Numerous traditions and events have returned to Lyndon this year following the pandemic, including tonight’s 24-Hour Game Night hosted by the Lyndon Gaming Community. The last 24-Hour Game Night, according to the club’s Facebook page, was at the end of the Fall 2019 semester.
The event is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm tonight on the fourth floor of LAC, utilizing multiple classrooms, and last until 7:00 pm Saturday, December 10th, when the club’s regular Saturday Dungeons & Dragons night will begin its final session of the semester. While the doors are open, students are encouraged to come and go as they please, though several members told The Critic they are going to try and stick out the full 24 hours as long as they can. Students are also encouraged to bring pillows and blankets if they want to take naps at the event.
This is the first 24-Hour Game Night the club’s executive board has seen, all being second-year students at Lyndon. “It’s a little nerve-racking, but also really exciting,” President Jonah Plazek said. “It’s nice to be able to bring it back.” Plazek also says the club has grown a lot over the past semester, and he hopes the variety of activities planned tonight can broaden the club’s outreach and interest even more.
The first scheduled activity is an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Competition, which Plazek and club treasurer Jonathan Chambers are most excited about. They will be joined by Vice President Garret Davis in judging students’ islands and awarding prizes to first, second, and third place. “I like giving out prizes for things,” Plazek said. Many students outside of the club have expressed interest in Animal Crossing-themed events, so the group hopes to pull in some new faces.
Saturday will also see the return of the Iron Fist Fighting Tournament, a Gaming Community tradition where players will face off in various fighting games. Four games will be chosen and assigned a number. Club members will then roll a die to see which game they will face off in. “It’s more than just skill,” Plazek said. “There’s a bit of luck in which game you get.”
Another classic activity being held will be the various Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. “We’re doing a few different sessions,” Chambers told The Critic. A scary one-shot will be held around midnight, with another game held around 1:00 pm Saturday afternoon.
Gaming Club also plans to host an anime watch party Saturday morning and a pizza luncheon Saturday afternoon. In between the various activities, members are invited to play on various consoles or start a different game, and there may be some guest appearances from local club alumni. Overall, Davis describes the event as “a good break from finals.”
Feature Photo by Evelyn Fleming (FILE) || Lyndon Gaming Community members partake in a Magic The Gathering tournament.