Hamming it up on campus

by Gemma Black

May 8, 2008

STAFF and students have found an outlet from their stressful lives at Murdoch University’s laughter club, started this semester by library staffer Grant Stone and PhD candidate Josef Hewber.

Members enjoy many activities including the ‘fish measuring laugh’ where the wider your arms extend the louder and more forceful you laugh, which says Mr Stone is because “we’re all happy when we catch a big fish”.

The club also dabbles with Laughter Yoga which was started by US-trained Indian Madan Kataria, who decided laughter was a better medicine for ailments like high blood pressure and cholesterol than traditional medicine.

Mr Stone managed to sign up 47 students at a recruitment drive at the beginning of the semester.

However he asserts it is a “constant salesmanship” to get students engaged.

He understands “not everyone can be involved; kids make their own choices”, which includes his daughter, a Murdoch student who hasn’t hopped on board the laughter train either.

Students are apparently too self-conscious or just generally apathetic, which is why Messrs Stone and Hewber make it as exciting as they can.

“In this day and age, if it’s not spectacular different people don’t take notice,” Mr Stone says.

The group urges everyone to get involved. Workshops run for an hour every Thursday at 12.30pm at the Drama Workshop, at the west end of the sports centre.

All it will cost you is a gold coin donation and the proceeds go towards getting the club’s message out there, recruiting new members and in turn producing relaxing endorphins.