It’s the sound that most people recognize. The click of a hollow ping pong ball against a wooden paddle. This sound can now be found in the main gym of NHS while the new Ping Pong Club holds its meetings.

    Junior Miles Atkins started the club with physics teacher and fellow ping pong enthusiast Kenneth Dollaske.

    “It kind of started accidentally,” Atkins said. “I was talking with Mr. Dollaske in AL and we were just talking and we both were like, ‘We love ping pong and there’s not a ping pong club.’ So we started a ping pong club.”

    The first meeting took place during AL on May 7 in the main gym and consisted of open sessions. Students rotated around the five tables available to the club and could play singles or doubles.  

    “It was a little bit disorganized at first just because we had never used the materials before,” Dollaske said. “I think kids were a little unsure of how it would run. Once a few minutes went by, people understood it was just open play.”

    According to Atkins, Ping Pong club is more than an excuse to leave AL and play table tennis.

    “It’s not just to play ping pong, it’s an environment where you can come down and hang out with your friends,” Atkins said. “You don’t have to play ping pong, you could just watch your friends play ping pong. It’s a friendly environment.”

    Dollaske says that ping pong can help create a sense of community within NHS.

    “It’s definitely a social event,” Dollaske said. “It brings a lot of people together. It brings seniors [and] freshmen together, I think it brings genders together, I think it’s just something that is fun to do to hang out, and it’s something different than the other clubs we have here at NHS.”

    Next school year, Atkins wants to see the club continue to grow and develop.

    “Next year we’re looking to host tournaments for fundraisers and maybe even have a more serious ping pong team,” Akins said.

    Dollaske says that Ping Pong Club can serve as a fun alternative to regular AL responsibilities.

    “It’s a break from some of the other AL activities,” Dollaske said. “This is a fun thing. It definitely might bring you out of your comfort zone as well.”

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    “It’s a great way to relieve stress and kind of get away from school when you want to,” Atkins said. “It’s a pretty kickin’ time.”