Board Game Night

They say it takes all types.

Some of the events I organize are pricey. Some are not. Overall, my main duty is to foster community among the students in whatever way I see fit. Case in point, last night I organized a "Board Game Night" where students could gather to play some board games and relax. I did not have high hopes for this event. I figured I would sit there by myself for about an hour and no one would show. I would use the time to organize myself for the coming week. I mean, I probably wouldn't go out of my way for a game night if I were a student. A Guitar Hero tournament? Definitely. But board games, probably not. Still, I have to vary the events so as to reach as many different types of people as possible. Even if I do not relate to them, I want to make everyone feel welcomed and included. That is my job. That is my purpose.

So there I was. I had brought out the games into the common room and was just settling in on one of the comfy chairs, planner in lap, about to map out my sched. Soon a student was approaching, carefully carrying something I could not quite make out. I looked up, made eye contact and then looked back to my planner as I thought he was just walking through the common area on his way to going outside.

"Is this game night?" he asked.
"Sure is, " I replied, a little relieved that someone had actually shown up.

In his hands? An 8 level, 3-D chess game he had built himself from scratch. The whole contraption was kept together using a stretched-out wire hanger and a shaky cardboard base. It was about 3.5-4 feet tall. Each little vertically stacked "board" had all of the pieces that were handmade using paper and push pins. And each square had a color coded circle that corresponded to another board. I wish I could explain this better but, alas, I do not play chess. I think you get the idea, though.

At first I was in awe--how does one do such a thing? I mean, construct such a thing? Yes, it was admirable that if he likes chess so much he would go out of his way to construct something that, he said, had yet to be successfully constructed. But I felt so sorry for the kid. He was awkward and puny and had bad hair and unfashionable glasses. He also had a dorky laugh. All I could think was, This is not going to go well.

He sat down and set up his 3-D game and I shot him a reassuring smile. I tried to, at least.

Soon some students approached. I found myself smiling nervously at them, hoping they'd go easy on my socially awkward little friend.

Instead, I was completely surprised. Not only did they stop but they actually played and also listened to how he constructed it. He wasn't the odd man out. I was. I was blown away by the openness of the students who approached, one after the other, to check out the board. If this kid was anywhere else he would most likely have had his ass handed to him. Not here.

As I said, it takes all types.