By Allison Lechman

Reporter

“You can have fun, and do it for a charitable cause,” said Brittany Perez, Rowdy Con president as she explains Rowdy Con. 

  Some may remember the event put on by the Campus Gamers club called “Extra Life.” Well, Rowdy Con is like Extra Life’s big sister. 

  This event is an opportunity for the CSU Bakersfield campus community and Bakersfield community to come together to raise money for the Lauren Small Children’s Center at Memorial Hospital. 

  Specifically, the money will be used to purchase the equipment the children may need, for example, X-ray machines. Rowd Con will be held on Saturday, Sept. 30. 

  There are three main parts to this event. Starting off the day is the “Game On!” 5K fun run at 7 a.m.  

  Early-bird registration is from Sept. 11 to Sept. 30 and the cost is $25. If you decide to do this route of registration you will also get a free T-shirt.

   People could also sponsor runners. Participants don’t have to run in this event they may also walk.

  Runners may wear costumes, regular workout gear or whatever they would like. 

  Moving on, from 10 a.m.  to 6 p.m. is the Rowdy Con Convention. 

  This includes 25 themed game rooms, speakers, panels, vendors and cosplay contest, just to mention a few. 

   The vendors will be in the student recreation center. 

  There will be games to play in Dorothy Donahoe Hall and the Student Union will be a motion gaming room,virtual reality, Japanesse gaming, racers and fighters. 

  There will also be a Starwars themed room  and a Dungeons and Dragons themed room. 

  If you’re a fan of board games, Rowdy Con will also have these types of games to welcom all types of gamers. 

  These are just a small sample of the many diffrent things this convention will have. 

  The convention is free for all CSUB students, just remember to bring your ID. 

  It is also free for all the participants of the “Game On!” 5K run. 

   To end your day at Rowdy Con, you can go to the Rowdy Con-Cert and watch Jason Hayes perform live with his group, Critical Hit. 

  Hayes is the composer for “World of Warcraft.” 

  The concert will be held at the CSUB Dore Theater. 

  Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m.     

  Also, there will be a post-concert meet-and-greet. 

  General admission is $15. All the proceeds of this event will be donated. 

  Along with these events, there will be a 3D picture station and Escape room will also be an attendance at Rowdy Con. 

  There will also be  a silent and live auction.

 Participants and coordinators want to see the event grow and be more successfull than any other Rowdy Con in the past. 

  “It’s going to be bigger than any extra life,”says Perez. 

  The meaning and the purpose of Rowdy Con is something that some students praise and support. 

  “The main purpose of this event is to give back to the community. They are raising money for the local children’s hospital,” said anthropology student Ash Schmidt.

“ It gives our students a chance to give back to the community as well.”  

  Those who are putting on Rowdy Con hope that this event becomes a tradition. 

  “I’m excited to see that students are proactive and are trying to give back,” said finance major Naseem Saba. 

  Rowdy Con is being put on by the CSUB Campus Gamers club. If anyone wants to continue to sponsor this club, check out the Maya Theater. 

  Members of the Campus Gamers club volunteer by selling lanyards and other cool items at the theater every Frday to Sunday. 

  “ We’re hoping to get a lot more people this year,” said Terry Potter, public relations officer for Campus Gamers.       

  Also the club is doing somehting called, the 100 100. This is where the first 100 people who raise $100  or donate $100 for the event get a gold medal. 

  “Its a pretty thick gold metal too,” says Potter as he uses his thumb and pointer finger to show me the estimated with. 

  If that isn’t enough motivation, you also get a free Rowdy Con T-shirt and a chance to win a new Nintendo switch game consel  with a copy of Zelda Breath of The Wild and an entry to the Rowdy Con Concert with V.I.P seating for the first three rows.

  “We changed our Extra life event into Rowdy Con because we wanted it to be not only our club, campus gamers, we wanted this to be a school wide event,” says Potter. “We wanted the suport of our facilty, teachers, all the clubs on campus, and all the students. We wanted to make sure everyone got involved with this,” 

  This is an oppurtiny to make new memories and connection with people from the CSUB and Bakersfield community.

  “Its the event to go to,” said  Perez.

  Help make Rowdy Con a success and remember, the money you donate to this event stays in Bakersfield to treat our kids.  

  If people want more information about Rowdy Con, they can get a pamphlet by the front desk at the Student Union or just ask for one at the front desk. 

  For more information on how to join or questions on Rowdy Con, the Campus Gamers can be reached at  [email protected]. 

  If you still haven’t fufiled your need for information about Rowdy Con, you can talk to Edward Webb, who is in charge   of Rowdy Con in the office of student involvement located inside the Student Union.  

  Webb is also the founder of the Campus Gamers.