CU Boulder and Alienware, Dell Technologies’ gaming brand, opened the university’s first dedicated esports and gaming lounge on campus Jan. 25.

A $1.2 million contribution funded the renovation of a 1,275-square-foot space in the University Memorial Center, which houses desktops, gaming laptops, a multiplayer console area and a broadcast studio. The lounge includes spaces for esports athletes and gamers to play, train and compete in competitions around the world.

CU Boulder has more than 5,000 students interacting with 15 gaming-specific student organizations, including esports, video, tabletop, board, role-playing and trading card games.

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Photos by Patrick Campbell

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September 1963

Several months after the March on Washington, CU professor Charles Nilon spoke at a civil rights demonstration on campus outside of the UMC. The first Black faculty member at the university, Nilon worked passionately alongside his wife, Mildred — the university’s first Black librarian — to make CU more equitable and inclusive.

As a friend and mentee of the Nilons, Tom Windham (PhDPsych’75) said in a 2017 College of Education article: “When [the Nilons] saw you, they really saw you. They wanted you to know that just by being who you are, you deserved respect and opportunity.”

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Photo the University of Colorado Boulder Publicity Offices collection, COU: 3331, Box 110, Item 8011, Rare and Distinctive Collections, University of Colorado Boulder Libraries

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