The variety of games available to members serve to keep them consistently engaged and entertained. photo by Baxter Stein
The newest addition to TJ’s variety of clubs is an entertaining contribution to the school’s selection of activities.
Board Game Club is now in session! Anyone who is interested can visit the newest club at TJ on Tuesdays, after school. Usually, meetings begin at 2:50 p.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m. The meetings are held in room 128, and are supervised by either Nicholas Pratarelli or Jake Fortnum, both of whom are math teachers.
The club is primarily focused on providing a casual environment for students to participate in a variety of entertaining board games. In order to achieve this, members are easy to forgive mistakes and willing to explain particularly tricky rules. There are many genres of games from which to choose, including traditional family games, deck building games, eurogames, party games, taboo games, and more. Meetings are structured very loosely, and with enough players there can be a diverse group of games being played at once.
Co-Sponsor Pratarelli encourages more participants to show up so there are more of their games being used at once. Why might a student on the fence decide to visit, though? According to Pratarelli, “Board game club can be whatever anyone wants it to be. I’ve had people come to board game club not interested in it, yet have ended up enjoying themselves either participating or watching.” So, whether a spectator or a player, anyone involved will be sure to have fun.
Club member and senior Kaleb Mayeux is also an advocate for the club. He especially likes the social aspect of meetings, where long games and heated showdowns can often result in “a bonding experience for everyone involved.” Mayeux and the rest of the club members recognize this, and as a result make an effort to make the club more accessible to newcomers. “Members are really forgiving to anyone making mistakes,” explained Mayeux. These members follow the example of the club’s co-sponsors, who frequently participate in games with the members. “The club loves Mr. Fortnum, as well as Mr. Pratarelli,” commented Mayeux.
Anyone can participate in a Board Game Club meeting, as long as they’re ready to learn and have some fun with the other members. For more information, Spartans should speak to co-sponsors Fortnum or Pratarelli. Let the games commence!
