The St. Joseph’s University, New York’s esports club hosted open houses on Jan. 27 and 28, inviting students to get a feel for everything it has to offer and to join its gaming community. The club held its meeting inside the gaming lounge and esports room, a dedicated space inside the Student Center on the Long Island Campus.
Starting from humble beginnings, SJNY’s esports club began in 2019, predating the construction of the gaming room and originally meeting in the basement of the Business Technology Center. When the new esports space opened in 2023, the club saw its member count increase practically overnight, according to Jake McCarthy ‘26, a journalism and new media major, who is also one of the club’s captains.
“This club is a great way to meet people, get together and hang out,” McCarthy commented.
Currently, the club has approximately 80 members.
The Esports gaming lounge is open to all SJNY students, whether they prefer competitive or casual gaming.
The list of competitive games students can participate in include Rocket League, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Brothers, Valorant, Mario Kart and League of Legends.
Jasmine Garcia ‘25, an English adolescence major and esports club president, said her goal is to ensure a safe environment for everybody to make new friends and play video games.
“Since the program is relatively new, we are also trying to improve the program from within to bring the school’s program to a similar level and prestige as other universities as well,” Garcia said.
The esports club is available to SJNY students of all talents and ranks, offering a fun and engaging environment for both competitive or casual gaming. Anyone interested in joining can email esports.li@student.sjny.edu.
