You might not believe it, but tomorrow night, Monday Dec 13th, will be our last practice of the semester!!

It has been an awesome semester, and I really had a great time meeting all the new members this year (you old members are not bad either ;P ) and helping everyone out. Most importantly, I hope YOU all enjoyed yourselves as well!

**As for next semester, I will actually be working and taking the semester off, so I have passed down the President’s position to Shriya Patel. This will be her 3rd year here, and has all the experience/leadership skills necessary. She already did a great job organizing/leading the team for a smooth Regionals last month.
Also, regarding the VP position, Kenneth So is passing it down to Poley Cheng (but he’ll still be around). I have much trust and faith in these two, so I know that you guys will be in good hands! =D

So since it will probably be FOREVER until the next time I see most of you, it would be awesome to see everyone come out to our last and final practice of the semester! =)

Thanks again for making this past semester such a memorable one!

Judy Hugh

Our first practice of the season will start TONIGHT from 7:45pm – 9:30pm in the College Ave Upper Gym! Since so many people have asked, YES it is okay to come late, leave early, miss the first practice, etc… This is just the first of many practices, so if you can make it, that’s great! If not, there’s always next time!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. We will try our best to reply to them asap!

Hope you had a great summer! Rutgers Table Tennis will be having its first practice on Thursday, September 9th from 7:45pm-9:30pm in the Upper Gym of the College Avenue Gym. If you’re not sure where that is, the College Ave Gym is the big building right in front of you when you get off at the Rutgers Student Center bus stop. Go in, swipe your card, then go across the main gym and up the stairs. If you’re there early, we should be hanging out
at the bleachers on the 2nd floor.

Our other practice times are Mondays from 9-11pm, and Saturdays from 2-5pm, but we don’t have practice on Monday due to Labor Day.

See you guys there!

Sorry for the short notice but we just found out College Avenue Gym is closed for today (http://www1.recreation.rutgers.edu/Facilities/Default.asp#c2sf6st0) which means no practice :(

See you all on Thursday

RUTTC

Practices will resume the following Thursday after Spring Break on March 25th.

See you all then!

The Rutgers Table Tennis Club will swing away Saturday as it competes in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association’s spring regional tournament at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

The team has its sights set on placing first in the tournament and advancing in April’s national tournament as it squares off against No. 1-ranked Columbia University.

Club Vice President Kenneth So said Columbia is one of the team’s biggest rivals. Still, members are confident in their ability to be victorious next week in New York.

“I think we definitely have the chance to win it all,” said Stephen Le, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. Club President Judy Hugh said she initially felt uneasy about the year. “I had low expectations,” said Hugh, a School of Arts and Sciences junior.

But the team’s performance proved Hugh wrong. The club is coming off a successful 2009 season, where Hugh won the Women’s Singles Championship. For her, table tennis is not just a hobby — it is her life. She travels to China every summer to train with the women’s national team. “[The Chinese national team] trains 6 hours a day, six days a week and play a little bit on Sunday,” Hugh said. “But that’s why they’re the best.” Hugh, whose mother is a two-time Olympian, tried out for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics but was cut in the final round of tryouts. “I want to go to the Olympics at least once,” she said. “2012 is my best shot. After that, I’ll be too old,”

School of Arts and Sciences junior Khaled Elfarra said he was not expecting much from the club at first either but now comes to practice with the determination to compete nationally. “I joined just to get a break from classes, just to come here and have fun,” he said. “Everyone here is just so good that they make you better.” Elfarra, who was among the Junior League top 16 in his home country of Egypt, gave up table tennis when he moved to the United States in 2002 but picked it up again once he enrolled in college.

But he is not the only member who started playing at a young age. Le chalks up his success to being introduced to the sport early. “[Starting young] was definitely a big advantage,” Le said. “I’ve been playing since I was 8 years old.” Stephen Zhao, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student, heard about the group and joined after not playing since middle school. “For a lot of us, it’s just fun competition,” he said, while helping new club members with their swing at practice. “Making regionals is pretty big, but the goal is definitely making nationals.”

At practice Zhao, like most members, spends most of his time playing a teammate and the rest helping others. Hugh, on the other hand, does all of that and puts in time volleying against the table tennis robot Newgy Robo-Pong 2040 on one of its highest settings. With a look of determination on her face, Hugh returned every ball the robot shot at her with ease. She did not miss one.

The club went through a major rebuilding period at the beginning of the season, So said. Of the team’s top four players last year, three graduated. So, a School of Arts and Sciences junior, understands the importance of the tournament in achieving the team’s goal at the tournament. “It all comes down to spring regionals,” he said. “We have to place first or get a wild card spot.”
Whatever the outcome this weekend, Elfarra said the future is bright for this young club only in its 10th year of existence.

“Next year we [will be] looking even better,” he said. “We’re just going to keep on getting better and better from now on.”

http://www.dailytargum.com/university/team-to-rally-for-spot-in-new-york-competition-1.2162738

Rutgers has an event coming up called Feud for Food, on Feb. 17th (Wednesday night). It’s basically Family Feud. We’re hoping to enter 2 teams of about 4 people, because each team we enter helps us fundraise for the club. The winning team will receive some type of grand prize and proceeds go to Haiti, a very good cause. Anyone that’s interested can stay a little bit after on Saturday’s (tomorrow’s) practice so we can organize it, and it will cost $5 per person to enter.

Also, we’re going start collecting dues, for those who did not pay for the full year in the fall or are new members. Dues are $25 for the semester, and can be paid to either Judy or Shriya.

The status of tomorrow’s practice is actually up in the air, due to the forecast of inclement weather, so make sure you check http://campusstatus.rutgers.edu/ to see if RU is closed before you head out to the gym tomorrow. Otherwise, see you guys tomorrow!

RUTTC

I’m excited to announce that the new official Rutgers Table Tennis T-shirts have arrived!

This is what they look like: http://rutgerstabletennis.com/wp-content/gallery/shirtdesign/ruttc_logo_shirt_6.jpg

Get something awesome to wear (especially in tournaments!) for just $15! Available starting this Saturday!

RUTTC