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Sean Hilgeman We’re all a little geeky on the inside. Sure you might not like to admit it, but in a world where geeks and nerds are becoming increasingly accepted by society, you don’t have to hide it. That’s why it’s good to let it go and bask in being a nerd among people of similar interest, and you can find plenty of release in the campus’ geeky registered student organizations. Interested in computer games? Spartasoft (www.spartasoft.msu.edu) is the campus organization dedicated to computer game development, meeting every Sunday at 7PM in room 161 of the Com. Arts Building. Members meet to discuss and plan the creation of games, from graphics and programming code to audio effects and game mechanics. Charles Roman, a Computer Science and Telecommunications junior and current President of Spartasoft, first started coming to meetings his freshman year. Though he “wasn’t sure” what he wanted to do when he first came to campus, his interest in computers led him to attend several meetings and his involvement in the group continued from there. He enjoys being a part of Spartasoft because it’s “fun to make games, and for the social aspect.” Other members of the group expressed similar views; Bruno Sommer has been apart of Spartasoft for three years and grew to be interested in making games from playing MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), while Erin Bradt, who recently joined this semester, became involved because of her interest in 3D animation. Though students majoring in computer science and art make up the majority of the club’s membership, Charles stresses that the organization is open to everyone – English, Accounting, and other non-computer science majors have a role to play in making video games too. Perhaps Japanese animation is more your flavor of nerdy-ness? Those in need of their daily fix can find it at Animosity, the local RSO for all things Anime. The group meets every Wednesday at 7PM in the Natural Science building and spends the three hours watching various imported Anime shows on a giant projector screen. Though it may seem that sitting in a dark room for that long might seem anti-social, the shows are broken up with periodic breaks where games are played and humorous AMVs (anime music videos) are showcased. Which Anime the group watches is determined at the beginning of the semester, where potential candidates are reviewed and a vote is taken to decide which series to continue watching. Some of the picks are your typical fare – troubled teen uses giant robot/magic/ect to save world – but others are more creative and funny, such as “So Long Mr. Despair” about the interactions between an overly-optimistic schoolgirl and her excessively-depressed teacher. The current president of the club, Amy Zerwas, first became interested in Anime “a long time ago” and started attending meetings her freshman year. The Physics senior had a rocky start though, as she “got lost looking for the building” and ended up missing the first several meetings. The setback did little to curb her enthusiasm for the genre or the club. Besides the weekly meetings, the group also organizes other events, such as marathons, contests and parties. To participate in games and voting, though, you have to become a paying member of the group. One such member, Katie Delong, first got interested in Anime after watching Cartoon Network’s Toonami lineup. The Economics junior joined the club her freshman year, and says her favorite show in this semester’s lineup is “Beccano!”, a show about seemingly unrelated plots coming together involving the mafia and immortal alchemists and causing all sorts of ruckus. Not seeing anything nerdy enough for you yet? Then consider giving the Interactive Theater Group a try. The group engages in Live Action Role-Playing, or LARP (basically Dungeons and Dragons without the dice) every Saturday at 7PM behind the Student Services building. Members play out stories set in the apocalyptic setting of White Wolf’s “World of Darkness” universe, assuming fictional characters and working together to solve the problems and challenges set before them by the Storytellers. For example, one story might entail uncovering a conspiracy by an evil KFC-like corporation involving a plot similar to the movie “Soylent Green.” Kate Cuneo is the group’s Staff Advisor, and has had plenty of experience LARPing. An assistant at the school’s library, she helps in taking care of the group along with its president Sarah Hart, a Sign Language junior. The two talked about how helpful the group is for “marginalized” students – teaching them to socialize with other people, rather then spending all day in front of a computer screen. The group is not only open to all university students, but high school students as well, along with graduates and non-students. Ground rules are in place to protect members: no drugs, alcohol, weapons (fake or otherwise), or unwarranted touching, and if events start to get out of hand verbal warnings are used to stop the scene. There are also rules in case some unwary travelers happen upon them in the midst of a scene, rules neatly summarized by member Josh Ribble: “Don’t scare the straights.” Still haven’t found anything to your liking? Then head over to the Dept. of Student Life website and check out their complete listing of registered student organizations here: http://studentlife.msu.edu/current_students/rso/orgs.htm. There are many geeky clubs on campus to explore, and if you still can’t find the geeky group perfect for you, consider starting your own. After all, nerds need loving too, right? |
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