Cooglife Involvement Issue 2022

Issue 51 // January 2022 // Involvement

January 2022

4-5

The Cougar changed my life

6-10

‘Coog Radio put my life on track’

13-15 UH themed Instagram accounts create community online 16-18 MVP helps students better themselves, their community 19

Antique shopping in, around Houston

20-21

The value of video games during a pandemic

22-23 QUIZ: What kind of campus organization should you join?

EDITORIAL

McKenzie Misiaszek Executive Editor cooglife@thedailycougar.com

COVERS

Juana Garcia, Creative Director of The Cougar

creative@thedailycougar.com

WRITING

Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez Anna Baker Sydney Rose

SOCIALS cooglife @cooglifemag @cooglife

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EDITOR’S LETTER Howdy y’all,

about how important video games are in keeping people sane and safe during

I hope everyone

COVID.

had a great winter break

Lastly, an article I really enjoyed writing

and has been

was based around all the great Instagram

staying safe!

accounts that are UH specific. I’m talking

This month is

about meme accounts, fan pages and

our involvement even our own version of a Craigslist issue, which

missed connections page. I’m still waiting

means many of

for someone to talk about me there.

our stories are about how getting involved on campus

I hope everyone has a great spring

has affected us and UH organizations.

semester!

This topic means a lot to me because

Thanks for reading,

getting involved is how I found friends at this commuter heavy university. I won’t

McKenzie Misiaszek

go into too much detail here because I

Executive Editor

wrote a whole story about it on the next page.

This issue also marks Cooglife branching out into more of our normal life and arts content in the issue itself, instead of just online. We have a guide to antique shopping and a short opinion story 3 COOGLIFE // January 2022 COOGLIFE // January 2022

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COLUMN

The Cougar changed my life Joining an on campus organization not only bettered my skills, but it introduced me to my best friends.

Story and photos by McKenzie Misiaszek

I

’ve never been someone with a lot of school spirit, so campus involvement never crossed my mind. It wasn’t until my junior year of undergrad that I knew I had to start building up my journalism portfolio, so I sought out the campus paper, The Daily Cougar.

At this point I had very few friends. I had lost touch with everyone from high school because we just weren’t the same people, and long distance exacerbated our differences. My roommates from freshman year and I didn’t have as much in common as previously thought, and it’s just hard to make friends when you’re not in multiple classes with the same people.

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When I came in to interview to be a writer for the paper I was nervous. I had only written one journalism story and the office was busy. I looked at all of these other students who looked like they knew what they were doing and I was intimidated. When I was told they’d love to have me and assigned me my first story I was surprised at how easy it was to join.

That’s the thing, joining an on campus organization is so easy that the biggest hurdle is finding one to join.

My first year there I learned a lot, and while I didn’t come away from that year with a ton of friends that summer an entirely new team of editorial board members came in. Little

did I know that these people were going to be the group that I had been looking for my entire college career.

This new team worked really well together. We were all passionate about journalism, photography, politics and on top of it we all had similar senses of humor. We won a scavenger hunt as a team building exercise, went to media events together and made memes of one another.

Now, three and a half years later, I still consider them my best friends. Although the last time we saw one another was Halloween, (thanks, Omicron) we have a group chat that’s updated regularly, have been through major life events with one another, like job changes,

graduate school graduations, moving in with a boyfriend and one of them getting a dog we all love dearly.

side of UH I had never known about, but they’ve become some of the people I love most in this world.

Even outside of my core group of friends, The Daily Cougar brought me a friend whose wedding I was in, another who I simply just love to death and more that I’m getting to know because the Cooglife office is right next to The Cougar’s.

Joining The Daily Cougar was also how I ended up here, as the executive editor of Cooglife. This position has given me skills that I previously had no interest in, helped me branch out as a writer and given me even more opportunties to discover myself.

All of the people I have met are the people that I imagine as my bridesmaids, seeing pictures of their babies and being friends with until I’m old and gray.

If I had decided to take a different route and instead of joining The Daily Cougar in 2018 I applied for internships,

joined a different Center for Student Media organization or something else altogether, I wouldn’t be as happy and loved as I am today. The people that I met through getting involved on campus not only opened my eyes to a

If you’ve ever thought about joining an on campus organization, or any program, I urge you to do it. You may find your lifelong friends you never even knew existed, and even if you don’t you will better yourself along the way.

