"G.R.O.S.S." Any "Calvin and Hobbes" reader will instantly recall this ludicrously constructed and even more ludicrously purposed acronym, which somehow meant "Get Rid Of Slimy girlS." This unsubtle parody of misogyny would be laughable, were it not completely based on reality. One need only scratch the surface of the current "SATURDAY IS FOR THE BOYS" movement to see the same sexist sentiments, stronger still. In a refreshing antidote, the women's table tennis team representing Hungary's Budaörs Sport Club is getting a new clubhouse. Perhaps not coincidentally, this good news comes on the heels of the club's blockbuster signing of Hungarian ace Georgina Póta, who has spent the last decade as a hired gun in Germany. "I am very happy to be able to return home after more than ten years," says Póta. "I have been negotiating many times with the team in recent years, so I formulated the thought of being back home for a couple of years now... I really want it to be not just a one-year, but a collaboration for many years." Club president Gergely Somlyó was quick to lavish praise on his new star, Hungary's top-ranked player at #53 in the world. "It is a great honor for a sports leader and also for the association that an athlete of this level has chosen us," gushed Somlyó. "It is important to have a club that can represent Hungarian table tennis on international level." Roland Nátrán, president of the Hungarian Table Tennis Association, sees this construction as the first step toward a rosier future for the nation which dominated the early days of table tennis. "I really would like to have the sports hall in Budaörs to be operational by the end of next year," said Nátrán. "This will be the home not only of the Budaörs Sports Club, but also of an international ping-pong infrastructure that can develop the Hungarian sports life, the Hungarian ping-pong life, by attracting many foreign players." Of course, it will cost money to construct the new clubhouse. The stakeholders are now passing the hat in search of 400-500 million forints, or $1,320,000-$1,650,000, for construction. The land itself is worth several times that amount, but the city of Budaörs is actively courting investors in order to get the project off the ground. "Our goal is to involve as many sponsors as possible," explained Tamás Wittinghoff, mayor of Budaörs. "I think the results that these girls are achieving, and those being broadcast on television all over the world, can provide a pretty good advertising space for the supporters, so I encourage them... to do so." While it is indeed unfortunate that the mayor would attempt to promote the women of Budaörs Sport Club by calling them "girls," at least this vestigial paternalism is the by-product of building these professional athletes what Virginia Woolf called "A Room of One's Own." Regarding the sexism facing all women, as with the ongoing struggle for racial equality, LGBTQ rights, and accessibility for those with physical and mental challenges, we persist in our hope that one day we as a society can recognize all forms of discrimination for what they are: GROSS.

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