Getting Funky

Katherine K. Gardiner Arizona Daily Wildcat Molly Reuben, molecular and cellular biology junior and member of Camp Wildcat, does the hokey-pokey with Michael Green, 6, during the after school program at Myers-Ganoung Elementary on Friday. Camp Wildcat held a dance for the students in honor of May Day.

After the rush, Gloria Estefan gave the first order through two large speakers: Conga.

Seven lines of people congaed around the room, transforming Myers-Ganoung Elementary School's lunchroom into a dance hall.

The transformation, planned by Camp Wildcat, a student-run organization that helps underprivileged children, brought Alan Isaacson, a disc jockey and father of a Camp Wildcat member, to Tucson from Phoenix. Isaacson, calling himself "the big DJ" and the children "little DJs," provided music for the event.

"We are going to try to have a great time and try to follow directions," he told the children.

After the conga ended, the party continued to rage with the hokey-pokey and what Isaacson called a "century mix" - a musical collage stretching back to the '20's Can-Can and Swing eras, through the '50s and '60s with Elvis, the Beatles and the Hand-Jive up to music of the '90s.

But third-graders Jesse Mciver and Jesse Estabrook sat out.

"We don't know how to do that," they said.

Although they didn't care for the Hand-Jive, they agreed their favorite part of the event was the swing dancing.

Fourth-graders Miranda Lockwood and Tiffany Lynn said the event was fun.

"We're learning new stuff, like how to dance," Miranda said.

Tiffany said she liked the event because "we do cool stuff."

Camp Wildcat, a 33-year-old University of Arizona club, was started in 1965 by a UA graduate student to take underprivileged children camping.

The club's aim continues to be helping underprivileged children, said molecular and cellular biology senior Mark Zeitzer, the club's chairman.

Rob Gordon, a club member and family studies senior, said he has been working with children since he was a teen-ager.

"Our organization helps kids get a better life for themselves," he said.

Camp Wildcat does 12 activities a year - four are weekend camping trips to Oracle or Mt. Lemmon and the rest are single day events such as Friday's dance party.

"We do whatever we can to interact with kids," Zeitzer said.

"Working with kids reminds me how I was (when I was a kid)," Gordon said.

Lesley Fox, a club member and nursing junior, said she likes to participate in as many of the activities as she can.

"I like doing activities with kids; they're a lot of fun," she said. "They (the activities) are all different but all special."

Zeitzer said he joined the club when he was a "lost and lonely freshman" and has been with it ever since.

"The club is made up of common-goaled people who like kids and the camping atmosphere," he said.

Camp Wildcat, Zeitzer said, is unofficially the largest club on campus with 250 members. This year, the Associated Students presented the group with its C. Edgar Goyette Award for club of the year.

In addition to funding the club gets from ASUA's Appropriations Board, it uses student labor, fund-raising and the community to cover its costs.

"We really go out and use our resources," Zeitzer said.

This year the club raised $15,000 - $10,000 of which was used to set up a foundation in conjunction with the Alumni Foundation. The remaining $5,000 was used to operate the club, Zeitzer said.