Basic Equipment for Table Tennis

With over 25 years of experience in the higher education sector, Emmanuel Gonsalves most recently served as the vice president of fiscal affairs at Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. When he has time away from campus, Emmanuel Gonsalves enjoys the sport of table tennis.

Table tennis made its official Olympic debut in 1988 at the Seoul Olympic Games. Regulation table tennis equipment includes only four pieces: the net, the ball, the table or court, and the racket. These pieces of equipment, however, are stringently regulated.

1. Net: the net divides the table in half and the top of the net, along its whole length, must be six inches above the surface. The base of the net must rest as close as possible to the table surface.

2. Ball: weighing only 2.7 grams, the ball, which is made of a celluloid plastic material, must be round with a 40-millimeter diameter.

3. Table/Court: nine feet long and five inches wide, the table can be made of any material, and its horizontal plane must measure two feet and six inches off the floor.

4. Racket: the blade of the racket must have a wood composition of 85 percent but may be any size, weight, or shape. The racket is covered with a rubber material with a pimpled surface. The pips (pimples) can face outwards or inwards, and under the pimpled rubber lies one layer each of celluloid and sandwich rubber.

Public-Private Partnerships in STEM Education

A corporate turnaround specialist, Emmanuel Gonsalves has more than 25 years of experience helping institutions of higher education improve their image and boost student performance. Emmanuel Gonsalves has been particularly successful in promoting public-private partnerships to help maintain school facilities and programs.

In the last few years, organizations from the private sector have become increasingly involved in improving educational programs and institutions across the United States. This is especially true in the area of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, which can be greatly enhanced by mentoring services and somewhat costly technological tools.

Nonprofit organizations like Change the Equation are currently working to build business/education partnerships that will help improve the quality of STEM programs and prepare students for future careers in a variety of industries. Many groups, including the MacArthur Foundation and the Digital Youth Network, are also helping create community learning spaces to promote skills such as creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.