volume 12 - issue 4 - tuesday, september 24, 2012 - uvm, burlington, vt uvm.edu/~watertwr - thewatertower.tumblr.com by rebeccalaurion Quick confession before we begin: I’m not a huge gamer. However, 90 percent of my friends are, and my earliest memory of my father is watching him play Final Fan- tasy. So even though I wasn’t one of the people who spent my weekend download- ing Borderlands 2 or Torchlight 2, I can still deeply appreciate what game culture has done for me. I’ve met some of my best friends through Meta-Gaming Club, and, even though I consider myself a huge geek, just in diff erent ways, gaming wasn’t exact- ly on my radar until college. As such, I’ve learned quite a bit about the world of gaming, whether I have enjoyed it or not. For one thing, a ‘gamer’ doesn’t necessarily mean an acne-ridden virgin draped in wizard robes in their mother’s basement. Th ough, that’s not to say that never happens anymore. A gamer can be anyone from someone religiously playing Angry Birds on their phone or any devoted fan waiting outside Game Stop during all hours of the night for the newest consoles ben berrick or Halo installments. by phoebefooks and patrickmurphy As a whole, I think we can all agree that stereotypes are stupid as hell. And with Vermont, and Burlington specifi cally, the primary target of the Dobrá Tea protes- es-too long-menu is a so-called “waste of gamers, there are plenty of them: they’re is known for its politically active and of- tors. Th e protest’s leader who has chosen time”. Th ey even have a former Dobrá em- usually viewed as antisocial, reclusive, ten radical youth. We protest politics, to remain anonymous, expresses in the ployee enlisted in their task force, showing prone to violence or just generally weird. greenwashing, sexism, and even Dobrá Facebook group’s description, “Th ings with that even the tea devotees are fed up. Even though walking into a group of peo- Tea. Yes, you heard me correctly. A move- cheese are mostly always better than things “Fuck interesting shit! We need some ple talking about Plants vs. Zombies seems ment against the Church Street teahouse made out of dirty leaves. Tea is not actually more fl oors with grease on them, more fat intimidating, gamers are really just people has evolved from humble begin- bitches sweat- enthusiastic about what they love. And just nings in a Facebook group titled ing out the like English majors talking about Shake- “TURN DOBRÁ INTO A TACO out with the grungy, socialism-preaching city stench of the speare, or sports fans talking about cur- BELL” into a citywide crusade. Led park dwellers, and in with dog-food-grade bleached pork rent player stats, they want to share that by high school students from the they just ate and enthusiasm with others. I can tell you from greater Burlington Area, and stem- meat, oily cheese, and lettuce sprayed with so so resemble! experience how alienating it can be to not ming specifi cally from Essex Junc- More smells of understand the gaming discussion around tion High School, this movement is many preservatives its list of ingredients ex- chemical per- me, but it’s really just about broadening driving faster than a Cheesy Gor- ceeds that of a frozen kid cuisine meal. fumes, sprayed your geeky horizons. dita Crunch rips through the in- to hide the One way my horizons have been broad- testines. So look out UVMers, with stench of the ened has been through the popularity of support like this, a brand new Taco pure shit you video games. Video games have come a Bell may be on your horizon. a real beverage; it is just a conspiracy the- are eating!” voices another protestor. long way since the 1970s, when Pong was Th e cozy little teahouse that you may ory made up by people who wanted to see Th is says something strong about what all the rage. Now, with consoles such as the have gone to once during your fi rst-year how far they could get people to go in the the youth of today truly want. Out with Xbox and the Wii, challenges within games Week of Welcome is far from the locally name of being an embarrassing hipster”. the grungy, socialism-preaching City Park have gotten harder, graphics have become owned business you once thought it was. Furthermore, the group complains that no dwellers, out with smelly herbs imported impossibly beautiful, and gamers can have Dobrá Tea has nine locations in Europe restaurant should allow people to take their from India falsely promising relaxation the benefi ts of a shared experience from the and the U.S., however its non-locality is not shoes off , and that the restaurant’s 200-pag- and serenity, and in