Science museum hosts juggling workshop

As the snow came down Saturday afternoon, a dozen people attended a juggling workshop at the WonderLab Museum of Heath, Science and Technology in Bloomington. The workshop was intended for participants to gain basic juggling skills and learn the physics of juggling.\n“Up in the Air: A Science of Juggling Workshop,” was taught by IU sophomore Isaac Simonelli. The event was part of WonderLab’s “Team Up” traveling exhibit highlighting the science in sports, said Staci Radford-Vincent, event coordinator and programs manager at WonderLab.\nSimonelli demonstrated his techniques by juggling such objects as bowling balls and clubs. Though Simonelli said he has received no formal training, he has been juggling for more than 10 years. He went to Europe right after graduating high school, juggling in street performances in several European countries and even attended the European Juggling Convention, he said.\nBerta Moore, a retired social worker from Bloomington, attended the workshop with her family. She said it was her first time juggling, and she was trying it because she wanted to get her mind working more quickly.\n“Challenging yourself to learn something new is good for you,” she said.\nLaughter filled the room as participants attempted to juggle the balls they made themselves during the workshop. The juggling balls were made by stuffing bird seed inside of balloons so that participants could take them home.\nJackie Duemler, freshman and volunteer at WonderLab, joined in the workshop. Though she is engaged to Simonelli, Duemler said she had never juggled before the workshop.\n“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” she said.\nRadford-Vincent said she had hoped the workshop would appeal to a slightly older demographic than WonderLab is used to seeing, but was happy that a number of children participated and had a good time. \nSimonelli agreed. He stressed that juggling is not just something that can make you physically stronger, but is something people can do together socially.\n“It’s a way to connect with people, and it’s something almost anyone can learn,” he said.