The Table Tennis Club has started meeting again, providing students with a pingpong outlet outside of their regular playing in the University’s game room.
Brad Besinger, an adjunct mathematics professor from Troy, is the adviser of the Table Tennis Club.
“I have enjoyed table tennis all my life and played with lots of students,” Besinger said. “The club was formed by a Jamaican student long before, but due to lack of students’ interests to exhibit leadership, we did not exist for a few years. Recently, a lot of students have showed interest in the game and wanted a club so I thought about starting it again.”
“There are people from all aspects of the campus coming together. Table Tennis Club provides a place to bond and a way to connect and know each other more than just playing,” Besinger said. “This is a place to relax, have fun, create competitive spirits. It gives students an opportunity to relieve stress from their daily activities and energize them.”
Besinger also added that students can develop their skills while having fun. “Anyone pursuing interest and possessing any skill is welcome.”
“Table tennis paddles and pingpong balls are provided in the game room for students to play with. They don’t, necessarily, have to bring their own,” Besinger said.
Besinger said that he looks forward to recruiting more members in the upcoming semester. Besinger said, “We can develop a challenge system to rank players and reward them occasionally. We might as well make customized T-shirts for the club.”
Dev Tandel, a graduate Information Systems student from India, serves as the president of the Table Tennis Club.
“My passion for playing table tennis draws me towards this club,” Tandel said. “I love sports, and table tennis is my favorite game.”
Tandel said that this club is important to him because it connects him with a lot of people who share the same interest and enjoy the game simultaneously.
“I really want this club to grow bigger through the recruitment of more members. I want to organize tournaments to encourage the game, and I want to teach people who are willing to learn this game,” Tandel said.
According to Tandel, involvement with this club has improved his communication skills and leadership qualities. “I learned to socialize and made lots of new friends,” he said.
Tandel said, “This club made me more organized and responsible. I always loved this sport, and this club gave me an opportunity to exhibit my interests.”
Isaac Addai, a freshman hospitality, sport and tourism management major from Nigeria, shared a similar experience.
“By joining this club, I got to know few people who play really good. I learned more skills of table tennis and more about the game itself,” Addai said.
According to Addai, it’s a fun club, and it gives him some time off his regularly hectic schedule.
Da’Ron Anthony, a senior marketing major from Opelika, also spoke about his experience as a new member. He said that everyone gets along and learns to enjoy the game with each other on another level.
“I met new people that I haven’t met before. I got to know a lot of people from different cultures and bonded with them and developed a game room experience altogether,” Anthony said.
“It is always great to be involved with others who know how to enjoy and have fun while playing together; it changes your social perspective about certain people who you’ve never encountered before.”
The Table Tennis Club practices on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Baptist Campus Ministries, from 2-5 p.m.
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