Game nights provide escape from school
by Lindsie Trego
Upon entering the Gaming Club game night, a message on the board written in a unrecognizable foreign language tells outsiders this isn’t just any classroom. The characters — a series of lines, curves, flourishes and shading that come from the role-playing game “Palladium: Fantasy” — begin to show the subculture of the group.
“If you’re in geek culture, you know you’re in geek culture,” said James Giltz, junior engineering physics major and vice president of the Gaming Club. “There are all different kinds of ways to identify as a geek.”
He said gamers are definitely part of the geek subculture, but that this subculture is generally difficult to describe. Nonetheless, the geek culture has great allure for many people, Giltz said.
“For some reason, a gigantic part of the population is willing to embarrass themselves in order to show appreciation for this,” he said. “And most people find it incredibly fun.”
Last week, the gaming club spent the majority of their meeting playing “Dungeons and Dragons” as part of what they called a “Dungeon Delve,” which is something of an evening festival of the game.
Game nights are normally designed to give attendees the freedom to play a variety of games, from role playing to board games — “Cards Against Humanity,” “Magic: The Gathering,” “Dungeons and Dragons.”
Hannah Wiltsey, junior English major and Gaming Club member, transferred to Whitworth this year and said she has found great community through the club.
“I got plugged in at the club fair,” she said. “I just kind of gravitated toward the gaming club. I thought, ‘Oooh, my kind of people.’”
She said the group is very open to new members, even those who may not identify themselves as geeks. The group might seem intimidating at first due to how close the members are, she said, but attending game nights is a good way to meet new people. Giltz echoed Wiltsey’s sentiments.
“Come and play board games,” Giltz said. “Hell, you could come and just talk. We’re friendly people.”
Senior English major Braden Babcock, Gaming Club president, said the group tries to create a judgment-free zone in which people can express their interests without demeaning labels or stigmas.
“The main thing is being able to spend time with people interested in the same things as you,” he said.
Gaming nights, though, don’t stand up in comparison to Whitcon, which Giltz describes as a “geek convention” on campus. In its third year, the event will fill Weyerhaeuser with various activities related to gaming and all things geek for an entire day on April 20. The gaming club puts on the convention with the help of the Japanese Visual Club and the Sci-fi and Astronomy Club.
Rooms will be dedicated to anime films, “League of Legends,” “Minecraft,” and other activities. Whitworth’s annual Larpfest is also part of the convention.
“You can come to Whitcon and release your inner barbarian slash wizard slash rogue slash priest,” Giltz said, grinning from ear to ear.
Attending Whitcon can be a great way to experience gaming culture for a day, Wiltsey said, including one of its best perks: de-stressing from the busy college lifestyle.
“It’s a good way to de-stress,” she said. “I have a million tests next week? No. I’m going to be a gnome and kill stuff for a while.”
Contact Lindsie Trego at lwagner14@my.whitworth.edu