Bryan Jones
Staff Writer
On Tuesday Feb. 11, ESU celebrated the opening of its freshly renovated esports room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by students and faculty. The event, which began at 2 p.m., featured refreshments, photo opportunities and speeches as members of the ESU esports team, contributors and students gathered to celebrate the occasion.
Joseph Akob, executive director of the Student Activity Association, delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of the renovation, and how esports on campus has continued to grow, carving out a place of its own in the student community. “This demonstrates how students can build a community around their own interests,” Akob said. “The world of esports is immense, and this new space meets the wants and needs of our students. We are excited that our esports equipment meets national standards.”
Renovations featured brand new monitors, a pristine space, plush gaming chairs and high-end towers which were decorated with graphics from various games, such as Fortnite and Overwatch 2.
Among the guests who were in attendance was Alfredo Garcia, 2003 ESU alumni who addressed the audience. Cheers from the students in attendance greeted him as he stepped up to the podium for his speech, addressing the significance of esports in gaming’s current landscape.
“As a gaming platform pcs are powerful and can easily be customized,” Garcia said. “Computers can be better than consoles, and we want that for the students. To compete in esports is to learn and contributing to this helps support a better future for the program.”
Students also had a significant role in the excitement of the event. Ryan Ackerman, a senior Integrated Art Design major from Easton Pa. played a key role in the presentation of the event, after being approached by Akob and Gerard Morgan, the Director of Campus Rec & Wellness.
“I wanted to leave a lasting mark at ESU, and this was my way of doing it. “Ackerman said. “Having the chance to work on product design from conception to finalization was instrumental for me. It was a great process overall, and a lot of people contributed to that.”
Among those Ackerman credited was Fiona Badilla, an ESU alumnus of the 2024 class. While no longer in the role of a student, Ackerman was quick to point out how Badilla remained involved in helping refine some of the finer aspects of the event.
Morgan Randle, 21, a senior majoring in product design from King of Prussia, Pa. praised the effort that brought the project to life, as well as Ackerman’s leadership.
“Ryan led very well, and it was a great experience working with him and other students,” Randle said.” Seeing everything come together like this is really cool. There’s a lot of people who turned out for this, so I think the exposure is great for everyone involved.”
The event marks the impact of esports on campuses and the growth of ESU’s esports community. Now, students have access to a vastly improved and highly developed space, one where they can compete, collaborate and become further immersed in the world of competitive gaming.