Sonoma State is a hub of diverse interests and communities, seen through the many student-led clubs on campus. From interest-based communities like Game Development Club and Improv Club to educational groups like Psychology Club, there’s always been a place for everyone. But an especially unique student organization has begun this semester – and it’s one that takes a lot of balls to join.
This new club in question is the juggling club. Tucked in the outdoor plaza next to the Music Education building, the SSU Juggling Club meets every Friday for 45 minutes of ball-throwing, community-building action. Whether you’re a complete novice or an experienced juggler, the club is open for all to join.
The Juggling Club is the brainchild of trumpet professor Daniel Norris and has roots in the Music Department. Originally stemming from a joke in class, the club quickly became a popular fixture in the music department’s community due to its quirky nature and the skills’ parallels to practicing an instrument.
“I walked out of class one day and saw like 15 people juggling,” said Rees Wakefield, a Music major and member of the Juggling Club. “It was a beautiful moment!”
The Juggling Club is still in the process of becoming an official club at Sonoma State, and is not yet listed on the campus clubs site. But that hasn’t stopped it from gaining a dedicated group of attendees, a majority of whom are Music majors.
“It’s an organic club – it started as a joke, but people wanted it to actually be a club,” said Gerrett Whitelock, a music education major. “After all, who doesn’t want to learn how to juggle?”
Like learning an instrument, learning to juggle is a difficult task. One needs to handle their hand-eye coordination and timing, focusing on when and where to throw the balls. It takes practice, but don’t worry if it takes a few tries – the Juggling Club is an incredibly supportive community, and one accepting of any skill level.
“Anyone is welcome, even complete beginners – I’d say like 60% of us were beginners when we started,” said Whitefield. “It’s here, and it’s for any skill level. You don’t have to know how to juggle to join in.”
The Juggling Club meets every Friday at 3 p.m. in the courtyard of the Music Education building. Contact Daniel Norris at [email protected] with any questions.
