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Wander into the lobby of South Hall at 6pm and you might get served. This is the meeting of ���ϴ�����’s elite table tennis team. Every weekday night, professors, students and even alumni transform the School of Business into tennis table central.

Students assemble the tables, and Professor Markulis brings his handy spotlight to better illuminate the battle zone.

“The professors often get pretty competitive and a lot of emotion is exchanged which makes it really interesting to watch,” says former Ping Pong Junior Olympian and ���ϴ����� Table Tennis President Philip Woo ’18.

It’s a ���ϴ����� tradition now a decade old.

Back then, the School of Business purchased the tennis table at the urging of business Professor Anthony Gu. For many years, Gu and Associate Professor Shuo Chen had played in the Union — and developed a following. But, with their own table, they could play more often. South Hall lobby was an ideal place, because it is a wider space, and it is an area often overlooked for events.

“While the original purpose was for faculty development since healthy and energetic professors will produce better teaching, research and service, we now have much more students than professors,” says Gu, who is the advisor of the college's table tennis club.

As many as 20 students and five professors, mostly from the School of Business, compete on a regular basis.

Winning is not the purpose, says Gu. The camaraderie and community that results from ping pong is. “We play and talk and laugh, we include as many people as possible,” he says. “The exercise makes students healthy. Healthy, energetic and interactive students will excel.”

“It’s a great opportunity for some valuable game play against some professors, and to not only have fun, but improve with some intense play every week,” says Trevor Greco ’20.

In addition to watching Gu’s expert ping pong moves, professors and students say, the informal interactions prove the most unique.

“It’s like guidance counselors that also act like friends,” says Woo. “That's what makes this relationship so valuable.”

produced by student Kitrick McCoy '19.

— By Kitrick McCoy ’19