THE CAT'S BACK

SPRING 22

Start the year off right at Cat's Back, where you can connect with student orgs., get free food, and participate in lots of activities & giveaways!

January 26 11:30 - 2:00 pm Student Center South

Get Involved serves as your portal into Student Life, where you can attend free events, make new friends, and become a leader! Learn more at uh.edu/getinvolved

COOGLIFE // January 2022

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COLUMN

‘COOG RADIO PUT MY LIFE ON TRACK’

Story and photos by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

I

decided to enroll in college in spring of 2017, following a year of bohemian travel, volunteering, and true rest after years of sleep deprivation and overachieving.

No money or connections meant my path to a career in journalism would have to be through my own merits. So what was the first step? Google said it was to get a reel, and the best place to start was with your student television channel.

So off to CoogTV I went.

The experience was fine. Certainly not the training I’d need to prepare 6

COOGLIFE // January 2022

How joining an on campus organization helped Cynthia gain skills and life long friendships she may never have had otherwise.

me for an internship (let alone the real world), but an okay mimic. Instead of hanging out in the studio with the other members of CoogTV, I found myself camping out in the lobby more and more, drawn to Coog Radio and the energy of the people laughing within.

They took their lunches at the table I sat at with my

laptop. Small talk ensued for a few weeks. One day, a Filipino with a unicycle invited me to pho and coffee with him and some of the Coog Radio staff. I accepted, and a friendship was born.

The staff was kind, wholesome and pleasantly eclectic. It felt like I’d stepped into a movie with characters so diverse and well-rounded, they almost felt like industry plants. In our free time, we did things people only do in Smashing Pumpkins music videos. Singing on bridges at midnight, attending a ‘small house show’

turned rager cops had to break up, spontaneous road trips to Galveston or Austin, driving through the night in order to arrive back at the University on time for an 8 a.m.

The friendships gave me support, protection, and guidance as I navigated a world that was new to me. Stability, advice and reassurance made the academic aspect of my college experience a lot more manageable – to the point I had plenty of free time. Naturally, I wanted to spend said time with my friends, so I went ahead and joined Coog Radio too.

Right off the bat, I noticed the lack of gatekeeping.

There was no favoritism towards seniority, experience or relationship status to whoever is in charge. I asked the then station director what it would take for me to one day have a radio show. He signed me up for a slot then and there, helped me fill out the paperwork and structure my ideas, and made time to train me on the proper use of studio equipment.

I started the following week, faithfully airing ‘Hey, There’s A Song For That’ weekly until the day I graduated. All I had to do was express interest in anything from

advertising, DJing, audio editing or engineering, and someone would happily show me the ropes. The lack of toxicity soon stopped being suspicious and morphed into my new normal. But things really changed the day Fleetwood Mac came to town.

been pouring a significant amount of my paycheck into live music. I brought up I was scavenging last-minute cash for a Fleetwood Mac show to the then web director, and she suggested I just cover the show instead. She said she could get me in for free.

From then on, it was rare that I had to pay for a show, and my portfolio grew like crazy as I added intricatelywritten narrative reviews of every concert I saw.

I started bringing my camera to shows.

Already an experienced photographer, I was surprised at how difficult it could be to shoot active people in dark rooms under unpredictable lights.

But I learned on the job.

Fun fact; in exchange for a promotional article and a concert review, Coog Radio will give student writers free tickets to a local show. This includes big acts at the Toyota Center as much as smaller ones at the Satellite Bar. Up until February 2019, I’d

Eventually, my work started to get noticed. managers at Warehouse Live and Satellite reached out to offer access to whatever show I pleased in exchange for some photos.

A team member from Death Cab for Cutie invited me to their Houston show, then bought some of my photos for the band’s social media. A member of My Chemical Romance’s promotions team reached out to tell me about the band’s return months before it was announced to the public, contracting COOGLIFE // January 2022

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T N E D U T S S R E T N E C CE &

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Follow us @uhstudentcenter to stay up-to-date with the latest news & events happening throughout the year!

Scan to visit website!

published, the most active.

