Pirates Log

Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: News

Students who enroll in college usually want to accomplish the same goals. They hope to become more knowledgeable, broaden their horizons, meet new people and have a great time doing it. This is what the Gamers Club is all about.

Glen Alexander, club president, truly believes the club does what its motto says, "Stretch Your Mind."

"Playing games are for more than just having fun," Alexander said. "They require and help to develop skills like strategy and logic."

The club started last semester with this principle in mind. After being approached by various gamers, club founder Larry Browne decided it was time to roll the dice and see if he could get the club going. With the help of club advisor Mitch Miller, and ICC representative Julia Menriquez, the formation of the club seemed inevitable. It took a few weeks and a great deal of running around and filling out paperwork, but Browne and the gamers now had their own club.

After taking care of official business at their meetings, club members can get down to gaming. The laid back atmosphere of the Mary Stuart Rogers Student Learning Center's game room provides an ideal setting for gaming exploration. Just one step into their club headquarters and it is evident they participate in a wide variety of games. They include card, arcade, computer and console games as well as billiards, foosball and any other kind of game they can think of. All gamers with any level of experience can join.

"Teaching is a big part of what we do in the club," Browne said. "Each person comes to the club with experience in usually one gaming style. After being at the club for a while, they can't help but pick up another."

This aspect of the club can be seen in its advisor. Mitch Miller is a true renaissance man of gaming. Even though he came to the club with a selective pallet, Miller now has a taste for a wide range of games.

"I enjoy playing all sorts of games," Miller said while taking the winning shot in a game of billiards. "I love pool, darts and RTS and FPS (real time strategy and first person shooter computer games). But the guys have also gotten me involved in card games as well."

Many of these games take their player into a different world. Whether it is computer generated or in the imagination of one's mind, the gamers' club provides a gateway to this alternate reality. Club member Matthew Ridgway, a computer gamer, uses the high speed internet connection offered in the game room for online play. Recently Ridgway has been developing his character in Diablo II, a popular RTS game. The excitement of being able to interact with so many people has Ridgway hooked to online gaming.

Continued...

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