Dean, Student Bar Association President Play Ping-Pong for PILA

William S. Boyd School of Law Dean John Valery White recently went head-to-head with Student Bar Association President Trevor Hartzell for a good cause—and lost.

Student Bar Association President Trevor Hartzell '12, right, returns the ball to William S. Boyd Dean John Valery White during their recent friendly ping-pong match to raise money for the Public Interest Law Association

The idea for the match emerged when White donated a ping-pong table to the students of the Boyd School of Law.

“I wanted to show Dean White that the Student Bar Association appreciated his gift very much, and in the email, I jokingly challenged him to a game on the new table. After that, the event escalated and a few people wanted to know what the point spread was, et cetera,” Hartzell said.

Wagers were made, the date was set, and the dean and SBA president met for a friendly match on the second floor of the school. Hartzell said he was expecting the room to be empty for the weekend, but word of the match spread, and dozens of people showed up to watch the match. In the end, the match raised $150 for the Public Interest Law Association.

“It turned out to be a much more electric game than I had foreseen. Dean White really came through with a great new table, the library with the snacks, and the students and faculty who came out to watch,” he said.

Pursuant to his wager with White, Hartzell received the honor of parking in the dean’s spot for a day.