I had the most experience with the website and music journalism, thus would make for the smoothest transition into the role. I agreed, moving blindly into the role.

me to break the news in Houston on a set date and advertise the tour. I was getting to do the best job on earth, padding my portfolio, learning industry skills and secrets, and all because I got sick of paying for concert tickets.

I’d been involved with Coog Radio for a few years when I was asked if I wanted to take on a leadership position. The board was graduating, and the station needed direction from people who had an idea of how it was run. I readily agreed, becoming the news and sports producer in 2019.

This went smoothly until halfway through the semester.

updating the website.

Articles were getting backed up, contracts weren’t being fulfilled, and press passes weren’t being acquired. The new station director had to make a tough call, asking the web director to resign. But now, one of the key roles at the station was vacant. I was called in for a meeting where I was asked to take on the position.

According to online statistics, I was the most

It was unusual, as everyone else got to train their replacement. I was stuck figuring things out on my own, occasionally reaching out to the two web directors prior to the one who’d resigned whenever I got stuck.

While rushing to catch up with the site and guide the team of journalists, I continued my role as news and sports producer as I found a trained replacement. It was a stressful job, essentially that of an editor-in-chief who works closely with advertising and marketing teams to gather the money and recognition needed to keep the station running.

And yet, it was the most rewarding job of all.

The student serving as web director stopped coming to meetings, responding to emails and COOGLIFE // January 2022

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I edited every article published, teaching people how to write in AP style, use better grammar, and make their stories flow.

I also held photography workshops to teach anyone who wanted to learn how to handle their cameras anywhere from an orchestra to a mosh pit. Our readership grew and it became easier than ever to obtain press passes. At the end of the semester, my success as web director was the perfect jumping-off point for me to become Coog Radio’s first female station director.

I dove into the role with

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passion. By that point, I’d learned how to do most everything that needed to be done to run the station, so I was ready to train anyone in whatever they may need. I interviewed and chose my new board, a dynamic group of people where diversity and cooperation were our greatest strengths.

to use it during his own term.

Outside of the dozens of skills I learned during my tenure at Coog Radio, the most important thing I got out of the experience were the life-long friendships I made and the incredible college experience we had together. In this friend group, I see future godparents and members My final semester saw the of my wedding party, beginning of the COVID-19 chosen family that have pandemic. I had to proven themselves to me navigate running a station time and time again. I during a pandemic without have skills to kick-start my a map, and somehow career with, and friends, managed to create a no, family to cheer me on model smooth enough as I go. And all because that the station director I decided to join Coog that followed me was able Radio.

Apply today on Get Involved!

ifee @cooglifemag /coog ogllif COOGLIFE ////NOVEMBER January 2022 COOGLIFE 20181111

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INTERVIEW

By McKenzie Misiaszek | Photos courtesy of @uh_affirmations, @uhswifties, @thecrookedcougar, @uh_missed_connections

When COVID-19 ruined chances of meeting new people on campus, many students took it upon themselves to find new and creative ways to connect with their peers online.

S

ince March of 2020 the world has transitioned online. Zoom and Microsoft Teams have been a way to connect with coworkers and classmates, but have they really? The professional atmosphere of these services makes it hard to connect with peers, let alone make friends or get involved with new activities, even when on campus groups try to organize fun virtual meetings and events.

But where Zoom lacks, Instagram has made up for it. University themed

accounts have been popping up within the UH community over the last two years, and many of them have grown a large following by using humor and shared interests to connect students in ways they may not have been able to otherwise.

From @thecrookedcougar and @uh_affirmations making students laugh, to @uh_missed_connections helping students reach out to one another in a Craigslist fashion and a multitude of UH themed fan accounts helping fans of musicians COOGLIFE // January 2022

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link and laugh, there’s a Cougar themed account for you.

When meeting people on campus became practically impossible due to the pandemic, these accounts helped people connect in a way that doesn’t risk illness.

Each of these accounts began after COVID for similar reasons, they wanted to have fun. Whether it be they wanted to create something to help students destress during finals like @uh_missed_connections, make UH feel a little less like a commuter school like @uh_affirmations or create an army like @thecrookedcougar.

matched my humor and every part of my personality.”

They went on to post their own missed connection on the account which led to the person seeing it, finding @uh_missed_connections’s personal account because they knew their name, and the two started talking. The two have found they have a lot in common.

