Full Sail Stories

Recently, Full Sail student organizations like the Armada esports team, the Asian-Pacific Islander Coalition, the Black Student Union, and more gathered together for the 12-hour Throwback Festival. The gaming festival featured livestreams, musical guests, and tournaments both on campus and virtually for online students.

The lively event featured a number of games including Throwback! Jai Alai Heroes. Full Sail grad and Hall of Fame inductee Caris Baker helped develop the arcade-exclusive indie game; she also attended the Throwback Festival and connected with current students.

“[The students] were just so impressive,” said Caris. “Every single one of them really just came out, did what they do, and everybody had a role. Whether they were moderating, streaming, performing, they just really put themselves out there.”

During the festival, the Armada esports team collaborated with the Tabletop Games Club to hold Beyblade competitions, and during halftime, attendees were able to participate in an interactive D20 Deathmatch. There were also virtual opportunities for online students, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II tournaments, during which students from all over the country competed head-to-head against Armada.

A number of other student organizations came together to connect over games and work behind the scenes. Students ran sound boards as audio engineers, and photographers from Spark, Full Sail’s student-led production agency, captured the event for social media. Some of the clubs at the event included the Veterans Student Union, Frequency, the International Student Society, and more. Full Sail President Garry Jones also briefly stopped by to cheer on the competing students.

“We’re super grateful for Full Sail believing in this event, seeing the potential, and giving the students the opportunity that they needed to shine,” said Caris. “You just saw their eyes light up because, as students, they were given this opportunity to really show off.”