Gamer club: game of skill or game of luck

by Tim Cousino
Contributor

Every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m., an average of 20 people meet in room 319 of the Gunder-Myran building on WCC’s main campus to hang out, be loud, laugh and above all else: play games.

Washtenaw Community college Gamer’s Club is a place for anyone to come satisfy their game cravings no matter the console, cards, or pieces preferred.

The gathering started small with only six people in the large corner classroom. Aiden Smith, a sturdy, red-haired, young man wearing blue jeans and a “Guns-N-Roses” T-shirt, helps Austin Kendall set up the Nintendo Wii on the projector. Tonight’s main feature: a “Mario Party 8” tournament.

Kendall and Smith are moving tables and chairs around to make room for swinging Wii remotes. The tournament starts at 6 p.m. on the dot. They make sure the power cords don’t pose a trip hazard and disrupt game play. The soft music of the Wii’s start-up menu fills the room.

A few more club members shuffle in with heavy backpacks, bags of food and drinks, and one carries a 24-inch Samsung TV.

Cheers erupt from a group of gamers at the computer in the front of the room. They must be winning.

In comes Damon Dale-Green, an employee at WCC’s Copy Center, pushing a cart with a PS4, and a small TV on top of the all-black stand. Dale-Green’s wardrobe matches the cart. He says he is the resident “fighting-game guy.”

Dale-Green sits in the back of the room and sets up his game for the evening: “Tekken 7.” His first round against an online opponent is perfect, which means his fighter took no damage. His second round was not as lucky.

Kendall, a blue-eyed man with sandy hair, is the president of WCC’s Gamer’s Club. He said the club is all about the community aspect that keeps people coming.

“Gaming, despite what many people think, is a social activity,” Kendall said. “It’s more fun to enjoy it in a group in person. A lot of games are online now, so it’s nice to be around people.”

The tournaments weren’t always a part of the club. Kendall started the monthly tourneys last semester.

“I thought that would be really fun,” Kendall said. The club has “been around forever,” according to Kendall.

“Normally we don’t have prizes except bragging rights,” Kendall said. “Unless it’s a happy accident.” The tournament prize tonight is a Pokémon game code.

The room steadily fills with people. It’s almost tournament time. Ten have signed up.

“Thanks for picking up my slack. It won’t happen again,” Jazz Wilson said, a former student of music at WCC. Wilson, plays a Pokémon game with Mary Brady, the club’s vice president, on their own separate Nintendo 3DSs’.
Brady forgives Wilson for having to “pick up his slack.”

As vice president she helps Kendall run the club’s Facebook page and makes the flyers for the upcoming tournaments.
Although it seems video gaming is dominated by men, about half of the gamer population are women.

Scattered shouts of “domination,” erupt briefly from the crowd.

Video games are beloved by many and played for a number of reasons. Some include
entertainment, stress relief, escapism, comradery, and challenge.

Like the club members joined in the room, gaming is a lifestyle for many people. For others, that can become a problem.

According to a recent article in “Newsweek,” the World Health Organization calls
gaming addiction a mental health disorder, comparable to any addiction.

“There needs to be some kind of failsafe put in place,” Brady said. “A kind of support system, so you don’t fall into addiction. Having friends that can play with you can either hurt or help.”

Negative effects of too much gaming can include withdrawal from family and friends, depression, and even aggression. They can also distract players from situations that call for their attention.

“If I don’t want to do my homework I’ll go get my Nintendo Switch. It’s a dangerous distraction,” Brady said.
“Play games in moderation, pick a day, especially when a new game comes out,” Wilson said. “Stick to a schedule. For instance, mine is Wednesday.”

Video gaming can have very positive effects as well. They can improve cognitive function, help teamwork skills, and even enhance imagination according to the American Psychological Association.

The “Mario Party 8” mini games begin. Some lucky, or others might say skilled, player will go home with a new Pokémon game code and a month’s worth of bragging rights.

“This is a social gathering,” Wilson said without looking up from his screen. “I like the people in here. It’s calm, cool, and very active.”

For more information on WCC’s Gamer’s Club and upcoming tournament dates, contact Austin Kendall at
ackendall@wccnet.edu or Mary Brady at mlbrady@wccnet.edu.

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