While some of the accounts have more experience than others, they are not afraid to share the wealth – the wealth, of course, being followers.

“I hope that my account has brought them enjoyment, even in the midst of the ominously quoted unprecedented times,” said @thecrookedcougar.

Forming connections While having fun and making people laugh is a benefit of running @uh_missed_ connections, the person who runs it actually once used it to find their own missed connection.

“There was one time where I was in the basement of the library and I met someone,” @uh_missed_connections said. “Even though we only had a brief two minute conversation they completely 14

COOGLIFE // January 2022

“A very special thing that I got to help create was when UH Swifties and UH Harries both started their accounts,” @uh_affirmations said. “I reposted them to my story and they both shot up a couple hundred followers within that 24 hours. Now they have their own communities and Group

Me’s and meet ups. It makes me really happy to see that happen, for people to find a place.”

Online to on campus Both @uh.harries and @uhswifties are accounts dedicated to musicians Harry Styles and Taylor Swift but specifically for fans at UH. Both accounts photoshop pictures of the musicians around campus with UH related captions. This had led those in charge of the accounts to become much more familiar with the campus layout.

“I view UH so differently,” @uhswifties said. “I really see it as this home base for so many different types of people from all walks of life.

It’s also made me walk about different parts of campus that I’ve never been to, just so I can edit Taylor Swift onto them. It’s really so fun.”

As the account grew, @uhswifties realized that there are a lot of Taylor Swift fans at UH. When Swift dropped ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ the group had a listening party at Lynn Eusan Park and many met in person for the first time. Now, they’re making the account into an official organization.

“After seeing it gain a lot of traction, I realized I wanted it to be an official on campus organization,” @uhswifties said. “With any organization,

you need officers. So, I asked followers to submit an application to become an officer, interviewed potential candidates over Zoom, and picked four other amazing people to join me in the endeavor. These people mean so much to me because we all share the same goal when it comes to making this club into something bigger than us.

We all see a future in this, and we work together to keep that future alive.”

While @uh_harries hasn’t said they are trying to make an official organization, they have helped connect fans on campus and led to more enjoyable and exciting experiences at Styles’ concerts in 2021.

“We also have a Groupme where some people who were planning on going to the concert alone found some friends that they could go with,” @uh_harries said.

“Others are going to multiple concerts together, helping each other with school, and have become close friends.

I love seeing the bonds being made because of this account. We hope to have some sort of event in the future that brings all the followers together to hang out.”

Accepting submissions While some of the accounts have more than one person behind the keyboard, coming up with posts still isn’t easy.

Each of the accounts accepts submissions, especially @uh_ missed_connections which runs off of them. @Uh_affirmations said they only come up with half the posts on their account, with the other half coming from follower direct messages.

“This creates the opportunity for posts that I may not personally relate to, but others will, and it makes my job a lot easier,” @ uh_affirmations said. “Plus then they have a personal connection to the account, which makes it that much more special.” @Thecrookedcougar does something similar, although they describe it quite differently.

“I have connected with lots of students throughout my

endeavors, many of whom have already sworn their allegiance to my cause of total campus domination,” @thecrookedcougar said.

“They often use my tip line to inform me about the latest news, and I welcome their cleverness and shared hatred for my goody-twoshoes twin brother (The Daily Cougar).”

Staying power Each of these accounts has hundreds, if not thousands, of followers and none seem to be slowing down. Even between classes, finals and their own social lives there’s a new post every week. Both of the fan accounts and @ uh_missed_connections are all freshmen, meaning that they have about another three years until they need to find someone else to run the account if that’s what they decide to do.

While @thecrookedcougar gives little information about their identity, just know that their presence in the online UH community will not be diminishing any time soon, and reflects many of the other accounts’ sentiments.

When asked what would happen to their account when they graduate they simply responded, “oh, please, you won’t be getting rid of me that easily.”

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INTERVIEW

MVP helps students better themselves, their community The Metropolitan Volunteer Program aims to connect UH students and the Greater Houston area through volunteer partnerships.

