Ursinus is home to a variety of clubs, and with the spring semester we’ve had the chance to welcome a new one to the campus. The Ursinus Spades Club held its first event on Friday, February 27th, in association with the Institute for Inclusion and Equity (IIE). The event featured food, lessons, tournaments, and a bounty of prizes ranging from snacks to a large stuffed bear, alongside an assurance of more events to come throughout the semester.
Why a Spades Club?
It’s a good question to ask. Spades isn’t a very actively talked about or played card game when it comes to the students of Ursinus, but, thankfully, we have the president of the club, Orianna Oliver, to answer that question. When asked what had compelled her to work and make the club a reality, she said, “Spades is a big part of many gatherings and events inside of Black culture, but the game isn’t really taught all that much, so we wanted to try and bring some of that culture to Ursinus so that we could get more people interested in learning and playing.” This event, the club’s first, managed to draw in an impressive crowd of people, many of whom plan to come to later meetings and events, so it feels safe to say that Orianna’s effort to bring the culture to Ursinus is shaping up to be quite a success.
What Was the Event Like?
The event itself was the first one to be held by the Spades Club, hosted in Lower Wismer and featuring tables both to teach those less familiar with Spades and to stage tournaments that happened throughout the night. There was also a table for food, complete with pizzas, pretzels, and plenty of other options. As the event went on, people came and went: some stopped just to watch for a few moments, others came for food and a quick game, and others still found themselves drawn in and sticking around, discovering a new interest in the game. One student even explained, “Honestly, I just came for the food, but the game looked fun so I thought I’d give it a shot too, and I’m pretty hooked right now.” As time went on, several tournaments were held, some a bit more intense than others, and at the end of each, winners left with a wide selection of prizes, including Ursinus merch, blankets, snacks, cat collectibles, and the aforementioned large stuffed bear. Many of those who played agreed that the game itself was a lot more fun then they had expected to be, and many others plan to be there for any future events the club decides to hold.
How Do I Play Spades?
If you’ve gotten this far, then it’s safe to assume you have some lingering interest in the card game. Spades is a fairly easy game to understand and play, but unfortunately for you, I won’t be explaining it here because then I would be taking away from one of the major reasons for the club to be here. If you are interested in learning the game and its variations, or even in playing in tournaments alongside other students, then you can check out the Spades Club’s Instagram and join their GroupMe. They’ll be announcing more events and meetings soon, with some being training nights, others being event nights, and even a few tournament nights sprinkled all throughout! The Spades Club is looking forward to each and every event, and hopefully you’ll be there for them too!
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