New Club Lets You Play Video Games at School
Super Smash Bros. is a club favorite. Photo Credit: James Tchou
By JINNAN LI and JAMES TCHOU
Students nowadays sadly have no time to luxuriate in the joys of playing video games, as they are faced with the massive workload imposed upon them by their classes. But now, a new opportunity has emerged for these students: the Video Game Club.
Club leader Fatima Anjum ’22 quickly managed to convince over 60 people to give the club a try, and many have decided to remain. Even more have joined since then, and now the club takes up two classrooms, 302 and 303.
“The atmosphere in the club is unlike any other,” said Jerry Li ’21. “Once you come in, it doesn’t even feel like a club but a gathering of a group of friends who can interact with others through video games.”
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the club’s most popular game by far. A monthly tournament takes the classrooms by storm. A majority of the people there participated in the first tournament, which included newcomers and experienced players alike.
“It is a fun way to include a majority of the club and bring people together,” Jack Walter ’21 said. “It’s a good way for people to have a good time.”
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can be enjoyed both competitively and casually, which is why the club is divided into two rooms. One for the competitive players, who hone their skills by practicing against one another, and the other is a more casual room, where others can relax and play other games. Club advisor Mr. Eric Lee supervises the students and accepts challenges from them if they wish to face him.
“Seeing them smiling, having fun, not stressing about school or studying, it’s awesome,” Mr. Lee said. “It’s an outlet to release stress and for students to just geek out.”
The club has become a community. It’s a place where students can come together to socialize and hang out without having to deal with schoolwork.
“I’m doing this for the kids to have a community and connect with one another,” said Mr. Lee.
The club also has a Discord, a platform where people can talk and chat with one another. Unlike in school, where students are limited to handheld gaming devices like the Nintendo Switch, students at home are able to organize themselves to play games that the school is not able to provide, such as online computer games. As the club grows, the friendships that the students build between one another grow as well.
“When the club first started, everyone was somewhat shy with each other,” said Kevin Luciano ’20. “As the second meeting came around, everyone started talking to each other like it was nothing.”
The door is open to possibilities for the future. The club can incorporate elements of e-sports, which is playing multiplayer games competitively for people to watch. This could branch out beyond Midwood to other schools like Murrow and Madison High School, just like other sports. People shouldn’t look down on a video gamer’s skills, Mr. Lee said.
“Anyone can shoot a free throw,” he said, “but it takes skill to evolve and learn the technicality of a video game.”