By McKenzie Misiaszek | Photos courtesy of MVP alking along surfside “​By interacting with MVP beach picking up students can give back trash, packaging meals at and learn more about the the Houston Food Bank community that surrounds and putting together an on them,” said assistant director campus hygiene drive to of membership Ogechi collect sanitary products Ngwakwe. “Volunteering for people who may not be benefits both the student able to afford them all make and community because Houston and UH a better it helps to improve the place to live. environment and provide better opportunities.”

The Metropolitan Volunteer Program is behind the This semester’s activity list scenes of every one of is still being planned, with these activities, organizing their annual beach clean up members of the UH tentatively scheduled for community who want to be April. involved in their community and better their city.

“As we prepare for this

W

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semester, we have started to contact our partners for any events they might be planning or any ideas we would like to propose to them,” said Angel Flores, Director of MVP. “Our first step is to always ask what our partners need since we want to make sure we can provide the help they actually are in need of.

Afterwards, we ask them how many volunteers they need and any description of what we will be doing the day of the event to give to our volunteers. From there, MVP sends out the request for volunteers through

Getting so involved with the program not only led to Flores becoming the head of MVP, but making friends with old and new members.

our social media and our newsletter providing them with all the information they need and how they can signup.”

Now that vaccines are widely available and more is known about COVID-19, there are more opportunities to get involved with MVP in person, help the greater Houston area and meet new people.

“I think getting involved with MVP can be the first step in being introduced to the social issues that are present in our community,” Flores said. “As an organization, we strive to provide information on where we take our volunteers and the reason we are there to volunteer.

We introduce students to local efforts in combating social issues they might relate to and how they can potentially further help or take the ideas they learn and bring them back home to their own communities.”

not something he planned, it just sort of happened during the first semester of his freshman year.

“I knew very few people coming to UH and very quickly I began to feel isolated going to class and back to my dorm,” Flores said. “I made the initiative to attend an event for Weeks of Welcome and it happened to be Day of Service, a collaborative event between MVP and the Center for Student Involvement. Since this event, I felt impassioned to attend even more events with MVP, at one point attending one to two events every week.”

“Being a director for two years now, I can say I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing people,” Flores said. “Being able to go into the MVP office and interact with the many board members we have, it’s an enjoyable environment. I’ve also had the pleasure to talk to many past MVP members who are now working with local partners as employees or even higher positions, all through the introduction of the Metropolitan Volunteer Program when they were attending UH!” MVP has led to Flores looking at Houston differently, in a good way.

Knowing that so many people in the area want to donate their time to helping others has opened his eyes to the fact that there are great people in the UH community and in Houston.

For Flores, joining MVP was COOGLIFE // January 2022

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“Through MVP, I have been able to learn a lot about the actions being done in regard to the environment and the well being of adults and children in the community,” Flores said. “When you see the number of items being donated and the capacity our partners are able to provide, it really opens your eyes to how much the Houston community loves to help one another, and the same can be said with the UH community!”

Being a part of MVP has given Flores experiences and opportunities he knows he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else, and he says everything he has done at MVP has helped him grow.

“I have been able to really get to know myself as a leader and learn my style of managing an organization,” Flores said. “I have been put into many new situations and learned from each one, which has helped me respond better in future situations. I have also really found what I am passionate about, even going as far to change my major because I genuinely want to go into nonprofit work and do my part to help others once I graduate.”

He hopes that other students will join MVP, not only because it’s a great thing to do for your community, but because it can help you in your career

after you graduate.

“I think MVP is a great opportunity to not only help our amazing community but also network,” Flores said.

“Throughout our events, you will constantly be able to meet many people, from the people working at our community partners or even other volunteers from different backgrounds, you never know who you are sorting books next to.”

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Metropolitan Volunteer Program contact Angel Flores at mvpdir@central. uh.edu.

EXPERIENCE STUDENT LIFE Time to GET INVOLVED, INVOLVED, Coogs! Don’t miss out on everything the University of Houston has to offer you on campus: • 500+ student organizations • 20,000+ involved users • 45,000+ approved service hours Find us online to see how we can help you find the right student life experience for you.

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1/4/2022 10:21:33 AM

GUIDE

Antique shopping in, around Houston

Houston has an eclectic mix of shops for everything under the sun, but our antique stores are something different. We made a guide of some of our favorites so you can start your maximalist journey this 2022.

