Partly Cloudy, 64°
Packing up their notation pads and chess clocks after another lackluster meeting, members of the Fort Madison High School chess club confirmed they consider this year a chance to rebuild.
“We graduated a lot of key players last year,” said junior Nguyen Wade, one of the six remaining members of the chess club. “Meetings used to be a blast, and they were really competitive too. This year has been slow, but we’re hoping to use this down time as an opportunity to focus on recruiting.”
In their efforts to expand membership and breathe new life into the chess club, Club President Maximo Connor announced plans to advertise their next meeting in the morning announcements and to buy a couple new boards at the mall.
“It’s definitely a lot quieter without Andy and Quinn,” said sophomore Paulina Mills, who took over snack and soda duty from Quinn and hasn't experienced the same level of success. “Believe it or not, we used to have to bring extra chairs into room 109A because there were too many of us. It’s different now, but not all the changes are bad. With fewer members, we get to play a lot more chess. Plus, we’ve been putting posters up around the locker bays, and it’ll be cool to get some new blood in the room. New competitors mean new styles, which mean more fun.”
Mills added, "We're thinking about selling cookies in the cafeteria shaped like chess pieces to get people excited. I'm feeling optimistic."
At press time, the entire chess club carpooled home with Mrs. Mills.
