It’s a typical Thursday afternoon, and dozens of students have just dismissed the freshman building, leaving the second floor atrium open and quiet. Christopher Zhang (11) enters, unfolding ping pong tables he asked to store in the corner of CLUE teacher Mr. Demmons’ classroom and unzipping bags filled with ping pong balls and paddles. Slowly, his friends, acquaintances and newcomers trickle in, turning the hallway into a vibrant social club where overworked students can let loose and have fun. 

Zhang’s ping pong club allows students to compete with each other every Thursday in a low-stress environment. While many students may create a club to improve their college resume or address more serious issues, Zhang provides what he thought students his age needed most: fun.

“I felt like table tennis is one of the common sports a lot of people enjoy casually but don’t do at school or outside of their homes,” Zhang said. “I wanted to bring it to students for everyone to enjoy ping pong together.”

Though currently, the ping pong club remains casual and is meant for him and other students to compete recreationally, Zhang is open to competing with other schools.

“[We] have always been focused around having a good time and improving slowly,” Zhang said. “We have [also] been looking for opportunities to have friendly matches between other schools in the Memphis area.”

Logistics was a challenge for Zhang. Ping pong requires heavy equipment, primarily tables, and he planned to play on the second floor of the freshman building. He would also have to figure out where to store the large equipmentl.

“Mr. Demmons is our club sponsor, and to tell the truth, I really just needed a teacher that was available for sponsoring this kind of club, but since having him sponsor us, I have been grateful for his dedication and hospitality towards us and his commitment to us is irreplaceable,” Zhang said.

Although meetings last until 4 p.m., most players do not stay the entire hour and 45 minutes. Some players come directly after school and leave a half hour later to go to their academic extracurriculars, while others come after their more serious clubs to destress. 

“On Thursdays I have Raiders, and sometimes TSA [Technology Student Association], but I’m always sure to stop by ping pong before I leave the school,” Anson Yan (10) said. “It’s always a fun time and I like to play and have competition with friends.”