A UF sophomore hopes to win a triple-word score with a new club on campus.
Nathaniel Shull, 19, created the Student Scrabble Society, a UF student club devoted to the popular board game Scrabble.
The Student Scrabble Society will hold its first meeting tonight at 8 p.m. in the entrance of Pugh Hall.
Shull said he has played the game since he was a child with family and friends, and when he found out there was no club at UF, he decided to make one.
"The club brings about something new," he said. "It's an enjoyable activity."
Scrabble is a word game in which players score points by creating words from lettered tiles on a game board, according to the official Scrabble Web site.
Shull said one of the club's long-term goals is to break the Guinness World Record for Most Simultaneous Games of Scrabble.
According to the Guinness World Records Web site, the record for the most games of Scrabble played at once was 521 games by 1,042 participants at Singapore schools in 2006.
"I'd like to see this world record be broken, but you have to start small," Shull said.
Setting a new record is not feasible right now, but it could happen eventually if more people get involved in the club, he said.
Kristie Serrano, a UF freshman and club treasurer, said she wants to help break the record someday, but she wants the Student Scrabble Society to do community service first.
The Student Scrabble Society set a goal to raise $400 for Metropolitan Ministries, a homeless shelter in Tampa, Serrano said.
Chelsea Hetelson, a UF English junior, loves to play Scrabble on the weekends with her roommates and is excited to join the club.
"It's a good idea because it's not just a silly game," she said. "It's challenging. You can learn things."
Hetelson said she wants to help break the record, and the club should attempt it if enough students express interest.
Shull said the Student Scrabble Society plans to host a game in Turlington Plaza or on the Plaza of the Americas to attract potential members.
"I know there are so many people interested, and it's my job to get to these people," Shull said.
