When the door opens to show Hilltop Center, you can see that past the marketplace, nestled above the Lookout, are tables. Groups of students crowd around each one, either watching or participating in the game taking place. Concentration is present on each students’ face as they line up their shots. Sounds of plastic clinking into itself and into pockets fill the atmosphere.

College students are warned about many aspects of college life before coming to campus. At UW-Eau Claire, there is something no one told me would be a part of the college experience: pool tables.

I see the appeal of pool — I play the game myself — but I wouldn’t if I didn’t attend Eau Claire.

I see a lot of people playing pool on a daily basis, and I know there are many people in the same place as I am. I frequently see both newcomers at tables as well as regulars.

These college students have gained a skill that is as unique to Eau Claire as it is surprising. Never would I have thought that one thing I’ll take away from college is the ability to play billiards. I’m sure that other schools provide pool tables for student use, but I don’t think the appeal at each college equates the appeal here.

The pool tables are beneficial to students in many ways.

I think they help de-stress students, as they are good distractions from studies. Personally, I like playing pool because I stop thinking about the stresses of everyday life and just think about the game.

It is also an outlet that does not involve a screen. Sometimes students should take a break from staring at a screen and focus on interacting with their friends through a new game. I know that I enjoy this aspect of pool, as I often spend too much time on my phone or computer.

I usually see pool tables in mature settings, such as bars, so it is interesting that there are pool tables in the Hilltop cafeteria. At bars, people play pool to show off their skills. The same could be true of people who play pool at Hilltop.

Perhaps the people playing pool in bars learned to play when they were at college. Maybe it is less about the setting of the tables and more so about the community surrounding it.

I started playing pool because my boyfriend taught me, and he started because his friend taught him. Through this type of cycle,  many students will be at the tables with a cue stick, mastering the art of the game and expanding the community.

Everyone should take the opportunity to try their hand at a game of pool. It’s a fun pastime that not every person will be able to participate in. I know that I will graduate from UW-Eau Claire with not only a diploma, but also a mastery in the art of pool.