After graduating from Harvard and spending two years touring the professional ranks, former squash pro Jim Maslund has gone back to school. Only this time he's not just a student, but a teacher too.

Maslund received and accepted an offer from Penn State to come and teach squash, akin to raquetball, while he earns his masters degree.

Since his arrival, Maslund has started teaching an advanced level squash class while playing at the club, said club president Dan Hymer (sophomore-environmental resource management).

Maslund will have to adjust to situations as they occur. He will serve as a model for the squash club to follow while attempting to tackle a shot at a Ph.D.

But adjusting has never been a problem for Maslund. His squash roots came from the most diverse places -- tennis and chess.

"Someone just threw me on a squash court," Maslund said. "It combines the spacial quality of chess and the athletic ability of tennis."

A Philadelphia native, Maslund said it was a bit of a surprise arriving in Happy Valley, but he quickly found a home.

"For three years I've been out of school," Maslund said. "It was a bit of a shock, papers and all that. It took a little while to adapt."

Maslund may have been shocked, but the squash club wasn't. Squash supervisor Dr. Bart Browning pointed out that Penn State squash has been lucky with having a long line of talented players come here. Browning cited Rusty Ball as one of the players who was passing through Penn State to obtain a master's degree.

"Rusty Ball was a very good hardball player, but Maslund is the best softball player we've ever had," Browning said. "We've seen some high level squash."

The club saw some high level squash last weekend when Maslund and former All-America and current Shadyside Academy (Pittsburgh) Coach Rich Fisher put on an exhibition on how squash is meant to be played.

"It gives everybody a sense of what real, perfect squash is," he said.

But Hymer and Browning were quick to point out that Dick Pencek, the former men's lacrosse coach, deserves a lot of credit for the high level of squash play at Penn State. Pencek currently teaches a squash course at the University.

"Dick Pencek has been a tremendous influence on kids," Browning said. "He gets them interested and keeps them interested."

Interest isn't hard to keep when Maslund is on the court, but Hymer added that it is better to watch Maslund than to play him.

"You get your ass kicked, but it's fun," Hymer said.