Spoons, the rapid-action, hand-slapping, knuckle-punching card game bidding players to split their attention between two facets at once, now has its own niche at Iowa State.

In mid-September, when most students were still getting into the groove of school and coming to the realization that summer was over, a group of freshmen were creating the ISU Spoons Club.

During the first week of school, Campus Crusade for Christ had a freshmen game night. One of the students suggested playing spoons with a deck of cards they had.

Someone jokingly mentioned starting a spoons club and hung a sign-up sheet on the wall. With more than 15 people interested, they decided to officially start the club.

Spoons is a card game in which players sit in a circle passing cards around until someone collects four of a kind. Once they collect the matching four cards, the race is on to grab a spoon, as there is one spoon less than the amount of players.

In musical chairs fashion, the group takes a spoon away every time a player is eliminated.

“Once that person grabs [a spoon], everyone jumps in a pile to get the spoons,” says Kristin Heise, vice president of the club. “It gets pretty aggressive.”

Much like many of today’s games and sports, spoons has an alternative way to play that’s a little more extreme.

“Ultimate spoons is when you get four of a kind, then you run into the other room to get the spoon,” says Heise, freshman in pre-architecture.

Lee Doeden, president of the club, says the group is always looking for new members to get involved.

“We send out an e-mail and Sarah [the birthday chairwoman] brings the spoons and Kristin brings the cards and we all play,” says Doeden, freshman in mechanical engineering.

Doeden says he looks forward to keeping the club going and adding customs.

“I think it’d be better if every year we get new leadership and keep it going,” he says. “Next year we should have initiations. I like the idea of creating our own traditions. We tried to get as many people to sign up by offering cabinet positions.”

Doeden says some of the cabinet positions include social chairperson, birthday chairperson and T-shirt design chairperson.

The group is working on making T-shirts. Doeden says their T-shirt slogan, “Wanna Spoon?” has people outside of the club requesting to buy one.

Along with the T-shirts, the primarily freshmen members discuss class schedules, recent concerts and Facebook.com.

Heise says joining a club has helped her transition into life at Iowa State.

“I think it makes you a little more confident … knowing the buildings, the campus, getting to know people and having started something,” she says.

Doeden says from the start of college, people have emphasized the numerous chances to get involved.

“They stress there’s so much opportunity at Iowa State, and it’s been a few months and we already have a club,” he says.

Doeden describes the club as a carefree bunch without a lot of rules.

“We are a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants organization,” he says.

Heise says the game helps create a relaxed environment that in other situations might feel a little awkward. “It’s a great way to get to know people, especially at spoons,” she says. “You might not know them at first, but by the end you’re all laughing and joking around.”

Visit http://sodb.stuorg.iastate.edu/view.php?id=1000 for more information on the group.