G

oing to an antiques store is the equivalent of poking around in someone’s medical cabinet, minus the bad ethics of the first situation. Just going somewhere to be nosy and pick things up to go “what is this?!” is so fun.

Creepy baby dolls, weird contraptions that can’t have any real use, taxidermy, ancient clothes and sometimes bones can all be found at random antique stores around Houston. While poking around and taking pictures with odd items can be fun enough, antique stores often have a lot of decor that can sometimes be surprisingly cheap. But best of all, whatever antique store you go to, you’re going to a small business that is selling older items, which reduces your carbon footprint.

Chymoons Vintage and Antiques Right across from Mod Coffeehouse (the best coffee in Galveston) sits my favorite antique store in the Greater Houston area: Chymoons. The reason this shop is my favorite is because of the collection of vintage clothing items they have. No joke, I once saw someone buy a wedding dress there, and it was a cute dress.

The range of coats, dresses,

By McKenzie Misiaszek skirts and shirts along with normal antique knick knacks and glassware makes it easy to find something you’ll really like.

Not far from Chymoons is the main part of The Strand, which has at least half a dozen more antique shops. So if you’re already down in Galveston and in the mood to poke around some old stuff, this whole area is a great stop.

Red Queen’s Attic Another entire little area filled with fun antique shops is downtown Rosenberg. The largest, and my personal favorite, is Red Queen’s Attic. A two story shop filled with books, dishware, rocks, jewelry, paintings and old toys is just fun to explore. There’s a whole room on the upper level filled with old glassware, and another with toys from the 80s and earlier – which is kind of creepy, but in a fun way.

I’ve purchased two very large crystal bookends for around $8 and still think about a very large painting of some silly looking dogs that resides in that shop.

Heights Antiques on Yale Off Yale Street you’ll find an old brick building with huge windows filled with interesting

items. Heights Antiques on Yale has such an eclectic mix of items you can wander the store for an hour without getting bored. Did you know that people taxidermy snakes?

Because this place has a few, along with animal skulls and, you know, normal antique stuff.

When you’re done here you can drive a few streets over to 19th street to walk to a couple of the different antique stores they have in between vintage clothing shops and Boomtown Coffee.

Antique Pavilion Right outside of Montrose is a tiny strip center of antiques.

Dozens of antique dealers are located in this little shop, and while their items are more upscale than some of the other places listed, browsing is fun. With quite a few extravagant mirrors to take a cute picture in, old paintings and jewelry, this shop is a good place to just look around.

In 2022, maximalism is in.

Filling your space with things that put a smile on your face and make you excited to be home is the vibe this year, and antique shops are amazing places to find items just like that.

COOGLIFE // January 2022

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OPINION

The value of video games during a pandemic

By Anna Baker

D

uring the start of the pandemic, people had to find a way to bond and hang out with their friends virtually.

Gaming then found its time to shine and proved itself to be useful after years of it being demonized.

Gamers have long been stereotyped as being socially awkward shut-ins. They’re often seen as lazy, unhygienic and a whole list of other undesirable attributes.

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// January 2022

From Animal Crossing: New Horizons to Among Us, video games kept many people inside and entertained at the beginning of the pandemic. Now, as Omicron surges, video games can be something to do while we wait for the wave to pass.

In reality, gaming is a perfectly fine hobby to have.

In fact, it can actually be very beneficial for people.

Studies have shown that video games can improve spatial navigation, memory and reasoning. Video games can also improve multitasking capabilities and problemsolving skills in children.

Video games get a bad rap but they can actually be great for people. Most importantly they can be really fun and

this was put to use during the pandemic.

Gaming is a hobby that thankfully fits perfectly with being able to isolate in your house. With voice chat apps like Discord, people can chat with each other while playing games online with one another no matter where they are in the world.

Among Us was a game that exploded in popularity within gamer circles and nongamer

circles alike. The game was similar to the party game Mafia in many ways, so it’s not surprising it went viral.

Its popularity can also be attributed to the fact that it was free on the app store, making it accessible to people who normally wouldn’t be into playing online games. Pretty soon everywhere you looked online there were videos of people playing Among Us. It became a thing for friend groups to play together, a way for RA’s to bond with their residents, and for people to just play online and socialize with new people. Eventually, the popularity of Among Us died down, people got vaccinated and began to go out again and move on, but this phenomenon showed the power an online game can have when people are desperate for socialization but are required to social distance.

