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75 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, August 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 17, 2004 James Olsen, 13, of Jacksonville, and Savannah Edson, 10, of Ashland, act up in an improvisation game called "Bus Stop" during the final presentation by the "You Crack Us Up!" comedy and improv class for kids at Southern Oregon University Friday. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Improv encourages goofiness Area kids attend camp that strives to unlock their inner drama queens and kings By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A small pack of comedians wrapped up a week’s worth of goofing off and cracking jokes by performing stand-up comedy before a live audience Friday at Southern Oregon University - all in the name of education. "You Crack Us Up!" was one of 32 summer camps hosted by the university’s Youth Programs division, geared at providing educational opportunities disguised as good, clean fun. Classes range from toy design and Japanese clay art to computer programming, knitting for teens and one session dubbed the "Science of Harry Potter." For the week-long comedy session, Ashland actress and former Jefferson Public Radio personality Joanie McGowan lent her talents and time to give kids some professional pointers on joke delivery and improvisation. "I treated them like they were professionals from day one, and they acted that way," McGowan said. Advertisement "They just jumped right in and learned, � and they just did it!" Following the Friday afternoon performance, McGowan rushed back and forth between handing out hugs and compliments and printing head shots for the young performers to add to their portfolios. Along the way, McGowan, who has been recovering from an assault more than a month ago, said she might have benefited from the week of laughter more than her young charges. "I just fell in love and had a blast with these kids," she said. "They were just a real lifeline for me. We all just had the best time." Savannah Edson of Ashland said learning how to be funny from "someone like Joanie" was exciting. "Joanie just made the class," the 10-year-old said. "She really helps you and gives you feedback. The whole time you’re pretty much goofing off, and you’re supposed to be goofing off. With improv, you just say something, and it ends up being funny but you have to stop yourself from laughing, so you can keep going. It’s great." Cameron McCoin of Ashland signed her 9-year-old son up for the camp for the sake of comic relief. "We decided that Dillon is, how should I say it, he likes to be right out there in front," she said. "And he really likes to make people laugh. "He has a big personality, so we try to put him in places where he can expand on that." Director of Youth Programs Carol Jensen said the comedy camp was a perfect example of the types of classes offered for youth each summer. "We put a lot of effort and thought into being on top of what’s fun and exciting for kids to do," Jensen said. "We want it to have, definitely, an academic element, but it has to be fun. No tests, no homework. We want to put these kids right in there to try new things and have a good time." For more information on Youth Programs at SOU, available for ages 6 to 18, call 552-6326 or visit online: http://www.sou.edu/ecp/youth . Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities