DNP (JO)

For many gamers, playing online is a great way to bond with friends, meet new people and enjoy exciting competitive gaming. Out of the myriad of games available for online play, League of Legends stands out for its invigorating game play and fun environment where friends can compete with and against each other. Recently, Washburn student Tabitha Yanowsky created a League of Legends organization on campus so that all players of the popular online game could have a group of friends to play with from our very own university.

The game was originally released in 2009, but has remained popular due to its ability to be played over and over again without becoming dull or old. This is primarily due to the gaming community that populates the servers and the fact that the game is free to play.

The opportunity for players to develop strategies to defeat their opponents in online matches is very inviting to those who are new to the game and very fun for veterans of the game. Of course, League of Legends would not be complete without being able to control godlike champions in battles of equally godlike combat.

Tabitha Yanowsky, the organization’s founder, is currently a freshman studying mass media and is also looking for a second degree in audio engineering.

“When I came to Washburn, I really liked League,” said Yanowsky. “I found out that there was a League group on campus but it was closed two years ago. I really wanted to bring it back.”

Yanowsky said the main draw of the game for her was the social aspect. The game may be slightly older, but it stays relevant with frequent updates.

Freshman computer science major and current treasurer of the organization, Elaine Garcia, explained that she comes from a video game legacy of sorts.

“I was born a gamer kid. My father played video games and I would watch constantly which led me to start exploring video games too,” said Garcia. “When I saw a poster about the organization in Memorial Union it immediately caught my interest. I contacted Tabitha and soon became friends with her.”

The organization for League is not finalized yet on campus. The group is currently looking for a university professor to act as an adviser in order to make the organization official.

“In the middle of the semester, many students are bogged down with too many clubs or classes. If this doesn’t work this semester then we will try again at the beginning of next semester,” said Yanowsky.

Those who are interested in joining are welcome to get in touch with Yanowsky at [email protected]. The website for the League of Legends organization can be found at https://washburn.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/lolwuo.

Edited by Jada Johnson, Adam White, Jessica Galvin