By Glen Ess (The Cascade) – Email
Students with a love for electronic gaming will be transforming the Student Union Building into a LAN party on July 22-23. The Esports Valley (ESV) club is hosting its first LANslide at UFV, an event where gamers get together, many bringing their own laptops and computers, to get their game on.
Jay MacKay, public relations manager for ESV, said that with the event day getting closer, ESV members are getting excited.
“We’ve been planning this event for an extremely long time,” she said. “It’s been over a year, and it’s finally getting close.”
Games that could be present include: League of Legends, Super Smash Bros., Hearthstone, DOTA, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Pokémon, and perhaps some party games, such as Mario Party, thrown in for good measure. The club also plans to show movies and provide a more relaxed hangout area located in the atrium.
ESV is looking to expand its community and hopes to support different games by generating more interest. The club has also been in communication with local businesses to have the event sponsored. Organizers are expecting a turnout of close to 100 people.
“We are going to stagger the types of events that we’re having throughout the day,” MacKay said. “Even though we are going to have multiple things running at once, there is probably going to be a set time for mostly League players, a set time for mostly people interested in Hearthstone, things like that.”
MacKay encouraged non-gamers to check out the event, as well.
“Even if you’re not a gamer and even if you’re not especially interested in the stuff we have to offer, you might find it to be a nice social event — a really great place to meet people,” she said. “We are pretty social and friendly people, and I think it’s a real opportunity, gamer or otherwise, to come and meet someone.”
Proceeds raised at LANslide will be donated to the Starfish Pack program at the Abbotsford Food Bank, an initiative that provides local underprivileged students with lunches.
LANslide will largely be using computers that eventgoers bring themselves, but ESV has been provided with five computers.
MacKay also hinted at some surprises in store for LANslide.
“You can expect some fun and faintly ironic surprises at LANslide,” she said. “We got something planned … a little underlying theme just for kicks.”
LANslide will run from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22 until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 23.
