Over 100 gamers of all kinds descended upon Preus Library after hours this past Friday. From 7-11 p.m., the Luther Association of Gamers (LAG) hosted a Tabletop Games Night in Preus Library in partnership with the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement (CEPE) and Luther Wellness.
The event featured tabletop games, pen-and-paper role-playing games (RPGs), Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, board games, card games and more. The main floor of Preus Library was scattered with various stations for engaging in these games. Some of the specific RPGs included Tomb of the Forgotten Paladin and Secret of Blue. Luther Wellness also ran a “Character Creation Station.”
Attendee Abby Bates (‘24) enjoyed the friendly and casual nature of the event. She appreciated that she was invited to learn a card game that she had never heard of before.
“I was wandering around, and I got pulled into a game,” Bates said. “It was called Munchkin. They sat me down and taught me to play. I thought it was neat that they invited me to play, and I would totally play again.”
Interlibrary Loan and Interim Technical Services Coordinator at Preus Library Emily Mineart (‘10) had a major role in planning the event. She explained how over time, the event grew to fruition out of talks with various departments.
“The Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and Preus Library have been talking informally for a while now about how much we want to see something happening with tabletop gaming at Luther College,” Mineart said. “There’s too much latent interest not to make something like this happen. The stars were aligning [this semester] to make something happen.”
Mineart also described the power of games to allow people to gather in a meaningful way, and create friendships along the way as well.
“I think there is something very special that happens when people gather in-person around a table and play a game together,” Mineart said. “We have so few opportunities now to have that sort of communal experience in a way that’s just fun and enriching. The friendships that I have formed through pen-and-paper RPGs are unique friendships.”
Associate Professor of English and the Director of the CEPE Andy Hageman was interested in the ethics of tabletop games. This encouraged him to offer the support of the CEPE in planning this event.
“I think what’s especially exciting about it is they are spaces where you can be creative and run some hypothetical scenarios with other people,” Hageman said. “From the simplest to most sophisticated games, you’re making ethical choices all the time, and you’re dealing with the consequences, whether those are positive, negative or a mix of those things.”
Friday’s event allowed students, faculty, staff and alumni to all gather in the same space over games. Hageman also highlighted the role tabletop games can play in creating community, and fostering connections between players.
“Different games encourage not only individuals but the communities that are coming around the game to do it in different spirits,” Hageman said. “I also hope by the end of the night people felt like, ‘oh, that was fun, I want to do it again’, maybe even ‘I’ve met some people that I’d love to get together with again and play a game on a Friday or Saturday night.’”
For more information about LAG, as well as future LAG events, contact student leaders Evan McElroy at [email protected] or Amy Webb at [email protected].
