SU Lab enters the World of Esports

Last Thursday, January 28, the Southern University Laboratory School commemorated the grand opening of their accredited Esports and Media Lab with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. For those of you who do not know, Esports is a form of sport competition using video games.
This was major history and a big deal for Southern University Lab School, as they are the first high school to unveil an esports lab in Louisiana. The new lab will act as the residence of SU Lab’s esports students and teams. Modern and futuristic equipment including Bloody Hands Light Strike Gaming Keyboards, RIG Gaming Headsets, Vertagear gaming chairs, Alienware Aurora R11, Zowie monitors, mouse pads, 65’’ smart TV’s, PlayStation 4’s, Nintendo Switches, and an observation/streaming room will play a part in the Media lab. The Southern University Lab School thanked their loyal sponsors Addice Inc., Bloody Hands, RIG, and Vertagear for equipping the lab.
Wanting their students to think outside of the box, the Southern University Lab School have made their students leaders in the state of Louisiana with esports education.
“We are providing inclusive competition, where skill is the great equalizer. This lab is not just for our competitive esports teams. The space will offer all students the best in science, technology, entertainment, math, and esports education,” said Christopher Turner, founder of the eSports and Media Lab program in the Summer of 2019. According to him, “…the Southern University Laboratory Esports Club is a home to all gamers on campus, both in competitive and non-competitive natures and is continuing to grow as they reach a wider audience.”
According to Turner, the sole purpose of the Southern University Laboratory Esports Club is to give an opening to all students to relieve stress through gaming. Competitive teams will be formed and part of yearly competitions such as High School Esports League and PlayVS, just to name a few.
There were a lot of respected guests and people in the esports industry at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. One such person in attendance was Danny Martin, CEO and Cofounder of Esposure, an esports masterclass program whose headquarters are in Texas.
According to Mr. Martin, there are a variety of different aspects that go into esports. Mr. Martin says that “Esports means the ability to provide career opportunities for individuals within communities.” In 2010 while in college, Martin noted how he started getting involved with esports. He went into the esports business because he saw an opportunity to help tournament organizers build viable communities within the gaming industry. Mr. Martin also states that “Esports has provided me with the opportunity to impact lives financially.” The CEO thinks that the new Esports and Media Lab at The Southern University Lab School was an innovative idea and will provide students with the necessary skills to compete in today’s workplace
When you think about esports, it is not just about gaming. It instructs students so much more like coding and sciences. Students will get to apply what they are learning to their passion. The ecosystem for esports is a billion-dollar industry. This type of innovation is what we look for, desire, and want for our future leaders. The Southern University Lab School is doing their thing by producing formidable students to lead in every way!

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Teyanah Owens

Troy Murphy, a 9th grader from Port Allen, Louisiana gaming competitively at Southern University Lab School's Grand Opening of Esports and Media Lab on January 28. (Te'yanah Owens/DIGEST)