Magic: The Gathering cards flooded the senior tables of the Learning Commons on October 16, leaving hungry students searching for a place to eat. Howls, laughs, and screams pierced the lunchroom, leaving bewildered onlookers with one question: What the heck is this game?
An obsession with the card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG) swept over the senior class in early October. MTG’s website says it’s “a trading card game where players summon incredible creatures and cast powerful spells to defeat their foes.” While the card game peaked in popularity in the late 2000s, it has seen a remarkable resurgence among Latin seniors. Many students now religiously spend their lunch blocks engrossed in duels, shifting the Learning Commons from a library into a competitive battle ring.
Senior Michael Gray pioneered the movement to bring MTG to the community, routinely bringing his cards to school and battling his classmates. “Every year kids find something silly to pour time into, and I’m glad we found something fun,” Michael said.
After Michael started bringing his cards to school, the game became increasingly popular, and soon, the majority of the senior class was playing it every day. Michael felt delighted at the sight of the MTG cards infiltrating the senior tables. “It is the sickest sh** of all time,” he said.
Although many seniors love the game, not all are fans of how much space and time is spent on it. Senior and non-MTG player Kaden Uddin said, “Magic: The Gathering has made it nearly impossible to just sit down with a friend and have a conversation.”
MTG is not a regular card game—it’s like Pokemon, where the cards can also be collectibles. The most expensive MTG card is $13,000, and although no Latin senior is spending that much money, the cards are still denting students’ bank accounts. “Honestly, the reason why I don’t want to play this game is because a lot of my friends are spending a lot of money on cards,” Kaden said.
Even though some students voiced frustration about space in the Learning Commons, Upper School Librarian Gretchen Metzler felt that MTG was not disruptive. “They seem pretty focused on whatever they are doing,” Ms. Metzler said.
There has been a recent trend in online games, so when Michael brought a card game into the Learning Commons, Ms. Metzler said, “I was kind of shocked.” Despite her initial surprise, Ms. Metzler noticed the camaraderie MTG fostered among the seniors.
Ms. Metzler said, “I appreciate that light-hearted fun that [the seniors] have playing Magic: The Gathering together.”
