By By: Ashley Rose
Photographer/Staff-Writer
Between assignments, exams, early morning classes and geese, students have a lot to deal with during the semester. Most students admit to struggling to find a way to enjoy themselves and have fun while being a student. Senior Reginald Williams is hoping to bring the fun to IU South Bend with a new student organization, the Intramural Gaming League. Sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, Williams is bringing gaming to campus in a whole new way.
English Education major Williams may be in his final semester at IU South Bend, but that is not stopping him from doing his best to enrich the lives of fellow Titans. Upon discussing the possibilities of creating this club with Housing Director Scott Strittmater, Williams received the approval and invested in a Xbox Series X and games for the River Crossing Community Building.
The structure of the club creates variety for students who choose to participate. Each week, a game will be randomly selected through a generator. Once the game is selected, students can vote to be placed in a bracket, then compete in games throughout the week against other students. A winner of the bracket will be announced each Friday, then the selection of a new game will follow.
Want to game but you don’t have a console? Students can decide they want to use their own device at home, or they can use the devices at the community building, which includes the Xbox Series X and a Nintendo Switch. While these consoles cannot be removed from the community building, students can gather to play games together in front of the fireplace.
Games selected each week can vary from PlayStation games, to Xbox or Nintendo Switch. The ultimate goal with the club is to include as many people as possible in a fun, carefree environment.
An important aspect to gaming that Williams mentioned is community. As an avid gamer himself, Williams spends a lot of time gaming online with people he doesn’t know in person. Gaming allows individuals to make friends across the world through different streaming platforms, bringing together a large community.
“Knowing there were a lot of people on campus that play video games and own a gaming console, I thought why not build a community for gamers on campus?” Williams stated.
While the club is new to campus, Williams is hoping to grow the student participation over this semester in hopes of handing off leadership to someone else for the following semesters. Students interested in joining can scan the QR code attached to the article, or email Reginald Williams at regiwill@iu.edu.
