SUITS and Sutekh experienced a first time partnership when running the Pizza, Games and LAN night. The inspiration to collaborate arose from the cancellation of the weekly Sutekh event of Pizza and Games due to the APEC holiday in Week 7 of Semester 2. The idea of the event was to blend a typical SUITS LAN gaming experience with Pizza and Games, Sutekh's signature event.
The blend of games was well suited to the evening. In the undergraduate computer labs of the School of Information Technologies, the walls are lined with computer terminals that were used to facilitate the LAN games, and the tables situated in the centre of the room proferred a location for the multitude of board and card games typically enjoyed at Pizza and Games by the members of Sutekh. It was quite a novelty for the Sutekh members to enjoy LAN games, and for the SUITS members to play board and card games.
The blend of social groups was just as successful, and many new associations arose as a result of the evening. In particular, the event was socially beneficial for younger SUITS and Sutekh members who in the past have not known many students beyond their own social group.
By coincidence, both SUITS and Sutekh both enjoy cheap pizza bought from our sponsor, Pizza Haven Newtown, for separate events. Therefore it was a simple choice to reimpliment such catering for the joint event. ACCESS card holders in attendance were entitled to a whole large pizza for only $4 thanks to funding from the Union. Cold cans of drink were also available for $1 each.
Since pizza and computers are not an allowable combination, the hiatus at meal time saw the attendees congregate in the middle of the room to socialise and chat about their gaming experience. It was a great opportunity for photos, too!
In summary, the event was fun and well organised. Executive from both clubs were involved in the organisation and running of the event. The idea to combine our games and social groups given the existing overlap in interests turned out to be a good one. The gaming experience was fun and exciting, and the social atmosphere was surprisingly natural and friendly. Both clubs have expressed interest in running a similar event in the future.
