On Wednesday, January 10, the Clubs and Activities section of the LG Room during WIN Black was filled with palpable excitement and tension. As other students in the room kept to themselves, a certain group of kids in the front left corner simply could not remain quiet. The reason? - A vicious round of the high-stakes military strategy game known as “Risk” was held during the first meeting of a brand new club at WHS: The Board Game Club. Though only a handful of students showed up, this club has the potential to revolutionize the club scene at the school.
Before the specifics of this up-and-coming club at the school are discussed, a general overview will suffice. Founded recently, the Board Game Club was founded by two WHS Juniors: Jeffrey Yuan and Robbie Torres. Inspired by their study of the AP Statistics course this year, the two founders sought to apply their newfound knowledge of Statistics to a passion for board games. In the words of Robbie himself, “We had a shared interest in statistics, and board games was a hobby of ours.” In founding this club, they would share their love for board games with their fellow peers at WHS and hopefully introduce more students to the field of Statistics and its many practical applications.
But, as you are likely wondering by now, how does playing board games involve statistics? This is where the club introduces a unique opportunity available to all members to dive into. Essentially, though the very “testing” of established games is a key pillar of the club (more on that later), the club strives to invent a completely new game that will be donated to the school community so everyone can play. In the words of Jeffrey: “Making a game will be a great contribution to the school as both students and teachers can enjoy playing it.”
By testing out various games, the club aims to identify the factors in popular board games (e.g. Monopoly, SORRY!) that make a game successful. Hopefully, by seeing what works for these games and what does not, the successful aspects can be compiled into one novel game that players will enjoy and long to play over and over again.
If you are interested in joining the club, please do not hesitate to stop by. The club runs every WIN Black and meets in the LG Room (Sign up for “Clubs and Activities” on MyFlex!). Though the club primarily aims to incorporate Statistics into the game-creation process, people of all skill sets are integral. As Robbie said, “We need game design skills, but artistic skills are also hugely important in making a product that looks professional.”
So, if you have a passion for playing and coming up with ideas for good old-fashioned board games in the company of friends, this club is for you. We hope to see you there soon!
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