Students Across Campus Connect Over International Games

Story and Photos by Breanna Prince

The department of world language and cultures, Dr. Danielle Richter, Dr. Leila Ennali and Dr. Jonathan Truitt, presents their fifth annual international game night. 

Students gather in pearce hall 136 and 137 to play games from around the world, when it comes to Germany, Spain, Japan and back in history.

There were two history games that a group of students created that they were giving a run at this event. 

Graduate student Max Puertnonas, majoring in history, presented his group game called “Yottsu No Kawa,” which is about Japan’s geographical positions that are established by typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, rising water, landslides, and heavy rain. 

“The solution of Japan is to fight against those natural catastrophes by building a canal,” Puertonas said. “Each player will play someone helping build the canal so you have different roles with different powers and turn by turn you will either place a tile to reconstruct the geographical area of the place, or you can always use resources depending on which side on the board and then if you have enough resources, you can start building the canal.” 

Senior Kobik Moyer, majoring in history, presented her group’s game called “Yakuza.”

“It’s basically a competition against Yakuza gang members and the Japanese government,” Moyer said.  “We’ve gained control of the general population through actions against each other and against the government, which has been shown in the history of how Japan has either worked with the Yakuza, or the accuser has worked with the general population during natural disasters and large events. 

Richter, Ennali, and Truitt started this event to have students have a stress free night of the semester, to relax and learn a few words of different languages. 

“It brings together people and students, ” Richter said. “Sometimes we have professors who bring their families also so it’s not just students from all different fields, age groups, countries. Once you sit down and can play together, it’s just nice to create this bond and I think it facilitates conversations and connections because you’re doing something together.”