The library at LMC’s Brentwood Center saw its very first Thembo Thursday meeting on Oct. 3. The event featured board games, snacks, and opportunities to socialize in a relaxed, casual setting.
Thembo Thursdays is related to and sponsored by the LMC Pride Alliance Club, but it is not directly hosted by them.
Senior Library Technician Catt Wood, conceptualized the meeting as a place where people can come together, hang out, and play games. It is open to both members of the LGBTQ+ community and friends.
“We want to make it open to as many people as possible,” Wood said. “We’re not gatekeeping, we’re not asking people to disclose anything about their identity when they come. We just want them to come and hang out and have fun.”
The aim of building a network of people to sit back, chat and play games was felt throughout Thembo Thursday’s welcoming and easy-going atmosphere. Attendees completed puzzles, played Scrabble, and discussed any range of topics spanning from films to general interests to future Thembo activities.
Due to the laid-back nature of the event, Wood anticipates a great deal of flexibility when planning. They expressed a huge focus on gauging community interest in future activities and being open to suggestions.
“Mostly, I just wanted to create a safe and comfortable space for folks to hang out and come in community, and then once we’re here, we sort of decide together what we want to do,” Wood said.
Wood’s idea to feature board games was based around events Student Life had previously organized involving them. According to Wood, there is currently a lot of interest in hosting Netflix watch parties and tabletop role-playing games.
One proposed game utilizes a “Kids on Brooms” system — a magic school themed variation of “Kids on Bikes,” a role-playing game drawing inspiration from coming-of-age adventure films such as “The Goonies” and “Stand by Me.”
If enough people show interest in playing, it might be a feature at future Thembo Thursdays. Such activities encourage collaboration, all the while providing people a chance to form connections and chat about anything under the sun.
Wood reiterated that Thembo Thursdays are open to everyone; there is no pressure for attendees to out themselves or become invested in more emotionally intensive activities. The heart of Thembo is its comfortable atmosphere and the positive relationships it fosters.
“We’re really hoping that everybody will wanna come and build community and see the Brentwood Center, and be excited about the Brentwood Library and what we have to offer,” Wood said.
Future Thembo Thursdays meetings are planned for Oct. 24, Nov. 7, 14, and 21 at the Brentwood Center Library from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