Many non-gamers may have moved on from Among Us without a look back but people should take advantage of online games as a virtual hangout medium. The omicron COVID-19 variant is not looking good right now and it may be smarter to meet with friends online rather than in person.

Some may be hesitant about getting into gaming because of the stigma around gaming or the feeling that they need to have crazy equipment to

play most games, or perhaps they’re afraid of the toxicity in online gaming culture.

The stigma of gamers is unfortunate but there’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Gaming is a fun way to pass the time and fun should not be stigmatized. You also don’t need to worry about getting expensive equipment if you want to get started in gaming.

Some games need more hightech computers to work, but a good deal of games you can find on the video game store Steam can be played on Mac laptops and computers usually not associated with gaming.

like Stardew Valley, Minecraft, Jackbox Games are all great games you can play with just your friends. No need to deal with any online toxicity.

While we can hope for an end to this pandemic, it doesn’t look like it’s coming any time soon. So in this time where people should stay in more than they should go out, gaming is a great way to hang out and stay in touch with friends, while also having a fun activity to do together. Try it out and it might just be the solution to staying sane while social distancing.

The toxicity of online gaming is a real and understandable concern. Many may have learned how mean and brutal players can be from playing Among Us online with strangers.

However, in most multiplayer games you can play with just friends, just like how Among Us had a setting where you could invite players to a private lobby to play. Games COOGLIFE // January 2022

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QUIZ

What kind of on campus organization should you join?

By Sydney Rose 1: What do you usually do with your free time?

A. Finding a creative outlet like reading, writing, painting, etc.

B. Hanging out with friends or going to meet new people C. Watching shows or trying foods that remind me of home D. Building myself up and or starting to plan for the future 2: What do you typically look for in a campus club or organization?

A. Getting the projects I work on out there to the public, seeing my growth as an artist B. Having fun! Isn’t that what every club is about?

C. Becoming more in touch with who I am as a person, finding other people I can relate to 22

COOGLIFE // January 2022

D. Learning how I am making a personal brand for myself and working with like minded individuals 3: How much does a campus organization matter to your identity?

A. I would like to think any club I choose to join resembles who I am in some way B. I don’t think anything I do outside of school has to fully define me, I think of the campus orgs more as extracurricular activities C. I want to be a part of something that already feels like a part of my identity, a club that just fits with who I am D. I want people to associate me with the organization I’m in and know I’m in it

4: Are you looking for a club that hosts people with similar majors to you?

A. I think it would be nice to have similar career paths, but it’s not mandatory whatsoever B. Not at all, I can get along with anyone in any major C. I don’t think similar majors matter as much as other similarities do D. I want everyone to sort of have the same major or field as me to connect with those on the same path as I am

5: How much time are you willing to dedicate to a campus organization or club?

A. I will give as much time as I can, but I can’t promise too many hours B. I’ll be able to make meetings and events, but not really a steady weekly hour system C. My time commitment really fluctuates, so I’ll be able to work around it D. I am able to dedicate as much to some orgs as I am to some of my classes

RESULTS Mostly A’s: You would fit best in a creative org, whether that be something art-related like the Blaffer Art Museum Student Association or something more media-related like the orgs in the Center for Student Media (The Cougar, Cooglife, CoogTV, Coog Radio), you’re looking for something to highlight your craft.

Mostly B’s: The best kind of organization for you would be those that hold events or cater to helping people. This can include joining the Student Program Board, Metropolitan Volunteer Program or even Active Minds on campus. These types of orgs can get you involved on campus.

Mostly C’s: A great org fit for you would be something that can speak to you culturally, whether that be through the Council of Cultural Activities or something more specific to who you are like the Black Student Union, Association of Latinx/Hispanic Advocates and Allies, or a fraternity/sorority that is specific to the culture you identify with.

Mostly D’s: You probably really enjoy the major you chose, so it is only fitting that the club you join is major-related. Depending on what college you are a part of, there are various options for those looking to find something close to their major, like Bauer has academic orgs, same with Valenti, the College of Medicine, and the list goes on and on.

COOGLIFE // January 2022

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