What’s The Deal With The Game Room?
The game room is a wild place, and by wild I mean it’s relatively tame. At the top of the chat/commons, it is a place where you can hang out, and play games–which is essentially what it is assumed to be. But it’s more than that. In my perspective, it’s an amazing place for socializing, and the environment it sets up allows this thoroughly.
For starters, the meat and potatoes of the game room are the pool tables and the Wii. The pool tables take up a large portion of the game room, but not without good reason. During the operating hours of this room, usually 10 a.m.-10 p.m., you will almost always see these tables in use. Constantly emanating the clacks and clutters of pool balls and racks. I’ve spent my fair share of time at these tables, and I know thoroughly that I am not cut out to play pool professionally. As often as you see people playing pool, if not more, you will see people playing Wii Sports, which is the most prominent Wii game. In my mind there is something cathartic about beating your friends at virtual tennis and golf–it serves as a great interstice between academic stresses.
Beyond the meat and potatoes of the room, you have the side dishes. First, you find the foosball tables. Then you have air hockey, which always brings back memories of the arcades I used to frequent as a child. Air hockey is pretty straightforward, and it’s very competitive. In my experience, there is a lot of playful taunting between opponents, and usually a gallery of commenters to add to that. Then there is the shuffleboard table, a place where competitiveness flourishes. Shuffleboard is a great game for groups, as it requires a minimum of four players. The conversations shared over sliding pucks across the wood are ones that I will always think back on.
I find that the majority of these games require sociability in some sense, evoked by competitive nature and for the sake of fun–there is nothing to discourage this sense of connection between students. Of course, there are other activities intended for one player, such as select games on the consoles that the school owns like “Dark Souls 3.” But even this has the potential of sociability. I have seen arrangements of people spectating their friends, and socializing all the while. The only limit to the game room and its social form are the limits that you create.
Ultimately, I think that the game room is a great place to hang out and enjoy yourself. Especially in times of academic rush, it helps to take a step back and take advantage of the environment that Arcadia provides. Of course not everyone prefers this sociability, but to those who do it is a great place.
