By: Alexandra Camejo/Asst. News Director
A long time ago, in a section of the Graham Center far, far away, the battle ground for FIU’s ultimate video gamers and card traders was abruptly taken apart. The construction of Chili’s Too left these students on a quest to find a new stomping ground to claim as their own.
“Everyone thinks we’re all nerds,” said liberal arts major and senior Eli Philippe.
Philippe and many of his friends who once filled the abandoned corridors of Gracie’s Grill—now Chili’s Too—have come out of the shadows and into the light sitting just outside of Sushi Maki.
When construction began for the restaurant, these gamers still had a TV for their video game duels, but its relocation to a second floor classroom never caught on. Soon enough after, the TV was gone, and these students made the tables in front of Chili’s Too their new place of residence.
Not venturing far from their space at Gracie’s Grill, video gamers and card traders show up to their new hangout to battle it out in a variety of games.
“Everyone assumes that there’s a stereotype for this, but the truth is anyone could be a player,” said senior and biology major Pleu Sinclaire. The players that Sinclaire referred to do not play sports, but actually play the collectible card game Yu-Gi-Oh!, where each card represents a fantasy monster used to duel another player in a mock battle.
“The card game is our own miniature economy. It helps us learn so much about business tactics and strategies. You have no idea how important it is to be an educated player,” said Philippe.
Across the Yu-Gi-Oh! table, there are several oversized binders filled with “monsters,” laminated card decks closely guarded and monitored by each owner, and a marked area reserved for battle space.
For both Philippe and Sinclaire, the card game has become more than just a hobby—it’s a source of income.
The value of the most exclusive playing cards can run up to $1,000 a piece, and these two students have financially benefitted from such sales. “Nerds make money. No one says nerds don’t make money. You can call us professional nerds then,” said Philippe.
While Sinclaire understands that this world of monsters on cards can seem a bit out of reach for many students, he doesn’t feel that people can assume what these players are like. “I think people assume that we’re the losers, we aren’t well dressed,” said Sinclaire while looking down at his Polo t-shirt, “but there is so much money to be made from this game, and I don’t think that’s nerdy at all.”
Pointing over at a table of students playing Risk, Abram Foster, a junior and English major, confidently declared, “Now, those guys are definitely nerds.”
Foster pointed out his dislike for the strategic board game when he said, “Not only is Risk a conniving and backstabbing game, but you can’t make any money off of it.”
Almost emulating the battle styles from their Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, a debate quickly ensued about what accurately classifies someone as a “nerd.” “I think the term nerdy has evolved from what it used to be. Before it was ‘Star Wars’ nerd, now it’s something like Pokémon nerd,” said Sinclaire.
“’Star Wars’ is not really nerdy, but ‘Star Trek’—that’s nerdy,” said Foster. Directing his argument toward Jessie Negron, a freshman and international business major, who was fully engaged in a card battle, Sinclaire declared that any player of the popular video game, “Super Smash Bros. Brawl”, “qualified as a nerd.”
Losing focus on the Yu-Gi-Oh! battle, Negron jumped into a duel with Sinclaire. “That’s not true. I play professionally, I get paid, and therefore it’s not appropriate to call it nerdy,” said Negron.
As a professional gamer, Negron receives sponsorships from stores to compete against other gamers in “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” tournaments. After winning several competitions and cash prizes, Negron is gearing up for a Texas tournament next month.
Even Philippe has considered getting paid to judge the Yu-Gi-Oh! competitions held throughout the country.
So, while these students may have suffered the loss their gaming cave, their new spot has become an open playground where others are invited to play.
“A lot of people just think we’re the nerds, the geeks, but that’s a stereotype. And that’s not true. You’ll find a huge range of people around here, and we surprise people all the time with how we really are,” said Philippe.
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