LoL and Smash networks emerge
Rice LoL Club
Each year, a few passionate Rice University students take the initiative to create their own clubs. This year, students have formed Rice’s first electronic sports club, called the Rice LoL club. According to Club President Tung Nguyen, the club has obtained approval from Assistant Director of Student Activities Julie Neisler and seeks to unite students across campus who play League of Legends.
Nguyen, a Sid Richardson College junior, said the club currently has 108 members and has previously organized intramural events.
“Our mission is to bring people with similar interests together through tournaments and similar events,” Nguyen said.
According to Nguyen, last year, the Rice LoL club participated in ivyLoL’s open league and the collegiate star league, competitions in which the club plays groups from other universities. According to the ivyLol ranking website, last year Rice’s team was ranked fifth in its division, which contained 43 teams.
Rice Smash Community
Last semester, Brian Lee, the external vice president of Rice LoL club, created the Rice Smash Community, a Facebook community for Rice students who enjoy competitively playing Super Smash Bros., a popular fighting game on Nintendo video game consoles.
According to Lee, a Jones College junior, the group currently has 64 members and organizes meetups and tournaments.
“Our community exists to provide friendly competition for every skill level, from the newest players to the best players in the region,” Lee said. “A few of our members often attend the weekly tournaments run in Pasadena, and our sessions here are meant to help us stand up a little better against Mojo, the number one player in Texas.”
According to Lee, the Rice Smash Community has no intentions of becoming an official club in the near future and currently exists solely for students to enjoy playing the game with other students on campus.
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