August 26th, 2019

 

Hey all. We have been hard at work all summer to bring you some very exciting news.

 

As many of you know, this organization has had a long and hard journey due to countless roadblocks and the college’s inability to give us the infrastructure and support we need. We have only been able to survive this long due to the passion and commitment so many of you have exhibited over the past 3 years - volunteering countless hours teaching workshops, coordinating teams, and staffing our events, generous donations of games and equipment, and even carrying shelves and CRTs across boroughs, but also thanks to the amazing support and guidance we’ve received from the Film & Media Department, the Theatre Department, Riot, and Gamestop that pushed us through the years we were not recognized by the college (and the countless groups that were able to once we were). We’ve grown from 6 people playing D&D and teaching ourselves Unity in a basement, to an organization that serviced over 1000 students, faculty, and industry professionals last year.

 

That being said, the struggle isn’t over yet. We still do not receive adequate funding from the college, we are not allowed to receive permanent space from the college, and due to the sheer number of people, we are unable to continue to house our events within the Baker Theatre Building. The officers of this organization, especially the executive board, have had to sacrifice so much to keep this place running. Many schools have paid staff and thousands of dollars in funding for their esports and game development programs. It’s time we did too.

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We are proud to announce the birth of the EGD Collective, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing accessibility within the games industry through affordable education. To ensure our organization at Hunter receives the support it needs and to solidify ourselves as a public figure within NYC games communities, we are in the process of incorporating and filing for 501(c)(3) status a nonprofit arm dedicated to supporting all of us who know that affordable education, the games industry, and the communities these institutions create are important. With this comes a permanent staff team formed of young leaders from across the CUNY system and an advisory board of industry leaders, college credit for Hunter’s club officers and students participating in the Game Studio Program Fellowship (and students participating in an (unannounced) esports industry fellowship...shh), increased funding and external support, and so much more. ​

 

Our official launch party is being held at OS Studios, a brand new gaming venue in Manhattan, on September 8th from 3-9PM. Free entrance, giveaways, and game demos from local developers. For $10 you have unlimited access to the LAN center, consoles, board games, and D&D campaigns all night, and hosting SSBU, TFT, Overwatch FFA, and Tekken 7 tournaments for an additional entry fee (prize pool scaled to participant numbers). All proceeds go to support an up-and-coming venue and our continued operation. RSVP on Eventbrite ahead of time for a free raffle ticket!

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I'm excited to see where this new chapter brings us, and look forward to seeing you all in a few days when the semester begins. Let's keep fighting to break down barriers together. 

Mihi Cura Ludos Futuri, forever.

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Kyra Wills-Umdenstock

Founder/President (and now CEO!)