ASTON — The brand-new technology lab at Neumann University is currently the lair of the campus esports team, but it won’t be all fun and games for long.
The university plans to use the lab as a launching pad for a new major in video game production.
Located in the School of Business, the new lab includes rows of 24 Alienware computers, large screens that can display any of the desktop visuals, and an eSports logo that fills an entire wall.
According to Derek Bosworth, head coach of the club, the new lab is “pretty awesome.” Each computer, he says, “has all of the hardware we could possibly need to play any game that’s out there.”
Neumann’s esports gamers compete against teams from other colleges across the country in classic games like Overwatch 2, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros.
The 10-person club plays in two leagues, the National Association of Collegiate eSports and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Its schedule runs from late September to mid-November and includes matches with Temple, Cornell, Long Island University, Boise State and the University of Kentucky.
“We actually started streaming matches, too,” notes Bosworth. “You can find Neumann esports on Twitch TV.”
Business Dean Eric Wellington, however, has much bigger plans for the new technology lab. This year, he’s conducting a search for a faculty member to teach video game production and plans to offer a major in the field by the fall of 2024.
“We’re eager to launch a video game production major,” says Wellington. “eSports is a billion-dollar industry, so we’re building an eSports degree in order to teach the management side and hiring a faculty member to teach students how to build video games.”
Those programming skills are applicable in many other industries, he notes: “It’s exciting. Not only can you have fun and be competitive playing video games, but you can also learn valuable programming skills that are in demand in the marketplace.”
Video game production is a booming industry that offers good-paying jobs in a variety of roles, including game design and production, art and animation, writing for storyline creation, and marketing.
The International Trade Administration estimates that 75 percent of U.S. households have at least one gamer and that esports will surpass $2.5 billion in revenue by 2024. Insider Intelligence, a company that specializes in digital trends and forecasts, predicts that by 2023 the number of U.S. gamers will reach 181 million.
The U.S. News & World Report ranking of best undergraduate game design degree programs includes higher education heavyweights like the University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, New York University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
For more information about Neumann University, visit http://www.neumann.edu/.
Chester Historical Preservation Committee holds 340th anniversary of William Penn’s Landing
The Chester Historical Preservation Committee will celebrate the 340th anniversary of the First Landing of William Penn in Chester in 1682, Friday, Oct. 28 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Front and Penn streets.
The free event has been presented by the committee for over 25 years to teach the public about Penn’s impact on Pennsylvania history and his relationship with the Lenape in the area.
A William Penn re-enactor, along with another for Penn’s wife, wife Hannah, will be joined by a representative of the West Oklahoma Delaware and special guests for a discussion of the true events that surrounded Penn’s first visit and future impact on America, its laws, and the creation of Pennsylvania.
The re-creation is held in hopes of creating an empathy for Penn, his times, his values and the original residents of the region. According to the committee, Penn valued the land granted to him from King Charles II, his Quaker beliefs and his lifelong search for a way to promote peace in the new land.
A discussion follows on Penn’s contribution to America today. Refreshments will be served afterward.
In the event of rain, the event will be held in the community room of Chester City Hall, 1 E. Fourth St., near the Avenue of the States.
The committee is a nonprofit created for the purpose of preserving the historical wealth of Chester. For more information, contact 610-876-5355, chesterhistoricalpreservation@gmail.com or visit http://www.chesterpreservation.org/.
Tickets go on sale for OLP’s Golden Girls mystery dinner theatre
Our Lady of Peace Parish, Ridley Township, will present a “Golden Girls” Mystery Dinner Theatre, on Friday, Nov. 11 in Nelson Hall behind Notre Dame Church.
Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and dinner starts at 6:15 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m.
Everyone’s favorite ladies from the ’80’s are throwing a party.
Sophia, Blanche, Rose and Dorothy have worked long and hard to throw the perfect celebration, but will they still be celebrating when they discover that one of their party guests has murderous intentions.
As Sophia attempts to lighten the mood with a song, someone’s attempting to lighten the mood with a bang. Audience members will try to solve the “Golden Girls” mystery and cast a vote on whom they think the killer is.
During the hour and a half performance, everyone will get to play detective as the Girls mingle with audience members and delight them with their iconic, humorous banter.
Seating is limited. Cost is $50 and includes dinner and show. Event is BYOB, beer and wine only. Catering is by America’s Pie in Tinicum.
Tickets are on sale at the rectory or after all Masses on Sunday. For more information, call the rectory at 610-532-8081.
Quinn named 2022 Legislator of The Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving
State Rep. Chris Quinn (a Delaware County Republican) was recently named 2022 Legislator of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Quinn received this honor for his work on House Bill 773, also known as Deana’s Law.
The bill was named for Deana Eckman, a Delaware County resident who was killed by a drunk driver.
The driver who killed Eckman had five prior DUI offenses and was subsequently charged with his sixth DUI following Eckman’s death.
The driver served concurrent sentences for his prior DUIs and was out of jail at the time of Eckman’s death. Had he served consecutive sentences, the driver would have still been in prison on the night of the accident.
House Bill 773, which was signed into law in July, strengthened DUI penalties in Pennsylvania and required DUI offenders to serve consecutive sentences on their fourth and subsequent DUIs.
“My goal with this legislation is to help prevent similar tragedies from ever happening again,” Quinn said. “I want Deana’s legacy to serve as a reminder of the damage that these reckless individuals can cause when committing repeat DUI offenses. My aim was to ensure public safety and try to prevent families from facing the same kind of suffering that Deana’s family suffered through this entire ordeal.”
Quinn worked closely with Rich and Roseann DeRosa, Deana Eckman’s parents, to pass this legislation.
“Deana’s family was instrumental in lobbying for this legislation and have worked hard to honor their daughter in the process,” Quinn said.
MADD supports those affected by drunk driving, seeks to prevent underage drinking, and strives for stricter impaired driving policy.
The organization was founded in 1980 by Candace Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunk driver.
For more information, visit http://madd.org/.
Crafters invited to sign up for Brookhaven’s holiday craft fair
Crafters can sign up to display their creations at the annual Brookhaven Town Watch Holiday Craft Fair planned for Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Brookhaven Municipal Center, 2 Cambridge Road.
Cost is $25 per space and a limited number of tables will be available for an additional $5.
People can make checks payable to Brookhaven Town Watch and mail to 4949 Chester Creek Road, Brookhaven PA 19015.
For information, call Peggie at 610-872-3294.
Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com/.