Every Tuesday after school in room 112, all the desks are pushed to the sides and corners of the room. A table tennis is set in the middle of the classroom. Table tennis club sponsor and EL teacher Robert Hoffmann-Longtin was recently approached by students and was asked to revive the table tennis club.

The club started three years ago. The reason Hoffmann-Longtin started the club was because several of his students at the time said they loved playing table tennis. He also enjoys playing as well. He thought it would be a fun opportunity for people to come enjoy themselves by playing table tennis after school under a voluntary basis. He believes that the club is all about sportsmanship.

“It’s fun, and it’s really just for enjoyment as well as for sportsmanship,” Hoffmann-Longtin said. “It’s really not about any kind of team building. It’s not about anything other than just pure enjoyment and spending time in there.”

However, when the club first started, some students got too competitive which soon lead to the club with only three or four people left to play. That made it difficult to get people to join, Hoffman-Longtin says. Right now, they are in the process of developing rules and structures so that it is fair for all players. He is looking forward trying again and see what happens.

Over the years, Hoffmann-Longtin has purchased two tables, paddles and balls. Only one table remains in good condition. The club held a fundraiser to wear sweatpants, which gave him part of those funds back. They were partly reimbursed, however although he purchased them, he considers it the club’s table.

Freshman Noah Hall was one of the students that asked Hoffmann-Longtin to recreate the club. Hall and his friend freshman Colston Streit play table tennis together outside of school for fun. He stated the club’s goal is to get more tables and more people to join. Currently only two to three people participate. Hall believes that people have fun being in the cub and can also improve their tennis table game while hanging out with friends.

“You don’t have to be any good to join the club,” Hall said. “This is just to have fun and play table tennis with your friends. There are some people that are going to be competitive about it but you don’t have to play them.”