(October 27, 2003) — It’s ten minutes since lunch began. The gym doors open and a sea of about 80 students rush down the stairs to claim a court. Students quickly decide who they want to challenge and the jumping, shooting, dunking and running begins––welcome to basketball at Clark, where students gather on odd periods to play at lunch. Basketball at lunch isn’t the typical competitive sport at Clark as it is in other high schools. It’s simply set up to provide students with something fun to participate in, not for competitive purposes, according to lunch basketball supervisor Judy Thomsen. We’ll leave the competition for the intramurals. Students are able to pick their teams and challenge others to play against them. Most usually play ‘seven points straight up,’ where whoever gets to seven points first wins the game and the losers sit out while the winners play against another team. Sophomore Anthony Abraham said that he enjoys playing basketball during lunch because “it is something better to do than just hang out. We can meet new people outside our grade and it’s good competition.” Thomsen said that while guys primarily take part in this activity, girls also play occasionally. Thomsen likes the idea of basketball at lunch and said, “When you’re playing any sport, you get out your aggression.” According to Thomsen, this activity was open to everyone as long as they abided by the rules, which include wearing proper tennis shoes, no food or drinks inside the gym and no spectators as they are considered a distraction to the players. Despite the fact that the gym opens ten minutes after lunch starts, most students hurry to the gym to get the court that they want. A few students even said that they play every odd day and have “claimed” their specific court permanently. Some students participate in this activity because they enjoy basketball, others due to the lack of other things to do during lunch. For senior Khachik Parmakszyan, basketball is “a good way to prove your worth on the court.