July 19 was a day of celebration for new and old-school gamers at Pensacola State College as the Student Activities Game Room was officially opened in the Delaino Student Center on the Pensacola campus.
Equipped with two air hockey tables, a pool table, a ping pong table and a foosball table, as well as five arcade games – Pac Man, NBA Jams, Pin Bot, Star Wars and Golden Tee, the game room is open from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. Hours will be extended during the fall semester to accommodate students’ schedules.
Longtime PSC supporters John and Susan O’Connor, and the O’Connor Family Foundation, gifted a custom regulation-sized pool table decorated with the College’s logo. The couple and their daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and John Wimer, were on hand for the ceremony.
PSC State Board of Trustee member Gordon “Flash” Sprague and his wife, Bette, gifted the College a vintage Pin Bot arcade game and one of the air hockey tables. The Spragues were out of state but viewed the event virtually.
John O’Connor was invited to say a few words during the ceremony. “This game room is a place for students to interact that is not in the traditional classroom,” he shared. “Networking outside of the classroom is just as vital as the work you do in the classroom. This is a small way we can help be a part of providing that space.”
Andrea Krieger, the College’s Executive Director of Institutional Development, thanked the O’Connors and the Spragues for their contributions to the game room. “Not only did our donor give us these games, but they also made sure they were repaired and in working order,” she added.
John O’Connor served on the Board of Trustees, PSC Foundation Board of Governors, WSRE Foundation Board and was a member of the Comprehensive Campaign. O’Connor and his wife also co-founded the McDonald Hospitality Scholarship. Their daughter, Jessica Wimer, is now a member of the Foundation Board of Governors.
Gordon “Flash” Sprague, a member of the College’s Board of Trustees, previously served on the PSC Foundation Board of Governors and was past chair of the WSRE TV Board of Directors. He also led the College’s recent “Your Community Your Legacy Comprehensive Campaign”. Over the years, he has donated significant art pieces to the Anna Lamar Switzer Center and Charles W. Lamar Studio Gallery. The Spragues are members of the Bell Tower Heritage Society and have recorded an estate gift for the College.
The Student Activities Game Room is the latest in upgrades to the Student Center, which went through a total renovation in 2022. Jon Stephenson, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, said plans are in the works to add more arcade games, a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X video games, and an 85-inch television screen before the fall semester.
“This renovation could not have been done without the generous support of our donors who believe in student success through the window of student engagement and leadership,” Stephenson stated. “I firmly believe that when students are engaged, they are more likely to be successful in their educational journey. And the game room and other extracurricular activities are the launching paths for our students to network and build lifelong bonds.”
