2008 Woodie Awards
Laughter club uses humor to entertain
Amber Ness
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Everyone knows laughter is the best medicine, which is why one campus organization takes it very seriously.
The Laughter Club, one of SCSU's newest groups, encourages laughter not only as a means of entertainment, but also for its many health benefits.
"When you laugh you kind of get an internal massage," said Jerry Wellik, special education professor and co-founder of the group. "It releases different kinds of endorphins, and it actually improves your health."
Wellik got the idea for the club when he visited the World Laughter Tour last April in North Carolina.
The World Laughter Tour is an international organization which promotes laughter as a means of achieving peace, happiness and health.
The worldwide organization also gathers information and ideas about therapeutic laughter and all of its healthful benefits.
Not only does laughter cause the vibrating muscles to give an internal massage, but it also strengthens the immune system, acts as a mini cardio work-out, relieves stress and prevents negative tension.
Donna Stromquist, graduate student and president of the SCSU club, agreed.
"The theory behind Laughter Club," Stromquist said, "is it can be equated to kind of like laughter yoga."
As far as the club is concerned, the theory seems to have caught on.
With such a positive response to its first meeting in September, the group is meeting twice this month.
"I'm excited to see how many people come to this next one," Stromquist said.
The next meeting is Oct. 26 in Atwood. Meetings are only 30 minutes long to accommodate participants' busy schedules.
The Laughter Club is not just for students, the meeting in September saw an eclectic group of attendees.
"We had students, we had faculty, we had a dean, we had a custodian," Stromquist said.
Participants should expect to engage in several important steps.
First, everyone joins in a chant: HO-HO-HA-HA-HA-HA. Participants then move onto engaging in eye contact with one another, smiling, clapping along to the chant and doing a little dance with another person.
"It's really a good way to let go of anxieties," Wellik said. "You don't even know you're doing it - you're having fun."
And as far as laughter's concerned, that's no joke.
The Laughter Club, one of SCSU's newest groups, encourages laughter not only as a means of entertainment, but also for its many health benefits.
"When you laugh you kind of get an internal massage," said Jerry Wellik, special education professor and co-founder of the group. "It releases different kinds of endorphins, and it actually improves your health."
Wellik got the idea for the club when he visited the World Laughter Tour last April in North Carolina.
The World Laughter Tour is an international organization which promotes laughter as a means of achieving peace, happiness and health.
The worldwide organization also gathers information and ideas about therapeutic laughter and all of its healthful benefits.
Not only does laughter cause the vibrating muscles to give an internal massage, but it also strengthens the immune system, acts as a mini cardio work-out, relieves stress and prevents negative tension.
Donna Stromquist, graduate student and president of the SCSU club, agreed.
"The theory behind Laughter Club," Stromquist said, "is it can be equated to kind of like laughter yoga."
As far as the club is concerned, the theory seems to have caught on.
With such a positive response to its first meeting in September, the group is meeting twice this month.
"I'm excited to see how many people come to this next one," Stromquist said.
The next meeting is Oct. 26 in Atwood. Meetings are only 30 minutes long to accommodate participants' busy schedules.
The Laughter Club is not just for students, the meeting in September saw an eclectic group of attendees.
"We had students, we had faculty, we had a dean, we had a custodian," Stromquist said.
Participants should expect to engage in several important steps.
First, everyone joins in a chant: HO-HO-HA-HA-HA-HA. Participants then move onto engaging in eye contact with one another, smiling, clapping along to the chant and doing a little dance with another person.
"It's really a good way to let go of anxieties," Wellik said. "You don't even know you're doing it - you're having fun."
And as far as laughter's concerned, that's no joke.