It’s a warm quiet Saturday afternoon on campus; the sun beams low in a spotless sea of blue and the cadence of laughter carries across the Sunken Garden as a few students toss around a disk while others lounge lazily in the shade, happily daydreaming their weekends away. Some students however, choose to spend their Saturday in a different way. Gathered in a dark basement corner with their eyes glued to screens, you’ll find a few students wordlessly engaging in what must be some kind of war. A cacophony of clicking buttons fills the room, only to be interrupted by an outburst of laughter or an occasional shout. ‘What is this place?’ you ask yourself, gazing at the gaunt faces around you, ‘Some kind of hell?’ Perhaps it is in a way, but it is a hell I’ve learned to call home, and one that I’ve grown to love.
Despite my first impressions of the group, the William and Mary Smash Club has instilled itself as an undeniable part of my college experience and one that I have come to treasure. It has been a birthplace of some of my fondest memories, craziest encounters and most importantly some of my dearest friendships. I remember coming to one of the smash tournaments, known as “The Cat’s Meow.” I was a shy and rather lonely freshman at the time, as I had just become a part of the Tribe family and finding friends was proving more difficult than I had first anticipated. Yet, in a matter of minutes, I was waved over by a friendly hand belonging to a stranger who invited me to come over and play with him. We ended up playing for hours and, after the tournament was over, I knew that I had found a best friend.
Despite its reputation as a video game club, which many people associate with reclusive and antisocial behavior, the William and Mary Smash club is comprised of some of the warmest and most open people that I’ve met on campus. I couldn’t have asked for a more dependable and helpful group of people, whose support extends well beyond the video games themselves. Whenever one of us has a recital or comedy performance or play, I can expect to see one of their faces nearby, encouraging their fellow club members. To me, the smash club has really become a family of sorts and the people I choose to spend most of my time with. If you like playing smash or are interested in learning, definitely consider joining our wacky, crazy and kind family. You won’t regret it! (Probably)
Email Arjun Malhotra at arjunm725@gmail.com