SpTuesday, Novemberartan 18, 2014 Volume 143 • Issue 33 Daily News AN OSE TATE NIVERSITY SINCE Page 2 S J S U 1934 Rise of Robots Microsoft invaded by sci- ence and fun Virtual Reality Oculus Rift creates new worlds to explore Psychology of the Introvert Geek stigma disappearing but introvert is not Page 3 Late Night Nerds Dedicated students and the hours they keep Students in Business Entrepreneurship straight out of college

Opinion Page 4 Geek in Blood Do you have your parents to blame for geekiness Introvert vs. Extrovert Misconceptions and how to interact with those who aren’t outgoing Nerd Transformation How our nerd perception has changed Page 5 Reblogging Life Tumblr and the internet experience Page 6 Nerd Trends Style evolution and the nerd commercialization Bookworm How literature helps describe and explore diversity today

Sports Page 7 Chaser on the Run Pint-size fury leads SJSU Quidditch to victory Tech on the Field Sensor and App combine to perfect swings Page 8 Sports Fantastic Fans and their fanaticism for fi ctional teams

A&E Page 9 7 Minutes of Flight Back to the Future fl ashing back from the past with the Hendo Hoverboard Indie Game Culture Making great games while challenging the big studios along the way Page 10 Th e Secret Stash Local nerdy and geeky spots to fl ex your fandom Lighting up the Runway Soldering seamstress stitches LED-laced wardrobe

Online Th is Week Today Sports Editor Colton Seike recaps the news Qayoumi Conference SJSU president comments on campus problems

Today’s Weather High 72° Low 48° Cloudy with a chance of spinies Special Issue TUESDAY 2 NEWS NOVEMBER.18.2014 Robots invade Microsoft campus to educate and inspire humans

Vincent Vicini | Spartan Daily Jasper Sikken, hardware engineer at Petasense, tries a demo of an Oculus Rift game modeled after the Saturday Night Live “Night at the Roxbury” skits.

