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Show . features@statesmanTusu,edu 11 i Wednesday, Sept 3,}20 P 397476* ; FUSION HD3'S PROGRAM DIRECTOR, SCOTT ANDERSON talks into the mic on USU's first official radio station. Fusion HD3 allows students to broadcasts 24 hours a day with no com• mercial interruptions. Students can listen to the station through iTunes, the station's Web site www.radio.usu.edu and 89.5 HD3 on an HD compatible radio. BRITNEY BRENT photo By AMANDA MEARS assistant features editor Weber State has one. So does BYU. USU finally does, too. Fusion HD3 is USU's first official radio station and, for music director Erin Seymour, it has been a long, but worthwhile, process. "We officially flipped the switch on April 15, _ but we have been trying to start this for a long time," said Seymour, junior majoring in speech communication. , The station got its start streaming online, . but when the FCC changed their royalty rules, ; Seymour said they were forced to shut down. -• Eventually, the station was able to get a grant /through Utah Public Radio (UPR) for an HD /station. Scott Anderson, program director ;- of Fusion HD3, said there are several ways " to listfcn to FusionHD3 including iTunes, the I station's Web site www.radio.usu.edu and : through 89.5 HD3 on any radio that is HD ; compatible. "Right now it seems like HD will become the norm," said Scott, junior majoring in broadcast journalism, "but even if you don't have an HD radio you can listen to in on your computer wherever you are." Friend Weller, broadcast engineer at UPR and USU radio course professor, said the Clark said he first became interested in transition to HD radio stations is occurring bringing a radio station to USU when he because it is more advanced technologically started talking with Dave Hall, chief engineer and provides a better listening experience. for Fusion HD3, about the need for music education and variety in Cache Valley. Seymour "It is a better form of broadcast," Weller also credits Hall with piquing her interest in a said. "It's a better signal and HD has no station. problem with the signals bouncing around. It figures out what you should be hearing and it "Dave had some ties with Noah Riley, who gives us an edge." was ASUSU President at the time, and wanted The support of UPR, Weller said, was essento get a radio station," Seymour said. "We tial in providing USU with an HD radio station talked about music and how there was a lack of that allpyvs students tohroadcast up to 24 knowledge on campus about different types." hours a day with no commercial interruptions. .. .,As music director, Seymour said her job is to decide what music goes on the air and her Cathy Ives, UPR general manager; said the main goal is to educate students about the difpairing of USU and UPR was ideal for many ferent types of music that are out there. reasons. "I am delighted to get back to students being "We want to cater to all the students," on air," Ives said. "As National Public Radio Seymour said. "It's free form so the DJ's can has moved towards fine journalism, it hasn't play whatever they want as long as it's clean. allowed for student learning. We have really We have some Top 40, but it's mostly indie gone 360 degrees and are letting students stuff." experiment and learn." Scott said DJ's are chosen each semester and Clark Anderson, station director, said none no prior experience is required. of this would be possible without UPR and "My goal is to give as many people as poscredits them for bringing Fusion HD3 to life. sible an opportunity. Everyone who applied "Cathy is an excellent mentor," Clark said. will be given air time. We fill all the slots and "She has let us know if we are doing somewe also have a sub list for everyone who does thing wrong, but let's us learn for ourselves. If not have a slot," he said. we didn't have UPR's support as mentors, we Scott said the station provides training would be hitting walls left and right." for first-time DJ's, but there is also a class through USU that students can take if they are interested. The course is taught by Weller and provides a platform for students looking to broadcast on the radio. "It helps students create an entire program, as opposed to just playing a playlist," Weller said. Although Scott said some students find it difficult to make the transition to being on air, his goal is to make everyone feel comfortable behind the microphone. "There's a big difference between talking and talking on a mic," Scott said. "To get everyone comfortable with what they are doing and letting their personality show through would be a big accomplishment." Seymour said the station relies on support from students in order to gain listeners and encourages them to make requests via e-mail so the station can play what students want to hear. "If we don't have it already, we will find it," Seymour said. Seymour's job also includes keeping up with different local bands and record companies to get new music on the air first. In order to appeal to the local scene, Seymour plays local 1M See RADIO, page 8 The truth about video game addiction WENDY KAYS, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "GAME W I D O W " said warning signs of a video game addiction include a hangover mood after playing, thinking and talking about nothing but the game and cutting important things out of the individual's life to make time for gaming. JORDAN CHECKETTS photo By TIMOTHY RUSSELL staff writer Gambling and drugs are addictive, and many individuals wonder if video games could also.top that list. Wendy Kays, author of the book "Game Widow," which analyzes game addiction said too much energy is spent arguing whether game addiction is real, or what classifies a person as being addicted. ; "The real issue is not validating the label," she said, "but addressing the behavior prob- lem and flawed decision-making processes of abusers." Kays said warning signs of an addiction include a hangover mood after playing, thinking and talking about nothing but the game and when they get to play next, and cutting important things out of the individual's life for more game time. Not all gamers recognize these warning signs, she said. Kays said she has encountered some gamers who denied they were addicted, but because of video games they lived in depressed conditions and experienced divorc- es and other life changing consequences. Depressed conditions are not the only drawback to gaming addictions. Rare reports have surfaced of individuals who have died from the activity. CNN reported in September 2007, a man in China died in a cyber-cafe after a three day non-stop gaming session. A similar incident was reported by BBC News of a South Korean man who died after a 50-hour gaming marathon. Exhaustion was found to be a common factor in both. The number of gamers affected is not agreed on by experts. Some experts claim between 5 and 20 percent of gamers may becomeobsessively addicted. However, they do agree a certain genre can be problematic. Dylan Cuthbert, president of Q-Games which is a game developer in Japan, said some game genres can be more addictive than others. He said it can be a problem for people playing MMO's (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) because they take up a lot of time to play. But video games are not all bad. A majority of people can enjoy video games without any problems. MMO's can even promote leadership skills and teamwork. For instance, in many MMO's, players must work together to strategize certain tasks. In addition, many college students play online games to keep in touch with old friends. There are other advantages to video games. Cuthbert described Mario Bros. 3 as a defining experience. "The learning curve required for that game is pretty cool and at the end of it you feel very quick, responsive and alert," he said. "It teaches you incredible hand-eye coordination. The benefits of video games are not limited to specific gaming groups. Surgeons also use video games to help save lives. According to a study reported by Reuters, doctors who played "Super Monkey Ball" for 20 minutes before performing a procedure were faster and had fewer errors than surgeons who did not play. A recent report from Phoenix also showed surgeons improved their accuracy in certain procedures by 50 percent. Psychiatrist Kourosh Dini, who specializes in video game addiction, said individuals need to decide if the video game is worth the time and effort consumed. "Being able to identify one's goals, short and long-term, and learning how to create the day to get there takes work," Dini said. "If a game is sapping the resource of attention needed to make these choices, then a person needs to seriously think about reassessing one's relationship to a game." What can be done to help those with a video game addiction? Kays said while it may seem natural for online gamers to seek online help, this is not the best solution. "Getting help online may be like going to an AA meeting in a bar," Kays said. "Be careful and look first for offline counsel and support." At USU, students are encouraged to use the Counseling Service Center for help and support. Visiting the Counseling Service Center is free of charge for all current fulltime students. If students see signs of addiction in a roommate or friend, it is best to recommend counseling before forcibly removing the hardware and software. It's important to be aware of the warning signs associated with addiction, and look for them. Video game addiction should not be considered a myth, because it is a problem. -tint. russe!I@aggiemail. usu.edu |