The typical recreational sport includes trash-talk and the squeaking of sneakers on waxed floors, but badminton is not a typical recreational sport.
Nor is the Badminton Club a typical club.
The club attracts people from a wide variety of cultures.
Long-time member Pathum Mendis said the sport is important to many people.
"Where we come from we don't have American football," Mendis said, racquet in hand, "We have soccer, and we have badminton."
Club Vice President Manjunatha Nanjappa played the game for many years in his native India.
"It's a stress-reliever," Nanjappa said. "It's a fun game and good excersise."
Nanjappa and other club members are proud of their expanded schedule, which is because of their sudden growth.
Both Mendis and Nanjappa said the club has grown since they first came.
"I was gone for a few weeks, and when I came back, almost half the people were all new," said Dmitry Glotov, club adviser and assistant professor in math and statistics.
The club has grown so much that patient club members can only sit against the walls and watch the others compete because there aren't enough courts for all members to play simulatenously.
The walls themselves are lined with bags, racquets, birdies and Gatorade.
The more excited club members wildly cheer on their friends in what is a surprisingly intense game.
"The birdie is faster than any tennis ball," Glotov said. "Footwork is important. The most important skill is moving around the court."
Glotov does not participate in talking smack about his game, calling himself "not a very good player," but he said he enjoys explaining the mechanics of the game itself.
Glotov said the objective is to control the projectile, called the birdie or the shuttlecock, and force the opponent to move around the court.
"[The birdie] does not make a perfect parabola," Glotov said. "The feathers slow it down and cause it to fall."
This makes it possible for such a fast-paced sport to be played on such a small court.
"It's also one of the safest sports," Glotov said.
The sport can also be exhausting when played for too long.
Each match goes up to 21 points.
In competitive games, it can take a very long time to reach the end.
"I can get tired out," Glotov said. "You need to a lot of stamina to win."
Glotov said the best formula to win sets is to be in control of the birdie and force the opponent to run and keep up with it.
The club said they wish to expand further and join the other schools that host their own tournaments.
The Auburn club has never had a chance to invite other colleges to play, but they do hold small tournaments within the club itself to keep the excitement level high.
Members are required to pay $5 per semester.
Personal racquets can be used, but racquets can also be rented at no cost to the user.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
