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Show Quidditch team has magical weekend V GAMING IN THE GARDENS BY KYLEE EHMANN BY JULIANNE SKRIVAN /STAFF WRITER isitors can fight off invading armies, run restaurants and find missing treasure at Red Butte Garden this spring, all with the help of a smart phone. The garden released the first two of its five interactive video games at the beginning of the month.These fantasy-like games, which can only be played on their grounds, combine virtual storylines with specific areas of the garden to create new ways to learn about Red Butte. This is part of a larger goal to develop technology that gets older kids more interested. During a conference for the American Public Garden Association, members of Red Butte met people from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology who were looking for locations to test out TaleBlazer, the platform through which these games are available.This project, funded by the National Science Foundation, includes other similar institutions, such as the San Diego Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Melissa Stamp, an education assistant, said the video games are a spin on, but won't altogether replace, traditional tours. "It's meant to be interactive, so you're not just staring at a screen," she said. "Games are a great way to learn, to stay engaged, to remain motivated, and it's fun using fantasy and imagination that you don't necessarily get from a tour ou don't have to go to Hogwarts to be a Quidditch champion; you can join the U's Crimson Elite. The only team of its kind at the U, Crimson Elite not only competed in the Western Region Championship — where they received the first bid to a World Cup tournament — but took third at said tournament. Gina Allyn, a member of the team, said the win was a surprise. "No one expected ... Utah to go that far in the tournament and to upset amazing teams like UCLA and Arizona Quidditch Club': Allyn said. The game is adapted from the fictional Harry Potter book series with some adjustments for the non-magical participants. Allyn explained the sport is played full contact and co-ed. Instead of flying, team members run with PVC pipes between their legs to represent the broomsticks used in the novels. "We less and less associate this sport with the fantasy story': Allyn said. "I sometimes have to remind myself that this game was based on a Harry Potter sport:' Quidditch matches are "strategic and bold," Allyn said. Both teams begin by lining up by their hoops. When the referee starts the match, the teams run for the balls; one quaffle, three bludgers and one snitch, which is carried by a designated runner. Matches last until the snitch is caught, which can take anywhere from one second to 40 minutes. After the first 25 minutes, the snitch runner is periodically handicapped so the snitch is easier to catch. James Garbett a sophomore in communications, said he's amazed by how much the game has developed. "It's crazy how for some students something that seems make-believe has become real life': Garbett said. "It shows just how amazing media is and how impactful it is in our world:' Being a part of the Crimson Elite Quidditch team has made a huge impact on Allyn's life and college experience. "I want to keep improving personally and as a team and expand Utah Quidditch. My ultimate personal goal is to make Team USA as one of the female chasers and play at the next Global Games in 2016," Allyn said. Iskrivan@chronicle.utah.edu y 4 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 } /STAFF WRITER In the game "Lady Nightshade and the Invaders': users learn about native plants and invasive species while exploring Red Butte's water pavilion. While the games are targeted to kids in their pre-teen years, Stamp said many of the garden's staff and university students have also enjoyed playing them. Ian Sohl, a junior in physics and computer science and an avid gamer, said he thinks the games are a great idea as long as they educate users about the nature around Red Butte. "There's this incredible stimulation happening that happens in games that a lot of traditional museums aren't taking advantage of': Sohl said. Stamp said the garden has received some negative feedback from parents about the introduction of these games, which she understands. "If I'm at Red Butte, I don't want my head looking at a screen': she said. "I want to enjoy this place without the presence of technology and the computer:' Game play lasts between 15 and 30 minutes, leaving time for kids to interact in the garden after. Stamp said children have given better reviews than their parents. The game subjects were decided by a team of Red Butte staff. Stamp, who was part of that group, said they matched Red Butte locations W BI AR 91 111 , Eweather espite good intentions, "spring fever" has U students on a procrastination kick. It usually happens this time of the semester. Students convince themselves that they can write a 10-page paper in a day or cram for a midterm the night before. For Alex Butler, a senior in anthropology, as she's gotten closer to graduation her procrastination has worsened. "We are just ready to be done': Butler said. "After this many years in school, we've learned how far we can push the envelope and still get our work done in time:" The question is not whether students can finish their work, but rather what quality of work is produced under pressure. According to a study by Joseph Ferrari of DePaul University in Chicago, 20 percent of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. Through his research, Ferrari discovered that procrastination often stems from a fear of failure, which causes an individual to avoid an assignment. Ferrari also found that those who procrastinate often are more likely to abuse alcohol, develop higher rates of insomnia and have D PHOTOS COURTESY OF UTAH QUIDDITCH to Utah CORE curriculum of what kids from fifth to seventh grade are learning in school. The games are free on any GPS-enabled tablet or smartphone through the TaleBlazer app, available through the Google Play Store or the App Store. The next game, "Water Games," will be released April 1 and will explore water conservation. k.ehmann@chronicle.utah.edu @Ehmannky Red Butte Garden Games: -"Garden Tales" -"Lady Nightshade and the Invaders" -"Water Games" -"Garden Fresh!" -"Captain Bonneville" For more information, such as individual game ratings and difficulty levels, check out Red Butte Garden's website at http://www. redbuttegarden.org/taleblazer. exacerbates student procrastination weakened immune systems. Arissa Barrowes, a sophomore in sociology, said not procrastinating was one of her New Year's resolutions. But she said it fell through sooner than she intended. "I had such high hopes that I would stay ahead of the syllabus in all my classes': she said. "Then I realized that my Hulu queue was building up, and I'd rather watch the episodes of 'Revenge' I missed instead of reading the 60 pages of reading I had:' Barrowes is not alone in this. Since "Friends" was added to Netflix at the beginning of the semester, others have fallen into a similar pattern. "You can't not watch it': Butler said. "Ross and Rachel will drag you in every time:' The Journal of Current Directions in Psychological Science addressed procrastination and provided behavior techniques to help change the cycle in a paper by Roy Baumeister. Baumeister said one way to gain more willpower is to exert small moments of self-control, such as make your bed every morning instead of turning on the TV. "I'd like to say that I'm going to be better the rest of the semester, but I need to be realistic': Barrowes said. "The fact is, the work will get done, but in the meantime I will probably be hanging out watching the new season of `Dancing with the Stars:" m.royal@chronicle.utah.edu @mary_royal |