Courtesy WIU
Western Illinois University will open a digital rec center on its Macomb campus this fall. The center will house Western s eSports team and be a platform for competitive gaming.
Western Electronic Gaming Association (WEGA) President Benjamin Hironimus-Wendt believes the center will play a large role in attracting students back to campus.
“This is going to be one of the driving forces of getting students back on campus,” Wendt said. “Instead of coming back with a whimper, we’re going to have a booming population, there will be more things to do.”
Hironimus-Wendt also said that Macomb-area high-schools were surveyed to see if a digital rec- center would attract more students to Western. Wendt said approximately 200 students participated and 30 liked the idea of a digital rec-center. The survey was conducted several years ago.
April 21, 2021 MACOMB, IL- The Western Electronic Gaming Association (WEGA) is hosting Smash Bash Esports tournament from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, April 24, at Western Illinois University s Student Recreation Center.
Pre-registration is required to play. Registration is $7, or $5 if participants bring their own switch.
Participants will get to compete against each other by either being in the same location, or being in any place with a solid WiFi connection.
Acting President of the WEGA, Benjamin Hironimus-Wendt, said virtual tournaments will take place like any other sort of tournament, where a player or a team of players will be set to play a match at a certain time.