By: Rebecca Capozzi | Treasurer
As college students, it is crucial to find downtime. Yes, we have the two days of the weekends (or three days for those lucky enough to not have classes on Fridays), but it still never feels like we have enough downtime. Finding a time during the week is just as important as finding the time during the weekend to unwind and relax. If you have a competitive side and want to let off some steam, going to a Ping Pong Club meeting is the way to go.
Like any Salve freshman finding their way around campus for the first time, Alan Guevara, ’25, the president of the Ping Pong Club, and some of his friends came upon the basement of Gerety Hall, Salve’s hub for student life. The basement of this building holds an air-hockey table, a chess board, different video games, the school’s eSports facility, and a single ping pong table.
When asked why he decided to start the club, Guevara said that it was actually a joke between him and his friends. “My friends and I would come down almost every day in the beginning of the semester,” he said. “We just got inspired by how often we come down here, so we decided to start something of our own.”
For a club that just began a few months ago by a group of five first-year students, it has been incredibly successful. “We began with ten people and now we’re looking at almost 30, so that’s big,” Guevara said. “That was a big difference in what we were expecting.”
I, for one, am not surprised by the quick success that the Ping Pong Club has had in such a short period of time. I would be lying if I said that I was not nervous when I walked into my first meeting. I told Guevara in advance that I would just be spectating because I am normally not comfortable in really competitive environments, which I was fully expecting to walk into. Instead, I walked in and was instantly greeted by Jose Mayen, ’25, the treasurer for the club. My nerves subsided, as I felt very welcome.
As the room began to fill with both familiar and unfamiliar faces, the competitive energy in the room seemed more evident. The music started playing, people began rallying at the table, and I even heard some smack talk from across the room. “This is going to be good,” I thought to myself.
There is a tournament played during each meeting. The bracket is made completely randomly so that it is fair for each player. At the end of each meeting, each player is ranked based on their performance. Despite everyone playing for that top spot, the atmosphere is very lighthearted and a lot of fun. Between listening to the music, getting to know new people, and watching the matches, I was having a great time just sitting on the sidelines.
There were people from so many different majors and clubs on campus at this meeting. The vice-president of the club, Michael Keating, ’25 said that joining the Ping Pong Club is a great opportunity to meet new people. I could not agree with this more, as I met so many new people in just the two hours that I was there.
Ping Pong Club meetings take place on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. in the basement of Gerety Hall. Attending these meetings is the perfect way to split up your week and launch you into the weekend. It is really a great place to get to know some new people, listen to some good music, and play ping pong in a noncompetitive setting.
Keep your fingers crossed that you are playing against me, because you will definitely win.
Cover photo by Lisa Keffer on Unsplash
