History quiz: What sport helped to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the 1970s?

You may be surprised to discover that it was ping-pong. Forty years later the Ferris State Table Tennis Team continues to play.

The FSU Table Tennis Team was formed in the fall of 2006 by a group of students who played in the lounges of the residence halls. “At first it was just a bunch of guys getting together about once a week to play in our residence halls but at some point a core group of us decided that we wanted to get more serious,” said one of the founders of the team and current vice president, Nathan Reilly.

Reilly and his friends registered Ferris with the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and began gathering membership and improving their skills.

Matt Holden, the team president this year, said, “Table tennis and ping-pong are two very different things; ping-pong is a recreational sport whereas table tennis is an Olympic sport with different rules.” These table tennis competitors are like any other athletes that go through conditioning and strength training to improve their skills to compete.

The Ferris team practices together three times a week in the Rankin Center student lounge. Together they work on improving their strokes, footwork, positioning, and their ability to read their opponents moves. The team members also spend a fair amount of time in the gym strengthening their legs, upper body, and overall stamina.

In table tennis, unlike pingpong, the matches are usually won by the competitor with the ability to put challenging spins on the ball. Holden said, “It’s not about how hard, or where, you hit it, but rather the spin that you are able to put on it.”

All their preparation has paid off this year as three of the team’s members qualified to play at nationals in Rochester, Minn. in early April. These members qualified by taking first, second, third, or fourth place at the regional competition.

The only girl on the team, Crystal Buchanan, won the women’s singles division at regionals and Reilly and Holden will be competing at nationals as alternates in the men’s single division.

In addition to attending competitions, the Ferris team also hosts tournaments and fundraisers each year. This year’s spring semester tournament will be held on Saturday, March 3 in the Student Recreation Center. The tournament has divisions for both singles and doubles of all skill levels.

The team encourages anyone who wishes to improve their table tennis skills to attend the free lessons on Monday nights in the Rankin Center. The team is open to players of all skill levels. This season was Buchanan’s first on the team. Buchanan, a graphic arts major, found the group through Facebook and had only played casually in the residence halls and during high school until she joined the team.

One of the most pressing challenges that the team is currently facing is the lack of space and equipment. Holden said, “We have been practicing in the Rankin Center for quite a while now but what we really need are more tables and more space.” Reilly added, “It’s hard when we have 15 players on the team and the maximum that can be using the tables at once is eight, and that’s when we play doubles.”

Another hurdle that the team faces is that the majority of the cost for travel and competition is absorbed by the individual players. The team was allocated $245 by student government for travel, but that money is used up quickly.

Holden said, “Some schools such as Florida State University have invested funds into improving their table tennis teams because it is a relatively cheap sport that improves the university’s name.”

The team has three more tournaments left this season including nationals. At the upcoming tournament the players will hope to beat out universities such as Michigan State, Ohio State, and the University of Michigan to qualify for nationals as a team. Currently the team is in fifth place and its members think they have a good chance of improving their ranking.

Students get the opportunity to give back to the Big Rapids community during Student Government’s BIG event.

Now in its second year, the BIG event recruits student volunteers to assist residents with household chores and errands. The all day event is scheduled for April 18.

“This is a way for the students to say thank you to the community,” said DeAja Packer, Student Government Representative for Panhellenic Council and pre-optometry major.

Last year, 200 students raked yards, trimmed hedges and washed windows for 20 residents. Claire Gould, Student Government vice president and event coordinator, hopes to provide help for more than 50 residents.

“We appreciate the community for sharing their town with the college and being so cooperative,” said Gould.

Volunteer activities include moving dirt/digging, weeding, small paint jobs and general cleaning both indoors and outdoors.

Residents are required to fill out a job request form, indicating work to be done, before students can do chores. Nearly 2,500 forms were sent to residents with their Big Rapids water bills. The BIG event forms are also displayed at Big Rapids City Hall and Township.

Job request forms are also available on the Student Government Web site. The event is limited to Big Rapids residents, however does not include students. Due to limited resources, jobs will be available on a first come first serve basis.

To insure the safety of the volunteers, Student Government will evaluate resident homes.

“We make sure that what they are asking for can be done and keep a record of their request,” said Gould. “When the students arrive, they know exactly what they will be doing.”

