Are you bored just waiting for lunch at school, having nothing to do after class? Have you ever wanted to enjoy classic fighting games along the lines of Street Fighter and Halo on campus?
Typically, you would not be expecting much to be happening during lunch at the library on Fridays, since you’re not even allowed to bring in any sort of food inside the library. But even so, why can you still see students enter the ‘food-restricted’ area with their lunches and get away with it?
It’s because Amanda Workman, the librarian, entrusted the Scuffle Club fully and completely to do so. All members taking part in it are expected to keep the place nice and tidy after their gaming sessions are done for the day. “They do great because they have this weird hook up with the projector to get their equipment to work, they always put it right exactly where things were, where the space looks good. They’re great, great students,” said Workman.
Every meeting the club hosts is held within the library’s small classroom, where there is a projector completely set up, projecting the game the members are playing in front of them. How are all of these fighting games and setups provided for this club at school? The games presented–which all the members of the club enjoy with the console and use the controllers–are all provided by the club’s president, Daniel Hickam.
A generous, casual student in his senior year, who is very passionate about his love of good video games, and hanging out with friends of his who share that same passion, or even not, Hickam started this club just for the fun of it. He thought one day in his sophomore year on a Friday, “Man, it would be pretty neat if I could play video games during lunch.”
Soon he got to talking with his friends who were also down for it even if Hickam said, “Okay well, we’re going to be doing fighting games only.” They were still up for it because it wouldn’t hurt to try something new.
Whether you’re completely new to fighting games like Street Fighter or Halo, or think that you’re completely skilled at these types of games compared to others, players of all types are welcome to join this fighting game club just for the fun of it. Members of the Scuffle Club and people who have helped run it, including some who have been there since the start of the club, have many experiences within.
Caleb Birku, for example, is one of the members who has been there since the beginning. His favorite game to play during the club is Street Fighter. “I have definitely gotten a little more used to some games I guess, because I don’t play fighting games really at all outside of this, so I guess my skills improved a little bit,” said Birku.
Workman takes on the role of supervising, replacing the old supervisor of the club, Mr. Kenz, who was the previous library tech person. “He was great,” Workman said, but his position was taken away and so Hickam asked for her to become their advisor.
Fighting games aren’t really what she’s interested in, so she just checks in and observes, enjoying the community building of the club. Said Workman: “Come and play. There are all different skill levels, bring your own controller and suggest games…it’s just an easy-going Friday lunchtime activity.”
