What started out as a small gathering of students at a picnic table outside Fletcher and Manchester halls has evolved into a “smoking” campus organization.

“We were just a small group of people, doing our best to smoke our cigs at least 20 feet away from the building,” said Michael Boland, historian of the Hookah Social Club.

Boland, a freshman visual communication design major, said the Hookah Social Club began when secretary Julie Conroy, a freshman exploratory major, decided to bring her hookah outside and share it with others in Eastway Hall. Once that happened, he said, the community grew at an alarming rate.

Boland said other students living near the benches followed in Conroy’s footsteps, purchasing hookahs of their own and approaching the table to smoke.

The club currently has five hookahs.

Each of the club’s five officers, which include a president, secretary, historian and two treasurers, is an owner of a hookah. Each hookah has a pet name like King Ramses, Queen Victoria and Prince Oscar.

Charles Shick, a junior pre-med major and president of the club, obtained paperwork two weeks ago to make it official.

He said the paperwork and constitution, which contain the rules of the club, are finished, but a faculty adviser is still needed.

Midnight Oasis, a head shop in downtown Kent, has agreed to sponsor the new club. Once the club is official, owner Chris Todd said there will be discounts for all members, including 20 percent off all hookah purchases.

The officers are adamant that the club is open-minded and will accept anyone who wants to join, as long as they respect others.

“The amazing part is the diversity,” Boland said. “No one is ever denied a seat or a drag of the hookah. Everyone just vibes.”

Contact Daniel Moore at [email protected].