Volunteers are expected to remain with their work groups at all times. Volunteers cannot facilitate gas or electrical assistance.

Lowes and Big Rapids Cash & Carry donated equipment to last year’s BIG event. Menards is expected to donate additional supplies along with Lowe's and Cash & Carry this year.

Originated at Texas A&M University, the BIG Event began almost 20 years ago. Today more than 60 schools in the country celebrate the BIG Event and similar activities yearly. Volunteers are not restricted to students, so faculty members are strongly encouraged to join.

Student Government is currently accepting applications for both volunteers and residents in need. Volunteers can apply in the student government office located in the Rankin Center, room 121 or access forms on the Student Government Web site.

Volunteers are also expected to attend the mandatory informational meeting March 19, held both at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in FLITE 304. The deadline for job request forms is March 6. Contact Student Government at 231-592-2611 or at studentgov. ferris.edu.

The Big Rapids City Commission brought its meeting this week to the Ferris State campus in an effort to gain a look into the community from a different perspective and to increase university and community engagement in the political process of city government.

Mayor of Big Rapids Mark Warba thanked the university, its faculty and staff for allowing the city to bring the meeting to campus, and thanked all those who were interested enough in what’s going on in Big Rapids and city government, for attending the meeting.

The City Commission recognized several Ferris faculty, student groups, and community organizations for their work and service that gives back to the Big Rapids community.

Ferris residents Claire Gould, Diane Griffin, Dr. Laura Dix, and a local Girl Scout troop were all awarded certificates and acknowledged for the work they have done for the local Big Rapids community.

Gould, Ferris Student Government Vice-President, was recognized for her work with the Big Event, a community wide service project that involves Ferris students giving back to the Big Rapids community. This is the second year Ferris has participated in the largest, one-day, studentrun service project in the nation.

The service project brings in hundreds of Ferris students, ranging from academic achievers to athletes and Greeks, all coming together to perform odd jobs for the homes of Big Rapids residents. So far, over 50 Big Rapids homes have already signed up to participate in the event.

Ferris Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) Facilitator and MCC AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Griffin, was accredited for her leadership in the “Dump and Run” project that collects clothing and other items, which would otherwise be discarded by students and distributes them to area shelters.

In the past the event has collected thousands of food items, clothes, shoes, and other miscellaneous items that were donated to help aid fight poverty in the local area.

Dix, a marketing professor in the College of Business, was recognized for the work she and her students did to survey the Big Rapids community members on their opinions about the Big Rapids Master Plan.

For the full results of the survey go to the City of Big Rapids Web site and look under the Big Rapids Master Plan Survey.

The local Girl Scouts were acknowledged for their “Make the World a Better Place Week” which will take place March 8-14. According to the Girl Scout Web site, that week will honor the Girl Scouts 95th anniversary and tradition of service and will celebrate the organization’s timeless values.

Ferris’s Rube Goldberg team is headed off to the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest with hopes to claim its second National Championship title.

This past weekend the team participated in the regional competition which was hosted here at Ferris in the Granger Center. The team was scheduled to compete against Central Michigan University, but CMU’s team was unable to make it to the competition. Ferris’ team then won by default which automatically advanced them to nationals.

The National Championship competition will take place on March 28 and is hosted by Purdue University. Ferris will be competing against schools like the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Penn State to see which team will earn the bragging rights to call themselves the Rube Goldberg National Champions.

Mike Dunakin, an electrical engineering technology major and the team captain, said in regards to the upcoming National Championship, “I’m excited, it’s going to be a good year.”

The competition emulates the thought processes of Reuben Goldberg, a founder of the National Cartoon Society, to bring his whimsical cartoon inventions to life.

Dunakin says that the basic idea of the competition is to build a machine that is as inefficient as possible. According to the Rube Goldberg Web site, teams are responsible for creating a machine, a Rube Goldberg contraption, that takes a simple challenge and make it extraordinary complicated.

The Web site also states that this year’s national challenge is to replace an incandescent light bulb with a more energy efficient light emitting design.

The team is composed of students from the College of Engineering Technology, many of which are in programs such as mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, CAD drafting tool design, plastics engineering technology, and HVAC, among others.

