Faculty and student relationships rarely leave the classroom, but the game of cricket has the potential to change this status quo.

On Saturday morning, rain or shine, faculty and students meet at Plainview Park, 2819 S. Fees St, at 8:30 a.m. to take a break from day-to-day work and classes.

“It gives a personal face to faculty,” Vinod Namboodiri, assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science, said. “It’s not a formal environment among faculty and we have a better camaraderie. It helps in collaboration and doing research together.”

The group formed last May with only a few faculty members and their families. Now, an average of 22 players come, the majority of them students.

“It’s a good transit between new students,” Huzefa Kagdi, assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science, said. “Cricket is one thing they feel comfortable with. All of a sudden they are thrown into a strange culture and cricket is the one thing they find familiar.”

“It’s like shooting a basketball (here),” Namboodiri said. “We are so into cricket back home.”

England ruled India for more than 200 years and the first international cricket game was between the U.S. and Canada. Cricket isn’t as popular in the U.S., but in India it is considered more than a hobby, but a way of life.

Sreedhar Vasomsetti, a student that participates regularly, said back home he would play four or five times a week.

For the faculty, it is a chance to stay active and get out of their office. One faculty member even lost 15 pounds playing.

Ed Sawan, chairperson and professor emeritus of electrical engineering and computer science, was one of the faculty founders of cricket even though he prefers to sit on the sidelines.

“I go every Saturday morning and talk to faculty and students,” Sawan said. “It helps me. I can see the impact after all these times there is a better (community) and you don’t have to be an expert at cricket to enjoy being there.”

A multitude of countries are represented, including Pakistan, India, Egypt, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Months later cricket is no longer an event they try to fit into their schedule, but an event they plan other events around.

Visvakumar Aravinthan, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, was surprised when he started seeing students become more comfortable around faculty. At the beginning, students used to leave right after the game, but now students discuss their studies and research with faculty.

They hope cricket can continue to increase its numbers and increase the number of students that come to study at Wichita State.

Students confess that they had to split faculty and students evenly between two teams because the faculty always got the final word.

However, a barrier is being broken and the benefits are pleasing to the professors.

Students are realizing, “Faculty are human beings,” Aravinthan said. “We are not aliens.”

If interested, call Siva Veeramachaneni at (408-250-7888).