On Sept. 12, the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) welcomed students to the grand opening of the new Gamesroom at the London Downtown Campus. Located on the second-floor mezzanine, the space aims for students to unwind, connect, and challenge each other in various video games. The Gamesroom features a foosball table, video game consoles, and card games. To mark the occasion, students enjoyed free pizza while supplies lasted, adding to the lively atmosphere.                                                                                             

The President of the FSU, Siddharth Singh, was particularly proud of the initiative.

'I'm extremely happy because I see a lot of students who are happy taking on the games,' Singh said.

Singh's journey to make this Gamesroom a reality started before he took on the FSU presidency.

'As soon as I got elected, I started working on it,' he explained. 'I reached out to the associate dean on campus, and it was the perfect time because some of the programs were moving to the main campus. That freed up space for us.'

The Gamesroom provides entertainment and serves as a nod to the importance of video games on this campus, home to programs such as video game creation and modelling.

'Esports is growing, and FSU is following suit. We have a campus where students can hold events and compete in esports, so we thought it was essential to have gaming consoles here too.'

The Events and Activities Coordinator for Area Campuses, Patrick Nichol, shared his excitement about the space.

'I can only imagine how much fun students will have,' Nichol said. 'The Gamesroom is meant to bring students together, whether they're your friends, students just starting a program or from another campus across the street. It's really about creating connections.'

Nichol credited Singh for driving the vision behind the Gamesroom.

'[Singh] started as a Red Squad volunteer and worked his way up. He always talked about the downtown campus having a Gamesroom, and I'm really happy we could make that happen,' Nichol added. He also emphasized the collaborative effort required to bring the idea to fruition/ 'It wasn't easy, but everyone involved believed in the potential of this space.'

Students who attended the grand opening were equally enthusiastic.

Jasmine Darvasi, a student at Fanshawe College, praised the space's design and purpose.

'I think it's really cool. It's just the perfect stage to chill out between classes,' she said. 'I thought it would be something smaller, but I love how it's in the heart of everything, especially with all the interaction with the arts and animation students.'

The Gamesroom is to be a central part of student life at the downtown campus, with upcoming events, gaming tournaments, and social gatherings. Currently, students enjoy a space where they can unwind, have fun, and participate in various activities, from foosball to Xbox.

'This was a challenge, but seeing students enjoy the space makes it all worthwhile,” Singh said. “I'm glad we could realize this vision for the downtown campus.'