There have been many new clubs created this year, and one that is quickly rising in popularity is the Mahjong Club. It is a fun club where students can learn to play a traditional Chinese game called mahjong (麻将 májiàng).
A simple overview of the game is that players strive to get five triples and one double. The triples can be made up of three in a row or three of a kind. Players must either draw from the border of tiles or take a tile from the middle if they can show where it will go. To end a turn, players must discard a tile.
“I started Mahjong Club because it is a fun game and I love to play,” club president Genevieve Hyatt (‘23) stated.
“Mahjong is awesome and it helps with immersion in a culture that people did not know before. Some advice for getting better at Mahjong is to just keep doing it, it is super fun and easy to learn,” Anita Mohan (‘23) said.
The best part of this club is that students do not have to have any knowledge of Chinese culture or language. Students from French and Spanish classes have joined the club and quickly caught on to the game thanks to the welcoming environment and easy nature of the game.
“It is an easy game to learn once people have explained it and there are cheat sheets available. Even with not knowing Chinese I have won a few times,” Spanish student Elizabeth Boyce (‘23) said.
Luckily, the game does not require students to understand Chinese. There are only a few words that students can learn that are very easy to understand, but even those are not necessary for the game. Also, if students need it, there are little sheets that contain all of the information needed such as the different words players can learn, the meanings of the tile faces, and a quick overview of how to win the game.
“I think the club is great because first of all, it is fun, people can learn it easily, and it can train reflexes because of how fast the game can get,” Ben Shimamoto (‘23) said.
On top of how easy the game is to learn, there are always students who take Chinese who are more than happy to help new players understand the game.
The club meets every Friday during lunch and after lunch flex, so students can eat and enjoy the thrill of mahjong. It is in Mr. Payne’s room, and every Friday the classroom is filled with students eating lunch and loving mahjong. Though there are some concerns with having it during Friday lunch and flex.
“I do not think the Friday flex and lunch is a good time because of Senior Seminars,” explains Mohan. “I think Wednesdays would work better during the lunch and after lunch flex period. More people would go to that since there are not many clubs that day.”
So far, attendance at the club has not been an issue. The Senior Seminars happen every other Friday, which can coincide with Mahjong Club but not too often. Most of the club is made up of seniors. However, there are a few juniors to keep the club going if needed.
Overall, the club has gained a big following. All students are encouraged to come in to enjoy Chinese culture through a fun and easy game.
