BUTLER TWP— Two balls in the hand, one in the air.

The rhythm.

The arcs.

In a room without chairs or tables, eight students were learning Wednesday morning. They were learning the art of clowning from teacher Giggles the Clown.

"I said drop them first because they need to get used to it," said Giggles, a.k.a. Judith Coradi.

The students, wandering from chalkboard to window trying to keep the balls in the air, are part of this summer's first sessions of Kids on Campus, a day camp for students in grades two to 10 at Butler County Community College.

Coradi of Coraopolis is one of nine professionals teaching classes in this session that began Monday.

Her father, Smokey The Fire Eater, passed along tips for clowning along with his paternal advice.

Giggles has had her own experiences, too, and she's not shy about sharing her tips.

"The art of clowning is misunderstood," she said. "Hollywood has given clowns a bad name. I try to be excellent in everything I do."

So, she teaches the students juggling, clown magic and a little history.

Earlier in the week, Suzy Sarabok, 12, of Richland learned the different types of clowns: white face, auguste, hobo and character.

Jake Campbell, 10, of Meridian learned how to make balloon sculptures, including a sword, dog and heart.

On Wednesday they all learned plenty of tips on applying makeup.

Buy an eyeliner from an inexpensive drugstore; no need to moisturize before putting on whiteface, she suggests.

She told them her secrets of the trade

once the room was free of eraser-pink bouncy balls and the students quieted.She wanted to demonstrate how to correctly put on makeup, and two boys and six girls knelt to watch Coradi become Giggles the Clown.Giggles used white paint to draw dots on her cheek, chin and forehead before connecting them. Then she filled in the outline and used an eyeliner to trace the pattern in black.The students asked questions about the powdering process and were only slightly distracted when a spider got too close.Before the class ended, Coradi asked the students to take a picture of a clown home with them so Thursday they could apply their own makeup.Taylor Walsh, 12, of Harmony took one and walked across the campus to a class where she was applying makeup with a little less drama.In Girls' Day Out, she's learning how to apply everyday makeup and try a new hair twist.Taylor took clowning because "I wanted to see what it was like to be a clown," she said.She got to see what it was like to be an adult in class with Jamie Goehring, cosmetologist.Wednesday's lesson included proper cleansing and moisturizing techniques and matching skin tones to the right shade of foundation.Taylor

listened to Goehring dispense makeup tips for an evening out on the town instead of at a child's birthday party.Beginning with a cleanser and moisturizer designed specifically for her pre-teen skin, they learned the correct habits and dispelled some myths: Hair does not grow back three times thicker after it is shaved, but keeping a cleanser in the shower does save time.As the class of girls tried to overcome eyes fluttering from the fear of putting an eyeliner pencil within centimeters of their pupils, another class popped in to investigate just what was happening.Investigative Reporter At The Scene, for grades two to four, stalked the campus with pencil, notebook and disposable camera to search out goings-on for a newsletter.Alyssa Loring, 9, of Butler Township was too shy to ask the hard-hitting questions such as "What are you learning?" — but she said she is having fun in the class.On Tuesday, the class went for a tour of the campus only to return to a ransacked room. Officer Henry was called in to lead the investigation and help spot clues like a fingerprint on the marker board.Sleuthing fingered a helper as the culprit. Alyssa said she thought the staged robbery was exciting.She's one of several returning students from last

summer, and she signed up for several classes, so she spends the day on campus.A new round of classes starts each Monday during the summer, except the week of July 3, said Sherri Mack, Kids on Campus coordinator.This year there are several new classes, including Printmaking and Legal Eagles starting Monday; No Potatoes Allowed, a dance class, and From Lemonade Stand to Wall Street, a beginning business class, both starting July 10; and Perfect Party Plans and Icing on the Cake, beginning July 17.Mack said parents can register their children anytime for the following week's courses by calling or visiting the college Web site. There is a tuition break if students enroll in a class from each of the three time periods during the day.