The Geeks at New Mexico State University met on Oct. 10 for an evening of gaming, entertainment, and open arms for the “nerds” of the community. The atmosphere was relaxed, filled with people all gathered for one simple reason, the love of gaming.
Students gathered in the senate gallery to chat, laugh, and play games of all kinds. Students played games like Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, as well as various other board, card, and video games. The club meets every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m., providing a weekly space for students to connect over their shared interests.
Club president Dmitri Alowusi explained the organization’s mission of providing a welcoming atmosphere.
“We hang out here; we play games of all different kinds. Board games, card games, roleplay games,” Awolusi said. “We’ve been trying to get more people into this club, that’s been happening steadily.”
Awolusi emphasized the inclusive atmosphere of the club, particularly the open-door policy displayed by the members. Anyone is allowed to stop in and play a game during any meeting; there is no required attendance or obligatory events.
“Are you a nerd? Then come join the Geeks. It’s low commitment,” he said. “I want this to be a comfortable space for people, because at the end of the day this is a safe place for students.”
Vice president Michael Pedroza echoed this sentiment, highlighting how the club creates community among like-minded students.
“It’s a collection of people that have a lot of similar interests and decide to meet up and hang out together,” Pedroza said. “It’s pretty much like a small convention every single Tuesday. More about people just melding together and having fun at the end of the day, its really just people feeling safe to communicate with others. To have fun and to be able to constantly have a place where they can just be themselves, be a geek.”
Pedroza brings a wide selection of games to the meetings, often choosing titles that most people wouldn’t be familiar with rather than typical games like Monopoly. During the Oct. 10 session, he had his Nintendo Switch hooked up to a big screen with an array of lesser-known games for members and visitors to choose from.
The club currently runs two Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, and Magic: The Gathering games are a regular fixture at meetings. For new member Isaiah Reyna, the Geeks provided an opportunity he’d been seeking for years.
“I joined because I had always wanted to be a part of a D&D session, but I couldn’t find any in my small town,” Reyna said. “So here I could actually experience it and see what it is, and it is exactly what I thought it was. So, I’m having a lot of fun.”
For students interested in joining, according to Awolusi, the message from the Geeks is simple: “show up and be yourself.”
The club’s membership is actively working to expand membership through outreach efforts. They post all meetings on Crimson Connection, post fliers around campus, and they are in the process of making an active Instagram to keep the NMSU community up to date on campaigns, events, and fun moments within the meetings. They also regularly participate in tabling events and are brainstorming special events to attract new members.
