Natalie Irula
Editor-in-Chief
The ESU Esports Room had its grand unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday morning as the campus community came together to celebrate this pivotal event.
The room is located on the ground floor of the Mattioli Recreation Center and is open to all students.
The ribbon was officially cut by Interim President Kenneth Long, ESU Esports President Joshua Weiss, Student Activities Association Executive Director Joe Akob, Student Government President Andrea Jackson and Vice President of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence Santiago Solis.
Through ESU Esports, students have access to 10 high-end, full-spec. Alienware PCs, gaming mice, keyboard and chairs, three flat-screen TV’s and various games and gaming consoles.
“About five years ago, Joe [Akob] was explaining to me the importance of esports and he said, ‘Ken, you just don’t realize students are carrying 32 inch TVs across campus so they can play in the same room. You have to build something for them,’” said Long, thinking back to when the idea was still just that.
ESU Esports has come a long way since it was founded in 2018 and was just recognized by the university as a club sport last year.
The board, consisting of the aforementioned Club President Weiss, Vice President Erik Darling, Secretary Jonathan Hillanbrand and Treasurer Natalie Irula, has been working tirelessly to get this club off the ground due to high demand from students.
“We’ve been working very hard to get this club where it is right now, and it’s amazing to have this room here,” said Weiss in his speech.
“After the last year and a half, we’ve been running our club completely remote, online.”
“So, to be able to be here and meet everybody face-to-face and have a space where everyone can come together and celebrate what we’ve built is amazing.”
As a board member myself, I can say it is refreshing to have such support from the school as interest in the club continues to grow.
Currently, ESU Esports has five teams competing in collegiate tournaments for games such as League of Legends and Valorant.
The gaming industry is already the most lucrative business in the entertainment industry and it is presently, and rapidly, making waves in the sports industry.
“This new cutting-edge facility provides an all-encompassing experience from education to casual gaming to high-end competition,” said Long.
“And if this room is not enough, the university is working on a second room designed for students that want to learn how to create video games for this rapidly growing multi-billion dollar industry.”
ESU Esports would like to formally thank the ESU community, specifically the student body, for all of their support in making a dream a reality.
Stay tuned for updates about ESU Esports on the Sports page!
Email Natalie at:
nirula@live.esu.edu
