Students from the Billiards Club gathered in the UC for a tournament on Tuesday, Jan. 28 to kick off the first tournament of the new semester.

The tournament began at 6 p.m. at Warhawk Alley with six people participating and multiple students watching and cheering the players on. The excitement of the billiards club permeated the room as the tournament began. Before the games began, some of the onlookers made predictions about who they thought would win. In the end, Noah Parulski won.

“Although I don’t play billiards, it was fun to watch these students participate in a tournament,” said Sophia Fenger, a sophomore watching the tournament.

Billiards club meets every Tuesday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., although members are not required to stay the entire time. The season lasts a whole school term and ends the week before finals. It can be a time to hone your billiards skills but also to take a break from school work.

“Joining club is free and it’s just a time to relax if you have a lot of homework to do. You don’t have to stay for the whole two hours…. It’s basically just a time to relax, it’s free–the only thing you have to do is sign a waiver and you are free to join,” the vice president of the billiards club, Sarah Schmidt, explained.

With over 20 students in the club, meetings can get pretty busy. A few players admitted to finding a strong sense of community and belonging in billiards club, especially through tournaments.

“The people are my favorite part, honestly. That sounds really cheesy, but I made a lot of new friends just by coming to billiards. And we have the tournaments all the time so you’re constantly meeting new people and everyone’s really nice,” said one of the players, Kendal Clemetson.

There are four more tournaments this semester and they are all free to attend, either as a player or as an audience member. Some players even have the opportunity to go to the National ACUI tournament, which will take place at Purdue University in Indiana.

“I would honestly say that if you’re truly considering like playing and coming to club, then just practice. Not only is it fun, but you’re going to meet new people, and the more you play, the better you’re going to get,” Clemetson said.