“Did you just shoot me, Doug?” asks Alan Austin, freshman in computer science.

Doug smiles, then starts laughing.

“I hate you,” says Austin as he stares at the television screen, waiting for the countdown to begin so he can continue playing. It’s unclear whether he is talking to his killer, Doug Holm, freshman in computer science, or the heavily armored, green-colored player Holm is controlling onscreen.

It’s a Sunday night, which means the ISU Halo Club is having its biweekly meeting — although “meeting” has to have a fairly loose definition for this group. Dozens of gamers meet twice a month in the Terrace Room of Friley Hall to link together a few massive televisions and Microsoft XBox video game consoles before destroying one another in the popular video game “Halo.”

Or at least that’s what normally happens.

“I don’t know what the deal is tonight,” says club president Michael Boxleiter, gesturing at the comparatively low turnout. Boxleiter, freshman in computer engineering, started the club last semester with Matthew Nivarel, sophomore in pre-computer science.

After playing the game with some friends in Helser Hall, these high school buddies saw the need for more there than the occasional “Halo” gathering.

“It was fun,” Boxleiter says, “but we thought it would be cool to get some actual organization and start a club.”

The original idea for the club came about in October, Boxleiter says.

“The club was official in December,” Nivarel says. “The first meeting was the weekend before the break and about 32 people showed up. That was way more than we expected.”

The club has become even more popular after winter break. As word got around, more than 40 people showed up, controllers in hand.

“With four XBoxes, you could have up to 16 people playing. With the 40 people showing up … That was a crazy day,” says Nivarel, shaking his head.

Indeed, tonight’s turnout is atypical of normal meetings, with Boxleiter pointing out the club has 42 “official” members.

“If you come and play, you’re a member,” Boxleiter says. “If you want to play, just show up. We’re not too strict on the whole member thing.”

This is evident in the fact that whenever a random student walks through the Terrace Room, some members yell out “You wanna play?” or “Come join ‘Halo!'”

The request is usually met with a negative reply or a promise to come back later, but that doesn’t stop the club from trying.

Despite the random threats and cursing coming from all corners of the spacious Terrace Room, a general feeling of camaraderie can be sensed among the players, club members or not. Laughter pervades the space as more and more people come by, some lugging televisions and some just stopping by to watch the action.

“We’re hoping to keep doing this for a while,” Boxleiter says. “Maybe have a tournament that offers prizes and invites all of Iowa to play.”

The sun begins to set as the meeting stretches into its fourth hour, yet the club members show no sign of slowing down. A couple of hours ago, there was talk between some members of going to a couple of parties, but that idea seems to have been forgotten.

More people show up, one cradling a small television, another grasping an equally large box of Mike and Ike candy. The players exchange greetings without looking up from their TV screens as the newcomers plug in their equipment. No one asks if they are members, but it doesn’t really matter — everyone is here to play video games and hang out with friends.

Over in the corner, among a larger group of people, Alan and Doug are still going at it onscreen. But this time, they’re on the same team.