24-hour gaming fundraiser taking place on campus

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The Muskingum University Game Club is hosting its annual Extra-Life fundraising event with proceeds benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.  

The Game Club will be gaming for 24 hours in the Top of Center starting at 10 a.m. on March 16. The event is open to the public to play games and accept donations with hopes of raising $1,000.  

President of Game Club Darren Smith. Smith also holds the role as vice president.

President of Game Club Darren Smith. Smith also holds the role as vice president.

“…I’m looking forward to seeing everybody, usually some alumni come from Game Club past, so it’s always good to get with them, catch up a little bit, you know, just have a good time all together and hopefully we can look forward to maybe some new people who haven’t had a chance to come to,” said Game Club President Darren Smith.

The day-long fundraiser will include games familiar and unfamiliar to the usual Game Club attendees. Those who attend are welcome to come and go as they please throughout the day. 

“Well, in this event, we’re kind of trying to do like something different. We haven’t, at least like to my knowledge, haven’t done before and…we have our board games and all that stuff set up from our normal club meetings. But we’re also thinking of setting up a Jack box like party,” said Game Club Secretary Sevastian Lopez. 

Sevastian Lopez is the secretary of the Game Club. Lopez said the club helped him socially come out of his shell.

Sevastian Lopez is the secretary of the Game Club. Lopez said the club helped him socially come out of his shell.

Game Club started participating in Extra-Life when a former member who was saved as a child by the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals wanted to give back in a way that was fun for the campus community.  

“Well, it’s especially important to me because it was important to the original organizer and you know, personally meaningful to her…,” said Assistant Professor of Computer Science and founder of Game Club Jay Shaffstall.

Whether or not the fundraising goal is met, Shaffstall believes it will still be a worthwhile event. One where raising awareness is as important as raising money and bringing the community together. “It’s not just an obscure fundraiser that we’ve picked. You know, it’s something that has touched people’s lives and that’s important,” said Shaffstall. 

Assistant Professor of Computer Science and founder of Game Club Jay Shaffstall. Shaffstall is the faculty advisor for Game Club.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science and founder of Game Club Jay Shaffstall. Shaffstall is the faculty advisor for Game Club.

“I enjoy extra life just for the fact that everyone gets together and has fun and enjoy themselves, usually around the 2 [a.m.] mark,” said Shaffstall. 

Shaffstall can be contacted at jays@muskingum.edu.

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Video game narrative course coming to campus

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Muskingum University’s English Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dr. Kekoa Kaluhiokalani, is developing a new course based around video game narratives.  

According to a 2023 report by the Entertainment Software Association, 65% of Americans play video games. Kaluhiokalani is one of those people and sees how video games video games have become part of the way students interact with art and culture. 

“And so I kept thinking there must be a way. There must be a way to integrate that kind of, I don’t know, cultural processing,” said Kaluhiokalani. “You know, it sounds really super technical but, you know to it’s…something that’s enjoyed. It’s something that’s all over the place…” 

Kaluhiokalani believes video games are an exciting medium for exercising critical thinking and enjoyment. He personally enjoys games like the Sims series, “Baldur’s Gate 3,” and “Minecraft.

The course is still in the research stage which currently has volunteers play test games like “Unpacking” and “Venba.” The volunteers then fill out journals describing their experience with the games and the stories they tell. 

They journal about their experience throughout their time with the game and once they have finished the game reflect on the overall experience. After the game is finished, the volunteer is asked if they would enjoy learning about that game in class and what makes it stand out.  

“…because that’s what I’d like the class to be is introducing people in the class to new kinds of gaming experiences,” said Kaluhiokalani.  

This class is being created thanks to a faculty development grant. These grants financially help with research, creative endeavors, production and writing, plus related travel, along with other professional activities that further develop Muskingum University faculty and the wider university community. 

Kaluhiokalani’s original intent was to have the course fully developed into it’s own class in the course catalog. 

“For now, however, what I’m going to do is I’m going to start, we have kind of a halfway point and it’s we have in English, we have these open-ended topics courses, English 385, English 386 and English 387,” said Kaluhiokalani. 

If all goes according to Kaluhiokalani’s plan, the course will be available in the Spring 2025 semester.

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