Smash at Grinnell: A World of Friendly, Competitive Fun

Jun 7, 2023

Prommolmard and other students hold controllers in a classroom, playing video games.

Phukao Prommolmard ’25, co-founder of Smash at Grinnell, engages in fun Ultimate Smash games with the rest of his organization. The club also hosts monthly tournaments for more competitive players.

Flashes of fire and light streak across the TV screen at rapid speeds; weapons fling swirls of high-charged electricity; superpowers are thrown left and right. Swatches of fire and strings of light shoot from your arms, and boom! You are thrown off the ledge and start falling into an abyss. But fear not! You click frantically on your controller until you are elevated above the ground and land a kick into your enemy’s face. He runs away in cowardice, but you are running towards them – your biggest enemy yet – despite loud swishes and punches that only seem to increase in frequency and strength. Everyone is ready to fight; are you game?

Gaming the System

While walking around the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC), Phukao Prommolmard ’25 noticed a large presence of Smash players on campus. Within the spacious, technologically advanced classrooms, he saw concentrated, fiery players delve into a world of beloved characters like Mario, Princess Peach, Link, Kirby, and Pikachu.

A bunch of characters from the Mario Universe are scattered throughout the picture, with Mario in the center. The text on top reads, "Super Smash Bros: Ultimate." — ***Smash UItimate showcases beloved characters in the Nintendo universe, like Mario and Bulbasaur.***

What is Smash? Set in the Nintendo Universe, Smash Ultimate is a crossover game series that allows multiple people to connect on the same servers and fight each other to victory. Players can press their consoles’ control buttons at various speeds and combinations to execute different moves, including a “Smash Attack.” The more damage a character has, the easier it is to launch other players off the game stage and win!

As an avid Smash Ultimate player, Prommolmard aspired to build a supportive community of fearless Smash players. Along with Axel Saries ’25, Prommolmard submitted a request for a new student organization to make their dream into reality. After the Student Government Association (SGA) approved their proposal, Smash at Grinnell (S@G) was born. Thanks to Grinnell’s generous student activities budget, Smash at Grinnell secured five sparkling Nintendo Switches with full screens and controllers for Smash players to enjoy simultaneously.

On Sunday afternoons, S@G members play casual, friendly sessions with one another in the beautiful classrooms in the HSSC, where students have the pleasure of watching themselves compete on the classroom’s giant TV screens. Prommolmard says, “If you’re looking to kill time, take a break from studying and come to Smash. We have the energy and we have the gear. If you have a group of friends that want to play Smash, come on up!”

Three students are out of focus, as the camera focuses on the Ultimate Smash game in front of them.

Joining Super Smash Tournaments

Besides weekly casual playing sessions, Smash at Grinnell hosts monthly tournaments, as well. Prommolmard spearheaded Smash’s first campus-wide pilot tournament in the fall of 2021, attracting over forty Grinnellians and their Switches, all ready to play. With Saries playing a central role in the planning of Smash’s tournaments, the organization established rules and an overview process to ensure the games run smoothly, including the tournament brackets that list the next rounds of competitors. Prommolmard says that this light-hearted, competitive tournament was the first step towards integrating the new organization into campus culture. When the first official tournament proved to be bigger than the last, the competition highlighted how many Grinnellians were excited to lead future games within the organization.

The organization leaders of Smash @ Grinnell pose in front of the Harris Center's movie screen. — ***The Smash @ Grinnell co-leaders pose before the Harris Center's movie screen.***

As a result, S@G recruited a group of passionate students who fell under the roles of either “technical leaders” or “referees.” The technical officers are technology helpers, ensuring everyone can connect to the game with functional equipment. With more hands, Super Smash players can set up fair, friendly games in no time.

The intense final rounds of the tournaments are played in the Harris Center Cinema. Members fill the auditorium seats while the finalists sit in front of the large movie theater screen with their switches. Tournaments are open for all of campus to watch. If you miss a match, don’t worry; there are always more opportunities to observe and compete!

An Open Community for All

If you’ve never played Smash before, Prommolmard and his fellow co-leaders welcome you with open arms, whether you’re competitive or a serene, chilled-out player. Prommolmard says, “If you attend one of our club meetings, we will teach you everything you need to know. There is no pressure to become competitive and skilled; the game can be something you’re interested in or an activity to do with friends.” Though the organization is equally distributed among class years, S@G encourages newcomers, especially first-year students who show a passionate dedication to the craft.

Often, groups of people who Prommolmard has never met will come in and join the S@G community on random Sunday afternoons. Outside the organization, Prommolmard and his co-leaders succeeded in bringing their members together, signifying the organization’s impact throughout the two short years it existed. Prommolmard now hopes to recruit more women and reach out to people who have never played. Game on!

A group of students play Smash on their controllers.

Information for Current Students

To officially join the mailing list for information on meeting times, tournaments, and watch parties, contact the Smash leaders at smash@studentorg.grinnell.edu. The organization has grown to include over 200 people on their mailing list. Although club meeting times are subject to change, Smash at Grinnell meets every Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in HSSC N3170 for the spring 2023 semester.