Acorn

Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Sterling Reese Maximilian Merimee ('11) eyes the ball as he prepares to hit a backhand. He is one of many students that enjoys playing ping pong in the University Center.

There is a new major at Drew University: pingpong. OK. Not really, but some students see it that way.

While many Drewids rush to the nearest party on a Friday night, a growing collection of students find themselves glued to the pingpong tables in the University Center.

While the number of players can escalate beyond 10 or 15 at a time, a crowd gathers around each table. With varying skill levels amidst the players, newcomers have the opportunity to quickly improve by moving up through the ranks.

While one player may be considered "better" than another, contrasting techniques and strategies can make all the difference in any game.

"Strategy is huge in pingpong," Laquan Austion ('10) said. "It's like a game of chess, just quicker and forces you to literally think on your feet."

Some players take the meaning of strategy to a whole new level. Take Scott David ('09) for instance. David dedicates hours of his time at the table, studying other students' games and developing different techniques to defeat each individual. Truly a student of the game, David has formulated numerous strategies to knock off players of all kinds.

However, players don't just start out that good. It takes years of practice to find a unique style of play. Milfranc Evra ('10) is one of the many players that has taken tremendous strides over his first two years on campus.

When first arriving to Drew in the summer of 2006, Evra didn't even know how to hold a pingpong paddle. But now he is considered one of the most feared players at the table.

"One of the players that's really helped me elevate my game is Sulia Mason ('10)]," Evra said. "He's the king of ping, and he's taught me so much. When I started out about two years ago, I was probably one of the weakest players on campus. But now, it's a different story."

After just roughly two years of practice, Evra has gone from someone who could barely hit the ball over the table, to a player that returns everything. However, looking back, Evra is thankful for the one man who showed him the game.

Continued...

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