Photos by Ralph Freso
Gaming is a big part of childhood, whether it be video games, board games or diving into a game of hide and seek outside. They shape our formative years.
But it doesn't have to stop in adulthood.
That was apparent at Grand Canyon University's first G.A.M.E. Conference this weekend to educate college students on how to turn what might be a hobby into a professional career.
“Gaming brings together so many different elements of entertainment,” College of Arts and Media Dean Dr. Craig Detweiler said.
“The perception of gaming as an isolating activity, I think, is utterly wrong. It’s one of the most social things this generation does. We are proving that by bringing people together across disciplines into one beloved community.”
About 200 students attended, and the College of Arts and Media had something on the schedule for everyone.
While Friday evening featured introductions to the college's various programs and a student mixer, Saturday was jam-packed with events peppered throughout the college’s facilities.
The conference featured four workshops in Ethington Theatre that focused on production, advertising, influence and business in the gaming industry. Students heard what it takes to grow professional skills, build a network and gain experience.
“When you are a college student, it is a golden key to talk to people in the industries that you want to be in,” Director of Esports Operations Jay DeShong said. “Students don’t get the same response from professionals when they are no longer a student.
“When you open the sentence with, ‘for college students,’ rather than, ‘for a bunch of adults who are looking for a job,’ it tends to hit differently. Being a college student is often a key to get access to professionals that you otherwise wouldn’t.”
A timely workshop was “Alumni Pathways: From Classroom to Career.” As students begin exploring opportunities and platforms to use their college degrees after graduation, it can be a whirlwind trying to find the right place to start.
It made for a big sibling moment as three GCU alums, Blake Davis, Jack Dixon and Grace Gundacker, shared their professional upbringing and told students that one’s career is a gradual process that takes time to develop. Rather than rushing to find available positions, it’s about waiting on the right doors to open at the right time and establishing many connections along the way.
“I would highly encourage you to take as much opportunity as you can during college,” Gundacker said. “It is really valuable for other companies to see that you are able to collaborate on multidisciplinary events. Opportunities to network are so crucial in college because you are surrounded by people also pursuing the same thing.”
Added Davis, “It is also about trying to not get discouraged. When you finish off school, there are a lot of opportunities out there, and especially in sports, but they are highly sought after. Don’t get discouraged if the first one doesn’t call back right away. If you stay persistent and know what to do, it’ll start to find itself and work itself out.”
The GCU Esports Arena gave attendees a taste of the gaming world with an esports tournament. GCU went head to head against Arizona State University in the Cactus Cup, with the two esports programs competing in five games. These included Rocket League, Overwatch, VALORANT, Super Smash Bros. and League of Legends.
Students also could participate in a match against each other on the other side of the arena, where the university’s many PCs and game consoles were available to conference visitors.
“This was an amazing event,” sophomore Py Yang said. “I was in a position where I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after university. Being a business major is so broad, but hearing the stories of how some of them (the speakers) were figuring things out and they finally locked on what they wanted to do was a great way for me to continue my journey. Now I know the aspects of what I want in the future.”
In case you missed it, the campus’s creative agency, Canyon Creative, produced an original retro video game, “Glitch’s Revenge,” that debuted at the conference. The game features design by motion graphic graduate Mica Paden, in which the university’s mascot, Thunder, goes against a glitch while collecting basketballs and GCBC Stampede energy drinks. The game is still available here.
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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