Lauren Hernandez | Oculus Rift puts Spartan Daily

Carl Akerwall curiously players in the game sits on the fl oor of Microsoft’s dining area with Aldebaran Robotics’ like never before NAO humanoid bot during By Vincent vicini them in the real world. Tech in Motion’s Rise of @thebigvinnie “Would you want the Robot Tech Talk on to be immersed in the Wednesday, Nov 5. game, or do you just want to see it as kind of By Lauren Hernandez wrapped around 360 degrees. and primarily used in universi- on the fl oor of Microsoft’s din- Th e upcoming virtual a third party viewing it @LaurenPorFavor The robot operates au- ties and schools for projects in ing area and played with the reality headset Oculus through a window at a tonomously with the help of research and education all over humanoid robot, as attendees Rift was demoed to a par- distance?” Muis asked Large robots roamed GPS with what Li refers to as the world, including Europe, crowded around snapping ty of fi ve last Th ursday at rhetorically. “Oculus the Microsoft campus and a “sandbox,” which means it Japan, South Korea and the photos on their smartphones. the Elementum Campus Rift is pretty much a smaller robots captured over can be programmed to stay United States. Savioke, a company special- in Mountain View. display that fits over 350 guests’ attention during within a fenced area and de- “NAO became the form to izing in autonomous robots for Oculus Rift is a virtual your head and it takes Tech in Motion’s Rise of the viate away from hitting ob- teach programming and en- the service industry, concluded reality head-mounted up all your field of Robots Tech Talk on Nov. 5. jects or falling into potholes. gineering classes from grades the event by introducing its de- display featuring 360-de- view, so you really are Tech in Motion is an event “It’s intended over time to be nine to 12 and even actually livery robot called SaviOne. gree head tracking, a immersed in a virtual series focused on hosting able to see, hear, feel and smell,” in lower grades,” Vaudel said. Steve Cousins, CEO of Sav- 100-degree fi eld of view world.” events to give the community Li said. K5 can “see” by utilizing Vaudel said the company’s ioke, said the company’s mis- that stretches beyond a Another demo was an opportunity to learn about nighttime and daytime imag- hope is to release a new ver- sion is to provide a useful, effi - person’s peripheral vi- modeled after the Satur- technology from professionals. ing, “hear” with directional sion of NAO available for re- cient service to the community. sion and stereoscopic day Night Live skit turned It was hosted with audio and ambient noise, “feel” lease for consumer purchase, “The thing that’s driving 3-D imagery — achieved movie “A Night at the Knightscope, Savioke and with thermal imaging and ges- which would be able to down- us is a deep desire to put a ro- by sending unique and Roxbury.” SNL fans of the Aldebaran Robotics show- ture recognition and “smell” load applications for the ro- bot out in the world that can parallel images to each ‘90s will remember the casing their projects. with chemical, radiation and bot to program various com- actually do something useful eye — just as we perceive Roxbury Guys, portrayed William Santana Li, CEO biological sensing capabilities. mands into its memory. for people but at a cost they the real world around us by Will Ferrell and Chris of Knightscope, said his Leland Lee, a UC Berkeley NAO can speak 25 lan- can afford,” Cousins said. to create a totally immer- Kattan, driving around company designed the K5 freshman computer science guages, has tactile sensors, Cousins kicked off his sive virtual experience. and bobbing their heads Autonomous Data Machine major, said he attended the voice recognition, face recog- presentation by telling the Th e Rift, which is ex- in unison to Haddaway’s to predict and prevent crime. robotic event because he was nition, four directive micro- audience how thirsty he pected to be released to “What is Love?” before K5, a 5 foot tall, 3 foot wide, intrigued by the robot line up. phones and can dance. was, at which point SaviOne consumers next year, was causing distress at the 300 pound cylindrical robot “It’s a pivot away from Seattle resident Rachel roved over to him, opened its shown as part of a series of clubs. roved outside of the Microsoft computer science to look at Cook said it was interesting lid and offered a water bottle meetups titled “Exploring Th e demo placed play- entrance welcoming attend- hardware rather than the to see how humans react to from its storage. Oculus Rift,” set up by or- ers in the backseat of the ees. software side,” Lee said. NAO since it was interact- SaviOne is currently at Aloft ganizer and iPhone/iPad Roxbury Guys’ car and “It takes all that input Aldebaran Robotics merged ing with people during the Cupertino Hotel, where it navi- developer Andre Muis. “teaches” them how to from the sensors, analyze hardware and software with its snacks and networking por- gates itself down hallways and “People are coming by dance by instructing them when and where it might oc- 23 inch NAO robot, a human- tions of the event. through elevators delivering to see how the Oculus Rift to bob, peck and shrug cur, and do a forecast or ac- oid bot reminiscent of a toddler “What was really compel- various items to guests. works, get some ideas for their heads to the beat tually detect that something in size but calm in disposition. ling was thinking about the The autonomous robot apps and just explore the of the iconic Haddaway is actually going awry and Cedric Vaudel, the sales and reaction of children,” Cook is equipped with a naviga- technology,” Muis said. song. alert the authorities,” Li said. marketing director of Aldeba- said. “I think it was really tion laser, locking storage lid The turn- The Curious children attempt- ran Robotics in Latin America, psychologically and cultur- and a touchscreen display for out was demo also ed to hug the robot, adults said they created NAO as a ally interesting.” guests to select “All Set” once small, but Oculus Rift is introduced snapped photos using their social robot to help people at Cook referred to how NAO they’ve obtained their items Muis intends pretty much a new ways smartphones and peered home, school or hospitals. interacted with Carl Akerwall, from the robot’s storage. to schedule of thinking into its fl ashing sensors that NAO is fully programmable a young boy who curiously sat Read the rest of this story at weekly meet- display that fi ts about how ups for de- over your head to play vid- velopers like eo games. himself to and it takes up all A con- What does it really mean to be an introvert? attend and your fi eld of view, troller was share ideas not re- By Abraham Rodriguez culture, introversion has lost its value and is therefore seen as a positive attribute. for games so you really are quired for and Jessica Schlegelmilch not appreciated, according to Feist. “Just labeling people and slapping and applica- immersed in a this demo @Abe_Rodriguezzz & @jessieschleg Feist said people may be surprised to people a label just oversimplifies the tions for the – nor for fi nd introverts are actually more persistent question. And you don’t see the person, Rift. virtual world any of the and can stay focused more than extroverts. that’s quite disrespected,” Lee said. Muis pur- Andre Muis demos on In addition, introverts tend to be happier, People align themselves around a trope chased Devel- organizer and display that Th e common perception of personality have less anxiety and are not as guilt prone. that falls in with their personality types. opment Kit 2 iphone/ipad night – it sits in two realms: introvert and extrovert. “Introverts are in fact more likely to be But identifying and limiting yourself with- of the device, developer was purely “An extrovert is somebody who is our creators, innovators – they can even be in these stereotypical labels, like “nerd” or which allows motion gregarious and doesn’t have a problem leaders but not in the same way that extro- “outgoing,” only limits a person’s potential. developers based, uti- meeting new people and going out and verts are leaders,” he said. “When people label themselves like to create and lizing the enjoying themselves. An introvert is He also explained association does that or label other people like that, we test virtual reality expe- built-in low-latency head someone who would rather be inside not necessarily mean causation. don’t give them the opportunity to learn, riences in anticipation tracking, which recog- and stay to themselves,”said senior en- “It’s not to say that if you’re a nerd or to thrive, to gain (social) skills,” Lee said. of the consumer release. nizes all of the player’s real gineering major Jameson Loveless. a geek you have to be asocial or lacking Although some people may be influ- Th e consumer Rift will world head movements. Civil engineering senior Armando in social skills,” he said. enced by cultural labels, the complexity not be identical to Devel- In the display were Camacho has a different viewpoint In the case of the geek stigma, Feist of the human personality reaches far opment Kit 2, but all con- two options: “play” on about introversion. said, “Hell, we’re in the Silicon Valley ob- beyond a stereotype or an extreme on tent developed using this the left side and “quit” “Being shy isn’t necessarily weird, viously, so this is the center of geek cul- one end of a spectrum. kit will be compatible with on the right side. some people just aren’t as out there as ture … these major computer companies “People like to think of themselves as the fi nal product. To access either op- some other people,” he said. have changed the world … it’s almost a either introverted or extroverted, but the “It’s all very new, so tion, the player would Greg Feist, Ph.D., an associate pro- badge of honor to be called geek.” reality is that most people aren’t either there aren’t too many vir- have to look toward the fessor of psychology at San Jose State Wei-Chien Lee, Ph.D., a licensed psy- one. Th ey’re in between,” Feist said. tual reality games right option he or she desired, University, discussed what he calls the chologist, said in Western society, ex- Abraham Rodriguez is a Spartan Daily now, but there is a lot of and the position track- “extroverted culture” we live in and how troverts are attributed to status and the staff writer and Jessica Schlegelmich is the experimentation from big ing would recognize being called or identifying as introvert- amount of resources a person has, and is executive editor of the Spartan Daily. companies and from inde- this movement – an un- ed can be perceived negatively. pendent developers,” Muis conventional method of “Introversion (psychologically) is said. “Th ere’s not really a selection that worked more than … what most people think market for it yet, so they’re without incident in the of it. Most people think of it as what we all just experiments and absence of a controller. would call social ability, meaning peo- free apps out there.” Jasper Sikken, a hard- ple are really sociable or not,” Feist said. One such experiment ware engineer for cloud He explained the stereotype of intro- put players in the perspec- and mobile software verts is they are not friendly or warm, tive of a person walking startup Petasense, used which he said is not the case. Introverts around a vibrant garden. the device for the fi rst often have some of the most intense social Pollen and butter- time and left impressed. relationships, they just don’t necessarily flies floated through “It’s a new world and I like crowds or big groups of strangers. the air, causing partici- hope the technology de- “Introverts tend to shy away from pants to instinctively velops in such a way that it stimulation whether its social or activ- reach out in front of is available for everybody, ity level … introverts are kind of natu- them, grasping for so it becomes cheaper,” rally, internally aroused. And extroverts things in the virtual Sikken said. aren’t and so extroverts seek out sensa- world that simply did Read the rest of this tions,” he said. not exist in front of story at spartandaily.com Because we have built an extroverted Infographic by Abraham Rodriguez TUESDAY NOVEMBER.18.2014 NEWS 3 Buildings on Self-employment and entrepreneurship campus provide becomes student trend after recession comfortable place By Beverly Ukpabi The entrepreneurship concentration Blanco defi nes the term entrepreneur as @cheerbev09 is under the global innovation and leader- someone who is tenacious – especially if it’s a for studying ship program at San Jose State. passion. Th e Silicon Valley Innovation Challenge According to Quan, there are several cours- “We never quit, and we kept pushing each By Kristen Wirtz Carlos Cortez, a held every Fall is intended for students from es for entrepreneurship including global, busi- other, always being there for each other, mak- @KristenWirtz2 software engineer San Jose State’s Lucas College of Business ness planning, marketing, and fi nancing. ing sure we keep each other strong, and look major and member and Graduate College. An ample amount of research was done where we are now? We’re going on to our fourth With the school of Sigma Delta Al- Starting a business during the post-re- that looked into other universities off ering year and we’re more than blessed,” Blanco said. year in full swing, pha, said he is usu- cession era appeals to some college students. similar programs. According to Quan, San Jose State’s en- there is always one ally at the library Although it seems like a strenuous pro- “Starting businesses and becoming an trepreneurship program is very hands on place filled with Monday to Thurs- cess, becoming a business owner is system- entrepreneur has been a trend for many in helping prepare students for success. students studying – day for about 20 atic yet attainable. young people in the country and world- “You can be motivated and self-em- the library. hours a week. Th e event is essential for anyone interest- wide,” Quan said. “It’s very important for us ployed and hire people who can promote With eight lev- Students of all ed in pursuing his or her own business. to provide the knowledge and the base for the economy to help build and strengthen els, students have different majors “We invite some judges, we invite ven- students to get ready for that.” our society,” Quan said. the opportunity to study for their ture capitalists, bankers who are likely here Blanco and Phipps were recently invited According to Phipps, San Jose is one pick which floor classes on the floors to provide the money, angel investors, and to Quan’s course as guest speakers to dis- of the most profitable places in the world will best suit their that best suit their we invite established entrepreneurs who cuss their journey and reiterate what they and Silicon Valley is one of the best places studying needs. studying environ- come to judge the ideas,” said Xiaohong Iris learned before they graduated. to grow and prosper. Elizabeth Orte- ment. Quan, an associate professor who teaches Some of the San Jose State faculty that He said the best way to start a business is to ga, a senior psy- The quiet floors introduction to entrepreneurship. helped Phipps stay motivated through network closely with contacts and friends from chology major, said – sixth, seventh and SJSU alumni and business owners Ricar- building a future business included ac- college to venture your career path. the library is the eighth – appear to do Blanco and Lucas Phipps learned a lot counting professor Chi-Wang Chang and “Th e power of association is surrounding best place for her be more popular from Quan’s course and attended this event strategic management professor Simon yourselves with people that have already done to study because with students who when it was called the Need Ideas Fair. Rodan. what you’ve done, and it’s only going to build it provides a quiet are alone or are Business plans, business models, vis- “I learned that businesses will be really good more strength or strive you forward,” Blanco area to focus and be looking for quiet ibility, market, industry and opportunity at whatever product or service that they’re ad- said. more productive. time. analyses, legal foundations and fi nancial vertising, but maybe they’re not good at sales or Beverly Ukpabi is a Spartan Daily staff Dr. Martin Lu- Ortega said the investing are some key components of the keeping track of their money,” Phipps said. writer. ther King Jr. Library seventh floor is introduction to entrepreneurship program. is a reliable place for where she spends “We came up with an idea and I re- PRIVATEERSWIM.COM | studying because most of her time ally bonded well with all the people in that CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS it’s open Monday studying because of group,” Phipps said. “Quan really taught me Top: Instructor Pablo assists a through Thursday how quiet and open that if I want a promotion, I can step out young swim student with maintain- until 1 a.m. it is. there and do it.” ing a level body while measuring Study rooms are “I don’t have Th ey own Privateers Swim and Fitness, a distance with strokes. reserved by groups a place to study company that provides well-skilled trainers who may be work- at home so I usu- for services ranging from swimming, aqua- Bottom: Kevin and D.C. high five ing on a project or ally study (at the li- fi tness and yoga. each other after she pushed herself just studying, as brary),” Ortega said. Th ese services are off ered for adults and and increased her endurance with well as other meet- With her daily children who want to complete swimming les- a successful lap series. ing rooms for larger commute, Ortega sons within a reasonable amount of time. amounts of people. spends an average Blanco and Phipps met in college and During mid- of eight hours a day each had an extensive swimming experi- terms and finals, studying at the li- ence since they were 13. the library gets re- brary. They learned each other’s swim style ally busy. Another place was different and did not want the busi- Michael Li, a on campus popu- ness to not only be competitive, but fun. senior industrial lar for students to “We didn’t know what we were doing technology major, study is the Engi- originally, a lot of it was just us trying to said he stays until neering Building. figure everything out,” Phipps said. “We around 1 to 2 a.m. Cortez said he went back to our textbooks and went to during finals week. goes to the Engi- professors to ask questions whenever we The fourth level neering Building on needed something answered.” of the library is one Fridays and Satur- Th ey aimed to reach a faster progression of the ideal floors days after the library with rates 4-6 times faster than other swim for student study closes at 6 p.m. schools in the Bay Area. groups during fi- “Th ere are always “We saw a huge problem in the Bay nals or during the people there study- Area swim schools; I know how precious semester because of ing,” Cortez said. time is,” Phipps said. “We started coming its open tables and Although the up with a program, that would not only whiteboards. building closes at teach people the right technique, but This floor is one 10 p.m., students teach people the right technique fast.” of the few that isn’t still stay in the study Phipps’ competitive swim direc- part of the silent rooms and specifi ed tor informed him at a young age that it or quiet floors, al- classrooms to con- takes an average student to complete a lowing students tinue into the late swim program in seven years. to openly discuss hours of the night. Anyone over 8 who joined the com- school work. With various pany could learn proper form and tech- Popular groups floors and rooms nique within eight lessons in either one that gather in the available for stu- to two summers. library are various dents to study dur- Their slogan became “Better swim- fraternities. ing later hours, it ming, faster results.” Many Greek or- makes studying and “We weren’t licensed yet, but we were ganizations require group projects easi- already working on a business plan members to spend er to accomplish meeting in a fraternity room,” Blanco a certain amount during busy school said. “We were going to school full time, of hours studying a days. still working part time and we were still week, and most of Kristen Wirtz building a business on the side. It was them are at the li- is a Spartan Daily tough, but it was pretty amazing how we brary’s upper levels. staff writer. got through it.” TUESDAY 4 OPINION NOVEMBER.18.2014 Geek culture has become Introvert vs. extrovert and popular within society the ambivert’s secret weapon Being geeky or nerdy was engineering department at San I consider myself an introvert. there are misconceptions once “uncool,” but that has Jose Sate. Anywhere you look the char- toward extroverts as well. changed. Engineering is one of the most acteristics of an introvert are Extroverts might be seen as I’ve seen the transforma- impacted departments on cam- probably labeled as preferring pretentious, confrontational, tion because I was born in and pus and it’s not just for “nerds” interaction with a group of two or obnoxious and self-absorbed. remember most of the ‘80s. anymore. three rather than a crowd and like I consider most of my clos- To be a cool kid, one would Comic books, video games to think before speaking. est friends extroverts, but I usually play sports during re- and computers are more popular Or introverts are comfortable wouldn’t apply any of these cess or hang out with the girls than they have ever been. being alone, uncomfortable in the labels to them. on the playground. Computers used to require a spotlight, soft spoken and called Follow Vincent Somehow these character- Follow Brian on on Twitter The kids labeled “uncool” Twitter technical understanding to build “good listeners.” istics have become attached @thebigvinnie strayed away from sports and @BrianStanley from various parts purchased at Bingo! That’s pretty much me. to each personality type. gravitated toward computers, electronic parts store — not like But that’s just one end of the The reality is humans are science-fiction and comic books. Best Buy. spectrum. complex and it’s not so binary. These kids were referred to as “geeks” Machines once operated using coding On the other end lie the extroverts: No one is exclusively introverted or or “nerds.” have become a standard part of our lives people who are seen as outgoing, as- extroverted. I had friends on both sides of the fence thanks to people who were considered sertive and spontaneous who thrive off Psychologist Carl Jung once said and was lucky enough to have a glimpse “nerdy” or “geeky,” such as Bill Gates and social situations. “there is no such thing as a pure extrovert in both worlds. Steve Jobs. Our culture favors these characteristics. or a pure introvert. Such a man would be I played baseball, basketball and foot- Now a majority of the population have Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The in a lunatic asylum.” ball with kids considered Comic book conventions smartphones that act as Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Jung also identified a third personality cool and also hung out our computer at times. Stop Talking,” wrote while introverts type: the ambivert. with friends interested in are popping up all over this The growth in the make up a third to half of the population, A recent study by researcher Adam comics and computers. country with millions of fans electronic world can also our schools and work- The misconceptions Grant of the Wharton These friends weren’t dressed as super heroes be seen in the popularity of places are designed for School of the University of only into reading comics, the PC and gaming console. extroverts, stressing attached to both ends Pennsylvania showed am- they were avid collectors. Video games were very simple with that tightly knit group of the spectrum can be biverts, who possess both Every comic owned had to be bagged the development of the Atari 2600 to the efforts are seen as the extroverted and introverted and boarded, only to be pulled out and modernly advanced consoles like Sony’s key to success. easily resolved qualities, do best in sales read very carefully. PS4 or Microsoft’s Xbox One. Extroverts radiate positions, not extroverted They would do a lot of their local buy- The comic book industry saw a resur- confidence, possess strong verbal com- people as the stereotype would hold. ing, selling and trading at the local comic gence of old and new fans with the release munication skills and work well in teams “The ambivert advantage stems from book shop downtown. of the first successful comic book movie – qualities you would find listed on any the tendency to be assertive and enthusi- The comic book shop unfortunately that wasn’t “Batman” or “Superman.” job application. astic enough to persuade and close, but shut down in the mid ‘90s because of a The release of X-Men in 2000 brought Extroverts possess the more desirable at the same time, listening carefully to decline in comic books. characters of my youth to life in live ac- traits. customers and avoiding the appearance According to The Beat comic book tion and introduced them to a whole new Now, there isn’t a war waged between of being overly confident or excited,” blog, the top 300 comic books sold 8.09 generation. the two personalities, though I do believe Grant said. million units, which is up 21 percent from Since the release, various comic fran- there are misconceptions mutually cast Remove those characteristics from 15 years ago. chises have found new fame such as Mar- on both parties. a sales context and they are a smooth The increase in unit sales resulted in vel’s The Avengers, the Tobey Maguire Introverts are seen as quiet, unhappy, blend of extroversion and introversion. a 79 percent increase in total dollar sales Spider-man series, Christopher Nolan’s reclusive and socially awkward geeks. It’s important to keep in mind these from 15 years ago to $30.62 million. The Dark Knight trilogy, and soon the DC The Big Bang Theory, one of televi- personality types are more than just My nerdy friends would also read Comics’ Justice League series. sion’s highest rated shows is funny preferences – they’re human nature with science-fiction books and build their own These movies have rocketed an indus- because this geeky social awkwardness is science behind them. computers to play video games. try cherished by few into mainstream used for comedic effect. In 1999, scientists at the Mental Television shows and movies in the pop culture. Geeks have been stereotyped in the Health Clinical Research Center and De- late ‘80s and early ‘90s reinforced the The Avengers is the most successful past as individuals absorbed in data and partment of Psychology at the University general stereotype of what it was to be superhero movie in the box office making code alone in some basement, and be- of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics concluded cool and uncool. $623 million worldwide, according to cause of that independent work, they are the brains of introverts and extroverts Television shows like Saved by the Bell Box Office Mojo. seen as anti-social and introverted. are in fact different. featured the “cool kid” Zack Morris and the Both Spider-man and The Dark Knight In reality, everyone is a geek about By measuring cerebral blood flow of “geeky” Samuel “Screech” Powers, who were trilogies have made over $1 billion globally. something. introverts and extroverts, they deter- friends yet lived in different worlds. Comic book conventions are popping up It’s just some subjects aren’t recog- mined extroverts focus their attention The family sitcom Family Matters also all over this country with millions of fans nized as geeky. outward and introverts focus their atten- portrayed nerdy as being uncool with the dressed as super heroes or villains to meet Fashion. Sports. Music. Cars. People tion inward. pocket protector and rimmed glasses- their favorite artist or film star. “geek out” about these subjects too. In simple terms, extroverts are more wearing Steve Urkel. There is even an unscripted television In that sense, “geekdom” is synony- expressive and introverts are more The stereotype that defined the two show on the AMC network called Comic mous with passion or fanaticism. It’s not reserved. worlds can also be scene in the 1984 film Book Men, which follows a comic book a bad thing. It’s hard to battle human nature and Revenge of the Nerds. shop in Red Bank, N.J. Social psychologist David Meyers go against what makes you, you. At the fictional Adams College, the Ultimately, the popularity growth of claimed to achieve happiness, one must pos- The misconceptions attached to jocks of the fraternity Alpha Beta con- activities once considered nerdy or geeky sess self-esteem, optimism and extroversion. both ends of the spectrum can easily be tinually bully the computer engineering has erased the negative connotation that It’s hard to argue the value of self- resolved. students they call “nerds.” once flourished. esteem and optimism, but the need for Introverts: Please respect the enthusi- Things have changed drastically since It’s now cool to be a geek. extroversion to achieve happiness is up asm extroverts possess. I was a kid. Brian Stanley is a Spartan Daily for debate. Extroverts: Please don’t chastise intro- Just look at the popularity of the staff writer. Introverts aren’t unhappy, they just verts for preferring to keep to themselves. seek happiness in dissimilar situations. Everyone: Please don’t be judgmental. Maybe code is what makes them happy. Vincent Vicini is a Spartan Daily I did not choose the geek There are two sides to every coin and staff writer. liked the art, wouldn’t it be better if I could happen, but the staff and Anna —who owns quickly read what they were saying?” the place — are not tolerant of ignorance. life, the geek life chose me By using comics, my father more than Shortly after my father married my tripled the speed he was able to read and mother, between eight-hour work days To say being a geek runs in my veins in 2001, over 15 years after my comprehend – from comics and and evening classes, he would race home would be an understatement. father last played. news to novels and poetry. from work in order to watch Thundercats, The table-top, role-playing-game When I came home talking When I was 5 years old, I was among other cartoons. Dungeons and Dragons released its first about it, my father threw his given my first Wolverine comic My parents got into the habit of leaving edition in 1974, 14 years before I was born. hands in the air. and learned to read using my out bowls of cereal with sippy cups full of My father, however, was alive and “It wasn’t me,” he said. “I had father’s comic book collection. milk in the fridge on Friday night. played the game from the late ‘70s until the nothing to do with it.” His discretion could have been This way, we wouldn’t wake them to make mid ‘80s when he married my mother and This was when I first learned better, or perhaps I should have us breakfast while we gathered around the lost the free time because of work, children my father had also played the game known better than to refer to my TV and watched Spiderman, Teenage Mu- and night school. and it has been a frequent source of Follow Wesley kindergarten teacher as “Bub.” tant Ninja Turtles and Rainbow Brite. Growing up in private religious acade- conversation for us ever since. on Twitter Either way, I’ve been hooked on As we got older, my sisters slowly grew mies, I often found myself caught between The friendships I gained @Stevewes superheroes, science-fiction and out of waking up early and eventually the popular crowds and the misfits, the through this game have given me fantasy from before I can remember. out of watching cartoons, but I have still bullies and the bullied. more close, loyal friends than most people From sketches of superheroes to the pushed myself to watch as much anima- I was large for my age, a trend which could ever hope for. writing of stories and creating concept art tion as I can in movies and television. held until I stopped growing my sopho- For more than half my life, I have set for webcomics, my life has often involved While some gems are timeless to me, more year, so others While some gems are timeless to aside time as often the comic book scene. others I never want to watch again. would hide behind me as possible to sit The drama in the books has often A select few of them are somewhere in to avoid bullies. me, others are truly horrible things around various matched the drama in the comic book shops. between — making me simultaneously Despite my frequent tables with friends On the first Saturday of May — Free cringe while smiling with nostalgia. interaction with my I never want to watch again. — new and old — Comic Book Day — I run around to a half I love cartoons, games and comics for the peers, there were very to play the game. dozen comic book shops to greet staff I inspiration and entertainment they give. few I would have considered friends. Playing dissolves into jokes and junk know and pick up new comics offered. I still watch more cartoons than any other When I was in seventh grade, I made food as often as we create heroes, kingdoms For the last five years, I’ve bought my form of television and the dream that drives my first real friends: a group made up of and stories in the high-fantasy setting. comics from Illusive Comics and Games. me most is to become a voice-over artist. mostly girls who shared my interest in As a teenager, my father suffered from The shop offers all the comics I like to It may be silly, strange or geeky to some, cartoons, drawing and avoiding more dyslexia before it was a widely known buy as well as all the table-top, role-playing but for me, nothing would be better than popular peers who would point out our condition. game supplies I could want, but it really being able to be a part of a Saturday morn- odd characteristics. A high school teacher realized he was strug- won its loyalty when I heard a staff member ing cartoon. These young women introduced me to gling and used comic books to assist him. ask someone to leave for being a misogynist. Wesley Moots is a Spartan Daily the third edition of Dungeons and Dragons My father said, “he told me that if I I’m not going to say these comments never staff writer. Share your opinion! Comment on these articles at spartandaily.com TUESDAY NOVEMBER.18.2014 OPINION 5

