Bullets fly and explosions go off. A terrorist engages in a firefight with a counter-terrorist in an empty city street.
The soldiers take shots at each other, neither of them going down. A grenade explodes, killing the counter-terrorist as his computer-generated body flies into the air.
Fierce gun battles, wars on alien planets and pepperoni pizzas brought gamers together to take part in the first overnight LAN (local area network) party held Saturday night at the UA.
Gamma Phi Mu, the professional computer science and math fraternity, and the Management Information Systems Association set up the event in the South Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center, the first overnight event held in the SUMC.
Gamma Phi Mu and MISA sponsored the event to introduce students interested in computer science or management informations systems to groups they can get involved with, said Andrew Boyd, president of Gamma Phi Mu and an economics junior.
About 50 students participated in the LAN party, playing in Starcraft and Counter-Strike: Source tournament and also competing in console games like Halo 2, Wii Sports and Resistance: Fall of Man.
“”I love it. There aren’t many LAN parties around campus at this kind of scale,”” said Andy Kislek, a management information systems junior. “”Most LAN parties usually have only five people.””
The party was open to both gamers and interested non-gamers.
Jason Kennedy, a finance graduate student, was one of the non-gamers who stuck to bowling and tennis on the Nintendo Wii.
“”It’s pretty cool. I’m not much of a gamer, but I came by to play these games,”” Kennedy said.
Door prizes were passed out throughout the night, ranging from t-shirts to a video iPod. First-place winners of the Starcraft and Counter-Strike: Source tournaments received $250, and second-place winners received a case of Red Bull.
The LAN party was the first event planned and organized collectively by Gamma Phi Mu, MISA and the University Activities Board.
“”Originally, MISA intended on holding a LAN party, but it never went through,”” said Clay Hamilton, a management information systems sophomore. “”It wasn’t possible until we got some dedicated guys that got the funding that we were able to do it.””
Holding the LAN party was not only a way to gather students interested in video games, but also a way to get a wide variety of students together, said Josh Hottenstein, president of MISA and a management information systems senior.
“”It’s a community building event,”” Hottenstein said.
What made the event even more important, especially to Gamma Phi Mu, is that the event is the first step to becoming a national fraternity, said Jesse Tadlock, a member of Gamma Phi Mu and a computer science and management information systems junior.
“”This is a major project for us. We only have six members and we are hoping this event will get us more,”” Tadlock said.
Gamma Phi Mu and MISA are hoping this won’t be the last LAN event, and are looking forward to next year’s opportunities.
“”We are hoping to expand next year,”” Tadlock said. “”Instead of 50 participants, we want 100, and maybe get a half-LAN and half-Xbox tournament going.””
