The Swifties of Western Washington University, an official club dedicated to Taylor Swift and her music, hosted a game night on March 1.
The game night was advertised across campus a week in advance. Fliers attracted students to attend the game night, even if they had not been members of the club previously.
“I found a flier on a wall, and so I started coming,” said club member Skylar Rooke.
The game night consisted of a trivia event, based on the television show “Jeopardy.” Attendees would name a category and point amount, then answer the corresponding Taylor Swift-related question presented to them.
“We were doing a trivia night for our club members, so they got to come out and answer some questions about Taylor Swift and test their Taylor Swift knowledge,” said Caitlin Broadgate-Thomas, one of the club officers who helped host the event.
A quiz game used during the Swiftie Game Night at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash., on March 1, 2023. Attendees were split into teams and answered trivia questions for points. // Photo by Jenna Kramer
The hosts also handed out an icebreaker questionnaire to encourage attendees to get to know each other and match students together based on a shared favorite Taylor Swift album.
“I hosted it … because I wanted to give more Swifties a place to have a sense of community, so they were able to meet new people and find new friends,” Broadgate-Thomas said. “I know that I and my fellow officers have made quite a few new friends through this, so it’s a good way for people to connect with people of similar interests.”
The meeting was small, with a total of 15 people present. The small number did not prevent attendees from talking and laughing together for most of the night.
Even during the trivia game, the two opposing teams often talked across the room — not to provoke each other, but to express how much they liked a song or album that was mentioned.
“I strongly believe [music] can bring people together, and the evidence is in the audiences that collect to see performances,” said Timothy Fitzpatrick, head of the Music Department at Western. “Whether that performance is something that is an event in downtown Bellingham or The Showbox in Seattle, or whether it’s one of our 90 events that take place here in the Music Department, audiences come.”
Concerts and other live performances draw in crowds of people that share an interest in the same type of music. The Swiftie Game Night was just another example of this on a smaller scale.
“It’s really fun,” Rooke said. “Everybody’s really nice; you do fun things. Sometimes, we do arts and crafts, and we get to take them home. It’s really cute.”
For those interested in attending future meetings, the club meets on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in 408 Academic West.
Jenna Kramer (she/her) is a campus life reporter for The Front this quarter. She is studying visual journalism and enjoys playing video games and learning languages.
You can contact her at jenna.kramer.thefront@gmail.com.
