Over the course of the 2018-19 academic year, Bluffton’s newest student-run organization had gone from gauging interest to being funded and having a dedicated room in the basement of Neufeld Hall. On Sept. 12, the organization held its first meeting of the 2019-20 academic year.
“The purpose [of the meeting] was to have an introduction to the Esports Club for new members, and to see of any interest people would have in various aspects of the club that we offer,” said senior accounting and business administration major and Esports Club President Nicholas Hoffman, who hosted the event.
Senior Accounting and Business Administration Major and Esports Club President Nicholas Hoffman. Photo taken by Nathan Heinze
While Hoffman said he tried to schedule the meeting both early on in the year and at a time that avoided schedule conflicts, the turnout was minimal. No more than fifteen people showed up to the event, and Hoffman was the only club officer present. Despite this, Hoffman is still optimistic for the future of the club.
“I see more people down there on a regular basis,” said Hoffman. “I’d hoped that more of those members would come, but in the end, I know that any interest is good interest.”
Students who attended the meeting said it was still satisfying.
“I enjoyed it,” said Hunter McCafferty, a freshman early childhood education major. “I think it was worth my time. They got a really good setup here, and what they were talking about for the future sounds pretty good.”
As for the actual plans, Hoffman said his goal for the Esports Club is to prepare the club for the future before he graduates from Bluffton.
“My goal before I leave is to really give the club a foundation for the future,” said Hoffman. “To bring in students, to keep students around, to give them a place where they can enjoy the company of others who enjoy video games, all kinds of stuff like that.”
During the meeting, Hoffman said he hopes to get a fob reader installed for members to be able to enter at any time. Hoffman also said that he plans to get a PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch for the esports room. Currently, there are five gaming computers and an Xbox One.
As for events hosted by the club, Hoffman pointed to a potential T-shirt fundraiser as well as a tournament.
“The big thing for Esports is tournaments,” said Hoffman. “So, ideally, if I can get a tournament that has a lot of people interested in it, and maybe offer up some kind of prize for the winner, something to get more people down here and get more exposure and allow people to really have fun with it, that’s the most important part.”
The attendees of the meeting had their own ideas for what they would like to see in terms of events hosted by the club.
“I’m really looking forward for LAN tournaments,” said Zachary Stewart, a freshman pre-engineering major.
A Local Area Network, or LAN, is a network that connects devices within a limited range, such as a single room or building, instead of through the internet.
“I’m not particular on any sort of event,” said McCafferty. “I will play anything. If I can learn it, I will play it.”
Anyone interested in joining the Esports Club should contact Nicholas Hoffman by text, email or in person.
“I really encourage any other people that enjoy either playing games, watching games, or just talking about games to come down to the Neufeld basement and join the Esports Club,” said McCafferty.
