Melanie Hackney stepped up to a line in the dirt this past Friday and prepared her shot. In a quick, smooth movement she lobbed a silver ball at her target. She then laughed when it landed and rolled far from its intended spot. Hackney, a French doctoral student, is president of Pétanque Louisianaise, a group created to play the French game pétanque. The French sport is similar to American lawn bowling. “It’s a very simple game,” Hackney said. “People that have never played before can play.” The point of pétanque is to throw metal balls, called “boules,” at a smaller ball, called a “cochonnet.” Points are awarded for how many balls a team has closer to the cochonnet than the opponent’s closest boule. Hackney said the first team to reach 13 points with at least a two-point lead wins the game. Hackney said the game can quickly change. “A lot of times what happens is you’re winning, and you knock yourself out of the way,” she said. Hackney said pétanque is traditionally played by older men in southern France. She said there are designated playing fields in many of the region’s towns. Pétanque Louisianaise is composed primarily of Ph.D. students and is finishing its third year of competition. Hackney said team members occasionally compete and are state champions. The team issued a request to compete with any interested teams in the region, according to Hackney. She said only a team from Texas responded, and, since they have been uncontested in Louisiana, they jokingly – but proudly – claim to be state champions. The team held demonstrations at the Bilingual School of New Orleans’ French Festival and plays at events held by the University’s French department. Hackney said the group competes according to the rules when it hosts other teams but does not always follow the rules during friendly games among teammates. Hackney said the club welcomes new members and hosted three new members this past Friday at its team meeting. Aaron Emmitte, French master’s student, said Friday was his first time to play. “It’s fun,” Emmitte said. “I suck at it, but it’s fun.” Emmitte said he liked the sport because it is something “you don’t see in everyday America.” Carrie O’Connor, French doctoral candidate, is the group’s treasurer. She said she learned about the sport in France and joined the team this past fall. She said she likes the game because it allows her to compete. “I’m not athletic, and I like social games,” O’Connor said. “This doesn’t require athleticism. Plus, I like competition so this allows me to compete.” O’Connor said the game does usually involve some strategy, but she does not use one when she plays. O’Connor and her teammates won the day’s match. Despite the game’s competitive nature, the players maintain good sportsmanship. Following Friday’s game, the team members shook hands and congratulated each other.
—-Contact Sean Griffin at [email protected]