Katie Samek-
The Gustavus Esports League would like to cordially invite you to their Esports Open House, which will be held every Friday through the end of the academic school year from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the newly opened Esports facility, located in Beck Hall room 303. This event is open to both students and faculty and will feature an open gaming room for all to try as well as information on the program itself.
Esports is a relatively new organization here on campus, initially being founded in Fall 2021 as a student organization. Over the last few years, the team has expanded from a small group of dedicated students to an officially recognized club sport, complete with its own on-campus facility located in Beck Hall and a full-time Esports director, Even Haldeman. Currently, there are four teams that students can join, each corresponding to a different competitive game: Valorant, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Super Smash Bros.
“Esports here at Gustavus started off as a student org back in the fall of 2021 – my first year here,” Junior Lukas Lennartson said. “I’ve been involved with Esports at Gustavus for the past 3 years. I’m currently a member of the Valorant team under the display name tototie, and just last week, we celebrated our playoffs victory for the second semester in a row.”
Within the last year, the student members of the Esports team took it upon themselves to advocate for a dedicated space and an official director, going to some of the higher-ups at Gustavus to make their case. Their requests were officially granted at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, and this open house event will serve as a way for students interested in learning more about the Esports program at Gustavus to learn about all of the new changes that have come to the organization and view the updated space.
“Esports is beginning to work its way out of the niche here on campus and that is wholly in part to the students that participate,” Haldeman said. “We have been founded and supported by a strong group of students that have built this program to be one for the students, by the students.”
While the Esports team is still relatively small, it has gained several new members through the events it has hosted over the last few years, including tournaments for both MarioKart and Super Smash Bros. At the heart of this organization is a group of dedicated student gamers who have built a welcoming, inclusive community for all Gusties to compete, have fun, and make friends.
Students interested in joining the Esports League here at Gustavus can reach out to team director Evan Haldeman at ehaldeman@gustavus.edu. Students can also support the Esports team and watch matches through their official Twitch channel, which can be found at GustavusEsports.
“Currently, there are 4 official teams, which are Valorant, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Super Smash Bros,” Lennartson said. “If you are interested in any of those games, then please reach out. Also, if you want to suggest a game that you’re currently interested in, you can reach out to [Haldeman] for that as well and suggest that a new team be made for it.”
The Esports team is also looking for interested faculty who might be open to incorporating Esports into their programming and requests that those faculty reach out to Haldeman for more information and to discuss specifics.
“We want to stress that all students are welcome in our space, regardless of prior experience or skill level,” Haldeman said. “This organization has a lot of heart behind it, and we’d love to see it continue to flourish and expand throughout the coming years.”