6 Sept, 1, 2021 Campus Voices | COVID-19 | Move-in | News | Esports | Entertainment | Review | Feature | Sports
GAME ON MUSTANGS: ESPORTS AND
PHOTO COURSTESY OF ZACHARY ZOET AND ESPORT SUPPLY
A mock-up view of the planned gaming and esports lounge, Aug 20. COLIN STEVENSON PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR ith their official launch on Aug. 23, MSU Texas Esports and Stangs Gaming Club are looking to provide for students in a new way on career and social levels. While they have heavy overlap, these two organizations ultimately have different goals.
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MSU Texas Esports
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSUTEXAS.EDU
MSU Texas Esports logo.
MSU Texas Esports will consist of varsitylevel competitive teams. These players will be eligible for scholarships which will be funded through the Student Affairs division. However, supporting players are not the only goal of the esports group. Funds from Student Affairs have also been set aside for potential “student workers” that will help the teams, and there will be opportunities to gain experience in fields beyond play, such as announcing, team management and shout casting. “[The esports group] wants to work with those who might not want to just compete,” Zachary Zoet, manager of the organizations, said. “[The teams would] provide tools to make them competitive in a hyper-competitive space.” Tryouts for the first varsity-level competitive team happened on Aug. 24. The team’s focus was for the game Rocket League, which was chosen due to surveys showing a strong player base inside MSU. The esports organization cur-
rently has a Living-Learning Program on the fourth floor in Legacy Hall with students living in it this year. “It’s great to [live with] people with similar interests,” Payton Cox, computer science sophomore, said. “If any of us wanted to play games competitively, we just knock on another person’s door and ask ‘Hey, you play this game?’ And you might get something.”
Stangs Gaming Club
Stangs Gaming Club is a social recreational group more focused on casual gaming, including tabletop and card games. It is unlikely to provide scholarships and will act as a new way for students to connect without any competitive pressure. Zoet talked about how this organization could help students reach out in new ways. “People are making connections across the internet, and I feel like people could make those connections here at MSU with a group like [Stangs Gaming Club],” Zoet said. “I want to better carve out spaces for everyone to be able to find a place.” While the club is not focused on varsity-level competitive play, it will still be accommodating those who enjoy recreational competition. Announced on Aug. 25, a team will be made for the game Apex Legends and will compete in an open division team league. “We’ll be having tryouts [for the team] soon, so look forward to that,” Zoet said.
