Game On! TSC Officially Opens New Game Room for Students

The average student’s life involves tasks such as studying, attending lectures, writing research papers, and taking exams. For students who choose to take on a full load every semester, this turns into a delicate balancing act of time and stress management. Fortunately, there’s a new and exciting way for students to indulge in leisurely activities while on campus.

TSC’s new Game Room officially opened on Monday, inviting students to indulge in various fun and engaging activities. Occupying a sizeable space on the second floor of the Oliveira Student Center, the Game Room has just about everything that students could need to unwind and enjoy themselves.

For hardcore gamers, a selection of major video game consoles pre-installed with several popular games is available, including a Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X. Arcade enthusiasts can get competitive with classic multi-game cabinets featuring everything from Pong to Pac-Man to Street Fighter.

Speaking of competitive games, more casual gamers can enjoy challenging one another to air hockey, pool, foosball, and Jenga. For the ultimate one-on-one challenge, both traditional and extra-large chess sets are available to facilitate the most strategic of battles.

A reservation room is also available for larger games or group gatherings who wish to organize multiplayer tournaments, hold club meetings, or even gather together friends to watch a movie or enjoy a little karaoke, and a variety of different board games can also be rented out to expand upon the fun.

Over the course of its development, a significant amount of time was dedicated to researching and planning, as well as gathering crucial information from different people and departments on campus to ensure that every conceivable angle would be considered.

“We carefully coordinated with different campus departments like Facilities and Events, as well as administration like the Board of Trustees and President, and they all played vital roles in helping us work toward today’s grand opening,” said Brandon Sanchez, Coordinator of Student Development with TSC’s Student Life department. “It’s something that’s been in the works for many years, as far back as when I was a student, but we at Student Life are extremely glad to have played a role in seeing it through to completion.”

For students who flocked to the Game Room on opening day, it appeared that they did not require much prompting to get comfortable and start jumping into some available activities. “I think it is pretty cool to have a place like this for the students, especially if it helps them to reduce stress and not get overwhelmed with schoolwork,” said Miguel Puig as he and a friend eagerly grabbed a pair of Xbox controllers before starting a game of FIFA.

In all, Sanchez hopes that more students will feel just as comfortable visiting whenever they need a break from the demands of their classes, as well as an environment in which the social aspects of student life can really thrive,

“We envisioned this becoming a place where students can feel welcome to visit and relax during their downtime. Of course, keeping up with classes and maintaining passing grades are going to be the main priorities for our students, but we know that students are also going to want to have fun, make memories with their friends, and even make new friends, and we feel that this is the perfect place for that.”

TSC’s Game Room is located in room 211 on the second floor of the Oliveira Student Center Building. Hours of operation are Mondays through Thursdays, 10:30 am – 3:30 pm.

PHOTOS: The Game Room at Texas Southmost College