FHU Special Course, "Games in Literature," Challenges and Prepares Students for the Future

Freed-Hardeman University students in Dr. John McLaughlin's Games in Literature course have spent the fall semester reading classics like Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" and Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," leading discussions and having fun playing challenging games, some familiar and others new to them.

The idea for the class was something McLaughlin longed to do, so when Dr. Margaret Payne asked him if wanted to teach a special course, he knew the topic right away. "There are so many great things to read, so I selected a few repeats and some I would not normally do," he said. "I know the students have enjoyed the readings, and, as someone who loves games and has played them all of my life, I want to show them how much fun that is."

The weekly class, spanning nearly three hours, features occasional guest speakers, quizzes, student presentations and, most importantly, game sessions. These games are thematically linked to the weekly readings. For example, after discussing "The Joy Luck Club," a novel in which the characters play Mahjong, a four-player game originating from China, students tried their hand at the game in November. In Mahjong, players shuffle tiles and take turns searching for matching pairs to complete a hand of 14 tiles, with the winner being the first to achieve this.

The class also delved into "The Girl Who Played Go," a 2001 French novel by Shan Sa. Go is a game of strategy that requires players to acquire as much territory as possible.