With tiles scattered throughout the spacious board, Mahjong is an extensive game that has gained rapid popularity, especially with Xavier’s alumnae. Every couple of months, Xavier alums convene to put on Mahjong tournaments at a variety of locations to delight in strategic, amusing game nights.
Mahjong is a Chinese game dating to the mid-1800s. Although the game seems complicated at first look, it’s a simple objective to gather a complete hand of 14 tiles using the setlists provided. The various sets displayed are enclosed in a booklet that changes the combinations every year.
The rack of tiles on each player’s individual board changes throughout the game depending on what tile you pick up and put down. With that in mind, participants have to think about how to line up the tiles on the board to align with the mosaic patterns in the booklet, to win Mahjong.
With up to four players per board, Xavier alumnae from different classes are grouped as either beginners or advanced. In the course of a night, the groups play four to five Mahjong rounds, with a raffle at the end to conclude the activities.
Director of alumnae relations Maria Murphy-Fontes sells the raffle tickets to beginners while the advanced players win them through the tournament games. “At the end of our tournaments, we collect all of the money from our raffle and it goes straight to the Xavier Impact Fund for fundraising,” she says. Of course, through these raffles, there is also a chance to win Mahjong sets.
With beautiful, hand-crafted tiles, Cordially Boutique has hosted most of the Mahjong functions for the alums. Owned by a Xavier alum, the boutique owner and the school partner to host events as much as possible. Since these tile combinations alternate annually, the alums will get together when there is a next switch. The next switch is on April 21 at Cordially.
“We look forward to an event soon which will connect alumnae even more to Xavier,” alum Nicole Karren ‘87 said. Attendees are welcomed to invite other friends while also meeting new friends. “I think we all look for something to do while we socialize,” she said.
Mahjong provides a sense of community for those who want to stay connected to old friends. Karren explains how playing Mahjong feels more productive to stay in touch with people rather than just going out for dinner.
In fact, Karren reunited with Kathy Prebil ‘87 through this connection. “I think this camaraderie is what makes an impact on everyone’s day-to-day lives. I know I’ve experienced the immediate connection with someone at work or anywhere over Mahjong,” said Prebil.
Both Karren and Prebil have helped host these tournaments for people so they can stay active and interested in a game that has lasted for over 100 years.
Though Mahjong is being cherished by all ages of Xavier alumnae, the interest in the game has recently been more popular among the younger classes. “I think the youngest we have seen is 2018 and 2019 graduates,” Karren says.
Additionally, this game has also grown its popularity tremendously due to instructors being invited and present at games, inclining others to join. “Mahjong might seem intimidating, but it’s really not because we do offer our instructors to more of the beginners,” Murphy-Fontes said.
As this activity has grown, Xavier is hoping to also expand it to current students as well. This summer, Xavier plans to host a Mahjong tournament open to the entirety of the Xavier community. This accessibility will allow more people to learn to love the game of Mahjong.
These tournaments and events will allow all sorts of conjunction to unfold. “These experiences we have through Mahjong allow people to have a good feeling about Xavier too. It’s an amazing opportunity to see how our Xavier community is developing and changing,” said Murphy-Fontes.
If not for the recent interest in Mahjong, many alums wouldn’t have gotten together, some haven’t seen each other since their last reunions or graduations.
Mahjong is just like any other hobby or sport, making everyone engage with the dynamic of the game. Even if you don’t win, there is a sense of accomplishment within the interactions that have been made with others that might have not occurred without this activity. As seen in Xavier’s very own alumnae, this game serves as a fun way to even out the tiles and enjoy the company of others.
If alumnae are interested in participating in Xavier Mahjong events, they need to contact Maria Murphy-Fontes at [email protected].
