OCR Text |
Show 4 Tuesday, April 7,2009 OPINION www.dailyutahchronide.com WoW, video games waste time "w: p orld of Warcraft" essentially has its own economy, almost limitless land and a population of around n million. It's only a matter of time before it has a selfsustaining ecosystem and a stable government. The game is becoming increasingly real to many gamers, especially hard-core ones, so I feel I must give a distressing reminder— "Warcraft" does not actually exist. real world, and don't let it become a controlling factor in their lives. But for others, including a number of U students, it doesn't seem like the distinction has sunk in yet. Garrett Young—aka Maetar, level 8o Restoration Shaaman, who resides in Kil'Jaeden—gave me some insight into a cycle of play that can lead to addiction. To him it's just a hobby, and he doesn't play nearly as much as he used to, but he has on- SPENCER MERRICK For the most part, online gamers are able to make the distinction between "World of Warcraft" and the WILLUS ZKANHAM/tiK -THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Dotty Utah Chronicle line friends who devote upwards of eight or even 13 hours to the game each day. One friend had to drop out of school because his grades were so bad. He would play in class on his laptop and put off homework because of raid obligations to his online guild. Maetar...er, Young, who attended the U last semester, said, "Sometimes people play this game because they see a sense of progression that they don't see in their everyday lives." The game isn't without its reallife connections, however. For instance, it has an actual currency exchange rate. In 2005, 500 "World of Warcraft" gold pieces (used in the game to buy armor, weapons, etc.) could get you $51.99 (that's in U.S. dollars, mind you) on special Web sites. Why get a job in a call center or a retail store when you could raid villages or become a troll blacksmith? Professions within the game, however time consuming, are a large source of these gold pieces. For instance, in the wee hours of the morning, when there are fewer users online, you could earn around 400 gold pieces in two hours by mining. With the 2005 exchange rate, that comes out to be about a $20 an hour. You could also sell a profile for income. It's not as common anymore, but you used to be able to search '"World of Warcraft' accounts" on eBay and find three to four pages with results like "Level 60 Lich King" or "Level 70 Paladin," virtual characters that users have built up for months that would go for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. "Warcraft" has also become a social network. There's nothing like laying siege on an enemy Night Elf base on a first date. However, like any other online network, it has become a playground for sexual predators. Just last month, a 41-yearold man from California was indicted for plans to engage in sexual activity with a minor—a 13-year-old Utah girl he met through "World of Warcraft." "Warcraft" isn't the only game played in excess—"Halo" tournaments governed the lives of my nerdy roommates during my freshman year, putting all of them on academic probation. I had a friend whose mom played "Tetris" for at least four hours every day, completely neglecting everyone in the family except for the dog, which sat on her lap as she played, creating an eerie, defensive-shitzu-tetris-addict relationship. I admit that I've had my own bout of video game addiction. To this day, if I pick up a Super Nintendo controller, myfingersstill instinctively tap out codes for "Street Fighter 2"—muscle memory acquired from years of overplay. Some of you, I'm sure, are mouthing the code right now. "Up, up, down, down, left, right." I shudder to think that I let Mario steal my childhood. The biggest reason I think this is a problem is simply that it's not real. I have a feeling that someday, a lot of people will come to that realization and frantically reach for ctrlalt-delete, then bemoan the fact that humans don't come equipped with an undo function. Unless users find a way to balance the real world with "World of Warcraft," or any other game, people will find they've ne- ~ glected their children, their spouses and their jobs. Students, who might not have any of those things to begin with, might be further away from getting them. They'll at least find that they've thrown thousands of tuition dollars down the drain. letters@chronicle.utah.edu ' A few bad vandals spoil er i§ going too far dorm life for everyone 1 ;-,^ !•.!.•• vATT " • Xhen U student and upstart environmentalist Tim Jv \ / V / DeChristopher foiled a land auction for oil extracJ I V V tion in January, we called his actions inspiring. The ? Chronicle wasn't the only news source to acclaim DeChrisf;>topher's victory over the Bureau of Land Management, as he f ji. garnered national attention and skyrocketed to the top of Utah's '^environmentalmovements . • , ; : ; • >•' /">• '$• It's time to put our feet back on the ground. g:. DeChristopher spoke at a rally Saturday where he suggested ^hunger strikes and "all-out stalking" Utah Rep. Jim Matheson to produce environmental friendly legislation in Congress. Both at the rally and beforehand, DeChristopher was critical of the progress made by Utah's environmentalist groups in favor of a i:,} more radical approach. ;'r The single-handed jamming of a BLM auction was a heartening step forward and a call to action for more than just environf, mentalists. DeChristopher's success reminded students and oth•: ,. ers that one person can make a significant difference. In contrast '*$. to the optimism DeChristopher lent us in January, this radical ^approach and his carping criticism of the Utah environmental JJ' movement does nothing but divide potential support. jff; DeChristopher's actions at the auction were impressive, but ' not everyone can risk years in prison to rescue land parceled ; ' off for oil extraction. Not everyone can participate in a hunger strike or stalk state representatives for the good of the environ]( ment. Such a hard-line approach, justified or not, will alienate;-J:^. a sizable portion of the more practical members of the envi- »; • v ronmental movement. Even wholly committed Utah environ-^:|g mentalists will not likely respond well to DeChristopher's '**$£ negative