Last Monday, the Passaic Board of Education voted to approve the Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering’s very first esports club. After years of planning and working with administrators, students at the PASE will finally be able to come together and compete. Dr. Gin Sanchez, a physics professor at the PASE, is looking forward to working with students as the club’s advisor. 

According to Sanchez, esports is an organized video game competition that can be played individually or with teammates. In recent years it has become a billion dollar industry with millions of fans and enthusiasts. “I believe this club will give the students new opportunities and careers in STEM. It also is shown to improve critical thinking and collaboration skills that are necessary in other fields” Sanchez claimed. 

Students in grades 9-12 can join the club. Members who wish to compete can participate in the upcoming winter tryouts. They will be able to join teams in Valorant, Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, and more. The top players will compete in the High School Esports League for a chance at large scholarships. There are also teams that work on marketing, management, and content creation. These teams will work to host monthly Smash Bros. tournaments here at PASE.

The nearest tournament is the Nova Cup, planned for mid-January. “The tournament will be open to students of all grades”, Sanchez announced. When asked about whether or not other games will be given tournaments, Sanchez stated that future tournaments are still being planned.

If you are interested in joining the club, the first interest meeting will be held this Friday, December 3 in room A215.