The E-Sports department at Cardonald ran a pilot series of lunchtime gaming sessions in February.
The sessions, ran on the 4th floor at the campus every Wednesday in February, gave students on the course and out with it the opportunity to socialise and play some legendary games such as Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.
We spoke to one of the organisers, Victor Leal, an E-Sports NQ student at Cardonald and member of the college’s Overwatch team, during the first session to find out what it’s all about.
“It’s just a way for people who enjoy gaming, and even people who haven’t really played much before, to get involved and realise there are others in the college who enjoy it too. They can make new friends through that.”
With dedicated stations set up for both Mario Kart and Smash Bros., and future events expected to have individual PC’s available for gamers to play some of their favourites, students and staff go head-to-head with friends, and sometimes even lecturers, in a relaxed but competitive atmosphere.
Those not playing still take part, cheering from the sidelines or chatting with fellow gamers.
We caught up with Textiles Student Natalie at the event to get her thoughts:
“It’s actually my first time gaming with other people in the same room, it’s been fun and a nice experience.”
We asked if Natalie would be back for future events and she said:
“Yep, 100%”.
The lunchtime sessions are designed to be informal and welcoming, giving students a chance to unwind between classes while connecting with others who share similar interests. Whether participants are playing on hard mode or easy, the focus remains on community, fun, and friendly competition.
With the sessions running throughout February, organisers were keen to see even more students drop in and in their own words: “Come up, sit down, play & have fun.”
Stay tuned to find out when the next series of gaming sessions will be announced.
