by Chandler Eckert

Everyone remembers the roller rink on September 21, but not a lot of people know about the pool tournament that went on in Hill residence hall at the exact same time. Resident advisor Andreas Huber hosted a bracket-style tournament on the ground floor of Hill Hall for the prize of a Britt’s coffee shop gift card. While at first it was going very slowly, things started to pick up about ten minutes in. Teams began forming and being matched up against one another while an order of Domino’s Pizza appeared in the back. Those waiting for their turn partook in an intense game of ping pong just to the left of the tournament. 

Watching nine rounds, I realized that I actually do not know how to play pool. For  those who are unaware, the objective of the game is to get your set of balls, striped or solid, into the holes without hitting the 8-ball in. Once your set is in, you then must get the 8-ball in a predetermined hole. One thing I learned that night was if you do not even touch one of your set balls, that was considered a “scratch” and the other team got to move the cue ball wherever they wanted. I always thought a scratch was when you got the cue ball into a hole, but it turns out they are both considered a scratch. 

The tournament went on for about two and a half hours, ending around 10:30 p.m. The fifth and sixth round winners went to bed before getting the chance to go up against their next opponent, causing some shifts in the teams. Leah Gaillard, who had never played pool before, got thrown into the seventh round. Although she had no idea how to play, her opponents and other teams helped her out and taught her. She eventually made her first ever shot! 

In the end, however, it was no surprise who won. Stephan Dunlow and Prince Tin Aung Toe both came into this tournament with their own pool sticks and cue ball and even had a special glove that professional pool players use. Although everyone knew there was no beating this duo, it was a fantastic night filled with laughter and excitement. Congratulations to everyone that played and thank you Andreas for hosting such a great night.