onto their dashboard. Although each user’s Which is a luxury you can’t have on uber- A creative outlet Unlike other social Tumblr dashboard will publicized networks such as Facebook. networking sites, differ from another user’s Also, because of the sites liberal secu- Tumblr users don’t dashboard just like a rity preferences (hence why there is such generally range in Facebook newsfeed differs a thing as Tumblr porn), it’s also a space for Generation Y how much they use depending on who your for news media that is either hushed or the site. friends are, Tumblr’s unique brushed off in the dominant corporate Tumblr, a blogging site bought by Yahoo for You are either a Tumblrer or not. There reblog feature means a lot controlled American media scene. $1.1 billion last year, has been a safe haven for are no in-betweens. of the content regurgitated Tumblr itself did not change my life, but the expression of all kinds of people. Those who do not use Tumblr have a Follow Jessica and shared in a different Tumblr opened up doors of expression and al- Users range from the Internet cat lovers, difficult time understanding it and tend to on Twitter way than other sites. lowed me to nurture my identity unabashedly. anarchists, atheists, alternative “hipsters” think it’s a cist pool for hipsters, perverts or @jessieschleg Often one person will Tumblr is an incredibly diverse com- and self-proclaimed poets to the BDSM- people who just want to look at funny cat post something, another munity of people and I realized I was not proud, porn-gif makers and NSFW (not safe videos all day – all to a certain extent do exist will comment on it and reblog it. alone in my oddities or in my criticisms for work) blogs of normal people taking on the site. Another person will comment on it and about society. nude selfies for all their followers to see. Those who do use Tumblr, however, un- reblog it again. Because Tumblr is dominated by young One post I saw yesterday featured a derstand each other and understand Tumblr This cycle continues until the original and educated people, being a feminist and man asking women for their “dirty under- is more than a cheap outlet post has been com- a radical civil rights activist is not going wear” for $40 a pair. for a laugh or to empty the It allowed me to venture mented on and shared to get you criticized. Instead, you will be Needless to say, Tumblr is one of the wank bank. by thousands of people. celebrated by a community who wants to most interesting – and sometimes disturb- When one Tumblrer out of the fishbowl that is It’s incredible these talk about these subjects instead of acting ing – aggregation of Internet tidbits and finds another Tumblrer, types of posts allow long like they don’t exist. users right now. they have an overwhelm- structured with traditional conversations about It allowed me to venture out of the Although Tumblr is not as popular as ing mutual feeling of “oh, topics about literally fishbowl that is structured with traditional its network cousins such as Facebook and yeah, they get it.” societal values anything – including societal values and muddied with perse- Instagram, according to a Pew Research Having said that, when you find out some- discussions about important cultural, cution and prejudice for those who don’t study, Tumblr is particularly appealing to one has a Tumblr, it’s sometimes considered political and social topics that are often swim well within it. young people between the ages 18 and 29, a sacrilege to ask for his or her Tumblr’s name. ignored in mainstream media. Tumblr is important because it symbol- particularly difficult demographic to appeal Another interesting aspect of the blog- Add the fact 65 percent of Tumblr users izes an attitude Generation Y has created to its competitors. ging site is it’s not intended to be shared are educated, Tumblr becomes not just to combat a number of social, cultural and According to Search Engine People, with people in your real life — oftentimes a place to laugh or wank, it asks users to political obstacles in our world. 66 percent of users are under 35 and 49 people choose to be anonymous. think critically and deeply in a philosophi- Although Tumblr is a good example of percent are under 25. Putting all of the gifs, fandoms and cal cyber garden. this phenomena, the influence of this type The same article states Tumblr users homemade porn aside, Tumblr is a repre- Because many users are anonymous, it of attitude stems well beyond the limits of tend to be more loyal than Facebook and sentation of a conversation about modern means people can be open to have and con- any kind of social networking site. Instagram users, spending approximately media and the culture of Generation Y that tribute whatever views they want – whether Jessica Schlegelmilch is the Spartan Daily 14 minutes on the site every time they log is not happening. they are popularly accepted or not. Executive Editor. Cartoon Satire editorial cartoon Art Comics Etc. YOUR ART HERE

