The 海角社区CI Esports Club has a lounge in Trinity Hall where Esports tournaments commence.
By Michael Briley
The 海角社区CI Esports Club lounge in Trinity Hall is the site of high-energy, high-intensity intercollegiate and intramural Esports tournaments. It鈥檚 also a welcoming space where more casual video gamers can walk in, hang out, make new friends and chill.
It鈥檚 a place that fosters students鈥 personal growth, close observers say.
鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e seen and heard from students, Esports has a really positive impact on those who participate,鈥 says Daniel Stewart, Information Technology Consultant, and staff advisor for the Esports Club.
鈥淪tudents involved in the club and competition are fully engaged in the college experience. They鈥檙e learning to collaborate, manage their time, and balance academics, work and extracurriculars. These are real-world skills that will benefit them long after graduation.鈥
Esports sharpens focus and builds meaningful relationships, observes Esports Club President Chris Hernandez, a junior Computer Science major. 鈥淏ut while it offers a lot of benefits, it can also add stress from gaming if you don鈥檛 know how to manage it.鈥
Esports was shut down at 海角社区CI in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but beginning in 2023, a student assistant was intent on reviving it. 鈥淚 joined him on his long journey of bringing the club back,鈥 Chris recalls. 鈥淎long the way, I made plenty of friends. I鈥檓 really grateful for the opportunity to be part of something great.鈥
鈥淏efore I joined, I didn鈥檛 interact with many of my peers. But now, I鈥檝e been introduced
to a ton of awesome people, many of whom have become great friends.鈥
鈥揟aylor Mack
In that last couple of years, the Esports Club has entered tournaments, built connections with the local community, and importantly, gained its space, the Esports Lounge. The club shares the space with other clubs as it can.
Taylor Mack, a senior majoring in Computer Science who oversees event coordination with the Esports Club, says that working with the club is teaching him 鈥渟oft skills鈥 necessary for future success.
But Taylor鈥檚 favorite aspect of Esports is the sense of community it engenders. 鈥淏efore I joined, I didn鈥檛 interact with many of my peers. But now, I鈥檝e been introduced to a ton of awesome people, many of whom have become great friends,鈥 says Taylor. 鈥淭o me and others, our club is something that unites us behind a common interest.鈥
The club returned in 2023 after a two year hiatus.
Contrary to the common mantra of conventional sports, winning competitions is not the most important part of Esports, says Daniel Stewart.
鈥淲hile performing well and aiming for victory are certainly goals, the real value lies in team building, communication and learning how to work together,鈥 he says. 鈥淧layers develop important skills like leadership, adaptability and finding their role within a team. These experiences are just as rewarding 鈥 and often more lasting 鈥 than any trophy.鈥