Column like I see them 




I always wanted to write a column of my own, plain and simple. While at Genesee Community College, I briefly wrote for the school newspaper. It may have been a small operation but I enjoyed it to the point where I considered it as a career choice. I may not have the same drive I did back then but I still enjoy writing to inform and to occasionally make people laugh.

During my tenure at SUNY Fredonia and through working with The Leader, I have enjoyed writing on a fairly consistent basis. Now as a senior and the Managing Editor for this paper, I am in a position to write in a more comfortable and open environment.  I figured this may be my one and only opportunity to express myself and to entertain while still incorporating facts and honesty. I hope you enjoy reading these future columns as much as I enjoy writing them.

As for the column itself, I plan to try something different for seven days each week of the semester. I may decide to walk to school instead of driving, or perhaps give up television for a week. Some may view this as something along the lines of fasting for a week but with no religious tie what-so-ever.

Call it a shameful gimmick or a weak attempt to fill in the hole left by the old column, "The Week in Beer," but I like to think of it as an experiment in the college mind. If you have any suggestions of possible tasks or potential experiments for a week, feel free to email me at tich8235@fredonia.edu.  

For this first edition of Column like I see them, I went for something that's relatively small in nature for me personally. I gave up playing any sort of video game since my arrival in Fredonia. Now, I'll admit it wasn't for a full week. I started this task on Sunday before school and continued up to Thursday, our deadline to send articles to the copy desk.

Giving up playing any video game to some may be a daunting task. To me, it meant not bothering to unpack my PlayStation 2 system. While some of you may laugh at my outdated console, I have never been the gaming-type, so this task didn't weigh too heavily on my willpower. I will admit, however, last year I was all over my PS2 as I tried to fight off boredom and insomnia, so this wasn't a complete cakewalk either.

According to GRABstats.com, an online directory for statistics, 65 percent of all households have video or computers games. The site also states that 50 percent of all video game players are between the ages of 18 and 49. Why mention these statistics at all? I believe video games have become a growing industry and have even become a staple in households. It's obvious that Americans use games not only to escape reality and wind down but as a simple means to self-entertain as well.

We are introduced to video games at a very young age. In school, we would be told to sit down in front of a computer and learn simple math by playing a game. At the time, we had loads of fun, not realizing we were learning all along.  How dare they toy with us?

It's no wonder the average age of a video game fanatic, according to GRABstats, is 35 years old. These adults were some of the first few to ever see an electronic game such as pong or Mario. These same individuals grew up and kept the hunger of gaming. I still feel awkward walking into a room and seeing a full grown adult engrossed in a video game and screaming every time he loses a virtual life. It's also funny watching my mom playing Wii Golf, unable to comprehend the complex controller (yeah, the same controller five year olds have mastered).

The types of games I usually find myself playing are football games or shooter games such as Call of Duty. I sometimes understand the addiction so many have succumbed to over the decades. Costs of new games and my inability to stay focused long enough has kept me out of the current video game loop, most likely for the better. According to GRABstats, it is estimated that by 2012, 8 out of 10 homes will have a "next generation" gaming system.    

There are days I can go without turning my system on but these moments are few and far between. While in school, I can find myself playing for an hour at a time before calling it quits. Mind you this may go on for weeks at a time.

The five days I gave up my PS2 were conflicting to say the least. I knew for this first article I wanted to tackle something many college students could relate to. I remember turning on the news when the new Madden game was released and thousands of die-hard fans camped outside stores waiting to get their copy. You will never see me out there. EBay is where I find my games.

By the third day of class, I found myself to be crippled by the boredom bug. The first week of school is always the slowest –and being a senior in the communication department I have seen it all before. I almost thought up a new idea for the column in simple hopes of playing an hour or so to pass the time. Thankfully, I was able to keep myself occupied long enough for any craving to pass. I thank my American Literary Landmarks English class for that blessing. Reading Uncle Tom's Cabin the first week of classes kept my mind busy and therefore off of those self-entertaining devices.

I was able to make it to Thursday and successfully complete my first experiment.  At times I felt the push to play a little Madden but these moments passed and I was able to move on. Now that this shortened week is over, I look forward to killing some time, and quite possibly kill some virtual Germans in my World War II shoot-em up game. While I may have been a little cocky going into this first task, I almost fell into a temptation so many Americans already admit to.  

Note to self

• Tiger Woods got divorced in a moment of "I thought he already was?" It's safe to say his life isn't on par right now.
• There's always that one kid in class who has to ask one more question before everyone can be let out of class early.  
• Two Buffalo sporting teams gear up for another season while most fans try to show some interest. Stay tuned to find out if any interest is found.
• One year anniversary of two fallen Buffalo firemen who lost their lives while battling a fire. You will not be forgotten.