Juggler Wows Museum Visitors

Joseph A Cousin '02 is juggling a busy schedule this summer--literally.

Cousin, president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Juggling Club, is currently working at the Boston Museum of Science, illustrating basic physics concepts to young visitors and their parents through humor and airborne objects.

"I'm trying to intertwine physics and juggling," said Cousin, a Winthrop House resident.

Cousin explains the ideas behind concepts such as gravity, kinetic energy and friction as he tosses and catches objects before crowds gathered at the third-floor Investigate! exhibit stage.

The hands-on exhibits in the area allow visitors more freedom than most exhibits, and Cousin often uses younger volunteers to assist in his demonstrations.

"It was very interesting and the most educational juggling show I've ever seen," said 7-year-old Daniel A. Handlin. " [And] I've seen lots of juggling shows."

Cousin's performance, Handlin added, finally laid to rest questions that have perplexed him for years.

"I was always confused about kinetic and potential energy," Handlin said. "This explained it."

"It was good," 10-year-old

Joe S. Tennant agreed. " I learned about rotational energy. I've never seen a juggling show that had to do with science."

Cousin says he has enjoyed performing for viewers of all ages, from young children to teenagers to parents.

"It's been interesting doing it for different age levels," he said. "It gives me a chance to try out different types of humor."

The Florida native started juggling at age 11 after seeing a performance at his school. His older brother, Daniel Cousin '00, started Harvard's juggling club when he was a first-year.

"I learned a lot of wrong methods at first and had to correct them later," Cousin said of his first attempts with tennis balls as a child.

In his brief juggling career, Cousin has juggled 10 balls at once, tying him for the Guinness Book's world record.

Cousin also has a love of music, shown through his work this summer for MINHUET, a public service program through which Harvard students perform at area hospitals and nursing homes.

He also performs for Harvard Square crowds on the weekends--juggling and playing alto saxophone.

"It's just something to make a little extra cash," Cousin said.

--Tova A. Serkin contributed to the reporting of this article.