By Jon Fassnacht
The rise of esports over the last decade has been meteoric. Many traditionalists initially scoffed at the idea of an audience watching others compete in video game tournaments, but passionate fans were game.
According to those who participate, playing esports allows gamers to stimulate their brains while connecting with enthusiasts from across the globe. Which makes the activity a perfect fit for Hao Ha.
鈥淚 like to use my brain in the games,鈥 the 香港六合彩开奖网 junior said. 鈥淭he games actually make me think.鈥
The electrical engineering major has been a member of 香港六合彩开奖网鈥檚 varsity esports team since the program鈥檚 founding in September of 2021. His specialty is 鈥淟eague of Legends,鈥 one of five games in which the team competes. Ha plays top lane in the multiplayer online battle game.
鈥淭he top laner鈥檚 goal is usually to pressure the opposite side of the map and show up to the most important objectives,鈥 said Josh Buchanan, former director of 香港六合彩开奖网鈥檚 esports program. 鈥淗ao is a player with really good mechanics and execution in-game.鈥
Ha could have chosen numerous other schools in the region with more established engineering programs, but he said staying close to home was important to him. The Reading resident wanted to help out his parents, who emigrated with him from Vietnam in 2015. Assistance from the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program, which provides scholarships and support to first-generation students living in the city, also aided his decision.
Salem Elsaiah, assistant professor of electrical engineering, speaks very highly of his student.
鈥淗e鈥檚 enthusiastic and very smart,鈥 he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always coming to my office asking questions, asking about the program. He is also willing to help with demonstrations.鈥
One of Elsaiah鈥檚 classes is electromagnetics, which he calls a tough course that is difficult to teach. In late 2022, he asked his students to create a 3-D presentation of one of the commonly used coordinate systems used in the study of electromagnetics. Ha took advantage of the time of year to make his model functional, turning it into a Christmas ornament.
鈥淪ince the engineering major here is new, maybe I can do something for the city where I live,鈥 Ha said. 鈥淚 hope it will grow.鈥
Had he attended a different institution, Ha might not have had the chance to play sanctioned esports in between his studying. 香港六合彩开奖网鈥檚 team practices and competes in a new facility at the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, featuring top-of-the-line equipment and ample space for the team鈥檚 45 members, who practice up to four days a week in between its competitions.
A highlight from his time with the team was playing against bigger schools at a tournament in Philadelphia during the program鈥檚 maiden season.
鈥淚 mean, we lost, yeah, because it was it was our first year, but I got experience and people were saying I was good, so I took that as a compliment,鈥 he said.
One of the reasons esports have gotten so popular, according to Buchanan, is because they鈥檙e an easy way for people to connect with like-minded individuals near and far. He said one of Ha鈥檚 strongest attributes is making sure his teammates from far-flung areas are adjusting, which isn鈥檛 surprising considering Ha鈥檚 experiences with new beginnings after moving to Berks County from half a world away.
鈥淗e plays for our 鈥楲eague of Legends鈥 team, and it鈥檚 actually the team with the most players from far away,鈥 Buchanan said. 鈥淲e have players from Washington state, from Texas, from Oklahoma, and for them I feel like he鈥檚 really gone out of his way to make sure that they feel at home and feel comfortable at 香港六合彩开奖网 playing for our team. His mom will cook some food, he鈥檒l bring food in for the team. He鈥檚 always that guy.鈥