Get your game on
The end of the week can be exciting for any student eager to put away the books for a couple of days and get ready for the weekend. Ian Madsen, a junior studying biology, has started a new club that aims to provide the escape many students desire.
Madsen said he enjoys playing board games. He has a collection of about 50 or more games, but it was hard to find people to get together to play them. That’s when he decided to start Aggie Game Nights.
“I started Aggie Game Nights because board gaming is a hobby of mine, and I just wanted a way to invite other people that aren’t necessarily in my social circles,” Madsen said.
He also said he likes meeting people who are interested in his hobby.
Aggie Game Nights is a new social gaming club to which students can bring their own friends or meet a whole new group of people with common interests.
“It helps add variety and options,” Madsen said. “It’s just something different to do on Friday.”
The club was registered the second week of school and Madsen is currently looking for members to join. Madsen said the events are informal and anyone interested in playing role-playing games, card games, board games, miniature games or any type of table-top game is encouraged to sign up. He said in addition to the supplied games, gamers are free to bring their own games from home.
Madsen said Aggie Game Nights offers a social alternative to video gaming.
“There’s a lot of outlets for people who enjoy video gaming with computers and consoles,” Madsen said. “This just helps give people variety in their gaming.”
Board gaming involves more social interaction, he said, and allows you to actually engage in activities with other people.
“It’s really easy to play video games,” Madsen said. “Getting people together for a board game requires people to be there in person.”
Longer games, such as Battle Star Galactica, are also offered for more experienced gamers. In order to get a spot in one of these games, Madsen said people interested should check them out on either Google or Facebook. Spots can be reserved there, and members get first priority.
Membership sign ups will be available year round. Anyone interested in joining the club is given first say in game choice, voting rights and preferential treatment. However, Madsen said, membership is not required to participate in Friday night games, and everyone is welcome.
The club has two advisers, Jason Tuttle and Nik Loveland. Tuttle said he volunteered to be an adviser after seeing a post on boardgamegeek.com. Madsen said he had sent out a message to everyone within the area who was registered on the site.
Tuttle said the social atmosphere is a defining quality of Aggie Game Nights.
“For me it’s not so much the winning but the interaction,” he said.
Evgeny Permyakov, a graduate student studying food science, is a regular, who said he enjoys meeting different people each week and learning how to play new games. Permyakov has been to all three club meetings so far and has found a new group of people there each time.
Permyakov said he appreciates the fact there is an organized club centered around having fun.
“I think that board games are the best type of activity for communication,” Peryakov said.
Peryakov found Aggie Game Nights through the USU Event Calendar on the university website. He said he expected to find “Dungeons & Dragons” but was surprised to find board games instead. He said he hadn’t ever played a lot of board games in the past but found out he really enjoys it.
“(The club) gives you a subject to talk about and a wide variety of games, so it always keeps you entertained,” Peryakov said.
The club is currently in a stage of transition, Madsen said, because he is looking for officers and members to join. Anyone interested in joining can sign up at one of its Friday events from 7 p.m. to midnight in Room 201 of the Engineering Building.
“It’s just a place to relax, have fun and make friends,” Madsen said. “If you have free time on a Friday night, just come here, bring your friends, bring games and have fun.”
– audrey.moulton@aggiemail.usu.edu