Spirits were high and students were chatty at the NE Campus Ping Pong Tournament on Oct. 22. 

Hosted by Jordin Bryan and NE Student Activities, the NE Ping Pong Tournament brought students together with welcoming personalities, music, free drinks, and the sport of ping pong. The tournament took place in the NE campus Game Room.  

Organizer Jordin Bryan said  she is a big sports fan and created the tournament to bring awareness to the game room. 

“I’m actually going to school right now to do sports entertainment management, and I wanted to bring some of that here,” Bryan said. “And we’ve been very, very busy here lately, students coming in playing ping pong, playing pool and I wanted to just bring more awareness to the game room, a place that students can come hang out in between classes and relax and not have stress.” 

Bryan explained she chose ping pong as a starting point for bringing awareness to the game room, but she grew up playing with her family.  

“I like ping pong,” Bryan said. “I grew up playing ping pong, and we get a lot of people in here playing ping pong. We’re going to go through a lot of sports, and we just wanted to try something easy first. My dad, my brother and I would play all the time.” 

While not many players made it to the tournament, students and supporters joined in the fun with mini-games and engaging conversations. Ping pong player and student Waylon Smith expressed confidence in winning before the first game, stating he started playing for fun.  

“I went to a frat party at the beginning of the semester at UTA and everyone there was really bad at ping pong, including myself,” Smith said. “So, I was like, I’ve got to get better. I can’t embarrass myself.”  

Organizer Jordin Bryan and judge Daltin Scott expressed their excitement for the competition, stating the competitors were strong players.  

“I’ve met a couple of them and I wouldn’t want to play them, because they’re going to be competitors,” Bryan said. “I’m excited to see them play.”  

The tournament began with a simple game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the server.  

Waylon Smith won the first and second games. After a couple more tournament games, many attendees left the game room, leaving the ping pong table for those who wanted to play a quick game.  

Supporter Riesha Bowles stated she was there for support but also provided some tips for winning a game of ping pong. 

“You put your whole body into the game, you stand your ground, and you use the paddle to your advantage,” Bowles said. 

Alternatively, Bryan said distraction is the best technique to winning a game of ping pong. Bowles and Bryan both expressed the importance of team building and student activities, stating it was the true intention of organizing the NE Ping Pong Tournament.  

Student activities and events create a network of connections and raise awareness on a variety of subjects. The NE campus game room is located in the NSTU building and is open during specified times.