Earlier this year, handmade Lego club posters began appearing across campus promoting a new student group. Trinity’s official club and organization list shows no Lego-related groups, but a few students have started one. With no budget to build a big campaign, club officers turned to old-fashion DIY marketing, resulting in those handmade posters.

According to Gabriel Garza, junior computer science major and club founder, the idea of starting a Lego club has lingered ever since his first year, but he was unsure whether there were enough people at Trinity that might be interested. He said his concerns were assuaged last year, after seeing a similar club gain popularity.

“I saw that the Pokémon Go club’s GroupMe was blossoming and growing,” Garza said. “All of a sudden, not only was a Lego club a desire, but it seemed like a possibility.”

Garza said that stumbling on a Lego piece changed his attitude when deciding to finalize the club.

“What kept my spirit strong was, one day, while I was walking to class, I found a Lego piece on the floor out in the open, and it inspired me,” Garza said. “I knew that there must be other people who love Legos here.”

Garza took the initiative to start the Lego club this semester, hoping it would attract other people who were also interested in building Legos. Garza said he wants to bring people together and have fun. On a larger scale, he said he plans on creating a Lego building competition.

“In the future, hopefully, I am able to introduce competition meetings, and it was proposed for us to go on Lego buying trips,” Garza said. Garza said that introducing these types of organizations allows for both creativity and community.

The Lego club is not official, meaning that it does not receive funding nor does the university recognize it. Owen Story, junior computer science major, has attended all of the current meetings that the club has hosted.

“The club is pretty free range, I’ve missed being a child and playing with Lego. It really appeals to me,” Story said.

The feeling of nostalgia also resonates with members like Gael Hernandez, junior computer science major. Hernandez pointed out that it brings him comfort, something that separates the club apart from others.

“I think that the interaction with other people who also enjoy building Legos is nostalgic, like nostalgic bonding with other people,” Hernandez said.

For Hernandez, having these types of support groups are unique since no other groups on campus have focused on childhood toys. The club has gradually been connecting as a group to work on larger projects that everyone takes part in, he said.

“The first day, we all separated and made our own planes. We slowly decided to work together to make larger builds,” Hernandez said. “It’s like connecting yourself to others.”

Ana Barba, junior computer science major,  said she values having a space designated for creative expression without set rules or structure. According to her, the club provides a comfortable space where she can express herself in ways she hadn’t thought of before.

“We usually don’t follow a specific plan. Gabriel tells us that we can make anything, just to look through the pieces, and something will come up. Then you realize there aren’t many instances where I have to come up with something organically without instructions,” Barba said.

The idea of collected thinking is something that both Hernandez and Story said provided comfort. Garza said that in the future, he hopes the club will expand through advertising and inclusivity. He said that expansion will bring more attention to the group, allowing for a budget and the possibility of making his plans a reality.