Photo: Students gaming in the varsity team lounge.
ESPORTS FILLS A UNIQUE PLACE AT MHU by Teresa Buckner Director of Publications
On any given evening during the academic year, several students gather in specially-designed lounges in Wren Student Union and Wall Science Building, crank up computer systems, don headphones, and engage in online battles of epic proportions. Their competitors might be in the same room, or anywhere around the world. To the casual observer, this activity might seem like simple entertainment. But according to officials and coaches at Mars Hill University, the advent of varsity and club esports teams at the university means that MHU has joined a tsunami-wave phenomenon with ties to the one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and with implications for career and academic pursuits. “Probably one of the largest global movements going on right now is esports, and Mars Hill is tapping into that movement,” said Chief Information Officer Ted Bruner, who supervises the programs. 12 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Fall 2022
According to Bruner, incoming first-year students are increasingly searching for esports programs in the colleges or universities they choose, and so the presence of these programs at MHU make a positive difference in recruiting and retention. From a statistical point of view, he said, students who are interested in esports also tend to be interested in the STEM majors (science, technology, engineering, math), they tend to be more likely than the average student to complete their degrees, and they tend to be above average in terms of academic achievement. And, importantly, for students who enjoy esports, there is really nothing that can take its place, Bruner said, so it fills a unique position in the university’s offerings. According to President Tony Floyd, the benefits go far beyond student life, and include introducing students to career fields that didn’t even exist a few years ago. “Esports is a growing industry and has a lot of career opportunities,” Floyd said. “Interestingly, the games
