RBHS always has an abundance of after-school activities, ranging from Skiing Club to table tennis. One of the fastest expanding activities this year is Gaming Club, with an impressive member count of over 40 students. 

However, the now well-developed club had its humble beginnings. At first, it was just a handful of students and a temporary counselor as its sponsor. Senior Elizabeth Kowalski, the president of Gaming Club, said “It was just a few people– and I didn’t really run it then, no one really ran it, it was just the sponsor who did it. We played smash all the time, and that was that.”

 It began as more of an unorganized hangout for the few students that played Super Smash Brothers together after school. But as we know, it soon grew into something much more.

So how did so many people find out about Gaming Club? According to various students, a combination of tournaments held during lunch and unique intercom introductions during announcements piqued interest. “When we start doing tournaments, we put posters around.” said Kowalski. It simply evolved from there.

During club meetings, which are every Wednesday after school in room 108, members can do all sorts of things. Julian Dvorak, a junior who regularly goes to Gaming Club, said “The president brings in dozens and dozens of games. Some good, some bad, and we can play any of those. We can also bring in our own devices, like Xboxes or Switches, and we can play those off to the side. We also have board games, and card games, so there’s just a ton of stuff to do.” 

Additionally, there is no strict schedule, so people can come and go as they please. “Anyone is able to come in freely. They’re able to just walk in, play a day, and never come back again. You’re not required to come in everyday,” said Kowalski. If you’re not sure if Gaming Club is something you would enjoy, there’s no pressure to stay if you just want to try it out.

All in all, Gaming Club is a place where you can relax and have fun- whether you’re playing card games or participating in Smash tournaments. 

“I generally like the atmosphere, because everyone is having fun, and if they’re not having fun, they leave. There’s people that do different things, and if you’re new, and you’re into games, you’ll find a bunch of friends,” said Kowalski. “It’s a loud time, but it’s a good time.”