Anyone looking for a relaxing way to end a Friday at WCA? Well look no further. The gaming club at Westminster Christian Academy is a great option for a fun time at the end of every other week.

Every other Friday after school Westminster students stopping by the hub for Pawprint coffee may notice an eclectic group of students huddled at tables rolling dice, dealing cards, and moving pieces across cardboard. This is the gaming club.

Yet, how did gaming club begin, and why would anyone want to attend a club that just plays board games?

The gaming club has not always existed at Westminster, and Allen Schwamb, gaming club Sponsor and Performance Arts Department Chair, was a major part of its beginnings. At the time many students expressed their interest in a hobby that Schwamb pursued, that being tabletop games. Schwamb was happy to expand on this interest from students and said:

“Many years ago, one of the first years in this building, some of the students had the idea [of gaming club] […] So next year we ran with it.”

It was clear at the time that Schwamb was not the only one in the school fond of spending their time at tables playing games with each other, and to this day many students still regularly attend gaming club.Although the gaming club started out based on having fun and the shared hobby of gaming, it has continued to grow into something bigger that contains lots of importance for attendees of the club. The importances are not super severe, yet they leave positive impacts and skill development on those who participate. When asked about this importance Schwamb said:

“It’s not super deep, but it teaches you to think, to think bigger picture, while making shorter term choices […] Some of the games are social, so it gives the students a chance to interact with each other […] It gives them a fun way to interact with each other.”

The gaming club provides students with an opportunity to develop social and thinking skills in a fun and relaxing environment every other week. Schwamb and his students stick to a relatively loose schedule that does not require a specific amount of people in attendance, and every meeting supplies its attendees with food and drinks to go along with their game playing. When asked about the schedule Schwamb said:

“We usually start with some group of people playing some quicker games […] And some people playing longer games […] At some point I’ll take pizza orders , and I’ll order pizza that’ll show up at five. At some point when the longer game ends everyone will come together and play some really big game that involves everyone.”

This loose schedule and food allows for a relaxed environment that students enjoy and while also providing an inviting atmosphere for newcomers to join the club. Sophomore and frequent attendee Will Havens said:

”People should join. We got all kinds of board games. We got pizza for like $2 a slice, and soda for like $1 a can.”

The combination of fun games and cheap food and drink combines for a good time at the gaming club. Havens elaborates on his fondness for the club and its skill development and said:

“I think it brings people together. I think it helps people engage in something that’s competitive, but not too high stakes. It’s a great way to pass the time, and a great way to meet new people […] It builds a community in Westminster. That’s always good to have.”

Havens loves to meet new people, and the gaming club is a great way to do so. Especially if someone is a competitive person the gaming club checks the boxes of requirements for many students. Next time you walk into the hub after school on Friday and see people playing games, think about stopping by and meeting some new students. gaming club is a great way to end a long week of school, so as Havens says:

”Bring some cash, bring a friend and play some board games!”