New eSports Arena Opens!
Students who are on the eSports Team led a crowd of other students, professors, staff, College officials, SUNY representatives, local high school eSports coaches, and community members to the latest modern addition to campus: a new eSports Arena. Most of the gamers were seeing the arena for the first time themselves, as it was just completed and transforms a former café on the ground floor of Elston Hall into a high-tech video gaming space featuring three areas: an arena outfitted with15 high-end MSI Aegis RS2 gaming PCs and 27” monitors, a “shoutcasting” broadcast booth for in-game commentary, and a student lounge for casual video game play that houses consoles for Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch and space for traditional role or board games. The College held a Grand Opening for the new arena on December 3.
Elijah West and Noah Wylie, members of the eSports Team
Daniel Van Buren, Gaming Club President, and Cooper Hewison, eSports Specialist and Team Coach, in the broadcasting booth in the new eSports Arena
SUNY Schenectady eSports Team members compete in weekly matches in the SUNY eSports League and ECAC League. 28 students were on the team this semester, the first rostered team for the College, with three players reaching the playoffs. Students were integral in the development of the new arena, providing their insight about what they wanted the arena to encompass to enhance their gaming and college experience.
Daniel Van Buren, who is majoring in Teacher Education Transfer and is President of the Gaming Club, assisted College officials in plans for the new space. “I am beyond excited about the opening of our new eSports Arena, as are my club members,” Van Buren said. “We cannot wait to begin competing for the College and showing SUNY eSports competitors that Schenectady is a formidable opponent. We hope that the eSports program on campus will promote the further growth of community and friendship at SUNY Schenectady.”
Valerie Dent, Interim Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and Associate Vice Chancellor
and Chief Deputy for Student Success, SUNY System; Dr. Steady Moono, President, SUNY
Schenectady; and Dr. Carlos M. Cotto, Jr., Superintendent, Schenectady City School
District, during the Grand Opening for the new esports Arena
Dr. Steady Moono, College President, noted that eSports is another way to connect students to the College. “We created the new eSports Arena to enhance the student experience whether students want to play competitively or enjoy a fun gaming experience with their friends,” he said. “eSports is another innovative way to bring students together to give them a well-rounded and meaningful college experience, and eSports is accessible to players of all skill levels. We are welcoming new students who are interested in the eSports Team and gaming in a competitive atmosphere, as well as students who just want to be part of a vibrant gaming community on campus.”
Funding for the arena was provided by SUNY through Strategic Enrollment Funds. Valerie Dent, Interim Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges and Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Deputy for Student Success, SUNY System, explained the significance of SUNY’s support of campus enhancements like this one. “In the past few years, we have witnessed the popularity of eSports grow exponentially. Several SUNY campuses have developed state-of-the-art eSports labs like the one here at SUNY Schenectady and we love to see our student players passionately honing their craft,” Dent said. “With this incredible new arena, and as a member of the SUNY Esports League, SUNY Schenectady students will have more competitive opportunities within the world of eSports and help make SUNY Schenectady a top choice for students looking to pursue eSports in college.”