Friday morning announcements stand apart from any other day of the week. Ping Pong Club and Spikeball Club both meet on the same day, causing a battle for members. Morning announcements are routine and sometimes boring, but the Ping Pong and Spikeball feud has sparked interest in the Friday announcements.
“Most of the morning announcements go in one ear and out the other for me personally,” Jeev Sampath, ’25, co-president of Spikeball Club, said. “And when I decided to do announcements, the first thing I thought was, I’m not going to do something boring. I’m going to do something that people will listen to, and maybe they’ll laugh at.”
Despite the feud seeming tense at times, the attention has been beneficial to both clubs.
“It all started doing this as a joke for fun because we thought it’d be funny,” Owen Shiver, ‘24, treasurer of Ping Pong Club said. “We realized if we keep on doing this, it will actually get some attention from people and stand out from the really boring announcements.”
Both clubs have faced the challenge of low-membership, so the announcements have been a useful tool. Spikeball, which was established last year, has faced problems gaining new members.
“Things started slow,” Sampath said. “We’d have around 20 to 30 people and we didn’t have a lot of nets… this year, we have 12 or 13 [nets]… We had over 70 people at our most recent meeting, our first tournament of the year.”
A notable difference between the two clubs is the environmental factor. Ping pong is played indoors in the forum while Spikeball is played on the South field because of the softer surface of the turf. Playing outdoors can be fun for those wanting fresh air, but an irritation to some.
“Mostly, my complaints about Spikeball are environmental factors,” Oliver McEvillie, ‘25, a member of both Ping Pong and Spikeball club said. “It’s very hot outside and the turf gets in my shoes which are, I think, not really things that they can control.”
One thing both clubs exhibit is a relaxed environment, which makes them unique from other clubs that require academic prowess or high commitment.
“You can just play ping pong. We’re just more chill and relaxed, and just a club about having fun and not being all business. You can do whatever you want,” Shiver said.
Both clubs try to cater to all levels of experience.
(Emma Kim)
“Spikeball is mainly composed of beginners, which makes it easier to integrate beginners into the job,” McEvillie said. “While ping pong does a good job as well, it’s a bit harder.”
The announcements from both clubs have sparked debate as to which club is bigger and better.
Despite Spikeball’s claims to be the biggest club at WHHS, according to Final Forms neither Spikeball nor Ping Pong Club is in the top 10. However, some students attending meetings may not be signed up on Final Forms, so there is no way to truly tell whether this is true.
“As for the biggest club, I can’t confirm nor deny because I don’t have that information,” Sampath said. “But we are biggest in fun.”
However, despite their similar fun and stress-free environments, their lighthearted rivalry continues in the quest for more new members.