How To Reach Others Part 1

Lets all say it all together - our world is a much smaller place thanks to technology like Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Skype, and our cell/smart-phones. While the format might be small you can open a blogger from your phone, upload pictures of yourself, post to the internet, and let people you care about know about things that matter to you. Still, this proposal can seem like a veritable whale to eat all by yourself. How can you best reach others? How can you make the best use of your technological abilities?

Getting Your Geek On – The Changing Shape of Nerdiness on Campus

Getting Your Geek On PT. 1 – The Changing Shape of Nerdiness on Campus

   While I write this I am seated closely to one UT Student/Employee who likes the TV series called The Legend of Korra. I am also seated close to some fellow co-writers who play video games, some who go and watch the bigger Super Hero films when they are released, and I have even worked with cosplay-lovers.

   We are a fairly awesome staff, but more importantly? We are UT Tyler students and we are a rather mixed group of ages, backgrounds, interests, and even ethnic origins. Can we be viewed as a microcosm for the University of Texas at Tyler Campus as a while? Well, not exactly – our numbers are balanced out to support our capacity as a diverse writing/blogging/call team, where-as University of Texas at Tyler has a more skewed range of students per college. Still, we all represent a great ‘slice’ of what University of Texas at Tyler is.

   One of the thing I can say about the group of people I work with now is that they are very unlike the kinds of people I remember hanging out with as a kid, particularly around when I was in the 10-13 range. These people are popular ( one has a band, some go to debate tourneys, some have represented University of Texas at Tyler  etc… ) and yet they also each have hobbies and passions that ( once upon a time ) were not as popular.

   Using myself as an example, I remember when the trend of simply playing video games was not nearly as widely acceptable as it is now. While the popularity of gaming has not caused their prices to lower ( an argument for another time ), everybody plays some kind of game now, somewhere – Facebook, mobile phones, consoles, PCs, etc…  Things which were once exclusively nerdy are now openly nerdy, capable of being acceptable in public without weird looks or hushed whispers.

   But what does this have to do with being a student on campus?

   Mainly I suppose that it means you, Mr/Miss New/Incoming Student, have a lot more in common with the people around you than you might think, and that is great! The past decade has taken a lot of things we might consider as being ‘not very cool’ and propelled them to become unifying, fun elements which can help us make new friends.

   Here, these are a small list of the ‘geeky’ things that can be used to help open up new topics of conversation ---

   “Awesome Batman/Superman/Whoever T-Shirt/Keychain/Ring/Necklace. Where did you get it?”

   “Are you going to go watch The Wolverine when it comes out next week?”

Mads Mikkelsen from Hannibal. Yes, this is an excuse for
promoting the show! Don't judge me!

   “I like Felecia Day’s cameo/interview/whatever’a. Have you seen it?”

   “I like that [this actor] is doing more work now, like on the new Tv show [whatever]. You should check it out and let me know what you think!” *This one was me gushing about Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen in Hannibal …

   “Oh hey, I’ve never read that book, have you checked out Cassandra Clare’s stuff? Or Neil Gaiman?”

  Loads of things exist now in the pop-culture sphere, things loved by younger students, graduate students ( I myself being a huge Green Lantern nerd, among other things ), and even our University of Texas at Tyler staff. Discuss these things you love with others. Go to the movie showing we have on campus every few months. Join some of our clubs, or make your own.

   Heck, I recently used Facebook to start a Tyler, Tx Book Club to try and connect some of my friends together who would likely never have any other reason to associate. Use social media and get out there! Meet some people and geek out!

Return of Game Club

   Okay, so ... maybe saying "Return of Game Club" isn't wholly accurate. We never left, we just had summer break! Still, I am very excited we have renewed our registration for the new 2012-2013 school year and I am happier our attendance for even a small introductory meeting was almost twenty people!

Approaching the Final Campaign

Approaching the Final Campaign

   As the upcoming first day of class approaches, I certainly find myself looking back ( happily! ) I have to certainly discuss what it has been like to be apart of so many groups on campus.

   Obviously, the biggest thing on campus I have been a part of has been the Game Club. We went from having a select few people discussing the idea of a club at a table, to having two selected days for running events on campus ( Warhammer Wednesdays and the normal Game Club sessions ), over 40 members at the height of our biggest meetings, and certainly we all gained numerous friends along the way.

   The chief concern with Clubs and things of that nature on campus is ( in my mind ) the sustainability of the club when the founding members have left.  From our founding members, two have graduated and three more are about to do so. We have gained many members, however from that number very few actively desire leadership positions. I am sure, however, in time we will have people step forward to make sure what a few people created, many can enjoy.

   One of the biggest things to talk about as I come to my end of being a club President is making sure to have this new semester be our biggest one yet. While we have had high highs ( 40+ members in one room at one point ), as well as low lows ( seven members in a room at one point ), it is important get enough new people aware of the Club so they can see what is available to them. Also, it would allow for new members to join up that might desire to take active leadership roles. That is what I am particularly excited about.

   Something else I am considering is what my “final campaign” will be for the Club. A campaign, for those unfamiliar with nerd-speak, is the combined story and gameplay meetings in a D&D game. I’ve run quite a few sessions, most of them which fizzle due to time, schedule changes, or test/school concerns. Still, I’d like to run one long 16 week session from start to finish for the players who might enjoy it. It will be something extravagant, something huge, and very likely something special. I am not prone to lavish displays of gaming theatrics, but … I just might!

   Whatever we all do, we’ll do it together and that is the point of what Clubs should result in here on the UT Tyler campus – unity.