At 8 o’clock every Wednesday night, they gather at the Chicha Shack on Lincoln Way.

They may blend in with their fellow hookah smokers, but they boast an ISU affiliation.

The ISU Hookah Club gathers each Wednesday to meet, converse and smoke some flavored shisha.

“It’s a great place to meet new people or hang out with the friends you already have and relax mid-week,” said Rebecca Davis, senior in animal science and vice president of the club. “It’s also a great stress reliever; both smoking and the social time. Plus, you get to learn about a tradition that is thousands of years old.”

The group began in 2007, as a result of a group of friends who shared a passion for hookahing and wanted to meet other enthusiasts.

“A group of friends and I wanted to participate in our own flavor of student organizations, and at the time we were all fans of the hookah,” said Lucas Hunziker, one of the founders of the ISU Hookah Club. “We wanted a recreational organization that did not require any pre-existing skills, that would also function as a casual social conduit for meeting new people who shared our interests beyond those in academia.”

Hunziker graduated this August in aerospace engineering.

The ISU Hookah Club smokes, on average, two to five hookahs each meeting. There are nearly 30 flavors of shisha to choose from at the Chicha Shack ranging from fruity flavors like apple, mango and pomegranate, to more obscure flavors, like bubble gum, mint and cappuccino.

Members that arrive first decide on flavors each week, but they always choose at least one that everyone likes.

In addition to smoking hookah, the group uses Wednesday nights for socializing. Members often enjoy having philosophical discussions.

Older, more experienced members will teach the newcomers how to blow smoke rings or various other smoke tricks such as the French inhale or the dragon. They also educate members in the culture and history of smoking hookah. The main focus of the club is relaxation and stress relief from school and everyday life.

Mo Ali, owner of the Chicha Shack, said the group has been his customer for four years. He likes the idea of the club because it’s not just about smoking, there’s a social aspect in place that allows members to meet and talk about school and social lives.

“I give them discounts because they are loyal customers and very organized,” Ali said.

In the future he plans to allow them to use the VIP room for their meetings, as well as give them some gifts.

One of the club’s main goals for the year is to focus on getting club membership up and getting their name out there, said the president of the ISU Hookah Club, Ben Meyer, senior in liberal studies.

To accomplish this goal, members have been hanging flyers around campus, participated in Club Fest, and hope to get T-shirts displaying the club’s name.

They also plan to have a bake sale to raise money and possibly have a Halloween party and costume contest if there is enough interest.

“Long-term goals tentatively include trying to create an event that would be hosted by Hookah Club that would include smoking hookah and allowing ISU members and community members to come and learn about hookah and participate,” Meyer said.

The ISU Hookah Club is open to everyone over 18 and you don’t have to be an ISU student, but younger students are allowed to come observe and learn the culture and history of hookah.

If interested in joining, you can show up on Wednesday. Dues are $5 a meeting to smoke and a one-time $10 membership fee.

Feel free to look up the ISU Hookah Club on its student organization website or on Facebook.

Any questions can be forwarded to Meyer at [email protected].