Cousin says.

But even for those who shy away from athletic competitions can find a place in HJC. Club members also give performances and demonstrations at events like Arts First and work closely with Phillips Brooks House programs, juggling at hospitals and nursing homes.

Even after Cousin graduates this spring, the devotion of HJC members to their art is likely help to keep things up in the air for years to come.

"It's really a world of its own," he says.

--Jonelle M. Lonergan