Prof. Scarlet Leslie-Lewis

I think I lean slightly towards playing solo. I've always been a strategist. I enjoy formulating my own plan and making my moves without being required to explain the details to others. It's not always so easy to communicate my thoughts to other people. It's also nice to be able to figure out what works on my own, including making and learning from my mistakes, to improve for the next game/match.

That said, it's no secret that I am an avid volleyball player and it is impossible to play volleyball on your own. It is a true team sport. Most of the interaction is with your own team because the other team is separated from you by a net. Communication is key, as well as knowing the play-styles of all your teammates. Sometimes you just have to trust that your teammate will be covering you rather than reaching blindly behind you and messing up the play entirely. Working together to earn each and every point is a great feeling. Everyone cheers when there is a good play and encourages each other when a point is lost.

For the best of both worlds... Seeking! In essence, Seeking is head-to-head between two Seekers. A Seeker cannot get any outside help during a match. However, the Seeker is still part of the Quidditch team. Their Snitchplay may be affected by how their teammates are doing with the Quaffle. It is important that they communicate with their team. I like that I am basically on my own playing my own game, but what I do impacts my team. It definitely helps to know I have my entire team rooting for me too!

I was recently introduced to a game called KanJam, which involves throwing a disc at a can with a slot in the front. It is played in pairs. One member of the team throws the disc towards the can and the other team member may deflect the disc to score points. If the disc is deflected by the teammate and hits the can, the team earns 1 point. A direct hit without any assistance is 2 points. A disc that is deflected inside the can, called a slam dunk, is worth 3 points. If at any time the disc goes through the slot unassisted and stays in there, that team automatically wins. Obviously, this Muggle game can be made much more interesting by playing with a Fanged Frisbee! Especially if gloves aren't allowed, you'd have to find a partner that doesn't mind a few bites.

Hat trick

Fencing

Most spiders don't bother me, so get locked in a room full of spiders with everything I need.

Would you rather have a golden voice or a silver tongue?

Quidditch

SPUD was a fun backyard game that we used to play. All you needed was one ball, preferably a squishy ball. Everyone is given a number from starting from 1 to however many players there are. One person tossed the ball in the air and called a random number, but not their own. The person who has that number must run to the ball, while everyone else is running as far away from the ball as possible. When the person has the ball in hand, they yell stop and everyone must freeze. The player then gets four "steps" (leaps are acceptable) to get close to another person and try to hit the other player with the ball. If the other player is hit, they get a letter. If the other player catches the ball, the one who threw the ball gets a letter. When you spell SPUD, you were out of the game.

For card games, I also liked Spoons, which Vanessa mentioned, but my favorite game was a slapping game called Egyptian Ratscrew. Different people played with different rules. Basically, you had to slap the pile of cards when certain patterns (consecutive numbers, "sandwich", top and bottom card are the same) appeared. Slapping correctly adds all of the cards in the pile to your hand, while an incorrect slap costs you cards. The goal is to collect all the cards.

I would watch my dad play Mahjong at parties, so he taught me how to play. After a trip to Taiwan, he brought home a Mahjong set and my entire family learned how to play. With five other people at home, it was pretty easy to convince three of them to play, so Mahjong was played a lot. The version of Mahjong I prefer is the one my dad taught us, with 16 tiles. You win by having five sets of 3 tiles (3 of the same tile or 3 consecutive values) and a pair. There are many different ways to score points and not everyone uses the same ones. For example, the "wind" of the round is important as well as your own wind based on where you are sitting. Some people play with wildcards and other don't. Later on, I learned the 13 tile version that is popular in Hong Kong from some friends at school.

Everyone has a little competitive spirit in them and playing a game is a fun, usually harmless way to satisfy that need for competition. Winning makes people happy. But sometimes simply the effort put into playing a game can be just as enjoyable as winning. Games are great for social interaction. It is possible to have fun playing games with complete strangers as well as your best friends. Everyone is on the same playing field as soon as the rules are established. Part of the reason why I go back to the same games is because it can be a real headache to learn the rules to a new game. I also know that I will like a game that I've played before rather than spending time to learn a new game that I might not even enjoy.

Sprint

Orca by Wintersleep

What is your ideal weekend?

Probably because my gateway game to board gaming was The Settlers of Catan, I really like wood game pieces. It was always fun to stack the roads, settlements, and cities that weren't in use. My token will be a wooden killer whale, which is my favorite animal. I like killer whales because they are intelligent, majestic, and loyal to their pods. They also have that killer instinct that I'll need to channel to win games. And, of course, my token must be blue!

Triathlon

Chemistry - Rush

What instantly makes you smile?

Tough choice, but I have to go with pancakes, especially due to their connection to volleyball.

I never knew slopes could be so educational. Thanks for the large variety of snowy fun!

Are there any N's?

Wish You Were Here

Here is a photo collage postcard of my recent trip to Killington, Vermont. My family goes every year around Christmas for over 20 years now. Photos are courtesy of my brother and sister with the cameras of their shiny new Pixel 3 phones. 

Top left: Killington gondolas with a rainbow in the background
Top right: Cody waving to my sister from the chair lift
Bottom left: Killington Peak the day after it snowed
Bottom right: Our doubles racquetball match at the resort - it was intense!

Are there any N's?

O, please!

Yeah! Your turn :)

No... there are two!

I - I - - E

(6 letters, 2 lives)

Sorry, no P's.

- - - - - E

(6 letters, 2 lives)

Obviously... not. No O.

- - - - - E

(6 letters, 3 lives)

Zero R's, sorry!

- - - - - E

(6 letters, 4 lives)

Nope, no S's.

- - - - - E

(6 letters, 5 lives)