Outside of scheduled curricular classes, many Klein College of Media and Communication students fill their time by joining clubs where they can explore their passions and meet other people doing the same. Since its founding in 2016, Temple Esports has provided a space for students to come together to play video games in friendly settings and at collegiate competitions.
Within the Esports community, several Klein College students have taken it upon themselves to run public relations (PR) for the team to better promote events and cover the happenings of the club.
Transfer student Sebastian McHugh (he/him) joined the club shortly after starting at Temple University in the fall of 2022. As he was enjoying connecting with other members over his favorite games, sophomore and Esports PR Manager Masina Garonzik (she/her) put out a message on the club’s Discord server asking if any members were interested in helping with PR for the club. McHugh, a communication studies student, jumped at the chance to combine his passion for writing with his passion for Esports.
Currently, the PR team for the club has five departments: content creation and graphics, video editing and production, news, sponsorships and deals, and marketable events. McHugh’s interests lie mainly in news, and he hopes that as the club grows, he will be able to publish stories about events and interviews with the players to share with the Temple community.
“There’s a passion to really get word out about the club,” McHugh said.
Working on PR for the club has helped McHugh learn more about the games the club has teams for, and what it takes to compete at the collegiate level, even if he himself isn’t competing.
Garonzik began her Esports journey like McHugh as a participant in friendly games and discourse on the Discord server. After speaking with an alumnus about her desire to do advertising and marketing for gaming, she joined the PR team.
“I really wanted the PR team to succeed,” Garonzik said. “I like to make it a space where people can experiment a lot more and learn a lot more than [a space] where you have to have preset, determined skills to be a part of the team.”
As a communication studies major, Garonzik hopes to have a career in advertising and marketing for professional Esports organizations after she graduates in 2025.
In addition to communication studies students, the PR team is home to Klein College students from other majors. Sophomore advertising student Jess Gian (she/they) has been doing freelance illustrations for video game streamers on Twitch since they were in high school.
Gian found out about the PR team when Garonzik visited their class to recruit illustrators and content creators for the club’s social media. Gian and other creators help create brand awareness for the team. “[We’re] creating that unique, diverse community where everyone can be welcoming,” they said.
Temple Esports is coming into the spring semester after a successful fall that led them to the playoffs. They are especially excited about the new team practice room in Gladfelter Hall gifted to them by CEO of Aimlabs Wayne Mackey, CLA ‘12.
The club, of course, couldn’t do it without the support of Klein College students like McHugh, Garonzik and Gian who are eager to use their talents to propel the club’s successes out to the greater community.