Contact Spartan Daily to submit your artwork email: [email protected] TUESDAY 6 OPINION NOVEMBER.18.2014 Nerd trends have helped society embrace academics I still remember the day I got my first were getting worse and I realized I watched as superhero shoes, fan versus followers of the trend by who pair of glasses. it was probably best I wore them T-shirts, women’s undergarments, stayed to watch the film’s credits after I was in the second grade and it had on a daily basis. pajamas and more filled depart- Marvel movies ended. blue-tinted frames with a cat eye shape. The teasing started to dis- ment stores. A Forbes article, “A Huge Global Epidem- Th e fi rst day I wore them to school everyone sipate as I got older and glasses Consumers bought into the ic: Fake Nerds,” talked about how these new was complimenting me on my new “shades.” became cool again. nerd culture and would fi nd any trends aren’t fake nerdism, but new nerdism. For some reason, my glasses made me I watched as multiple friends got way to showcase even their mildest Meaning old school nerds who were once seem cool to my schoolmates, but that was non-prescription lenses and would interest in this trend. made fun of, and new school nerds who have fine by me. wear them just as a daily trend. Events such as Comic-Con esca- sparked a recent interest in nerdism, are begin- I continued to wear them, daily realiz- Classmates would compli- Follow Kristen lated quickly as celebrities brought ning to embrace the culture together. ing the world was a lot less blurry with this ment me on my frames asking on Twitter a fresh face to the geek culture. New clothing companies are starting to new accessory. where I got them. @KristenWirtz2 According to io9‘s article, emerge that embrace this new trend while But as I got older, glasses were no longer My response to them was of “How Comic-Con has Grown, and also encouraging students to do well in school. considered cool. course “from my optom- Other Geeky Infograph- A starter company based in New York Names such as “four eyes” and, when my etrist.” You could always tell who was ics,” comic-con originally City called Kool Nerd Clothing encourages hair was in a bun, librarian, were things I News organizations an actual fan versus followers of started in 1970 and had students to succeed in school. heard on a daily basis. such as Cosmopolitan, the trend by who stayed to watch 145 attendees. Its program donates $4 from each pur- Kids joked I looked smart and I became Daily Mail and Huff- the fi lm’s credits after Marvel Comic-Con has chase toward programs that help students offended by these comments. ington Post published significantly grown over accomplish academic goals and strive for I decided I would no longer wear my articles on how to stylize the years to more than a 4.0 GPA. glasses and toughed out the headaches your look with nerd glasses. 100,000 in yearly attendance. If encouraging other kids to embrace and confusion that were brought on when I Brands such as American Apparel and Hot My brother (a nerd at heart) and I dis- this fashion trend means nerds will no wasn’t wearing my prescription glasses. Topic started to capitalize on this new trend. cussed how much companies and celebrities longer be teased and excelling in academ- I would read a lot during the weekends The fad only continued to grow over the were starting to take advantage of this trend. ics will be cool, then this trend may just be when I was alone and could wear my years with comic books, movies and TV We watched as more seats would fill in what this society needs. glasses without anyone seeing. shows being re-made and the emergence of the theater for Marvel and DC movies. Kristen Wirtz is a Spartan Daily But at my next optometrist visit, my eyes new fans. You could always tell who was an actual staff writer. Love of books, writing helped shaped my career path Writing and reading go hand in hand; dreamed of a better life. black people, 34 were about Native From the New York Times to the Lon- without one, you cannot have the other. He lived with people who were Americans, 69 were about Asians don Review of Books, data shows women According to dosomething.org, one in supposed to love and protect him and 57 were about Latinos. are disproportionately underrepresented four children in America grow up without yet didn’t. Th ere are so many unique when it comes to contemporary book sales. learning how to read. I easily put myself in his shoes, stories that need to be told. As upsetting as it is, this defi nitely does not Th e article also states that kids who don’t especially since both of my par- Future authors need to deter me from my dream of writing books. read profi ciently by fourth grade are four ents died when I was younger. include all diverse experiences, I want to write a book that might inspire times more likely to drop out of school. Some people might fi nd it whether inspired by people in young children to better themselves be- Th ere are many other disheartening and strange that a children’s story can the LGBTQ community, people cause books, in a strange way, saved my life. discouraging statistics about literacy in have so much infl uence on someone. of color or with disabilities. I have a blank canvas that needs to be fi lled. Follow Jerica America that do not surprise me. When the world around you on Twitter The list goes on forever. By blank canvas, I mean my life. When I was an English tutor at San Jose is ugly, escaping to Neverland, @thehellajerica Books are an integral way for I partly filled it with magic and teenage City College, I would help people who were Narnia, Middle Earth or Hogwarts children to connect to society, learn drama instead of gangs. taking a high level English class. is a better alternative. about the past and understand life Neil Gaiman, another one of my favorite Although there were many people who It never mattered to me people thought it from diff erent point of view. authors, once said, “People think dreams were excellent writers, there was weird I liked Harry If the point of view is always from the aren’t real just because they aren’t made of were some who had made I want to write a book that Potter, even when I same perspective, how can anyone learn? matter, of particles. Dreams are real. But it into high level courses was repeatedly called a The Cooperative Children’s Book Cen- they are made of viewpoints, of images, of without even knowing how might inspire young children in “Harry Potter freak.” ter also mentioned that census data shows memories and puns and lost hopes.” to write a thesis. I even wrote a few fan 37 percent of the U.S. population consists His quote summarizes what it means to Writing has always been the future to better themselves fi ctions without even of people of color — but children’s books be a writer. a big part of my life and knowing. have not kept pace. Writers have ideas roaming in their along that came a love for reading. After I decided I wanted to major in It also boils down to whose books are heads all the time. From the time I learned to read, I pe- journalism, I also decided to minor in actually being published. I remember being 7 and thinking it was rused each book my hands grabbed. creative writing. According to its website, VIDA is a weird I wanted to write about these char- I became a bookworm and was damn I believe it is necessary for people with research-driven organization with a goal acters I imagined. proud of it. diverse backgrounds to write books. to increase critical attention to contem- I thought it was weird at fi rst, but the older I One of my biggest infl uences for writing I noticed a long time ago some of the porary women’s writing and further the got, the more I realized I was born to be a writer. creatively is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. more popular authors were white people transparency around gender equality is- Writing is in my blood and has always Th e Harry Potter books have sold more writing about the white experience. sues in contemporary literary culture. come naturally to me. than 450 million copies worldwide. According to a study by the Cooperative Each year, women from across the coun- Writing books has always been a dream When I fi rst found out about it, I had a Children’s Book Center at the University of try dedicate thousands of combined hours to of mine and I will make it a reality. strong connection. Wisconsin, of 3,200 children’s books pub- manually tally the gender disparity in major Jerica Lowman is the Spartan Daily Harry was an abused child who lished in 2013, roughly 93 stories were about literary publications and book reviews. Opinion Editor. Popular Geek Words Jerica’s Must Reads ANON: Th is one means, of course, anonymous AU: Alternate Universe Stephen Chbosky - “Th e Perks of Being a Wallfl ower” FANDOM: the entire community of fans devoted to a particular person or work Roald Dahl - “Matilda” FANFICTION: fanfi ction is writing that uses characters or situations from a piece of Eve Ensler - “I am an Emotional Creature” work the artist admires CANON: Th e media of which you are a fan, essentially. Th e “canon” is what is shown F. Scott Fitzgerald - “Th e Great Gatsby” in the media and accepted as the truth of the events Neil Gaiman - “Coraline” COSPLAY: short for ‘costume play,” is somebody who dresses up as a character from their fandom bell hooks - “Feminism is for Everybody” MEME: a blogging phenomenon often found associated with fandom Lois Lowry - “Th e Giver” NSFW: Not Safe For Work; a warning label to not look at anything with this tags at Cormac McCarthy - “Th e Road” work (usually porn) OTP: ‘One True Pairing,’ which what a person considers to be the only possible rela- J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter Series tionship possible for a given set of characters Louis Sachar - “Holes” TROLL: a noun or a verb. A ‘troll’ is a person who joins a community in order to start a fi ght Shel Silverstein - “A Light in the Attic” Sd SPARTAN DAILY STAFF

