Chess. What is commonly known as a board game with black and white pieces, is now known to DSST students as a game to connect and socialize. Founded by senior Peter Thompson, and run by fellow senior and chess enthusiast Nathan Etifah,  Chess club has been a huge hit since it has been implemented into the school’s extracurricular activities in the 2021-2022 school year. Not only is it a place of “inclusivity and fun”, said founder Peter Thompson, but students also feel as it progresses their mind and thinking ability. Senior Henoc Mahary (found to the right) stated that chess, “it allows my brain to be able to work at a slow pace”, which really counters the fast-moving and rigorous workload at DSST.  Chess really focuses on strategy, patience, and critical thinking, all of which DSST students have in abundance. But it is a great way for students to put these traits and skills into something else rather than a test or mountains of homework. But as many students have said, they don’t use it solely for chess. Student Mikias Berhane said, “I walk in every day to the chess club, seeing people I have never met before, but ready to socialize and get to know them over chess.”. Chess is merely a pawn for these students to achieve their bigger goal of getting to know other people with the same interests and people they have never met before. Chess club has been a huge success with multiple students and even faculty members asking when the next meeting is so they can exercise their minds but, more importantly, meet new people and learn new things.