GREENEVILLE – Whether they were contemplating their next move, moving their hands furiously on a console or rolling dice, people of all ages enjoyed the camaraderie with each other during the latest edition of Pioneer CON at Tusculum University.
Tusculum students Trinity Upton, left, and Isabella Gall, enjoy Dungeons & Dragons.
Some of the competitors play chess during Pioneer CON.
The university hosted this opportunity in the morning and afternoon Saturday, April 12, for adults and children to fuel their competitive juices or learn something new with a wide variety of games. Participants played chess, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and Super Smash Brothers in the Meen Center. They also purchased items from vendors, watched movies and were part of cosplay.
“Pioneer CON was a big success, and we are already excited about holding it again in 2026,” said Dr. Harold Branstrator, associate professor of management, who organized the event. “We love serving as an outlet for people who play these games on a regular basis and seek another venue where they can pursue their hobby in a friendly but competitive atmosphere. It was also nice to see several people who explored a game for the first time, and we are confident that will spur interest in playing further in the future.”
Perspectives from players
Competitors play Magic: The Gathering.
Joseph Medeck, who oversaw the chess tournament stands with the two winners, who tied. They are Evan Patrick in the middle and David Fischler on the right.
David Fischler of Johnson City, learned about Pioneer CON from a friend in Jonesborough. He has played chess since he was 6 years old and has participated in tournaments since he was a teenager. He had a great time Saturday.
“Chess is exercise for the mind and requires strategic thinking and serious concentration,” Fischler said. “It also contains an aesthetic aspect that enables players to see the beauty in the patterns of the games. This chess tournament is more casual than the typical tournament because it is not rated, so no one is on edge about losing rating points. I didn’t know anyone who attended this tournament, so I was able to learn more about my opponents a bit.”
Alexander Ebrahimi of Greeneville participated in the Magic: The Gathering tournament. He likes the game’s complexity.
“It’s just a normal card game, but when you get into it, you have so many triggers, so many abilities and so many other things that go into it,” Ebrahimi said. “It’s requiring you to actually think about it. You’re playing cards for a reason. You’re calculating, you’re mapping it and you’re doing the math. I’m enjoying the socialization at this tournament. I love hanging out with everyone. It’s a good time.”
Ebrahimi’s father, Isaac, is owner of House of Games, and he partnered with Dr. Nick Davidson, assistant dean of Tusculum’s Sport Studies Division, on the Warhammer 40K tournament.
Vendors were on hand to sell products.
Melinda Kern plays Warhammer 40K. She won the tournament.
Melinda Kern of Kingsport has played Warhammer 40K for two or three years, and her inspiration dates to her youth when she would go to the card shop with her brother. She would see boxes of bug guys from the Warhammer game, and she wanted to have them but could not because she did not have the money at the time. Now that she is an adult, she has the disposable income to purchase them.
Kern’s favorite part of the game is painting her models.
“I think they look so cool, and playing the game is a secondary bonus,” she said. “The game is strategic, but it’s also so tactile. You have your little guys, and you are able to send them out there. It’s fun because everyone cares so much about their army. They will tell you about theirs and how they painted them and all the time they spent. It’s a really social game, which is a lot of fun. I’ve seen people go to tournaments who have never played before just to hang out. I feel like you don’t see that in a lot of other games.”
She came at Dr. Davidson’s invitation through an online group for the game’s players. So did Alex Allen from Big Stone Gap, Virginia, who has also played the game for about two years. He took the day off to come to the tournament.
Here are some of the Warhammer 40K competitors.
“I really like playing this game and have a lot of money invested in it,” Allen said. “It’s a nice hobby to have. I already had some of the models, and I wanted to get into the game. I convinced a friend to buy into it with me. We started playing together, and then we met other people in the community. I’ve been sticking with it since. I like putting the models together and the painting and have enjoyed today seeing what other people have. The game has a lot of story books around, too, and I like to read them. There is something for everyone.”
Dr. Davidson said everything went well with the Warhammer 40K tournament. This time, he spent the day putting together models for him to play in future games while ensuring the tournament ran smoothly.
“Everyone is having a really great time,” he said. “We’ve had another excellent turnout today. We’re enjoying ourselves and loving the view of the mountains from our venue in the Meen boardroom.”
Dungeons & Dragons attracted some new players for the one-shots, including Tusculum sophomore Trinity Upton, who is seeking a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a pre-medical, dental and veterinary concentration. She thought it would be fun to try the game.
“It’s always fascinated me,” she said. “I just wanted to see what it was like. It’s very versatile. You get to pick different things that happen if you are the dungeon master. It was just really fun to play. Every time, it could be something different. I already have someone I know that wants to play, so I guess I will try to teach what I know.”
Tusculum students Emme Foster, left, and Haylee Miller participate in Dungeons & Dragons.
Dakota Hammonds, front, a Tusculum University alumnus, plays Super Smash Bros. He won that tournament.
Shannon Elliott, instructor of biology at the university, who has played the game for about a year, came to Dungeons & Dragons with her son, Keldan. She decided to play Dungeons & Dragons because he plays the game. Mother and son adopted a Viking theme for their cosplay outfit as well to play Dungeons & Dragons Saturday. She was excited to play with him.
“I enjoyed the game – the silliness and the random, wild shenanigans,” Elliott said.
Keldan has also played for a year, drawn to Dungeons & Dragons through events held at the Johnson City Public Library. The library hosts Dungeons & Dragons one-shots for teenagers every month, and he was immediately hooked.
“I had been wanting to find a new role play game that was not online,” he said. “I wanted a board game, and D&D appealed to me. It provides an excuse for me to do math over the weekends, too. I also like doing whatever you want in this game instead of having to follow certain rules – you do this or you do that. Instead, you can be like, ‘There are a thousand different possibilities. What can I do here?’”
Tournament results
The tournament results were:
- Chess – A tie between David Fischler, who is affiliated with the Tri-Cities and Johnson City chess clubs, and Evan Patrick, who is affiliated with the Greeneville Chess Club
- Warhammer 40K – Melinda Kern, first place; Duncan Buchanan, second place; Jeremiah Stout, third place; and Wesley Biggs, best painted
- Super Smash Bros. – Dakota Hammonds
- Magic: The Gathering – a draw
More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.