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Executive Producer Multimedia Editor Online Editor Production Chief Ad Director Sol Granados Taylor Rush Anthony Nguyen Tim Burke Tim Lamascus Letters to the Editor may be placed in the letters to the Creative Director Executive Editor Sports Editor Manager Sergio Camacho 209, sent by fax to (408) 924-3282, emailed to Jessica Schlegelmilch Colton Seike Photographers Samuel Brannan Deborah Briese2014 [email protected] or written to the Spartan Daily Assistant Creative Director Jonathan Giddens Opinion Editor, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0149. Managing Editor A&E Editor Lauren Hernandez News Jasmine Leyva Philip Beadle Letters to the Editor must contain the author’s name, Wesley Moots Richard Craig Abraham Rodriguez address, phone number, signature and major. Letters become property Scott Fosdick Jamie Castorena Photo Editor Opinion Editor Samson So Anjelica Cattivera of the Spartan Daily and may be edited for clarity, grammar, libel and Brandon Chew Jerica Lowman Brian Stanley Mack Lundstrom Kiana Hall length. Only letters of 300 words or less will be considered for publi- Beverly Ukpabi Tim Mitchell Omar Landeros cation. Vincent Vicini Production Editor Copy Editor Kim Komenich Amaris Mang Kristen Wirtz Rachael Odell Patricia Lee Brenda Norrie Laura Nguyen Advertising Shannon Santos the views of the Spartan Daily, the School of Journalism and Mass Jonathan Marinaro Brian Tamayo Tim Hendrick Desiree Barton TUESDAY NOVEMBER.18.2014 SPORTS 7 Quidditch chaser Jordan is big inspiration in a small package

