Rift Academics: An Interview with Harvard’s uLoL Team

This week we got to catch up with Michael “BarbequeQ” Wong and Andy “Yong J Kim” Kim of Harvard’s uLoL team about life on and off the Rift. It isn’t always easy to balance school, life, and competitive League; but these players find a way to make it happen. Whether it’s slinging spells or acing tests, they aim to excel.

Interested in learning more about Harvard’s uLoL team? Read on to see what they have to say!

Is there added pressure playing for an Ivy League school like Harvard?

Yong J Kim: There’s always pressure doing anything as a Harvard student because a lot of people are actively looking to find ways to shoot us down. Harvard is in the limelight a lot of the time for many different things, and I know for sure that if I make a big mistake in our matches, a lot of people are going to see it and a lot of people will criticize it heavily.

Is it hard to fit League in with how rigorous your courses are? How do you find balance for both League and your studies?

Yong J Kim: It definitely is a challenge to balance schoolwork and League. Harvard courses are without a doubt rigorous. However, there is always time to play League, just like how there is always time to hang out with your friends. My balancing technique revolves around being honest with myself and setting up priorities that I believe in. I quickly remove all of the things in my life that I do not care about and amp up my efforts for things that I do truly care about. I think a lot of students struggle with finding more time because they just haven’t taken the time to really hash out what is important and what is not.

BarbequeQ: I think playing competitive League actually helps me balance my studies with playing League. Having set practice times every week helps me stay focused on my work since I know I have already designated a time in which I am going to play.

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What’s been your favorite part about playing in the uLoL Campus Series?

Yong J Kim: My favorite part about playing in the uLoL Campus Series is the high level of competition. We have been facing against teams that are better than us so far, and it’s just been great practice. I also really enjoyed doing the photoshoot and the filming on campus.

BarbequeQ: My favorite part has been being able to compete with other schools regularly. It’s exciting seeing how good other teams are and learning from our games against them.

What are your goals for the Harvard team?

BarbequeQ: I want us to gain experience playing against better teams and eventually be able to qualify again next year! None of our team members are graduating this year so our roster could play again next year.

Yong J Kim: Our goal is to make it into the top 4 in our region. I think it’s possible, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.

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How do you feel Harvard stacks up against the rest of the competition?

Yong J Kim: I think by solo queue stats, we are in the bottom half of our region, but I don’t think that’s the only metric that determines wins. If we win the next few matches, I think we may have a good chance of getting into the top 4 in our region. And I think we can definitely do that.

Last but not least, the most important question: What’s your favorite skill to use in-game and why?

Yong J Kim: It comes down to Xerath R and Poppy W. Xerath R is great because you get watch your opponents squirm around as they try to anticipate your moves. And when you get all three to hit on the same target, especially in lane phase, it’s the ultimate sniper moment. Poppy W is great because you can shut down so many engages with just one well-timed spell. The sound it makes and the animation of them bonking into a golden wall help too.

BarbequeQ: Gragas’s ultimate is my favorite skill to use in-game. It is a versatile skill that takes a lot of thinking to use properly. It is effective for engaging, disengaging, and peeling. A good Gragas Explosive Cask can win a teamfight, but a bad or mistimed one can lose your team the game.

Thanks guys!

Keep up with everything about the Campus Series on the uLoL website and check out the uLoL YouTube page for VODs, features, and much more!