Consoles, Community and Competition – Gaming Club Provides a New Arena
There are plenty of games and lots of fun, but Esports and the gaming club are about more than fun and games at Chaminade Julienne.
It’s about the three C’s – consoles, community and competition.
“It’s a very inclusive community of people who share a passion for video games,” said Bro. Justin Quiroz, SM, gaming club moderator. “There’s a place for everyone.”
Gamers Afternoon open to all students in grades 5-8 on Saturday, March 25 - READ MORE
Consoles
From a retro Nintendo to a state-of-the-art PS5 – not to mention a Sega Genesis, Wii and Xbox 360 — the CJ Gaming Club has 21 different consoles and a roster of 90 gamers who have participated in meetings this year.
The club currently meets in Founders Center — CJ’s newest building on campus — with seven screens set up for each session. Pac-Man, Super Smash Bros., Guitar Hero – CJ gamers have their pick of a rotating selection of games and consoles at the meetings that are held three times a month after school at 300 Perry Street.
“It’s a great space, we have flexible areas where we can spread out and run matches,” Quiroz said.
Community
The Gaming Club – which started almost four years ago but was rebooted in 2021 after a pandemic hiatus – has expanded its reach beyond CJ students by offering an annual Gamers Afternoon for local middle school students in grades 5 through 8.
“We wanted to invite kids to come in and play and it turned into something really cool,” Quiroz said.
More than 60 young gamers attended the first event, complete with competitions, raffles and refreshments. The second Gamers Afternoon is scheduled for March 25 and has been expanded to include fifth graders.
“We had so much fun, and the CJ kids took on a leadership role in the event,” Quiroz said. “It really empowered them.”
The gaming club also sparked a capstone project for CJ students Elliana Trimbach ‘23 and Evanson Good ‘23 who initiated a gaming club at St. Anthony School.
Competition
CJ has also entered the competitive Esports arena with both a varsity and JV team. Quiroz is the Esports coach.
The Eagles are one of the 250 Ohio schools that have Esports Ohio teams. The growth in popularity of Esports has led to the Ohio High School Athletic Association recently establishing a partnership with Esports Ohio to support the state tournament in May.
“Participation in Esports is growing very rapidly and Esports Ohio has been a big part of making it an educational and competitive opportunity for students,” said Doug Ute, OHSAA executive director. “The opportunity for these students to be part of a team and represent their school is very exciting.”
The CJ team – along with Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Pikachu and even Zelda – compete in the Super Smash Bros. competition.
“High School Esports is still a work in progress but it’s so great being part of the community and building a team dynamic,” Quiroz said.
Upcoming CJ Gaming Events
February 28 – Gaming Club (after school)
March 7 – Gaming Club (after school)
March 21 – Gaming Club (after school)
March 25 – Gamers Afternoon for students in grades 5-8. (Noon-5:30 p.m.)
