It’s a bright, crisp Sunday afternoon at Guilford. Outside, the campus is calm and quiet, with barely a breeze to disturb the docile atmosphere; inside, students roam their dorms, peacefully going about their business. But inside King Hall, loud wars are waging, powerful weapons are clashing, and fearsome creatures are fighting all at the hands of a couple of dice-wielding, game- loving college students.

Welcome to What the Hell Con, Guilford’s annual gaming and anime convention sponsored by the Yachting Club. Once a year, a building on campus is converted to a geek haven for the weekend, featuring everything from Dungeons & Dragons-style tabletop games, to anime, to video games and absolutely everything in between. No matter what your nerdy niche, you’re sure to find it there, as well as some other people who appreciate it.

On this day, I’m standing outside King Hall, nervously eyeing the sign that directs me inside for registration. It may seem strange to say I feel nervous, but I do; I’m one of those closet gamers who quietly enjoys a bit of video and tabletop gaming on the side, but isn’t entirely avid about either. Sure, I have Nintendo emulators on my computer and a set of dice in my drawer, but what if I’m not geeky enough for the crowd?

Hushing my insecurities, I step inside the building. A pleasant buzz of chatter and conversation fills my ears, and I’m immediately struck by the volume of people as compared to last year’s Con. It seems significantly bigger.

Stepping into one of the first rooms confirms my suspicion. Last year, there were only two small rooms with a handful of tables for vendors and artists. This year, there are three rooms and plenty more of both tables and space.

“We’ve actually doubled the number of artists we had last year,” says senior Kass James when I ask him about the increase.

They doubled the amount? Wow. That would explain the move from Duke, where the Con was held last year, to the larger rooms of King. Curious to see what brings so many people here this year, I ask one of the vendors, a man named Raymond Duncan, why he’s there.

“Kass contacted us at some point,” says Duncan, who works at an anime store in Raleigh. “This being a college campus with a younger crowd, we thought it’d be a good turnout.

Of course, I have to know: was it?

“Yeah,” he replies, smiling. “It’s been fun.”

Most of the tables aren’t manned by vendors selling products, but by artists of various web and print comics. Coming to this convention is an opportunity for any artist to gain fans and put their name out there, but more than that, it’s a good time.

“This is my least organized convention I’ve ever done,” says Vanessa Ross, a Greensboro-based artist sitting at one of the tables. “But it’s been a blast. I’m going to come back next year.”

As I’m finishing up my conversation in the artists’ room, a group of Con-goers prance jovially in, pushing a large ball. They’re emulating the popular Playstation 2 game “Katamari Damacy,” where the objective is to roll up as many items into a ball, a katamari, as possible. In everyday activity, this simulation would probably catch more than a few strange looks, but here, no one gives it a second thought.

I follow the group out and then break off, heading to the basement to explore more rooms. One staple of the Con, the video game room, has expanded notably since last year. What was previously a room with two games now houses two computers, five different game systems, and a myriad of games to choose from. It’s busy, too; not a screen or system is left untouched.

Timidly, I ask if I can get in on a game of virtual bowling that I see people playing. The response is overwhelmingly friendly. Despite my initial unease, no one’s called me out on my lack of geeky-ness so far – in fact, no one’s made me feel anything short of welcome.

My next destination after the video game room is another staple of the Con – the “John Hatch Memorial Game Room.” This room features every card and board game in assistant professor of mathematics Jon Hatch’s collection – which is an impressive amount. I hear laughter as I enter, a sure sign that the game of “Apples to Apples” I see underway is going well. The board game room is always a popular attraction, but it got especially crowded this year.

“Several times, this room was full to capacity. People were playing on the floor,” Hatch tells me. “Every year, we get a little bit bigger.”

Once the game ends, the players help pack up Hatch’s collection, slowly returning their three-day gaming haven back to the classroom it originally was. As much fun as everyone is having, the Con is almost over. Closing ceremonies begin soon, signaling an end to the long weekend.

I use the time it takes people to migrate from their various activities to the ceremonies to ask a few questions about what I missed. The event I’m most eager to hear about is many people’s favorite event of the Con, not to mention the most charitable – the Geek Auction.

Every year, males are “auctioned off” at the Geek Auction. Whoever wins the geek gets to nab him for the dance immediately afterwards. All proceeds from the event go to Child’s Play, a charity that organizes worldwide toy drives for children’s hospitals. This year, senior Kaitlin Daly informs me, the auction made over $600.

“It’s a significant increase from last year,” says she, looking proud. “We’re happy with it.”

This increase can undoubtedly be attributed to the Con’s growth over the past year, a fact I see reflected in the number of people at closing ceremonies. The numbers aren’t overwhelming, but the room is definitely packed.

It’s not just packed with familiar faces, either. This year’s Con attracted people from the Guilford community, wider Greensboro community, and beyond.