Wildcats gathered in the West Ranch library for the first ever library game night on Jan. 19. From 3-5pm, students enjoyed a night of gaming and snacking with their friends. This event was held in hopes of fundraising for the library.
For many students, the library is a cozy place to hangout with friends and catch up on homework. Student and event organizer Gina Intravartolo expressed, “My favorite thing about the library is that there’s a lot of seating for everyone to have fun, talk to each other, work on homework and [it’s] open all the time.”
“I got inspired when I saw the library and how amazing [of a] place it was for everyone but also how it needed help to renovate,” Intravartolo explained. “I thought it would be great to add a contribution and to make the library a better place for everyone.”
In the months leading up to the event, Intravartolo had many factors to consider during its preparation. “First, we had to make a flier and spread the word to everyone. Then we had to get the supplies, games and the snacks. Next we had to figure out a time and a date,” she explained.
To fundraise for the library, attendees paid a $9 admission fee. Upon entering, students could find snacks and games gathered in the front of the library. The drinks were placed in a cooler while the snacks were displayed on the front desk. These drinks included Capri Sun, water and carbonated juice as well as a wide assortment of snacks like chips, trail mix, Oreos, gummies and more.
Ranging from Jenga to Monopoly, the event offered many board games. Freshman attendee Braden McMahon mentioned, “I’m glad to see what kind of games are going to be here. I know they have a lot of popular games, but I don’t know half the games Gina put out.”
The goal of the game night was to fundraise for library upgrades. “We’re looking to modernize our library, it’s a huge misconception that school libraries are appropriately funded” Librarian Ms. Watanabe shared. “We’re looking to get some different furniture and seating that caters to students who want an individual and quiet place to study.”
Another huge change for the library would be a touch-screen monitor, where students could search the catalog for books. Watanabe expressed “We would love to modernize our online library catalog with a faster processor and larger touchscreen monitor. These updates will allow students to access Destiny Discover. This platform is a more user-friendly option when browsing for books where students can view curated lists by interest, view the cover of the title, and read a brief synopsis from our online catalog. When a small group of students can gather around the catalog and browse together, the process of finding a new book can be exciting!”
Thanks to the help of Gina Intravartolo and the library staff, students enjoyed themselves while supporting the library.