By Wesley Moots was running cross-country in high school, @SteveWes but when she came to San Jose State she was amazed to discover quidditch on campus. Dashing and dart- “I went to my first practice and tried it ing across the field and into her teammates’ out,” Jordan said. “Everyone was really nice to hearts, sophomore Arianna Jordan leads the me my very first day and I just stuck with it. San Jose State Quidditch team as the top-line I’m really glad that I did.” female chaser. SJSU alumnus Kyle Campbell, team Jordan joined the team during her fresh- coach and co-captain, describes Jordan as man year and went to the Quidditch World tenacious, fierce and not at all intimidated by Cup last Spring. larger players. Not only is Jordan a chaser on the com- “Every game she surprises me,” Campbell petitive quidditch team, but she also co- said. “She’s earned her position on the team captains the noncompetitive quidditch club and keeps on proving it every game.” known as the O.W.L.S. (Original Wizarding Campbell described how during a tourna- League Spartans). ment last month Jordan had to play most of As a chaser, Jordan operates as a major the game with no backup chaser to come off part of the team’s offensive line, but really en- the line because of the other players being ill. joys the full-contact nature of the sport. “She was getting tackled and hammered,” “I love being able to tackle people and Campbell said. “But she kept fighting through, them not expecting it because they think I kept scoring and it was amazing.” won’t do it,” Jordan said. “I’m small, but I love Junior keeper Dan Marovich said Jordan doing it.” is sometimes called a “ninja” by the rest of Standing 5-feet-2-inches tall, Jordan isn’t the team for her ability to sneak behind the the typical-sized enforcer. opponent’s defense. Jordan’s only previous athletic experience Marovich feels he and Jordan make a great duo on the field because his size causes him to attract a lot of attention when he gets the quaffle, but by the time he’s able to pass it to her, she’s made it to the back line in perfect Wesley Moots | Spartan Daily scoring position. San Jose State chaser Arianna Jordan faces off against a chaser from the Long Beach “I sometimes call her the hummingbird Funky Quaffles at the South Bay Spookfest in San Jose on Sunday, Oct. 26. because there’s no stopping her once she’s on her toes,” Marovich said. ery second,” Bowles said. “She has that re- taken her family 40 minutes but instead took Many teammates see Jordan as an ally bubbly quality that really makes you three days. inspiration. want to smile.” “It was a really big deal, just seeing how cra- Fellow chaser and senior Katelin Zweifel- Like Campbell, Bowles repeatedly zy that weather event can make everything,” Korzuchin is impressed by Jordan, describing pointed out how her size doesn’t stop her Jordan said. “It made me want to get more into her as sweet off the field but vicious on it. from competing. it and hopefully help forecast better.” “I’m inspired to be her on the pitch be- “She can stand up to the biggest guys in After graduating, Jordan wants to go to cause she’s so small,” Zweifel-Korzuchin the league,” Bowles said. “She can take the graduate school on the East Coast, where said. “Like myself, she’s unstoppable and still ball away from them, score off of them, take there is more “interesting” weather. very sweet.” hits from them, be able to give and go the She has an interest in the entire field, but Junior beater Benjamin Curtis whole time.” would like to work with a nonprofit. Bowles agreed and said he’s inspired by As a meteorology major, Jordan spends Although Jordan loves the game for its Jordan’s attitude. most of her time focusing on her studies while community and competition, she is also a big Bowles, as well as other teammates, de- striving to be the best quidditch player. fan of the Harry Potter book series. scribe Jordan as always smiling. Originally from Houston, Jordan was liv- Jordan’s favorite Harry Potter story is the On the field she’s really intense, but as ing near the Gulf of Mexico when Hurricane fourth book: The Goblet of Fire. soon as the play is over, Jordan has a grin on Katrina hit the coast. The San Jose State Quidditch team’s prac- Wesley Moots | Spartan Daily her face. Although the hurricane didn’t reach tice is open to all students every Friday from 3 Chaser Arianna Jordan catches a quaffle “When the final whistle blows, she has Houston, Jordan was still impacted by the p.m. to 5 p.m. on the A.S. Lawn. during warm ups at the South Bay Spookfest. a big smile on her face like she enjoyed ev- realization that an evacuation should have Wesley Moots is a Spartan Daily staff writer. Small gadgets, gizmos starting to develop and emerge athletic careers By Beverly Ukpabi software is karate, shooting, archery and @CheerBev09 growing in pool,” Udall said. popular- Currently, Zepp partners Zepp technology uni- ity because with youth organizations such fies the path of two roads they’re now working with as Perfect Game, Ripken and where jock meets nerd professionals to analyze On Deck. in a useful and effective data that improves skill “In our app, we have all the companionship. and game. data and the numbers that Zepp labs has been in busi- The professional athletes our sensor provides you,” Hau- ness for two years and has as- involved with Zepp include er said. “We also have a section sisted athletes from baseball, Hunter Pence, Jennie Finch, for our training center where softball, tennis and golf with and David Ortiz, as well as 10 you have professional coaches, accuracy and statistical data. other major league baseball athletes, and experts giving The company offers a players from the Major League you tips and drills for analysis. variety of packages consist- Baseball Player’s Association This little green sensor is just ing of a sensor chip, which is (MLBPA). the start — the small tool that placed in sports equipment “When Hunter Pence allows us to do big things.” and can be linked to its free first saw the data, his eyes There are currently three mobile application available just lit up because it’s just not packages available on the to consumers. something these players have Zepp labs’ website including The first product the com- ever used or had access to,” one for baseball or softball, pany launched was called Hauer said. golf and tennis. Prices for each Golfsense, which is also used According to Hauer, package are $149.99. by a free mobile application the sensor and free mobile Additional mounts and and was only available for golf application is just as valu- chargers are also available clubs with a large sensor chip. able to a 10-year-old youth starting at $9.99. John Hauer, marketing baseball player. “The cool thing about manager for the Zepp labs “They’re looking at the sports is the people that do corporate office, said launch- same things and then can set them are passionate about ing the Zepp series of the soft- similar goals for what they them,” Udall said. “When you ware was an upgrade from want to achieve and our prod- see something that measures Golfsense in November 2013. uct helps you do that,” Hauer motion that could potentially “What sets us apart is our said. “There really is no ceil- help them to enjoy their sport 3-D technology,” Hauer said. ing on improvement, you can or get better at the sport, they “With our algorithm, we’re ac- aways get better, and there is get super excited about it.” tually able to show you using no perfection.” The motion speed swing a 3-D rendering on an avatar, Ashton Udall, Zepp’s direc- span and angle are some of your exact baseball swing, tor of project management, the features found on Zepp’s your golf swing, or your ten- said its primary goals are to mobile app, including the op- nis serve and you can actually focus more on the voice of the tion to videotape. spin around that image from customer and to seek relevant “Basically our focus is your any angle and analyze every teams who help with develop- everyday enthusiast, the up- little thing you’re doing and ment, launch and support of and-coming youth baseball replay that.” the product. player or the young golfer or The sensor chip consists of According to Udall and tennis player,” Hauer said. two accelerometers — a gyro- Hauer, they are in the works “That’s who we want to ulti- scope and a processor. of expanding after the positive mately help to learn from the Zepp technology is cur- feedback received from their pros and extract what we do rently sold at retailers such Oct. 21 launch. with them and provide that as Apple, Best Buy, Verizon, “We’ve gotten inquiries information and content for Sprint, Tennis Warehouse and since the day we started from everybody as a resource.” Golf Galaxy. all over the world, for all kinds Beverly Ukpabi is a Spar- Hauer added that the of sports including curling, tan Daily staff writer. TUESDAY 8 SPORTS NOVEMBER.18.2014 Strategy, numbers in fantasy sports enters new domain

