Shuttlecocks flying, good music, and good friends don’t make up the scene at just another college party; this is just another day at I-Bad. I-Bad is the newest of the I-Sports, and with it has come a new place for people to hang out. “It all started when a friend and I went to Walgreen’s and saw a badminton set. He suggested we buy it so we did.” founder and senior Chelsea Jensen said. “It [the set] sat in my garage for a while, I decided to something with it.” This was the beginning of I-Bad. On a broader scope, badminton isn’t just a phenomenon that has popped up at Ames High. It is an international sport that is quickly growing in popularity as shown by landmarks such as its addition to the Olympics in 1992. Even though it hasn’t taken off worldwide until recently, it has been an established sport since the late 1800’s. Badminton is a racquet sport that is played by up to four people at a time. It is very similar to tennis with three major differences. First and biggest is the birdie. A birdie (sometimes called a shuttlecock) is a rubber half-circle with a plastic net attached to the back. It is designed for easy play and is hit back a forth by the players. Also, the birdie can’t touch the ground. Lastly, the height of the net is a lot higher compared to tennis. I-Bad has had the same problem many clubs have had. They don’t yet have an established place to play, and equipment remains bring your own (that includes the nets, racquets and shuttlecocks). Despite this, the future is in safe hands with dedicated freshman such as Abe Nelson ready to carry this noble torch. He and other freshman members give a guarantee that tomorrow’s world will be one with I-Bad. “It’s a lot of fun, I get to hang out with my friends and play some badminton.” Nelson said. Every meeting, about eight to ten people come out for roughly forty-five minutes. The members are hoping this number will increase, because there aren’t many regulars yet. New members are always welcome, even if they have no experience, they will be welcomed with open arms. Meetings are in the back lobby Wednesday after school, if you bring your racquet, you’ll be set. The question still remains:I-Bad, we bad, are you bad?