The Fair Grove High School Nerd Club is a club focused on students being themselves through the comfort of video games. It is available every third Wednesday of the month for any student wanting to play video games or anything nerdy.
Nerd Club, run by sponsor Sarah Englis, is a club designed to sway students away from the stress of schoolwork and other activities, allowing students the creativity of playing video games, chess, and any other activity that a student might be interested in.
McKendal Gentry (11), nerd club member, described, “…it has nothing to do with schoolwork as most people would think from the name. Nerd Club is video gaming of all kinds. Since we don’t have our phones allowed, we find more creative ways to make gaming work. Students will bring in their consoles and devices such as Xbox, PlayStation, and even Switches.”
Englis added that for students not interested in video games the club has additional nights dedicated to different types of interest such as board game night.
Nerd Club is important as it allows students to make connections through shared interest, giving students who aren’t in other activities an opportunity to participate with others in something they may love.
John Harp (10), another student in Nerd Club explained, “Nerd Club is not just about playing video games, it’s about connecting with others and finding people who share similar interests. Nerd Club is a way for students to express themselves in ways they normally can’t.”
Harp continued, “I’ve been attending most of the Nerd Club meetings since late last year and I can confidently say that there has never been a time when I didn’t feel welcome. It has led me to meet people that I wouldn’t have thought about talking to if I hadn’t been in the club.”
Gentry added, “For me, Nerd Club helps me relax and forget I’m in a school environment. It’s a way to have fun with your friends or whoever you want to bring, and if you can’t, it’s a very calm, non-judgemental environment that even the quietest of kids can make a friend.”
Nerd Club is a club aimed to help students make friends and be in an environment where they can be themselves and simply do something they love. Englis described the excitement she sees from students daily, students who are immediately in her classroom the second the announcement for the club is made. To her that’s what Nerd Club is truly about.
The next Nerd Club meeting will be or January 21st in Englis’ classroom during the Fair Grove advisory period.
