Hello student association!

Meet the gaming club DORK, one of our newest student associations at Luleå University of Technology. They offer game nights in a safe and relaxed atmosphere.

Hello student association! Who are you?
"We are the Computer Section's Original Game Club, also known as "DORK". We are a bunch of dorks who organize game nights where we play mainly Magic: The Gathering and board games every Friday. All our game nights are alcohol-free as we want to offer an inclusive and fun alternative to going to bars or similar. Student life is about much more than just alcohol. Therefore, we offer students the chance to socialize, play, and have fun in a relaxed environment without alcohol requirements."

"The association is relatively new as it was formed in late 2022. Our game nights started with people bringing their own board games and Magic toys to campus every Friday and playing with what was brought, though over the past year DORK has managed to accumulate so many games that you no longer need to bring your own. The society currently owns around 30 different board games, the majority of which have been selected by our members. However, it is worth adding that new games are always appreciated by our visitors!"

"So if you are curious or want to try board games or Magic, we are happy to teach them to you. Magic players are usually very keen to lend their own games and teach the game to beginners."

How often do you meet?
"The board meets every Wednesday for board meetings where we discuss, among other things, planning of events and the like, but also items that someone on the board feels like discussing. One item from the board meeting 2024-09-25 reads "Does the DORK board want to have ice cream after every meeting? #ice cream day" where we voted yes (100% majority) to have an ice cream after every meeting. Of course, most of us also meet every Friday to play with each other in the Centrum restaurant."

"In addition, we aim to have team building often as it is important to see the rest of the board more as a group of friends than a group of colleagues. If you feel good together - you work well together!"

What are your public activities?
"We hold game nights every Friday in the Center Restaurant from 18:00 - 22:00. Anyone can come in and play with us, whether you are a professor, student, PhD student, and so on. Just sit down and start playing! So if you're bored on a Friday, just show up, the more the merrier. It's completely free, and you who read this are always welcome!"

"In addition to the game nights, we aim to hold one draft per reading period. Draft is a game format in Magic: The Gathering where each player buys 3 "booster packs" from us to participate. Draft is where players open one booster at a time, select one of the cards and pass on the rest. This continues until all the cards have been chosen. After that, the players build a deck of 40 cards to compete with. It usually costs about 200 SEK to participate, and the cards you "draft" are yours to keep."

"We are also planning a couple of other events in addition to drafts and game nights, so keep an eye out for them!"

How does a student become a member of your organization?
"The easiest way to become a member is to come up to one of us on the board at our game nights and ask to become a member. We can be easily identified by our red cloaks."

"A year's membership costs SEK 100 and as a member you get, among other things, to help decide which games the association should buy, cheaper event costs, cheaper gifts, and you can rent games from us free of charge. We also have a channel with cat pictures in the discord that only members can access. Membership also supports the association and allows us to have more fun during the school year, as well as buy more games and accessories."

In conclusion: what is the best thing about your association?
"The best thing about DORK is that it gives Magic players, among others, a place on campus to play Magic, one of the reasons why the association was formed was because the current chairman was tired of having to go home to Skellefteå to try new games as there was no real Magic community in Luleå during/after the pandemic."

"The same goes for board games. Before DORK started, there was not really a gaming community on campus. Now we have created a "third place" at LTU - an alcohol-free environment where everyone is welcome to play board games and socialize without membership requirements or other costs. We offer a safe and relaxed atmosphere, where everyone can relax and have fun after an intense week of study."

"Whether you're a beginner who prefers short and accessible games, or an experienced player who enjoys more strategic and complex challenges, we have something for everyone. Just turn up and join in! But the best thing about the club is the people you meet on Friday nights!"