As I walk into BT-312, I am greeted by Student Health Center peer leaders who are setting up tabletop games.
At 1 p.m., the event starts, and as the leaders wait for students to enter, the group starts a game of Uno.
Within 30 minutes, more students walk in and are met with board games, pizza and refreshments.
The room begins to fill with cheers of victory and laughter.
The Student Health Center hosted a two-hour game night for students to take a break from studying and unwind with Connect Four, Uno and other board games.
Cornhole and velcro golf were set up in the middle of the room for attendees who wanted a game with a little bit more movement.
Students took turns putting and trying to score the highest points. Even mental health counselor Abby Weisman got in on the fun, showing off her mini golf game.
The student leaders said they chose game night so the event could be interactive and engaging for students.
“Who doesn’t want to sit down and play games?” said Aisha Sharif, a psychology student and Health Center leader. “Let’s be real, who doesn’t want to, and it’s like, finals week, and you just need to calm down a little bit.
“So we figured, why not have a game night?”
Psychology major Carlos Gonzalez, who plays story games on his PlayStation 5 in his free time, says gaming can bring out your inner child.
“People are just always doing work, and they’re in a grumpy mood,” Gonzalez said. “It’s like inner child games, you just let out the little child emotion. That’s what fun is. Just have your (game) face on because you always stress over exams and stuff.”
Gaming spans a wide range of genres and concepts, allowing anyone to find a game they enjoy.
Beyond embracing your inner child, gaming can offer benefits, from memory to cognitive focus, according to the National Institutes of Health’s findings released in 2022.
A study published by the University of California found that an engaging video game can get students into a “flow state,” which is a heightened feeling of focus.
City College has a game room on campus, but the space is limited, according to Sharif.
“I think the limit’s only like four,” Sharif said. “And they have, like, a ping pong table and just tables and stuff. I think a game with, like, board games and stuff would be more, but I think what we do have is also really nice.”
Sharif didn’t share where the space was, though, and at the time of this article’s publication, City Times could not identify a game room on campus, according to sdcity.edu.
City College Venues is a website where you can rent a space on campus for meetings, trainings and other events. There is a $25 fee for sending in the form request.
Starting a gaming tournament or creating a chill spot for the day and unwinding is only a click away.
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This story was edited by Nadia Lavin and Itzel Martinez.
