Barr said he comes to play with his Turman Residential Center hallmates after dinner. Many loyal WoodPEC players consider table tennis part of their relaxed down time. While most players play to relax, others play for high stakes. Barr said he used to play for money at home in Florida he doesn't at Emory. Money can create tension between players, especially strangers, he said.
Many players say their interest in the game has deep roots.
College freshman Chi-Wei Chan, who is from Singapore, has played the game since his youth. Chinglai Yang, an assistant research professor of microbiology, agreed with Wang. I started late, in 1997. At the beginning it was a fun game, but I don't play games. I'm a competitive person.