Many college students have unique hobbies, and sometimes it can be hard to find other people with those same hobbies. For League of Legends fans, NC State has the perfect place for finding other students with similar interests: the League of Legends Collegiate Club at NC State.
League of Legends is currently one of the most popular online games in the world, with a player base of over 40 million players. The club provides an easy, fun way to find and bond with some of those players that are right here on NC State’s campus.
Nezar Ghaleb, a fourth-year student studying chemistry and the current president of the club, spoke about how joining the club impacted his transition into a new environment.
“I am from Saudi Arabia, and I lived in Boston for a year before coming here,” Ghaleb said. “So when I came to North Carolina, I didn’t have any friends that played this game. Joining the club was a good way to find friends who enjoy it the way I do.”
Gaming can be a very stressful experience, particularly when it comes to competition-based games such as League of Legends. Being able to play it in a room full of other players relieves much of that stress, as mentioned by Christian Rodgers, a third-year student studying accounting.
“Being in a room where everyone is friends, all playing the same game, and no one is taking it super seriously is the most relaxing experience,” Rodgers said. “No one is scrutinizing the way you play.”
The club meets weekly to play the game together, and there are casual gatherings and competitive events where students can meet other League of Legends fans and expand their community of players and friends. These events often include viewing parties and tournaments, as Cara Garrison, a second-year student studying poultry science and the event coordinator for the club, mentioned.
“At the viewing parties, we have snacks, drinks and other items for everyone to enjoy while they play, which kind of adds to the club’s positive environment,” Garrison said. “We also have tournaments which are a lot of fun.”
This club’s accepting environment allows people from all different skill levels to join, and there are no requirements. Students can pack up their laptops and gaming gear, show up at one of the club’s meetings, and simply sit, play and have fun. It doesn’t matter how good one is at the game, as long as they are fans of League of Legends.
The club is newcomer-friendly in more ways than one. Given that this club is officially partnered with Riot Games, who developed League of Legends, they receive yearly packages from the company which include fun merchandise and helpful starter packs for the game.
“They do send us a box of merchandise every year which includes anything from stickers and lanyards to codes for different characters in the game,” Rodgers said. “You don’t have to spend as much time in-game earning these characters, which is really nice for newcomers who are not as familiar with how to do it all.”
The League of Legends Collegiate Club allow students to find their niche at NC State and become involved in the community. These clubs encourage students to feel proud of the things they are passionate about by providing them with empowering, judgment-free environments where they can play a game that they love with others who also enjoy it.
“In the past, the gaming community as a whole has been repressed into being nerds,” Ghaleb said. “Clubs like this one are changing that because it is making these hobbies more mainstream and acceptable. This club gives people a chance to experience having people that they can talk to about this hobby that they love without being ashamed.”
Those who are interested in joining can e-mail leagueatstate@gmail.com or visit the Get Involved page, found here.
