A tradition carved into the kitchen table
Mark Hensch
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Focus
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They play atop a board intricately carved into Juhnke's kitchen table. The rules are simple, said Juhnke. Players strategically divide a map of the world and then battle for the territories. A roll of dice decides the winner of each skirmish, he said, and games are usually played on Saturday mornings.
"Risk is the game of global domination," said sophomore Tommy Ogden. "It is a ferocious game with extremely easy rules - it's just the strategy that takes a lot longer."
Unlike the regulation Risk playing board, Juhnke said his hand carved version is much more difficult to play on. Owing to added space and personal preference, Juhnke said he changed the number of routes one can use to attack the North American continent. He also divided Asia into two separate continents - Russia and the Orient - so players have more territory for the conquering and thus more troops.
"I wanted the game to be more historically accurate but still playable," said Juhnke. He said his divisions make the game more challenging in its strategy but more fun as well.
Loyal attendee sophomore Jeremiah Krepps said he once jokingly proposed carving an expanded version of the game into the table, and that is when Juhnke said he liked the idea and devoted about six hours one afternoon to crafting the board with a power drill.
"It was an outlandish suggestion we never thought would happen but it did," said Krepps.
Juhnke said he received the table as gift from his grandfather. Friends began stopping by for dinner to decorate the surface with their names, beloved quotes, and inside jokes. From there, a highly personalized playing surface developed, which also included a unique scoring system.
"The winner of each game adds a notch to their carved name in the board," Ogden said, who also inscribed Robert Frost's "A Question" by his name. "Second place winners get an asterisk by their name - they didn't win, but they weren't totally defeated either."
He said the games themselves are drawn-out battles with political backstabbing and daring maneuvers.
The game usually takes place on Saturday mornings because of its long and exhausting nature. The house record is 11 hours, Juhnke said.
"We play all day not just because of our schedules but because it might take all day to finish the game," Ogden said. "The globe doesn't wait till Monday to be dominated."
Sophomore Will Bartlett said the game is rife with superstition. Bartlett is renowned for his unusual dice rolling style.
"Will throws [the dice] up and catches them like a pancake," said Juhnke. "He has magical rolls when he does that."
He said since first beginning to play Risk midway through the fall semester, a revolving cast of 10 players have graced his board. He said he anticipates the pursuit lasting for the foreseeable future.
Ogden agrees.
"It's a nice chance to laugh and maybe get a little angry," he said.
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