Libraryopoly

We gather behind the Circ Desk in excited anticipation. We are assigned our rooms, given our property cards, and head off to await the coming hordes. I am in the Instruction Lab, and my property card is Roberts Hall. I unlock the door, turn on the lights, and make sure the room is in tiptop shape. Then I wait.

Normally, we have had lines of students waiting to play our game, but since we are still open, there is no cue champing impatiently at the bit while the doors are still locked. I see students at the sign up table filling out their gameboard, so I know there are players, but over the course of the next two hours, I barely meet anyone. I would say if I encountered a dozen students, that would be an exaggeration.

What a disappointment. I see my colleagues in their assigned places, pacing and wondering where everyone is. At the stroke of the ending time, we reconvene at the Circ Desk. The evening has been a smashing disaster. We gather info about what went wrong. Too late in the semester, not after midnight, no food, other events happening on campus, assignments due. All true. All true. A learning curve.

Will we try Monopoly again next year after addressing these issues? Perhaps. Will we go back to Clue? I doubt it. Will we move on to another game that people know (I am surprised that many students have never heard of Monopoly!). Could be. Whatever the deal, I am tired and heading home. Next year we hope to be fully staffed and make a better go of Open House. At least we didn't sink as low as what was happening before we hit on the game idea!