William Edmonds, a professional writing major at the University of Oklahoma, graduated this spring with more than just a diploma—he moves forward with a legacy. Throughout his time with the OU Gaming Club, he helped foster a creative and inclusive community, leaving a lasting impact on the club’s culture and media presence. Though Edmonds’ legacy at the club is far from over, as he steps into a new role as the OU Gaming Club’s Media & News Coordinator, where he will continue to support the club’s growth and guide its creative direction as he enters the next chapter of his life.
FROM MOORE TO NORMAN
As a native of Moore, Oklahoma, Edmonds had always had his eyes set on attending OU. After starting out his collegiate journey as an electrical engineering major, he discovered following a short time in the program that engineering wasn’t the right fit. Through exploring other options, he discovered the professional writing major offered through the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The major’s focus on commercial fiction and storytelling craft caught Edmond’s eye as the program aligned with his long-standing creative interests.
A FOUNDATION IN STORYTELLING
Long before Edmonds’ time in college, his passion for stories was started and shaped through his childhood experiences in video gaming. His earliest memories of gaming go back to playing on the PlayStation consoles his father brought home with him from Okinawa, Japan, during his time serving in the U.S. Air Force. Growing up with timeless titles like Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda and Star Wars Battlefront helped spark his imagination and deep appreciation for immersive storytelling and narrative-driven experiences.
His interest in creative writing truly began around junior high, when creative assignments in Edmonds’ English classes started to focus on learning more about creative writing allowing a young mind to flourish. In his later youth, Edmonds, despite having a high school career focused heavily on music, playing saxophone during his time in highschool band, continued to pursue a passion for creative storytelling, writing and reading on the side as a hobby during this period of his life. By his college years at OU, Edmonds had completely flipped the script, continuing his musical pursuits as a jazz minor while fully committing to professional writing as his major.
WORLDS COLLIDE
Shortly after changing majors, Edmonds found himself at a campus club fair hosted by Gaylord College. One table in particular stood out to Edmonds, and it was the OU Gaming Club’s, who were accompanied by the club’s Media & News team, which at the time was actively recruiting new contributors. Edmonds, hoping to gain experience in a new style of writing while connecting with fellow gamers, applied to be a part of the team and was accepted during his sophomore year.
He began as an entry journalist and gradually took on more responsibility as the years continued, eventually rising to the role of News Program Lead. As a lead, he helped the club expand its written and video content, encouraging creativity and collaboration among the team’s members.
CREATING A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY
Throughout his involvement with the OU Gaming Club, Edmonds focused on creating a space where members felt comfortable expressing themselves. He brought a fun and relaxed energy to the Media & News team, all while maintaining the high standards the team has for its media content. He wanted the Media & News branch to feel unique in comparison to other extra-curricular programs and focused on curating a relaxed and friendly environment for him and his peers.
As he prepares to graduate, he hopes the culture of creativity and openness he helped foster continues to thrive. He said he’s especially proud of how much the media side of the club has grown during his time in leadership—and he’s optimistic about its future.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
One of Edmonds’ proudest accomplishments was launching the club’s annual Game of the Year videos. His junior year, he created and distributed a survey featuring multiple gaming categories and created an article based on its results. Along with the print article, he produced a YouTube video to accompany it, coordinating with other club members to bring the creative vision to life.
Edmonds’ favorite memory came from when he traveled to Stillwater with other members of the OU Gaming Club’s Media & News team to cover the OU vs. Oklahoma State Bedlam Series. There, he interviewed players, took photographs and reported on the games, an experience he says strengthened his connection to both the team and the greater esports community at OU.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following graduation, Edmonds has plans to continue his academic journey by pursuing a master’s degree in professional writing at the University of Oklahoma. He sees this not only as a way to sharpen his craft, but also as a potential stepping stone toward future opportunities within his field, mentioning that he would one day possibly like to teach and mentor the next generation of writers as a professor.
As he transitions into his master’s program, Edmonds will also transition from his role as News Lead to the Media & News Coordinator for OU Esports. From developing new media initiatives to helping establish a culture of collaboration and storytelling, his contributions have set the groundwork for traditions that he hopes will continue to evolve and inspire during his tenure the next two years and long after his time with OU Esports has ended.
