Clubs and organizations at Augustana continue to grow and strive to include anybody and everybody who wants a place to do the things they love. One of the more recent clubs born at Augie is the Ping Pong Club.
The Ping Pong Club began the third week of Spring Term, and even know the numbers are small now, the hope is for the club to grow as large as it can.
The club was started by first-year Robert Christel, and he talked about how he wanted to bring this organization to life.
“I wanted to start ping pong club since the first day I got to Augie. When I found out there wasn’t a club I was shocked that a college didn’t have ping pong,” Christel said. “There aren’t even tables in dorms which I want to change for next year.”
Now that the Ping Pong Club has gotten its official start, Christel talked about what he expects for the organization.
“The main goal is for everyone to come and have fun. My ambitious goal is to make a team and compete against other colleges,” Christel said.
This ambition was echoed by Justin Cassens, another first-year who is a member of the club.
“The club was started because there was a group of three or four players that often played in the Pepsico lobby, but we were hoping for more tables so that we didn’t have to wait around as much. Also, we were hoping to find some more people that were interested in playing since it’s not a particularly popular sport,” Cassens said.
With the second week on its way, the club has locked down the third court on Pepsico every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5 p.m. for practice. They’ve already seen a good amount of traffic, and they rotate players throughout the tables for the two hour duration.
Christel also talked about the long term goals that he and the Ping Pong Club have as far as beginning to travel.
“There are tournaments all around, but they are not easy to find out about unless you are actually searching for them,” Christel said. “We do plan on holding tournaments and maybe even one later in the year, which would be exciting.”
Christel and Cassens welcome everyone to come, even if there isn’t a deep love for ping pong. Christel said the club is open to people who are simply looking to socialize.
“We welcome any and all skill levels,” Christel said. “If you want to play seriously and get competitive we have people that will do so. If you would rather have a conversation and get to meet someone while playing then you can do that too.”
 
Featured Image: Augustana Ping Pong Club member, freshman Spencer Harvey, serves the ball during a match of ping pong. Photo by Ian Murrin.