The school’s gaming community now has a new place to play in the new HHS Gaming Club. Run by Christopher Morse of the Tech Office, Gaming Club is run after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-4:30 PM, and is held in the Esports room. It’s a non-competitive club where kids can relax, play games, and hang out with friends. The gaming club makes full use of the Esports room, giving members access to ten gaming PCs, two Nintendo Switches, and a Playstation 5. Popular games to play are Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Fortnite. Gaming club has just started as of this trimester, and as of now has had two different sessions with an average of around ten students attending each session. Some staff members have also joined in on the fun every once and a while, like health and physical education teacher Dan Campbell. When asked why he started this gaming club, Morse said, “My vision for the Gaming Club is to reach students who typically do not participate in after school activities. The club is an extension of our Esports program and shares the same philosophy of creating an accessible, welcoming space where students from all backgrounds can feel a sense of belonging.” The origins of the gaming club stretch all the way back to the Esports team. Many students saw the Esports program as an interesting idea and activity, however some of them did not have the competitive skill necessary to participate in the full team. “Since Esports only runs during the fall and spring, the lab sits unused for a couple of months,” said Morse.  “This year, VanMalsen and I discussed splitting Esports into competitive and non competitive options, creating the Gaming Club so students who are not interested in competition can still enjoy the space.”