Teens Look Forward to Game Night

By RICHARD A.
DECKER
COURT HOUSE — For almost three years, the Cape May County Library has hosted an event for teens called, Game Night. What is Game Night? It is an event that allows teens to get together once a week in the Library’s storytelling room to play video games for two hours.
Games range from the ever-so-popular Rock Band to games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I am a regular at Game Night and I can say that Game night is awesome, and I’m not the only one.
Patrick Haigh, another Game Night regular says that to him, game night is, “Where a bunch of friends come over and play games and it is a good way to chill out and have fun.”
To Ana King it is, “Awesome and the best thing ever! I look forward to it every week.”
But at Game Night it’s not all about playing games. According to Eric Kelly it’s, “a social experience for kids to just go and do good things in the summer instead of bad things.” So Game Night also allows teens to have something to do in the summer that is social, fun and most of all, something to keep the kids out of trouble.
Rob Traini feels this way. “Game Night,” Traini said, “is a place to meet up with friends and play video games.” So Game Night serves as a multi-purpose event.
However some may think that it may be hard for new comers to enjoy this event, but that’s not the case. Joe Firnhaber and Tyler Spaulding, both new comers, shared their first impressions. “It was really noisy and really cool,” Firnhaber stated. While Spaulding stated, “Good…there was free soda.” And yes, among the video games there are usually snacks for the teens to munch while they play and have fun.
However that is not all, Game Night also is the place to go for different tournaments for games including, Rock Band, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Street Fighter IV and the annual Iron Man of Gaming Tournament that includes an arrange of different games that competitors don’t know about until the day of the event.
Lawrence Chiappellii said that during tournaments he likes, “to win prizes.” “I like to be on the winning team all the time,” Haigh stated. Traini shared that during tournaments he likes, “the opportunity to come and have fun, even if you don’t win.”
So who is behind all the games, snacks and tournaments at Game Night? The answer would be: Jessie Ridge, Chris Hunnicutt and Mike Trout.
I had a question and answer time with them, asking how the idea came about and what they like to see at Game Night.
Q: So, how did the idea of Game Night come about?
Ridge: “We were looking for programs for teens. At the time there were only programs for adults and toddlers. So we brought in our own equipment and had a good turnout.
Q: What do you like most about Game Night?
Hunnicutt: “I like how it brings all teens together so that they can socialize as well as play games and have fun.”
Ridge: “I like yelling at the teens,” with a laugh, “just kidding.”
Trout: “The best part for me is to see other kids playing games and learning new tricks.”
Q: What do you like to see at Game Night?
Ridge: “A clean floor…that never comes,” with a laugh.
Trout: “Skilled Rock Band performances.”
Hunnicutt: “Quite kids that come and are able to socialize with others about what they love…gaming.”
Q: What do you like to see at tournaments?
Hunnicutt: I love seeing the kids showing up and playing their best.”
Trout: “During rock Band tournaments I like to see kids making their performances look like real rock bands on a stage. During other tournaments I like to see everyone having fun and being competitive at the same time.”
Ridge: “During Iron Man of Gaming tournaments; revealing the games and seeing the look at on the kids’ faces when it was not the game they were expecting.”
Q: Last question. How do you guys get the word out?
Hunnicutt: “Through word of mouth and the website, cmclibrary.org, on the teen page.”
After I was finished with the founders of Game Night, I then sat down with Teen Librarian, Amanda Heidema, and had a Q and A with her.
Q: Being new at the library, what were your first impressions of Game Night?
Heidema: “I thought that it was great that we as a library could offer teens versatile entertainment.”
Q: And now that you are more involved in Game Night, what is your favorite thing to do?
Heidema: “Talking to teens about their favorite games and new up and coming games that we can get for them so they can rent them at the library.”
However, the adults are not the only people running the show, David Haigh, and volunteer at the Cape May County Library as well as a Game Night regular, also has a role in running the show. I was able to interview David as well.
Q: As a volunteer at the library’s Game Night, what do you do?
Haigh: “I help out the Game Night staff. I set-up at the beginning of the night, run the program and help clean up when Game Night ends.”
Q: What do you like most about Game Night?
Haigh: “I like everything about Game Night.”
Me: Last question. What is the best thing to see at the tournaments?
Haigh: “The nice, clean competition between players.”
Game Night is a great way for teens to get together, play games, socialize, have fun, participate in tournaments, eat snacks and most of all, have a good time.
Starting on Fri., Oct. 8 Game Night will be on Fridays from 4:30-6, until the spring, (April), when it will move back to Monday. Hope to see you teens there.
(ED. NOTE: The author is 16, a student at Middle Township High School and a Court House resident.)