judgments of their past and ongoing efforts. Instead ^-4% of being unified and energized after a successful bout with the •J* BLM, Utah's environmental movement is getting more divided. jpj DeChristopher might have won the battle, but this radical ap§^ proach will ensure Utah loses the war. , ; \" •;[; f rf If the environmental movement is to be successful, it needs to ^ be a collective effort. Instead of encouraging extreme measures only a select few can support, environmentalists should reach out to a wider audience. A "go big or go home" mentality won't work to save Utah, lands. The battle to protect the environment can't be won by ^ handful of vocal individuals. DeChristopher has more than once been named the new leader of Utah's environmental movement. Whether or not the title has staying power is yet to be seen. Accusations and .;« j&>extreme activism will only dilute support. If he is a legitimate *". leader in the effort to protect Utah land, DeChristopher needs to reconsider some of his divisive actions and work to unify the ^M public and other activist groups. It would be a shame to take so ^ many steps forward just to take most of them back. letters@chronicle.utah.edu) Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board. Signed editorials, -editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page, is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. All letters to the editor will now be published online at www.dailyutahchronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper. I f you want to focus on a rigorous course load without having to worry about the fairly timeconsuming activities that go along with renting an apartment, you might look at the U's dorms as a suitable option. And for many, the dorms are just fine. Some residents, however, have recently demonstrated that they might be a bad fit for the dorms. Throughout the past several weeks, there have been multiple incidents of vandalism in the U's Sage Point residence halls (which house a mixture of freshmen and upperclassmen). This includes vandalism of exit signs and fire extinguisher casings and the theft of fire extinguishers. Last, and certainly most classy, there have been multiple incidents of people urinating in the elevators of two Sage Point buildings. Frank Sitton, associate director of facilities with the U's Housing and Residential Education department, has been forced to consider several changes in order to curb this vandalism. In Sage Point 812, he has closed the use of the elevator completely JOHN HANNON until the perpetrators are revealed. He is considering changing the exit signs during the summer to make them less attractive to vandals by replacing them with signs that sit flush against a wall instead of hanging from a ceiling. As per the residence hall handbook, all expenses resulting from vandalism repairs are to be distributed equally among residents and charged to their housing accounts. That means everyone is being punished for the actions of some kid who got a hold of some Boone's Farm and thought it might be interesting to urinate in the elevator. I'm sure this is, for many residents, their first time away from home. I can only imagine how absolutely freeing it must feel to be able to smoke cigarettes at 3 a.m. without that pesky parent figure harassing them. But seriously, urine in the elevators? Are you kidding me? Before I moved into the residence halls, I thought I was immature. Once you've urinated in the elevators you should know you're an ass-hat. There's no doubt that for many, these fines, now reaching the $15 to $20 range, are somehow miraculously charged to their old man's American Express card. Still, there are others who pay out of their own pockets to live in the U's residence halls and not only have to live with these people, but pay for their messes as well. Unless you want to endure the seemingly endless barrage of juvenile hijinks (my God, these kids are making me use square words from rockand-roll-hating adults in the '50s) in what essentially amounts to a junior high stay-over summer camp, avoid the U's residence halls. letters@chronicle.utah.edu LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Some service should be compensated Editor: I would like to provide an alternative perspective to the opinions espoused by Liz Carlston ("Incentives to give service defeats the purpose," April 6). Her views are shared by a fair few, including some members of Congress. These views are, however, a reflection of a clear misunderstanding.of the term "service" and its role in society, particularly in America. With no doubt, altruistic service should be—and is—promoted across the nation. The number of volunteers in this country has grown considerably and continues to do so. And there can be no substitution for the acts of kindness that come from the pure motive to do good things for other human beings. At a certain point, however, good works must go beyond simple altruism. To relegate "service" to only those acts which are preformed for free is an incredibly narrow view of what service can do for society. Moreover, that narrow view ignores completely the notion of service through civic engagement, and of doing those good works in the broader context of national duty. What the Serve America Act does is extend the opportunity to serve one's community, and to be recognized for doing so. The Act would increase the number of people who could receive a considerably small stipend or education grant for doing the kinds of work that would otherwise not get done. I would urge anyone looking at the Serve America Act to do so with an open view of the meaning of service. Where a nation puts its money speaks volumes. This is one area we can certainly justify spending a little bit more. Sabrina King, Student President, Bennion Community Service Center Senior, Political Science Letters to the editor should be sent to letters@chronicle.utah.edu. Letters should be fewer than 150 words and must include the writer's name. Lettersfromstudents should also include the writer's major and year in school. Letters from U faculty and staff should include department and title. All other letters must include the sender's name. All letters become property of The Daily Utah Chronicle and may be edited for style, length and content. |