On the first floor of the student center just beyond the mail center, you can often find St. Lawrence students partaking in a casual game of table tennis. The back-and-forth volley of celluloid ball against wooden paddle echoes in the background of many a study session or pub lunch. For some students, however, ping pong is a much more serious endeavor.

Brendan Reilly ’20 is the president of SLU’s Ping Pong club, but his love for the game started well before arriving here in Canton. Reilly started playing while he was in elementary school, but it would still be a few years until he picked up a passion for the game. “It really became a big part of my life when some friends and I started a club in high school, clearing out a classroom after school on Fridays to play on an old junker of table.” From there, the game became a central part of his life. In his first year at St. Lawrence, the club was founded and he quickly moved into a leadership position in the organization.

Over the years, the club has gone through some ups and downs. Tables have been lost, and there have been some difficulties in finding storage space for equipment. However, Reilly remains optimistic about the rest of this year and the club going forward. “We plan to have a good semester of reestablishing a good roster, getting some more tables into Newell, and hopefully running some tournaments before the year’s end.” Last month, the club hosted a casual event at Pub 56 to celebrate the reopening of Appleton Arena. It was a casual gathering 

Reilly’s love for the game was spurred partly by the competition, but also by the community aspect that accompanies it. Being able to converse with your opponents while playing creates a much different atmosphere, one which is as much about respecting your opponent while also maintaining a competitive spirit. “It’s led to a ton of great friendships,” he added.

One story in particular stood out to him about what makes Ping Pong so special. One time, a visiting professor from China came to a club meeting with her family. In a game against the professor’s mother, Reilly began keeping score in Chinese, which sparked a conversation and connection. 

“She found it awesome that I was studying the language, and she had a smile for the rest of the game while she helped me out with my pronunciation and taught me some new phrases,” Reilly noted. The two were able to connect through the game and the culture surrounding it, building a new relationship which has continued to this day. “Long story short, this turned into a great friendship with the family and I’m still in touch with them. I even plan to visit them in China after graduation. 

Ping Pong is a game with the potential to bring many people together, something Reilly hopes to see continue at St. Lawrence even after he graduates.