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SPECIAL APRIL 26;2007 - Page 7 Halo 2- a positive outlet for male students? Special Report: This article is part of a time-part series illvestigatillg possible reasons for the gender gapl wlliel, exists between male (2.8) and female (3.2) GPAs. , national trend of playing the copies worldwide, according grades suffer as a result. who end up dropping out of P~p~ E~~;E science fiction first-person to Microsoft's website. Homework is typically done school due to their Halo shooter, a video game for Since the game's release, as soon as possible so as to not addictions would be hooked When junior Steve Hoffman Microsoft's Xbox console. students have been able to detract from Halo time, so it on some other outlet. calls fellow junior Cory Halo 2 has gained an unprece- "system link" with one aneth- may actually be a motivation. "What it boils down to is Nelllssen, Hoffman only dented following due to its er's systems over the college When asked how many stu- that students need to be ~eeds to mutter a simple ques- fast-paced and. interactive netwo~k.. As a ~esult, students de~ts seem to b~ in control of responsible enough to budget tion to find out what Nellissen gameplay, allowing up to 16 report It ISposs~ble to get onto their Halo playing, Hoffman their own time appropriately," is up to. players to face off across a net- Halo 2 at any time of the day replied that "the vast majori- said Max Groft, systems and "Are you playing?" he asks. work while communicating and find som~on~ willing .to ty" fell into this category. network administrator I pro- The ominous seconds of over headsets. Players are play. The game s highly eddie- However, Hoffman did recall grammer. "Even if Halo was Silence that follow communi- anonymous, with only a seIf- tive nature ensures that at two students who ended up the only distraction out there, cate an unspoken agreement chosen profile name displayed leas~ some~ne is logged on at lea,ving McDaniel as a result of it would not be our place to between the two friends, a as identification. all times, With most players on being unable to control their restrict its use." resounding, "What else would The game is particularly a set schedule of playing. Halo playing. Indeed, the college has Ibe doing?" male-driven, with violent According to senior Nick Despite such extreme tales actually shown some interest In the quest to discover the deaths and definite victors in McCourt, there is a reason for or other stories of people get- in facilitating students' video root cause of the gender gap, every game. Hoffman (aka the game's ability to pull peo- ting hooked on Halo and not game playing. Dr. Esther the Video game Hoffman is Candle Bandle) posits that the pie in. doing a paper or studying for Iglich, interim chief informa- referring to, Halo 2, is an obvi- game is very popular amongst "On average, the games last a test, the common trend with tion officer, said that allowing Ous candidate for a possible current and former athletes 10 to 20 minutes," he said. Halo players seems to be that access to video games is deslr- culprit. The game is highly due to the "high testosterone" "But you don't notice any of smaller assignments may get able because "this is your addictive, with several stu- involved and the competitive- the time passing, and usually put off until the next moming home" and at home you could dents indicating they spend ness, which often leads to sig- you feel like the game was but the larger assignments play them. She indicated that ~pto six hours a day playing nificant trash-talking. way too fast. You feel like the take precedence over game the video game front is one of It. Further investigation, how. Most of the "garners" esti- game was only five minutes time. The extra time spent many where student input is ever, reveals that Halo 2 may mate there are between 20 and long and you want to play playing Halo is more likely to being heard and carried be a deSirable distraction for 30 students who are consls- again." come out of partying or sleep through with. S.tudents who can keep the tentlyon the school's network, It is tempting to admonish than out of schoolwork, A slew of activity is taking tUne they spend playing the with an even larger group of Halo players for the amount according to all of the students place on the video game front, ~~e under control. students playing on a less fre- of time they spend playing the interviewed. demonstrating the desirability tirnately, a picture of the quent" basis. Moreover, one game. Hypothetical correla- "This is definitely better of the pastime. On March 1, a game emerges as an addiction would be hard-pressed to find tions between the number of than going out drinking every Halo tournament was held to :d academic hazard for some a male student who has not males who play the game with night," said sophomore allow students to showcase ut a positive social outlet for been entranced for at least the comparatively low CPA of Shawn Yohe (aka MR.K Murr their Halo abilities. This sum- others. several hours by the swirling male students are seemingly Holiday). "It's a lot cheaper, mer, plans call for installing a A. fairly small yet dedicated colors and futuristic sounds of logical. too. I can pick up a controller dedicated line for garners so group of male students on the game, of which Microsoft As some of the "top and play instead of going out there is no interference on the campus has caught onto the has sold nearly 10 million garners" on campus, one and paying $40 for alcohol on college's