E-sports: League of Legends club has new management.

Groans of anguish and yelps of surprise surround the 10 students battling for control of a small, blue map on their computer screen. A warrior in his own right, Michael Chun has been fighting off virtual men and monsters for the better part of four years. Chun is the sole-remaining founding member of the League of Legends club that was formed in 2012. Initially holding the position of club treasurer, Chun is now the president as well as the treasurer of the club. For those unfamiliar with the game, League of Legends is a massive multiplayer online videogame where two teams of five compete to control various maps. League of Legends is currently considered a collegiate e-sport where students can be awarded scholarship money for winning in game tournaments. Chun had a nice run with the club. However, every hero must eventually retire and leave the battlefield to the next generation. The transition has already begun, with the club deciding to have two new leaders, instead of one. The new co-presidents will be Steve Lee, an environmental design major, and Spencer Carlson, a communication major. Lee’s main focus is public relations and poster design for the club while Carlson plans events and organizes club meetings, Chun said. Carlson will also be taking over the treasury position and will be attending a training for that in the fall, Chun said. Carlson’s study of communication and his welcoming smile creates an energy that is easy to connect to, Chun said. “It's easy to come talk to him and to understand him, and he's charismatic, so he's fun to be around," Chun said. “It's about finding new people who are passionate about the same things you are and that you can trust to pick everything back up and keep things going,” Chun said. The majority of the League of Legends club’s founding members were computer science majors. With a communication major and environmental design major taking over, there are going to be some changes. The plan is to be to put a big emphasis on advertising and outreach, Carlson said. Carlson and Lee took over the president’s leadership role during a recent club event, a viewing party for the World Championship with about 70 student attendees. The event was held at 4 a.m. on a Saturday because the games were taking place in Europe. It included a free pancake breakfast and was held in a lecture hall on campus. “It was crazy the number of people that showed up,” Carlson said. “Some people stayed all night.” Having two co-presidents will make running the club easier. “We have two head’s about ideas, and two heads is better than one brain, always,” Lee said. Carlson agrees. With large turnouts to their events and viewing parties, it's easier if there are two people fielding questions and helping students, Carlson said. The club will be meeting bi-weekly instead of weekly, and the meetings will be themed, including a trivia night to help attract more students, Carlson said. Lee will be busy making a new poster for every club meeting with emphasis on those themes. Carlson and Lee are nervous about Chun leaving. When the future co-presidents have a question, Chun knows the answer to everything, Lee said. “We’re still trying to learn what are the rights we can use from Riot’s site and Chun knows all about that,” Lee said. Chun, however, believes he is leaving the club in capable hands. "I have a sense of relief that we found two really confident people who are willing to take over," Chun said.

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