Eagle Esports presses on with classic competition
Competitors get ready for the next go at the Eagle Esports Club Mario Kart contest.
When Meridian Community College's Eagle Esports Club officers mapped out plans for its next fund-raising competition, they turned to a classic: Mario Kart.
"It's fun, it's easy, and a lot of people like it," said University Transfer sophomore Lauryn Rutledge, president of the Eagle Esports, about the game that was developed in the early 1990s by Nintendo where players compete in video go-kart races.
"I grew up playing Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U," Rutledge said.
Eagle Esports held its Halloween Themed Mario Kart competition in the College's Quave Student Life Center. Selecting a game that many could participate in was also a way for the club to gain more funds for its organization's coffers. “I want us to be bigger and better," Rutledge said, noting the group does have its dock and mid-timber switch control and extra controllers. “I'd like us to have a console of our own."
"I'm excited to see where we can go from here," Rutledge said.
MCC's Eagle Esports started in 2020 and was one of the first Mississippi community colleges to host an esports organization; the group began as a way to build a network for competitive gamers in the community.
What makes esports exciting? Rutledge has some ideas. “There's something for everybody. Some may like war games, I have games they may not like, but we can collaborate on what we both like - such as this – and we can play, and all get along together."
A participant in the competition said: “It's fun."