For DragonLAN, it’s all fun and games

By Emma Cox
Campus Editor

If you are a gamer and enjoy being a part of online gaming parties, you will definitely enjoy the DragonLAN parties.
Instructor of computer, programming and website classes, Matt Magee has been the head of the club since 2011. The club was started 11 years ago to emphasize the computer rigs and the students taking the A+ classes were building. As these students learned to build computers they started doing it on their own systems at home and building big gaming rigs that they wanted to show off.

“In those days, LANs were a huge event,” Magee said. If people wanted to play the same game together they all had to tie into the same server. To do this with the student built gaming rigs it seemed like a great way to show off what the students were doing here at Hutchinson Community College in the A+ classes.

The name of the club has a specific meaning. LAN stands for Local Area Network – this is what LAN parties are.

“When the students had to all tie together and of course since we are the Blue Dragons here at HutchCC the DragonLAN name was born.” Magee said.

The DragonLAN officers meet every month to help decide what games will be played at the parties and what charity events the club will be associated with but the events themselves take place twice a semester with one coming up on Friday.

“This club gives students the means of sharing what they have built as well as a place to come together, have fun with other students interested in the same types of things and enjoying a gaming environment here on campus that will help build social skills,” Magee said.

A lot of the DragonLAN alumni still show up to their events, which helps crate a networking opportunity for the students.

If you want to get involved with the club you are welcome to show up to an event and sign up for a membership at that time or just go to a party without becoming a member at all. There is a small fee to be part of an event which is only $5. A membership is $20 for the whole school year which gets you into all events and a t-shirt as well as some other elite inside membership perks.

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