TFC Gaming Club Announces New President and Events

We’re nearly halfway into the Fall 2022 semester, and there is a new leader of the Gaming Club! President Tiffany Franklin is a freshman majoring in Business Administration, and she is excited to be hosting some interesting events this year! She took the time to sit down with The Talon to discuss her presidency and upcoming events for the Gaming Club. 

Q: “Is there anyone you look up to on campus?”

Tiffany Franklin: I’ve met a lot of really great people on campus, but I think Jordan Brown […]seems like a safe place to talk to here. [We] could agree on a lot of things, and we could agree to disagree on some things. He helped change my thoughts on some stuff, and he handled it in a really respectful, comfortable way.I really look up to him. I want to be able to negotiate with people and talk with them and have a discussion. I’m so frantic sometimes, and he’s so calm, and I love that. I want to be that way.

Q: Did Jordan Brown encourage you to be a club leader?

Tiffany Franklin: Actually, he didn’t know about it until after I became the club leader. I made the decision totally outside of talking to him. I was like, “Yeah, I’m taking over,” and he said, “That’s really cool actually.” Hewas really supportive: “If you ever need anything, like a chapel announcement, I got you.” I’ve got Jordan Brown to back me up! I made the choice separate from any advice.

Q: What made you want to be the president of the Gaming Club?

Tiffany Franklin: Well, it was the first club that I had ever heard of here, and I met the [former] Club President in a really weird situation. Haley and Tommy were watching a movie in the LT Common Area right by the entrance, and they were watching Shrek – specifically Shrek 2.I really wanted to go watch it with them, because I didn’t bring my Shrek DVDs. So, I went in, and I was like, “Hey, can I watch Shrek with you guys?” They let me, and I was just awkwardly sitting to the side while they were on the couch. When the movie was over, Haley asked me if I play video games and she gave me this really funny, suspicious look. I said yeah, and she was like “Awesome! We have a Gaming Club.” Basically, she used that to tell me all about it and invited me to the Mario Kart Tournament. After the Mario Kart Tournament, that’s when we really got to talking about stuff. She told me, “I really need someone to take my place, but there aren’t any candidates.” I was kind of half-joking at the time (so I didn’t think she’d let me) but I offered to take over, and she said, “Do you actually want to?” I said “Sure! It’s probably a lot of work, but why not?” After that, she started training me. She’s still training me as my mentor, and thank goodness because I’m kind of lost sometimes.

Q: Was there a particular event last year that really captured your interest?

Tiffany Franklin: Gosh, it was both of our big events actually –the Mario Kart Tournament and the Egg Hunt. Mario Kart got me invested, and I really wanted to do fun things with this [club] because I saw the turnout. [People] from different majors and different clubs [came] to play Mario Kart and have fun, which was cool. [...] I think what solidified [it] was the Egg Hunt. That was technically my first officer duty, and she let me play. First, she let me collect a few eggs, and find them on my own. She didn’t tell me where she hid them; she hid them without my help. So, I got to collect a few and get a prize. Then after I got my prize, she gave me my job to go hide eggs, and work at the table. I also helped her buy the supplies beforehand, and I thought this was really cool. There’s a lot that goes into this, and it’s so fun. I’m having such a good time, and I got to talk to people coming in with arms full of eggs. It was fantastic. Everyone’s a kid at heart, and no one gets to have an Easter Egg Hunt because it’s [usually] ‘10 and under.’ I think we need to bring more fun here to us adults, [because]adults don’t get fun stuff. We needed something to relax,and this was amazing. [So, I said,] “Give me the club, Haley. If you will give me the club and mentor me, I will keep it afloat. I will try to make it the best thing ever.”

Q: How many people were there?

Tiffany Franklin: I actually didn’t get to count. [Mario Kart] was in Forrest Lobby, and it was full. We had people playing and people watching. It was maybe upwards of thirty [people]. It was really cool to see. 

Q: What do you think the Gaming Club stands for?

Tiffany Franklin: For me, it stands for building and strengthening our community through fun things. You can praise in so many different ways, like having fun and building relationships with each other through chess or Mario Kart or something. That’s what it stands for in my mind –giving everyone a safe space. [...] I feel like some places are more strict or classes are stressful. Sometimes you're there for a credit, or you're under a lot of pressure, or need to do homework. This is our opportunity for taking our minds off all of it. That’s where we come in. Literally, forget all about it for like an hour, just have some fun!

Want to attend a Gaming Club event but not sure where to start? Check out their upcoming events: 

Back-to-School Battleship – The event is a life-sized game of battleship with water balloons. It will be held in LT Field Thursday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. Each team will receive a set of water balloons to pinpoint their enemy’s location over a divider. The game ends when one team has “sunk” every member on the opposing team’s side. Signups for "Back to School Battleship" will be in the Student Center from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. this week.

Just Dance Night – Want to dance-battle your roommate or even a professor? Join the Gaming Club Thursday, October 27 at 6 p.m. in Forrest lobby. Just Dance Night will be using Wii gaming devices to show off TFC’s dancing skills in front of the entire campus! There will be snacks, so kick back and relax as you watch the competition. 

Super Smash Bros Tournament – The Gaming Club’s most famous event is its Super Smash Bros Tournament. Head over to Forrest lobby November 12 at 6 p.m. for the club’s notorious campus-wide video game tournament! 

If you’re interested in getting a feel for the Gaming Club or want to meet the new leaders, the first official meeting will be held October 11 at 4:30 p.m. in Forrest lobby. If you have any questions about the Gaming Club, email Tiffany at tfranklin@tfc.edu.