Michelle Schraudner
Life Editor
Students at Idaho State University aren’t shy about expressing their personal interests through student organizations. Clubs on campus include the Brony Club (a My Little Pony-themed group) and the Anime Club, alongside the more traditional academic and cultural clubs.
One of the newest clubs on campus is no exception to the niche interest group trend that has begun to emerge here at ISU.
The Yo-yo Club, led by President Tyler Jorgensen, was unanimously approved by the ASISU senate on Oct. 23.
Jorgensen, a freshman majoring in business, has been fascinated by yo-yoing since he saw the activity demonstrated during an assembly when he was in elementary school.
Once he got to ISU, Jorgensen decided to start the Yo-yo Club to share his unique interest with other students. Both yo-yo experts and novices alike are invited to join the club, which meets weekly on Thursdays at 6 p.m. in front of Einstein Bros in the SUB.
Those interested in yo-yoing are invited by Jorgensen and the other Yo-yo Club officers to stop them on campus and ask for a demonstration.
While some students struggle to pick out the right shoes or jacket for the day, Jorgensen has a slightly different dilemma: choice in yo-yos.
“I can’t choose one in the morning,” he said.
While talking about the club, Jorgensen began casually pulling yo-yos from his pockets, eventually piling 16 on the table in front of him. That, he said, was pretty average for his everyday life.
The owner of around 40 yo-yos, Jorgensen has a collection that includes metal and plastic ones in a variety of colors.
He said the plastic yo-yos cost from $3 to $45, while metal ones cost anywhere from $45 to $145, at least the ones he has. Some can cost upwards of $300 but that’s too pricy for even a collector like Jorgensen, at least for now.
Other members of the Yo-yo Club aren’t as experienced as Jorgensen but for some, his extreme interest piqued their own.
Dana Williams, an elementary education major from McCammon, is a member of the new club and is excited to learn more about the activity. While she said her skill repertoire is limited, she plans to keep practicing and learning new tricks.
Yo-yo tricks, much like yo-yos themselves, have quite the diverse range. With names ranging from “Rancid Milk” to “Man on the Flying Trapeze and His Brother,” there’s an activity for every skill level.
One way Jorgensen likes to learn new tricks is by watching videos on YouTube. He even has his own channel where he posts video demonstrations.
A video, created with Jorgensen’s friend Mike Montgomery, has over 500 views. The title is “Forte Boise,” and features a gold yo-yo of Jorgensen’s.
Plans for the Yo-yo Club include creating ISU-themed yo-yos and participating in yo-yo competitions like one some of the members attended recently.
Jorgensen participated in the freestyle part of the competition and said it inspired him to do even better at future competitions.
