The Boston University Hooping Project

The Tale of The BU Hooping Project

 ~ told by BU Hoop member Rose Kreditor 

The Boston Univeristy Hooping Project began like most stories of this sort- a group of people who had a common interest.  In our case, that common interest being hula hooping.  When Alli Sarezen came to BU as a Freshmen in the Fall of 2011, she brought with her a dozen hula hoops, which she stored in her dorm room.  I met Alli randomly at a local show in October of 2011 where she invited me to come and hoop with her and some friends on BU campus the next day.  Though at the time, I had very little doubt I would be able to physically do much hula hooping, I decided to go anyway.  When I arrived, Alli handed me a hula hoop made with much sturdier material than the plastic hoops from 'Target,' I was imagining.  Not only was I able to hoop around my waste by sunset, but I had so much fun doing it!  I loved all the energy among the hoopers, the exchange of proudly teaching and humbly watching one another.   Alli let me hang on to that hoop so I would be able to practice in my apartment.  Having a hula hoop in my apartment changed everything.  Suddenly, hula hooping wasn't something under the category of 'never gonna happen..'    Needless to say, I began to hula hoop everyday!  My hula hoop fit perfectly in my living room and so when it got cold (as it always does in Boston), I was still able to hoop inside.  It was great for being silly, for taking a study break, relaxing, dancing, exercise, banlancea and the list continued!  Not having the best relationship with the gym, hula hooping was an awsoome way for me to stay in shape.  The better I got, the more confidence I grew... in all aspects of my life.  I would watch videos of other hoopers doing moves that I would tell myself, "oh, that I'll never do," -but sure enough being able to do them myself in a couple weeks.  

 

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Alli Sarazen left Boston University at the end of that semester to go to the University of Colorado, Boulder where she started another hula hoop club.  Determined to not only keep up with hooping, but spread the word, I began to orginize meet ups for the Boston University hoopers that Alli had left behind.  We would meet on campus and hoop together, teach each other new tricks and just hang out!  When outside, people would stop us on the street to either inquire what the heck it was that we were doing, to see if we were part of the circus, or to let us know that they were hoopers too!  I went on to Craiglist and bought every hula hoop I could find in the Boston area in order to have extra so those that passed by were able to stop and try it themselves.  Some would run up saying something along the lines of, 'I am a hooper too looking for people to hoop with!'  - And this is how The Bosotn University Hooping Project began to mold itself into an actual club.