In its fifth year, Ferris has already accumulated a National Championship in 2007 and two second-place finishes as well.

Ask Your Mama - 12 Moods of Jazz”
On Wednesday, March 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Rankin Center Dome Room this Langston Hughes project will highlight through music the struggle for artistic and social freedom in the 1960s. This event is open for all to attend. For more information contact Michael Wade at x5029.

Career Services
On Thursday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to noon in Science 102 there will be a presentation concerning career services which is sponsored by FSUS as a part of the Academic Support Center Speaker Series. There is no admission charge and everyone is invited to attend. For more information contact Julie Urick at x3543.

Residence Hall Closing for Spring Recess
On Friday, March 6 at 5 p.m. the residence halls will close for spring break. For more information contact Hurdylyn Woods, Jr. by email at housing@ferris.edu.

Spring Break
From Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 15. Classes resume Monday, March 16.

Mid-term Grades Due
On Monday, March 9 mid-term grades are required to be submitted.

Residence Halls Reopen
On Sunday, March 15 at 10 a.m. the residence halls reopen in preparation of classes resuming Monday, March 16.

NO! Confronting Sex. Assault Documentary Viewing and Discussion
On Tuesday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rankin Center Constitution Room (room 129) there will be a presentation in which audience members will discuss various forms of sexual assault. It will feature testimonies from Black women victim/survivors, archival footage, music, dance, and poetry. This event is free to attend and open to the public. For more information contact Michael Wade at x5029.

“Silver Clouds”
Starting Tuesday, March 17 in the Rankin Center Art Gallery there will be a traveling exhibit from the late Andy Warhol. The exhibit will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. For more information contact Carrie Weis at x2536.

Death in the Dome Room: An Interactive Crime Scene
On Wednesday, March 18 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Rankin Center Dome room join the Association of Ferris Forensic Students as they show how a crime scene is properly processed. There will be a simulated homicide and the audience will help solve the crime. This event is free and open to the public. For more information contact Alycia Kerr by email at kerra@ferris.edu

Domestic Disagreement
On Feb. 25 at 2 p.m., officers were called to Robin Court on a civil dispute between a husband and wife. The two were recommended to seek help at the counseling center.

Blinded by the Snow
On Feb. 25 at 3:45 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with a vision obstruction. Snow was covering about 90 percent of the driver’s back windshield. The driver was OWI and had a suspended license. He was lodged in the Mecosta County Jail.

Guilty of Marijuana
On Feb. 23 at 10:05 p.m., officers were called to Cramer Hall on a marijuana complaint. Officers located the smell and identified the subject who admitted to using the marijuana. The case was referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Mistaken Marijuana
On Feb. 22 at 2:41 a.m., officers were called to Ward Hall on a marijuana complaint. Investigation revealed two subjects as MIP of alcohol. Both subjects denied the case and no marijuana was found.

Marijuana Complaint in Travis
On Feb. 21 at 12:55 p.m., officers were called to Travis Hall on a marijuana complaint. The suspect was located and admitted to using the marijuana. No marijuana was found. Subject was referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Always Lock Your Lockers!
On Feb. 18 at 8:35 p.m., there was a larceny report at the Student Recreational Center. A subject left their locker unlocked and items came up missing. No suspects. The Department of Public Safety is reminding everyone to always lock your lockers!

Theft in SRC
On Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m., there was a larceny complaint at the Student Recreational Center. Two subject’s items were missing from their lockers. No suspects.

No license
On Feb. 22 at 8:29 p.m., there was a traffic stop on Campus Drive. The subject didn’t have their headlights on. The subject was found to have no license and was lodged in the county jail.

Slashed Tires
On Feb. 20 at 1:17 p.m., there was a malicious destruction of property complaint in Bond Circle. A victim stated that her vehicle tire had been slashed. Investigation continues.

Damaged Vehicle
On Feb. 20 at 9:59 there was a malicious destruction of property complaint in Lot 4. A subject stated that her vehicle was damaged. Her mirror on the driver side was broken. No suspects.

Ticket Totals:
From Feb. 19 through 26 public safety identified 430 violators. Each violator was ticketed for a total of $7,560. Actual amount depends on whether the ticket was paid, voided, or reduced.