By Samuel Brannan @Sam_Brannan

Sports such as football and baseball are heavily based on statistics, but the thrill of the game and athleticism is what draws people to enjoy these sports. For the last decade, fantasy sports have dramatically re- vamped the sports industry in the way fans follow sports and how it’s covered in the media. An entirely new breed of sport fans have emerged that does not fit the traditional “jock” stereotype. Fantasy is a game of numbers and making roster moves to maximize scoring. It provides a different dynamic for sports fans to follow favorite players, compete with each other, even gamble — and for some, it’s highly addictive. Almost every mainstream professional sport is available to play in a fantasy version. Websites such as ESPN, Yahoo and CBS have millions of users play anything from fantasy golf to auto racing. Players can access their teams through mobile apps to change lineups, add and drop players from their roster and talk “smack” to opponents. Sports fans are no longer limited to following teams, but now cheer for single athletes on a variety of teams who are drafted to fantasy players’ teams. Jack Duffy, a senior at Bellarmine College Prep and writ- er for “Prep2Prep Sports” in San Jose, enjoys fantasy sports because it allows him to be updated in sports and he can still triumph when his favorite real team wins or loses. “Fantasy sports enhance a fan’s experience, it adds an- other aspect to watching sports,” Duffy said. “It’s another thing to keep track of and it keeps you busy even when watching a game you wouldn’t otherwise care about be- cause of your fantasy team.” According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Brandon Chew | Spartan Daily (FSTA), only 500,000 people played fantasy sports in 1998, Today, there are over 40 million fantasy team owners in Canada and the United States. Many are found accessing their and today there are 41.5 million players in the United States teams on mobile devices. and Canada. Today, sports networks dedicate programming and web Some fantasy leagues require small buy-ins that are volved in sports,” Scott said. “Being in the industry, it keeps pages entirely toward fantasy sports. cashed in at the end of the season, but there are websites me up to date with statistics and even the live updates are Fantasy experts offer their advice on who to sit and who such as FanDuel, which offer one-day games where players helpful while in talk shows.” to start to score the most possible points. can bet up to $1,000 and if they win, money is deposited di- Scott played sports in high school, but discovered his The NFL Network even broadcasts a special program rectly into their bank account. passion for broadcast journalism in college. called “RedZone” that shows every scoring play from each “I take my fantasy teams really seriously and care about Fantasy sports have been a way for him to compete with team to show fantasy players in real time. them probably more than my actual teams, regardless of his friends. Jack Policar, a senior business administration major, whether or not there is money involved,” Duffy said. “If “Guys have always argued or bragged about under- considers himself a fantasy guru. money is involved, it’s very similar to gambling — it is gam- standing sports the best,” Scott said. “It ultimately comes “I can’t go a day without checking my lineup,” Policar bling — so the addiction certainly fits in that category.” down to competing against your friends and being the said. “I play for money usually and that raises the stakes for Alex Scott, a sports broadcaster at 90.5 KSJS and Black smartest fan.” everyone in my league.” Dog Enterprises, manages two fantasy football teams and Fantasy sports are redefining what it means to be a There’s always been sports gambling, but now it is one basketball team. sports fan and will continue to reshape professional sports. meshed into the realm of fantasy sports. “The appeal of fantasy is living the dream of being in- Samuel Brannan is a Spartan Daily staff writer.

Infographic by Samuel Brannan TUESDAY NOVEMBER.18.2014 A&E 9 Hoverboard arrives in time for McFly’s visit

By Sam Brannan @SamBrannan

When Marty McFly and Doc Brown went “Back to the Future” 25 years ago and into the year 2015, hoverboards were only some- thing we could imagine. Until rumors and reports of a real hover- board went viral on the internet last month, there were questions of the validity of the news. Fans of “Back to the Future” can rest assured the rumors are true and the hover- board is very real. Th e Hendo Hoverboard Kickstarter, which swept across the internet in late Octo- ber, raised its goal of $250,000 dollars in less Arx Pax | Contributed Photo than two days. Creators Greg Henderson A person takes a trial run, fl oating about an inch over the ground, on the Hendo Hoverboard created by Los Gatos-based Arx Pax. and Jill Avery Henderson created a company called Arx Pax located in Los Gatos, Calif. to helped with the design and assembly of the 101st Airborne and 7th Infantry. lift buildings, and anything else that might turn their idea into a reality. hoverboard prototypes. "Th e current pro- “Th e past 20 years I’ve been thinking need to be protected. Greg’s wife Jill said he was running some totype hoverboard that we have uses four of better ways to build in areas subject to “We have friends that live in Napa, and tests one evening on his soon-to-be patented engines," O'Neil said. “Th e newer model with earthquakes, fl oods, rising sea levels — some the damage that was done from the recent technology on the kitchen table in his living only two engines is nearly there, and it will of mother nature's greatest threats,” Greg earthquake was devastating for wine cel- room in Saratoga, Calif. "When he fi rst got it be smaller and quieter.” said. lars,” Jill said. “We could use the same tech- to hover, his eyes opened up like saucers, and Th ere’s more room to grow with the Greg’s vision of using this technology is nology to lift those wine racks out of harms said, 'We can build a hoverboard!’" Jill said. technology inside the hoverboard. It was to levitate buildings a split second before way." Th e current Hendo Hoverboard fl oats at intended for much greater things, like pre- an earthquake hits, and to allow the build- Although the technology is patented, 98 pounds, about 3 feet long and 2 feet wide, venting natural disaster in events such as ing to be out of harm's way while the ground anyone can purchase the Hendo “White and hovers about an inch off the ground earthquakes. “Th e technology can be used shakes — and it doesn't stop there. Box” developer kit that utilizes the same while holding a person’s weight. Th e engines for anything,” Greg said. “Th at’s where we were two years ago technology inside the hoverboard and take are loud and the battery can levitate the Greg graduated from West Point with a when we asked the question, if we can it apart to fi gure it out. board for about seven minutes before giving B.S. in engineering, and earned a Master of levitate a 50,000 kilogram train, why not a “Not only do we allow people to take it out. Architecture from Berkeley. He also served house?” Greg said. apart and understand our technology, but Kyle O'Neil, an engineer at Arx Pax in the military as an airborne ranger in the Th e patented technology in the hover- we encourage it.” Greg said. “My belief is that board is known as Magnetic Field Architec- anyone else can have another breakthrough ture (MFA™). One of the key elements in the just like we did.” patent is something Greg calls the “buff er Th e White Box kit can be foun—d on the Indie game culture is changing medium.” Th e buff er medium can be a liq- Kickstarter page, along with more informa- uid, gas or an electromagnetic fi eld. tion on the hoverboard and the founders. “Th e technology follows Lenz’s law, which Although the technology is not where it videogame industry’s landscape explains how eddy currents are formed is in the movies, by the time McFly makes when magnets are close to a conductive ma- his way to the future, he will fi nd his hover- By Vincent Vicini and you’re basically a cog in the machine,” terial. Th e eddy current is what our technol- board. @thebigvinnie Evora said. ogy focuses on,” Greg said. Check out SpartanDaily.com for video. Evora said it was a time consuming Th e hoverboard is just a small-scale ex- Samuel Brannan is a Spartan Daily staff Activision. Electronic Arts. Capcom. challenge for designers to have their voice ample of the same technology that would writer. Naughty Dog. Rockstar. heard, with ideas taking up to two weeks to These are some of the most recognizable travel up the ladder through team leaders, names in the video game industry, devel- to the director, all the way up to the game oping and publishing some of the biggest producer and then back down. games such as Call of Duty, the Madden “When you work with a small team, you NFL series, Street Fighter, the Uncharted get to make meaningful decisions — peo- series and Grand Theft Auto, respectively. ple hear your voice,” Evora said. “You can These are AAA (pronounced as “triple branch off to try something different and A”) games known for big budgets, high it won’t break (the development cycle) — sales expectations and long development there is no drama.” cycles. Abdel-Rahman, who graduated from However, in recent years there has been University of Southern California with a a shift in the video game landscape: the in- degree in computer science game develop- troduction and surge of indie development. ment, had an indie experience of his own This was the theme at the monthly San making a game called Bloom for PC and Francisco Game Development Meetup in iOS. October, where up-and-coming game de- While he cherishes the indie develop- velopers demoed their projects, mingled ment cycle for its freedom to experiment and networked with others who are pas- and limitless potential for creativity, it was sionate about games and one day hope to not without challenges. make it big in the industry. He stressed the importance of working “(Indies) are showing the AAA industry with a team that is creatively compatible. that there is room for change and there is “If someone opposes an idea, they’re not an audience waiting for that change,” said going to work on it with passion and that Kahled Abdel-Rahman, a product man- pretty much disrupts the whole pipeline,” ager at Niantic Labs — an internal startup Abdel-Rahman said. making mobile games within Google. There is also a struggle to be noticed in AAA studios spend huge amounts of the crowded, competitive marketplace as money to make games, set extraordinary well as in the press. sales expectations and work under the “When you’re up-and-coming, and peo- tight restrictions of the publisher fund- ple don’t know about you, pretty much no ing the projects. However, indie designers one responds to your emails,” he said. “I’ve aren’t restricted by the leash of publishers even spoken to some game press, showed and can try things that haven’t been done them the game when I’ve had the chance, before because they fund their own proj- they loved it, said it was absolutely amaz- ects. ing, but then you email them and since the Outlets such as Kickstarter give fans the email is from someone they don’t know, it’s opportunity to crowdfund a title as well. ignored.” Abdel-Rahman referenced The Stanley Jeff Himmelman, art director at Weeby. Parable — a narrative-driven first-person co, a team of 20 working to make high- exploration game that possesses almost quality social games, also voiced his con- none of the mechanics of a typical video cerns about the indie realm. He called it a game, but was still wildly successful and double-edged sword because the barrier critically acclaimed. of entry is so low allowing anyone to make “Indies are starting to affect the AAA anything and saturate the market. industry by showing them they have to ex- “You have hundreds or thousands of periment a bit more in the games they’re games just being thrown out there, just making,” he said. being thrown against a wall to see what Byron Evora, currently working for an sticks,” Himmelman said. “Once something independent audio production studio for does stick, everyone gravitates toward that entertainment media called Steel Panda and tries every little iteration of it.” Sound Design, previously worked for 2K Any team of two or even a solo devel- PSYD AND MA DEGREES IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Marin, another big name in the industry oper can rush in and race to iterate on the shuttered last year. game by taking a fun concept and building CLINICAL.ARGOSY.EDU/IMPRESSIVE Steel Panda was founded by Evora and on it. his colleague Frank Petreikis in an effort “Unfortunately, it’s not the first one who See auprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info. Financial aid gets there who wins — it’s who does it the is available to those who qualify. Argosy University is accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges to break away from the restrictions of AAA (985 Atlantic Ave., Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, www.wascsenior.org) The Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program at American School of Professional studios and work freely on whatever they best,” Himmelman said. “Or the ones who Psychology at Argosy University San Francisco Bay Area is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). Questions related to the program’s accredited status should be directed to the Commission on Accreditation: Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American want, whenever and wherever they want. have the most money and resources.” Psychological Association, 750 1st Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Phone: (202) 336-5979 / E-mail: [email protected] / Web: www.apa.org/ed/accreditation. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options are subject to change. Argosy University, San Francisco Bay Area, 1005 Atlanta Avenue, Alameda, CA “When you’re working at a big company, Vincent Vicini is a Spartan Daily staff 94501. ©2014 by Argosy University® Our email address is [email protected]. what I’ve noticed is you have to fall in line writer. TUESDAY 10 A&E NOVEMBER.18.2014 Tenaya Hurst brings fresh face to maker’s world By Kristen Wirtz Kristen Wirtz | Spartan Daily @kristenwirtz2 Left: Tenaya Hurst enjoys her Soldering irons, LEDs and Lily- daily life as a maker, producing Pad kits in hand, Tenaya Hurst – a multiple bliplaces for the various self-proclaimed maker in San Jose – clothing designs she’s designed in set up for her next class on soldering her studio. and sewing. Below: Maker Tenaya Hurst sol- Hurst is the CEO of RogueMak- ders together hundreds of bliplaces ing, Educational Accounts Manag- a day in her studio. er for Arduino Linino and teaches classes about soldering and sewing in the Bay Area. Th ese classes are where students melt solder with metal instruments and cool them, forming a bond be- tween the two materials. During the sewing classes, stu- dents use a conductor thread to sew their LEDs into any material and enable the LEDs to light up. “I became a maker in March of Although she enjoys all types of she assists people in discovering the With patience and persistence, 2013,” Hurst said. “I got into (mak- making, her favorite design to cre- making world and helps forge new Hurst helps students fi gure out how ing) after taking a class through the ate is wearable tech using wires. makers. a Maker’s world works during the Make SF meetup group.” “It’s a whole new thing about “(Th e new Makers) creativity sewing, soldering and program- Hurst went to school originally failure,” Hurst said about her new and response is so inspiring,” Hurst ming classes. to become an actress, archeolo- experiences. said. She is always learning new gist and geologist, but became in- She has created necklaces, ear- She brings kits to each class so things with students and said it’s the Maker’s world in such a short terested in the making world after rings and bracelets with the bli- attendees can pick diff erent LED rewarding for her. period of time. she heard about Arduino when she place. light kits and sew them into cloth- “When I see kids struggle and She and friends have created taught geology at the Tech Mu- Th e bliplace is a sound reactive ing or other types of material with succeed in a fi ve-day class, it’s like products for new Makers or expe- seum. devices that lights up with musical conductive thread. ‘Wow, what a better person they are rienced Makers to create and learn “A maker can make anything,” vibrations through LEDs. She also brings soldering kits going to end up being,’” Hurst said. together. Hurst said. “It’s not always wearable Her work has been seen in fash- so anyone can solder a LilyPad – a In a male-dominated career, Hoping to encourage and em- tech.” ion shows, such as Bay Area Fashion micro controller board sewn into Hurst sometimes struggles because power other women into learning Her mom taught her how to Week where she made ties, dresses, fabric using conductor thread – to- she never went to school for pro- about Making, Hurst started a Lady sew when she was younger and her hair bows and custom jewelry for gether and watch it light up through gramming or electrical engineer- Maker class that meets Mondays grandfather taught her a little bit models to showcase. vocal vibrations. ing, but at the same time it has be- in Oakland at Tech Liminal, where about electrical engineering before With less than a year’s worth Hurst said it’s really easy to come an advantage for her because anyone can bring projects they are his death. of experience, Hurst became well- teach how to build LilyPads be- she stands out. working on or start new ones with It wasn’t until two months after known for her creations. cause everyone works as a team With her electric personality her kits. her grandfather’s death that she re- She teaches classes in Oakland, toward a common goal: making the and positive attitude, her aspiring Kristen Wirtz is a Spartan Daily ally got into the Maker’s world. San Jose and San Francisco where circuits light up. career has continued to launch in staff writer.