network. would expect that Hoffman the weekend." Recently, the move to a T3 Other players noted that FREE PRESS STAFF and Nellissen (aka Cancer) while playing .might take up line for the college has made it would.ba.the, poster children possible for the Information for a movement to rid tJlli! rncire tirne than partying, there Tochnology office 10 "/0W' stu- dents access to Xbox L.ive, an CO-Editors--ln-Chief Staff campus of Halo in order to are no lasting effects equiva- international network which lent to an alcohol hangover. improve the GPA of male stu- Dierdj Matkovic '07 Terre Martin dents. Nonetheless, problems with charges a small fee to connect Mike Habegger '08 Kayle Franklin However, a simple conver- alcohol may still result players with millions of other Geoff Peckham '08 sation with the two top dogs because game playing and garners worldwide. The extra A.rt Director len Harrington '07 of Halo is enough to erase drinking can often be com- bandwidth supplied by the T3 Emily Biondo '09 Lindsay Graham '07 Heather Gorsuch these misconceptions. For bth"'eed "Thos~Si:e~~~u:n igS::ef~~ ~~~i:~:es~r:s~ifbl;h~orb~~~~ m them, Halo 2 has not taken Features Editor Brian Engler 'OS over their Jives, but rather it though, because they want to width to Xbox Live garners. kathryn Young '08 Rob Goeke '07 has become a useful tool for be in the best mental state to The rest of the campus need Con Simpson '08 Becky Snider '09 distraction. As lacrosse play- play each time they log on. not worry, however. Christine Boyton '08 ers the two abide by the "48- "Our players get drunk, "We took a portion of the News Editor Stacey Eylcr '08 hour rule," a policy prohibit- too," said sophomore Jimmy bandwidth that wasn't being Melanie Chupein '09 Leslie Shirk '08 ing athletes from drinking 48 Isaminger (aka MRK Kung used and gave it to Xbox Rigoberto Gioguerimini '07 hours before each match in Fu), Yohe's roommate. Live," Groft said. Commentary Editor Chris Ferrick·Manley '09 order to assure that they are in Still, there is a noticeable Students have turned to Mario Valone '10 Jerome De Frances '07 prime physical shape to com- difference in the amount of Xbox Live in droves, causing Greg Pfeiffer '09 Sarah Black '07 pete. sleep some players are getting. the system link to almost Emily Sweeney '09 "A lot of students drink Yohe, for instance, said that become a thing of the past. Sports Editor Christina Hinkle '09 nightly, let alone just on t.he playing Halo has resulted in The benefit of Live is that stu- Ryan Chell '09 Katelynn McGinley '10 weekends," Hoffman said. him going from seven hours dents can now play with their Laura Hutton '09 Tori Butler '07 "When you're looking for of sleep a night to three to four friends from school and their something 1'0 do, trying to stay hours. friends from home, reforming Advertising Managers Page Design Emily Funk '07 off your feeL.it's just the per- With so many students connections that may have Emily Biondo '09 fect opportunity to sit back keeping their I-Ialo playing been broken since high school. Mike Habegger '08 and play video games." under control, it is apparent This benefit, in addition to the Copy Editor NeJ1issen reports another that any detrimental effect it distraction from drinking, Pat O'Toole '07 Photography reason why Halo has become may have on students' grades could make Halo an even 'Evan Ticknor '10 a significant focus of his atten· is more a factor of inadequate more deSirable pastime for Mike Habegger '08 tion. self-control than the game college students in the eyes of Th Dje.r~j Matkovic '08 . resent those of The "As a personal choice, I itself. This is also how the col- administrators. e OPIO~onsexpressed do not necessanly~ dminislrators of don't drink or do any drugs, lege views the issue, seeing it As for the students who M'cDaluelFree Press staff, the faculty, or e a so it really leaves slim pick- more as a personal choice than cannot control their gameplay, e McDaniel College........:@mcdaniel edY. Th ings for a social life here at something the school needs to measures may need to be ~aper wdcomes free-lance senl !he ~ !h and libel ilnd to McDaniel," he said. "It's regulate. taken. eQltorsreserve the right to edit for cianty. leng 'd hone number weird - people are uncomfort- "As with any form of recre- "At this point, educating e roublis~ ~sspace permits. Please include a na: ;;:;. dlscretion of the able hanging out and not ation, it's all about the extent," students on the degree to r venflcation, Names will be withheld only y drinking. [l's nice to have said Dr. Henry Reiff, dean of which video gaming may Til Editors-in-Chi~f.. te ba~d on age, race, some dose friends who don't student academic life. interfere with academics is e.~CDaniel Free Press d()es no.t diS(:n'_llJll: origin, condition of religion,gender sexual orientation, nation 1 care about hanging around "Anything that becomes probably the most viable , handicap, or marital status. and watching a movie or play- addictive is not healthy - approach," Reiff said. "We're Mail to: ing Xbox." whether it be video gaming or probably not too far from the The McDaniel Free Press H'l\ Hoffman and Nellissen knitting." day when we'll have video McDanielcollege, 2 COlies; I report that while they spend The general consensus sug- gaming interventions and Westminster, MD 2115857_2729 several hours a day playing gests that if it were not for support groups VG (410) 751~8600 FAX: (4iO!eLedli Halo, they do not think their Halo, the sorts of students Anonymous!" 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