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Haley Combs

Professor Pamela Rollins

English-1113-1920

18 September 2022

It Can Be More Than Just a Game: The Lives of High School Dungeons & Dragons

Members

The group of people I will be studying during this project will be the Dungeons and

Dragons gaming community at my high school. The reason why I chose this particular group of

people is because I spent a lot of time in the same room as them last year and was thoroughly

confused by their dynamic. My youth leader, who was my homeroom teacher last year and is a

science teacher that teaches at the high school, actually introduced most of them to the game last

year. During homeroom, I would sit and observe their behavior. To this day, I still have no idea

how to play or understand the objective. It started out as a few individuals, but now has grown to

roughly fifteen to twenty students who participate in this activity. These students would talk

about their characters and different experiences they faced while playing the game with so much

energy in their tone. It made me wonder why can a game, that seems very complicated, impact

them the way that it did.

Typical assumptions made about this specific group of people is that they are more of the

“outcasts” and “oddballs” of their grade levels. Not that there is anything wrong with that,

considering I myself could be labeled as those names. I often spend my time during the school

day distant from most people, because I try to be laser-focused on academics and work. I have a

hard time letting go and becoming carefree like my fellow classmates. These are just some of the

labels given to these students. I think they are given these names because they are not as
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involved in what the majority of their classmates are involved in. This is primarily referring to

sports. Being that we go to such as small school, we have very limited options as far as

extracurriculars are concerned. However, just because they are not regarded as a part of the

“popular kids,” does not mean that they are alone. This minority uses the game to unite and form

bonds with like-minded classmates. These students meet up with each other regularly to discuss

their characters and what is taking place in the game, whenever they are able to get out of class.

What I hope I will be able to take from this opportunity is the ability to put myself in the

shoes of ones who are different than I am. Maybe, I will discover that I have more in common

with them than I realize. Who knows, if I learn how to play and understand better what is

happening within the group, I may join in on their group discussion and game. I feel that most of

what I have said in the previous paragraph, I will still believe and agree with. I will probably

have a more positive outlook on their game and people who play it as a whole though. Hopefully

I can take this learning experience and apply it to other situations, open my eyes and ears to more

than just what is in my bubble I have created for myself.

The Dungeons and Dragons gaming group meets several times a week, usually at 7am

before school starts and sometimes at lunch. They meet in the science teacher’s classroom. This

location seems to be a comfortable meeting place for the students in attendance. I plan to attend

at least one sessions every week, and talk to members during the school day also. Attending

these meetings will not be a problem. I have already asked to attend and have been approved. A

member of this club is a teammate of mine in Cross Country, so I plan on interviewing him. I

will ask him questions along the lines of: “What is your favorite part?”, “What keeps you

interested and wanting to continue playing?”, “What makes it unique?”, and “Do you feel you

can show your true self to this group of people?.” I will put together more questions and have
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follow-up questions depending on the responses received. There will be others interviewed as

well, they will just revolve around what social roles they play in the club’s pecking order. There

may not be a pecking order, in which case I will interview individuals that seem to have a lot of

their fellow members’ respect.

This ethnography about a high school gaming club matters because it will help you

realize something that you might have missed before. Maybe this whole time you have been

stuck in your own little world like I have been and have failed to see what was happening around

you. The lesson to take from this ethnography is to see people for who they truly are. People are

more than just what they accomplish and participate in. Try not to be stereotypical and judge

others based on the activities they are involved in. That idea applies to everyone. We can all

learn and grow from each other, we just have to be willing participants.