124 E. Santa Clara St. in San Jose. It sells a de- Th ey plan to attend again next February. Local businesses have fun nerding out cent collection of old video games dating back Th ere are currently two locations in San to fl oppy disks. Jose, and they hope to expand the business By Beverly Ukpabi twist beyond the norm, including Game Shop Th e name of the shop comes from an un- to 10 other locations. @CheerBev09 Downstairs, TechShop San Jose and 7 Stars derground building with a computer repair TechShop San Jose Bar & Grill. shop above called Fix Laptop. Located just two blocks from campus, A realm of businesses in San Jose appeals Game Shop Downstairs According to manager Carl Powles, most TechShop is a community workshop facility to the average consumer with a curating Game Shop Downstairs can be found at of the video games are used and donated from where members can build anything from a returning customers. Th e video games can be business to a badge holder. rented or purchased. "Th e smartphone accessory Square was Powles was in the process of fi nding a new invented at TechShop," Scott Ludwig, Tech- video game prior to applying for a position. Shop dream consultant said. "Th e fi rst itera- Jump He began managing the place shortly after tions of it, the body of it, was made on our Jump being hired. desktop injection molder as well." Aside from the video games, Game Shop TechShop is open 9 a.m. to midnight sev- Downstairs also off ers a small collection of en days a week to members. StartStart old movies and accessories including con- "What TechShop off ers is a place where soles, controllers and AV cables. you can get all the use out of machine that “What sets us apart is I get to people on you want, just for a monthly fee that cost as more of a personal level,” Powles said. “I get to much as a phone bill," Ludwig said. "Millions help them fi gure out what they want and help of dollars worth of equipment at that." YourYour them out as best I can with however much TechShop provides offi ce spaces for they spend.” monthly rent with computers, Internet ac- Game Shop Downstairs only has about cess and personal phone lines. one quarter of the video games competi- Th ey have equipment that assists with al- Future.Future. tive retailer GameStop sells, but Powles said most anything imagined. GameStop does not have the same old-school Machines for woodwork, automotive entertainment they have. projects, arts and crafts, welding, abrasives, Th eir prices are fairly inexpensive and measurements, plastics and cutting sheet items are traded in frequently. I wish it spread metals. San Jose State University by word of mouth, but it’s not as often as I "We get do-it yourselfers, artists, retirees would like,” Powles said. who just want work on things to past time Game Shop Downstairs is currently working and inventors, people whose full-time job is Students, Faculty & Staff on an Instagram page and generates most of its what they make here," Ludwig said. traffi c from either Yelp or Craigslist. Visit SpartanDaily.com to read about 7 Th ey attended an SJSU event earlier this year Stars Bar & Grill, a Star Wars-themed bar. Are All Eligible To Join! called Rockage, a 3-day festival that off ered a Beverly Ukpabi is a Spartan Daily staff look at a variety of retro gaming platforms. writer. Show us your SJSU Student I.D. at our City Centre Branch and 7KH6-68&KDSWHURI7KH6-68&KDSWHURI RECEIVE A FREE GIFT!*

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