FOMO: Billiards in the Student Union Game Room

It is inescapable to find yourself overwhelmed and in need of an escape, and luckily our university has recreational activities to get our minds off these concerns.

As students look into what colleges offer, it is essential to see each university’s amenities available.

At UTRGV, we have the Student Union, an establishment that “fosters interaction among the University community by serving as the living room of the campus, according to its webpage. 

The webpage states the union provides “quality programming, support services, dining, recreation, and meeting spaces that enrich student life and promote the continuation of learning outside the classroom.”

The Student Union Game Room on the Edinburg campus has a lot to offer, such as video games to air hockey and board games. But the one activity in the room that piqued my interest the most was the billiards table. 

I had entered the Game Room only twice in the two years I’ve been on the Edinburg campus. The first was to have somewhere to eat, and the other was to play billiards for the first time. My first attempt at actually playing was probably so hard to watch that it was enjoyable to others.

After picking up the cue stick to strike the cue ball, I was determined to walk out of the Game Room with at least one ball in a pocket. However, that was never accomplished. Instead, it was an achievement in itself if I got to hit the cue ball in the first place.

However, all of my misfortunes did not discourage me from completing my objective of getting better at billiards. Instead, I grew more interested, and I wanted to come back.

Knowing how to play billiards, or pool as I used to call it, was so impressive. Succeeding at least one trick shot or winning against someone I thought was better than me would satisfy a point on my bucket list, though obviously, I’m far from mastering the skills.

After a few months, I returned to the Game Room and felt more comfortable at the table than before. 

Granted, I did play on my own, but the goal of the morning was to get comfortable striking the ball, and I think it went well. I was able to aim better and get more balls into the pockets. Learning something new is always about baby steps.

Whether it’ll be on my own, or participating in some friendly competition, I think it is a nice activity to indulge in whenever I have a stressful week or want to focus on something else for a while. 

It’s great that I can enjoy a hobby free of cost on our campus. Billiards might become a hobby I want to try to return to every now and then, especially when it’s convenient that I am already on campus for classes.

A goal I have in mind is to eventually compete in a billiards tournament. Regardless of what degree my skill set stands at that moment, I think it would be fun to try.

Billiards tournaments will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 22 and March 22 in the Student Union Game Room on the Brownsville campus and at the same time Feb. 23 and March 23 in the Student Union Game Room on the Edinburg campus. 

For more information, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/studentunion/game-room/index.htm.