PAX Australia 

eSports Excursion

As part of the eSports curriculum and involvement in the eSports and Dungeons and Dragons Club, a group of 75 students had the opportunity to attend the PAX Aus Convention this year. On a chilly Friday morning, students got on the bus at school at 6:30am to make sure they had a lot of time to explore the convention. Students had the opportunity to:

• Try new games (computer, console and board games were all available to try).
• Compete in competitions in different games.
• Meet celebrities, eSports professional players and online content creators who were walking around or as part of panels.
• Dress up as their favourite pop culture characters and meet other cosplayers, as well as professional cosplayers and costume designers.
• Investigate careers in eSports, computing and game design.

Students spent the day exploring all that PAX Aus had to offer, with many students engaging with other convention goers, competing for prizes in their favourite games, trying their luck at giveaways or just taking in the experience and trying a bit of everything.

The eSports class students were encouraged to engage in competitions as part of their involvement in the class, and it was great to hear that three of our students took up this opportunity. Jag Weston, Brodi McMaster and Lachlan Jobling joined a Rocket League competition, winning each round and making it all the way through to the Grandfinal. After a close game, they came out as the winners of the tournament, each receiving a brand new MSI gaming laptop for their efforts. It’s great to see when the students take these opportunities to showcase their talents, and myself and their friends were proud of their victory!

With a lot of steps counted and money spent, our students eventually made it back to the bus to take the trip home with their hauls, great stories and great memories. I’m sure most will be keen to take the opportunity again next year.

Will Lees

Director of eLearning and Resource Centres