• Want to receive periodic updates from the Inkspot? Sign up for our newsletter highlighting the latest headlines, top stories and more here
Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Whatever you are interested in, we've got it covered.

Inkspot

Strategy club caters to NCHS gaming culture

The Strategy club made its debut this year at NCHS. The club ,which meets every Tuesday after school, is a place where members can get together to play strategy card and board games.

At the club’s weekly meeting, the club’s sponsor Mr. Nathan Bastert tries exposing the members to many strategy games, including Dominion and Love Letter.

However, Bastert said that, “For the most part, they play a game called Magic: The Gathering, which is a collectible card game.” The game involves tapping land cards to collect energy called Mana, which is used to play spells.

Bastert wanted the create the club because, according to him, there is no official support at the school for a part of the population that has become large enough to not be ignored: gaming.

“The realm of gaming is expanding and becoming, not only more socially acceptable, but popular,” Bastert said.  “Everybody knows someone that plays a game.”

One of the reasons that gaming may have become so prevalent recently is because of more and more people identifying with gamer attitude. Since gaming is not viewed as mainstream, it has developed into its own culture, which Bastert defined as “a brotherhood of, ‘I play this game, you play this game,’ and [the players] immediately have something to connect over.”

Unfortunately, though, because of rejection from mainstream culture, gamers tend to adopt a “rejection attitude towards the people that have rejected them,” as described by Bastert. This means that the mainstream audience doesn’t quite understand what gaming is.

Because of this, Bastert said that his future plans for the club are focused a lot on bridging the gap between the mainstream audience and gamers. “It’s about visibility, it’s about exposure to the population at large,” he explained. “I want people to see these games.”

Donate to Inkspot
$1780
$3000
Contributed
Our Goal

IF YOU SHARE THE INKSPOT'S PASSION for empowering Normal Community's aspiring journalists and equipping them with viable and valuable digital media skills, please consider contributing to our cause.
Your support plays a vital role in enabling the Inkspot to invest in top-tier equipment, maintain memberships in distinguished professional organizations such as the Journalism Education Association and National Scholastic Press Association, send our students to compete at state and national contests, and attend the National High School Journalism Convention.
Your generosity is the key to providing these students with a truly enriching educational experience. THANK YOU.

About the Contributor
Shubhang Desai, Staff Reporter
Shubhang Desai is a sophomore at NCHS. He is a staff reporter.   Things I like Friends (the TV show), music, Tumblr, and Xbox. My favorite film  Inception for sure. Leo is the man. My guilty pleasure  Twisted, which, even though it is aimed towards the female demographic, is a great show. One thing that really baffles me  Why is colonel pronounced the way it is? Furthermore, why is Colonel Sanders considered a colonel? Book that moved me Private Peaceful was the first book that made me overcome with sadness    
Donate to Inkspot
$1780
$3000
Contributed
Our Goal