The LGBTQ Resource Center at Kennesaw State recently hosted several Dungeons and Dragons game nights from May 29 to June 3. The adventurous event was dubbed Queer Quest.
The center provided space and promotion for the event, and was developed and executed by a student leader. It was structured in a way that allowed for both newcomers and veterans to the game to be able to play and have fun together.
“The purpose of Queer Quest was to create a structured opportunity for students to engage with the LGBTQ Resource Center during the summer semester while participating in an event that may have been new to them,” Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Affairs Jessica Duvall said.
For those unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons, it is a dice-based role-playing tabletop game that takes place in a fantasy world.
Dungeons and Dragons has been shown to boost creativity, encourage teamwork and increase problem-solving skills, on top of just being a fun and enjoyable game, according to writer Patrick Allen.
Players of the game have several fictional fantasy races and classes to choose from. They can both create and shape their character to their liking and make choices during the narrative based on what type of character they want to be.
The game essentially allows for the freedom of players to indulge in a fictional role where they can be who they want and do what they want.
Queer Quest was held over four sessions, lasting two hours each. A total of 10 players participated in the event.
The event was inspired by student interest within the LGBTQ Resource Center during the spring semester. Some students were already engaged in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign outside of the center and thought it would be fun for students visiting the center to gather for a campaign.
Duvall said that games such as Dungeons and Dragons can be beneficial to the LGBTQ community.
“One of the goals of the LGBTQ Resource Center is [to] provide the campus community with a variety of different types of opportunities for students to develop feelings of community by sharing in common experiences and/or working together to achieve a common goal,” Duvall said. “Queer Quest aligns with those goals and provides an outlet for students to have some fun, too.”
Duvall said that a game such as Dungeons and Dragons provides an opportunity for students to come together for a shared interest while at the same time having the chance to make new friends.
Due to such positive reception of the event, there is a possibility that similar quests may be held in the future.
“Based on the positive feedback we received from the Queer Quest campaign that was hosted this summer, we are exploring opportunities to turn this into an ongoing program throughout the upcoming academic year,” Duvall said.
For more information on Queer Quest, visit its Owl Express event page. For more information on the LGBTQ Resource Center, visit its organization page.