with dog-food- grade privacy of their own home. Video games are ... read the rest on page 5 ...read the rest on page 7 internet lobbies rock on at petra cliff s staying in for the night disney channel fashion icons by coleburton by caito’hara by sagebierman by sarahperda news ticker: How you like your eggs, fried or fertilized? +++ I think 4chan could use some government regulation +++ I like how the French know something is stupid, and then do it anyways. g flipside of the by coleburton coin Last week, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, vote the legislation through last year. Many Pirate Bay, I fear that it could be the first deregulation for the oil industry. This is a and Facebook, along with ten other web of the companies which lobbied against tumble down the slippery slope of full cen- reason that many people do not support based companies, founded the Internet As- SOPA/PIPA online and in Washington this sorship. the new Internet Association: the potential sociation lobbying group in Washington. past January are among the Internet As- Yet anyone who opposes my stand- for corruption now and especially in the Its stated intent is “protecting Internet free- sociation’s lobbying group, like Google or point has legitimate cause; coalitions this future. Dear readers, with georgeloftus dom, fostering innovation and economic Yahoo. If these members continue giving large in Washington are dangerous. It can So, as this organization begins its jour- Dear water tower, growth, and empowering users.” The web out the same amount of money as last year, generally be said that by allowing such ex- ney in Washington, we are faced with a sim- Campus—I know for a fact I’m not the only one with a 3DS at this school. industry waged an online war against Con- the coalition will have a lobbying power of tensive lobbying organizations, which fun- ilar choice to the one that the members of In reading of Sullivan’s (secret) Thousand Day Plan, I am increasingly more How? Because on my walk to class I’m surprised if more than 8 of you look gressional legislation like the SOPA and around five million dollars per year (not a nel money directly from private or publicly the Internet Association made when faced terrified of the direction our administration is taking this fine university. Although like you’ve gone through puberty. Bring your gameboys; I need to streetpass. PIPA bills when they were brought up in whole lot in political terms). To make up owned companies and corporations, these with SOPA/PIPA. It is the choice between part of me can understand taking over Champlain College, I’m appalled by the Please? I’m sorry I called you babyfaced. the House last October, even though the for this somewhat modest sum, most of groups can quickly become corrupt. Along hoping for the best and expecting good week of vacation in Hawaii and the agreement with the Mounties. As a deeply spiri- bills were meant to prevent acts of piracy these companies also have the potential for with corruption, there usually comes a shift things from Google, Yahoo, and the rest, or tual person, I also do not feel that we as human beings are meant to know the se- Nintendo—After months of teasing, tussing, and blueballing, Nintendo on the Internet (i.e. the supermassive file immense amounts of free advertising on into hidden agendas as groups start lobby- to assume the worst, that greed and profit crets of the universe. As such, I suggest a coup over yet another iron-fisted dictator. finally announced a release date/price for the wii’s successor. It comes out of live Phish albums, episodes of The Andy their respective websites. It’ll be a while be- ing for self-advancement and profit while will win out in the end. I believe they can when students can’t play it and it comes at a price students can’t afford un- Griffith Show, and the “Ben & Cherry’s” fore we can tell whether or not this new cy- ignoring public interests. Examples of do some good, so either I’m an optimist, or Power to the people! less their parents happen to like them. Box Set that you downloaded during your ber-group can do any good in Washington, these corrupt lobbying associations include my brain just can’t comprehend Washing- -Former President Fogel Astronomy lecture last year). but I can only hope it accomplishes its goals the American Petroleum Institute (API), ton fostering any more corruption than it Borderlands 2—This game is fantastic. I’m glad it came out. I hated having Personally, I’m glad that a group has to prevent the regulation of our freedom on which touts its “Environmental, Health & already does.