the stuff of legends...

For the last almost two months (GASP!), we’ve been curious as to how we will be leaving our legacy at the Santa Chiara Study Center. We’re here for only a total of nine months, so its important that we make it count.

Revolutionize the place, we say. “Always leave a place better than you found it,” that’s what my Brownies troop leader said.

The next sequence of events happened so quickly and perfectly that Fate’s gracious intervention is undeniable. The kiddos here LOVE ping pong. Santa Chiara is pretty sparse - it used to be a convent so superfluous recreational amenities are not top priority. But we do have a ping pong room. And it is always busy. Last Sunday night, in conversation the idea that a ping pong tournament would be fun. On top of it all, it would be a crazy fundraiser for some new paddles - apparently the ten year old equipment we currently distribute isn’t conducive to strong play.

The two of us partnered with two CalPoly ping pong enthusiasts to form the official Great American Ping Pong Tournament Executive Board. Our first meeting was magical. We only had 36 hours to pull together one of the biggest operations this place has seen...maybe. (RC’s aren’t really given handbooks for social event-planning.) It couldn’t have been better, the ideas were flowing and we were seriously getting pumped up. We knew that there

were a few must-have’s for Tuesday night’s tournament:

1. AN AWE-INSPIRING OPENING CEREMONIES (we researched past Olympic productions for inspiration...and let me tell you it was pretty damn close to the real thing. Complete with the National Anthem sung by a student accompanied by Jimi Hendrix...and a confetti eruption with the last “home of the braaaave.”)
2. A DJ (A competent one, who would be able to maintain the enthusiasm level we expected.)
3. AN EPIC SPORTS ANNOUNCER (We needed someone who could promote the...
4. OFFICIAL SPONSORS (The bar we run, “In Bocca Al Lupo” became the Gold Sponsor.)
5. ADVERTISING STRATEGY (Which is where we were able to use our design degrees to come up with this fancy campaign flyer:

We didn’t have much time to pull off such an extravagant event. So we cleared our schedules immediately.

In 36 hours we rallied enough students to fill a 16-team double elimination bracket. Skill levels ranged from highly advanced to hadn’t touched a paddle in six years. We could not have expected the fanatic results that followed. People got REALLY into it. Team names were extremely creative, favorites being The Blazing Paddles and King Pong. Team uniforms, even, were outrageous - matching outfits, tights, and face paint were all involved. The crowd was passionate - imagine stadium seating in the Santa Chiara dining room using the old wooden tables and benches lying around. Chanting. Cheers. The Wave.

Long story short, The Great American Ping Pong Tournament is currently in Round Two, the next set of games commencing this Tuesday night. We are praying that the hype lasts and that more importantly, this legacy will carry on to the following years. Intercollegiate participation is a vital part of why this place is so successful. And Madalyn and I are so proud that we can help keep the tradition.