Alyse Riffer, Tony Cox
eSomethin Staff
When Esports was first announced as a possibility Perrysburg during Video Game Night on November 15, 2019, it was an exciting moment for all gamers at Perrysburg High School. At the time, it was simply a discussion topic.
Initially, an interest survey posted on Schoology, where around 125 students showed interest in Esports, according to Mr. Thom Ziems.
The first meeting was held on December 6 in the auditorium after school which was run by Ziems and Mr. Ryan Williams. There the group discussed the game selections, interests and plans for the future of the club, and how attaining the right supplies, such as gaming systems, would be executed.
Ziems gave students who attended the 30-minute meeting a secret password; this password was later used in a Schoology-posted survey so that he was able to take attendance from the meeting. That more official interest survey had around 40 applicants.
In an interview, Ziems said there would be about 28 total players accepted onto the teams. For the remaining ’19-’20 school year, it will be more of a social club for free play and in-house some tournaments.
As for who would be running the club, Ziems said that he and Williams were working on it together. “We haven’t had time since [winter break] to sit down… we’re [going to] figure out who wants to work on what nights…” said Ziems.
Most clubs at PHS have elected officers, and though Ziems expressed interest in the possibility of a president for the club, he was also interested in having different captains for each gaming team. Ziems stated, “…that’s where the next meetings are [going to go] go,” regarding elected officers, the structure of the club, and how the participants would like to achieve those things.
To become a club, there are certain guidelines and policies that must be followed. The club must meet at least 9 times for the remainder of the year and have a plan for the future. There’s also a policy that states that a club can potentially become a sport, which seems likely given the interest in Esports.
The next meeting for Esports interest club is scheduled for Friday, January 17.
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