SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER – MEGAN ANGELO AND OZZY ALVARADO
The Rattlers Esports program took another step in the right direction after joining the *gameHERS collegiate program which was announced on Feb 23. The *gameHERS program is a women-led collegiate community that provides the students with a plethora of opportunities to expand their knowledge in the gaming industry with career development, mentorship internship, and scholarship opportunities. Women in the esports world are often overlooked and go unrecognized for their accomplishments and efforts. The *gameHERS programs offer a safe space for marginalized gamers who identify as women. “They want female gamers to be included and have a voice within the gaming community, and that is something that is long overdue,” says senior English major, Caitlin Hernandez.
The mission of the St. Mary’s Esports teams specifically is to continue to commit to building a space for women within esports. They have done a great job of doing this, as they are led by the Director of Esports, Kaitlin Teniete. “She shared her mission with us, and it resonates with me as a female that plays video games,” says Hernandez. Teniente has worked hard to ensure that the Esports program at St, Mary’s creates an environment that women feel they can be a part of, and the members don’t lie. The total number of women is 18, coaching staff included making the total percentage of women in the program 37.5% for the 2021-22 academic
year.
St. Mary’s is celebrating Women’s History Month on their Instagram (@stmuesports) by putting a spotlight on some of their female athletes, from short interviews to highlighting their success in the program. Beginning in the Fall of 2020, St. Mary’s became the first university in San Antonio to establish a varsity-level esports team in San Antonio. The esports program offers many areas to work in other than just being an athlete. Many students are shoutcasters, observers, producers, or social media coordinators. esports offers great internship opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and even law school students. Any enrolled student can participate as an athlete or a shoutcaster. Some games that are played include Fortnite, Halo Infinite, Starcraft II, and Rainbow 6 Seige.
“The *gameHERS [program] will help me move forward in my college career by helping me maintain my connection with the esports program as well as stay involved,” says Hernandez, who is the Student Lead of Broadcast Operations for the program. Esports hosts tryouts at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Currently, there are no scholarships offered, but time spent in the organization can count towards an internship or service hours.
The *gameHERS program has collegiate and standard Discord servers that women in gaming can join with their username or gametag. Over 25 universities have joined this program. “It will keep our program a safe space for female gamers, and that’s what we want as a program. We want to be inclusive to all,” explains Hernandez.
“It will keep our program a safe space for female gamers, and that’s what we want as a program. We want to be inclusive to all”
– Caitlin Hernandez, senior English major.
Be on the lookout for an Esports open house towards the end of March that aims to connect more with students and encourage diversity and equity on campus. St. Mary’s has implemented better ways of representation and showcasing diversity in inclusion, without sacrificing their academic performance. For more information, contact the Director of Esports, Kaitlin Teniente at kteniente@stmarytx.edu.
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