Dartanian holds video game program
Madden and NBA video game tournaments bring Grossheuch residents together
Suguru Takebayashi
Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: Features
Thanks to a creative resident assistant, Grosshuesch Hall residents had their second annual video game program this February.
Dartanian Taylor feels that his main job as an RA is to entertain residents and get them to socialize with one another, and that's why he began hosting the video game program.
"The goal of the program is to create a fun, social atmosphere where everyone would be around with each other and meet new people," said Taylor.
When Taylor became an RA, he found that many people had not played video games before. He attempted to resolve this by using some video games to attract his residents.
In the beginning of each year, he asks Grosshuesch residents what kind of games they want to play, and so far the results lean towards basketball and football video games.
Just like last year, he hosted the program in the Grosshuesch Hall lounge. The basketball video game program, named "NBA Live '09 Tournament," was held on Feb. 4, and the football video game, "Madden Challenge," on Feb. 10. Seventeen people participated in the basketball video game tournament, and 25 people attended the football program. Because TV sets were limited, the "NBA Live '09 Tournament" was held every night for a week.
"It was tiring," Taylor confessed. "But I don't do it for myself; I do it for the residents."
Using PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 consoles, the participants played one-on-one against each other. One of the participants was Ryan Ophale, the hall director of Grosshuesch.
"He was a terrible player," Taylor said and laughed. "He sucked at both games. But he laughed, and had a lot of fun."
The winner of the tournament was given a gift card for Wal-Mart, and the second-place winner received a certificate for Subway. As a consolation prize, the other players feasted on free pizzas.
Taylor said that those programs were a great success; everybody had fun and got together. He was able to keep the cost of the programs below 50 dollars, because some residents lent video game systems.
RAs are commissioned to build good relationships among the residents. The Department of Resident Life gives RAs a handout in which it states, "Lakeland College is an open community where freedom of expression is protected… The very quality of the college is measured by the quality of communications within the college."
Taylor believed that his video game program fulfilled this requirement perfectly.
"It is a fun way to get all residents to meet," he said. "It's not necessarily easy though; we have to prepare TV sets; we have to get pizzas, and so on. That takes a lot of work and time, but it's worth it."
Taylor hopes to host a similar but more competitive program next year. And he hopes to circulate it to the other residence halls so other students can participate as well. He may even host it in the Campus Center, so the whole campus can be involved.
Dartanian Taylor feels that his main job as an RA is to entertain residents and get them to socialize with one another, and that's why he began hosting the video game program.
"The goal of the program is to create a fun, social atmosphere where everyone would be around with each other and meet new people," said Taylor.
When Taylor became an RA, he found that many people had not played video games before. He attempted to resolve this by using some video games to attract his residents.
In the beginning of each year, he asks Grosshuesch residents what kind of games they want to play, and so far the results lean towards basketball and football video games.
Just like last year, he hosted the program in the Grosshuesch Hall lounge. The basketball video game program, named "NBA Live '09 Tournament," was held on Feb. 4, and the football video game, "Madden Challenge," on Feb. 10. Seventeen people participated in the basketball video game tournament, and 25 people attended the football program. Because TV sets were limited, the "NBA Live '09 Tournament" was held every night for a week.
"It was tiring," Taylor confessed. "But I don't do it for myself; I do it for the residents."
Using PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 consoles, the participants played one-on-one against each other. One of the participants was Ryan Ophale, the hall director of Grosshuesch.
"He was a terrible player," Taylor said and laughed. "He sucked at both games. But he laughed, and had a lot of fun."
The winner of the tournament was given a gift card for Wal-Mart, and the second-place winner received a certificate for Subway. As a consolation prize, the other players feasted on free pizzas.
Taylor said that those programs were a great success; everybody had fun and got together. He was able to keep the cost of the programs below 50 dollars, because some residents lent video game systems.
RAs are commissioned to build good relationships among the residents. The Department of Resident Life gives RAs a handout in which it states, "Lakeland College is an open community where freedom of expression is protected… The very quality of the college is measured by the quality of communications within the college."
Taylor believed that his video game program fulfilled this requirement perfectly.
"It is a fun way to get all residents to meet," he said. "It's not necessarily easy though; we have to prepare TV sets; we have to get pizzas, and so on. That takes a lot of work and time, but it's worth it."
Taylor hopes to host a similar but more competitive program next year. And he hopes to circulate it to the other residence halls so other students can participate as well. He may even host it in the Campus Center, so the whole campus can be involved.
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