Student starts Juggling and Circus Arts Club
A group of students can be regularly found twirling, spinning and catching props to techno music — but they aren’t circus performers.
Brighton junior Matthew Peplinski and members of his newly created registered student organization, the Juggling and Circus Arts Club, were just a group of friends looking to improve their skills.
Peplinski said the purpose of the RSO is for people to get together and practice juggling and different forms of circus arts. He said he also wanted members to have a permanent location for practices as opposed to trying to find an open spot to practice at the Student Activity Center.
“I wanted to make a community of people who were interested in the same thing. Creating the RSO gives them a place to go where they can do what they love,” Peplinski said. “It's one thing to try to learn on your own, but it's 10 times easier to learn when someone is teaching and helping you through the process.”
The club meets twice a week: at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, they meet in the main gym of Finch Fieldhouse and at 7 p.m. Fridays in the multipurpose room in the Events Center. Practices usually end around 9 or 9:15 p.m., but Peplinski said if members have things to do or take care of, they are free to leave whenever they need to.
Peplinski bought and created many of the props on his own, and members are free to use whatever tools are available. Some of the skills they practice are juggling with various objects and spinning objects by practicing poi, a technique that originated with the Maori people of New Zealand. Peplinski and many of the other members taught themselves the various skills by watching YouTube tutorials.
“We were just a bunch of dudes with props who played around in the gym," said Okemos freshman Noah Benallack. "We became an official RSO last month. Now mulling around and practicing is kind of what we do.”
The RSO first began to gain attention at the Feb. 6 RSO Spotlight, and shortly after, more people began to take notice once posters were created and placed around campus.
Grand Rapids senior Spencer Grubbs joined the club after Peplinski taught him to juggle. He said he knew Peplinski, because they were both members of the Pipe Smokers Club.
“I’m taking 12 credits right now, so I wanted to join a few clubs," Grubbs said. "When you’re practicing, you’re kind of in your own world, so it’s good for relaxing. I’m just finally feeling free."
Peplinski said once the weather gets a bit warmer, he and other members will perform tricks on campus for promotion purposes. He said he will teach anyone who wants to learn how to juggle.
“It makes you feel very achieved, because when you learn more tricks, you feel better about it. With juggling and other kinds of circus arts, you can always get better at it,” Peplinski said. "I’ve been juggling for about a year and a half, and I’m still finding a million other new things I can learn.”
