OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY CORVALLIS, OREGON 97331
The Daily Barometer
DAILYBAROMETER.COM • 541-737-2231
WEDNESDAY JUNE 3, 2015 VOL. CXVII, NO. 149
DAILYBAROMETER
@DAILYBARO, @BAROSPORTS
Parking Services looks into mobile options Parking Services hopes to increase payment options for campus meters via online service By Abigail Erickson THE DAILY BAROMETER
With summer around the corner and a new academic year on the horizon for Oregon State University, Parking Services is looking at another way to provide multiple parking-related services to commuters who park on campus. An idea that is in the works, and set to debut in the fall of this year, is the implementation of Passport Parking’s mobile payment feature for parking meters on campus. Passport Parking is a company that offers alternative payment options for parking meters. Payments can be made through the Passport Parking app, the Passport Parking mobile website, as well as phone calls and text messages. According to Meredith Williams, associate director of Parking Services, and Hank Kemper, field manager for Parking Services, the service will provide additional convenient options for parking payments overall. “Customers may pay for metered parking without carrying a bunch of coins around,” Kemper said. “The service will also send a text message to the customer when their time is about to expire and allow them to purchase more time if they need to. Another
Abigail Erickson THE DAILY BAROMETER
benefit is being able to track what you spend on parking in a year.” According to Parking Manager Mark Zandonella, the Passport Parking app is available on both iOS and Android mobile operating systems, and the services that can be accessed on the app can also be accessed from any web browser on any device. Implementing the service is still in the works for Parking Services, but Williams is hoping to have Passport Parking in place for the next school year. “Our plan is to have the service ready for use on all campus parking meters by the beginning of fall term,” Williams said. “As soon as the service is live, customers can download the app, create an account and begin using the features right away.” According to the Passport Parking website, customers who wish to sign up for an account can even do so with a Facebook login to bypass filling out the form. Additionally, the mobile application and website for Passport Parking can detect which language the device accessing the service is using, and, through an integrated voice system, provide multiple language options for users. Williams added that with the implementation of the Passport Parking system, Parking Services will reduce the cost of the first hour of parking at meters in A zones. “If the Passport services are popular, it may be expanded to other types of parking, such as daily or event parking,” Williams said.
‘‘
‘‘
n
One of Parking Services’ objectives is to supply customers with parking choices. Passport Parking will allow us to offer more of those choices. Meredith Williams
Associate director of Parking Services
The only physical changes that will be made to the parking meters on campus will be new stickers with Passport meter IDs placed on the existing meters. These IDs will help identify the space where a customer’s vehicle is parked. Signs will also be placed in the lots to assist users who are new to the system and explain how Passport Parking works. “One of Parking Services’ objectives is to supply customers with parking choices,” Williams said. “Passport Parking will allow us to offer more of those choices.” More information on Passport Parking can be found at the official Passport website at gopassport.com. Abigail Erickson, news reporter news@dailybarometer.com
Gaming, culture intersect at ILLC n
Video games part of culture at the International Learning and Living Center By Arturo W. R. Segesman THE DAILY BAROMETER
In an age where technology is growing at a rapid pace, video games are developing into something more than just a hobby. Electronic sports, also known as eSports, have existed ever since video games like “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man” were released. This spring term, an eSports tournament was held in the International Living Learning Center, having students from international students competing against each other in “League of Legends,” one of the world’s most popular online game. Here at Oregon State University, students play it as a hobby. For some it’s more of a lifestyle. Tiancheng Xu, a Chinese international student getting his masters in Business Administration, is a regular “LoL” player who
participated in the recent tournament that was held in the International Living-Learning Center. “(My friends and I) joined the game, and we lost the second game,” Xu said with a laugh. With only two years of experience playing “LoL,” he ventures into competitive gaming in small tournaments like the most recent one. Other online games similar to “LoL” have become popular around the world. “I use to play ‘DOTA’ (‘Defense of the Ancient’),” Xu said. “I had a match in a Chinese university, but I lost it against the team who got first place.” Just last year, the “LoL” World Championship was hosted in Seoul, South Korea, and was the biggest eSports event in history. With more than 67 million users playing every month, the best “LoL” players have reached celebrity status and earned enough money to make a living out of it. For people like Katherine Borchers, a resident assistant in the ILLC, video games play a different role in her life.
Students involved with spring term One-Act Festival
“I kind of have a love-hate opinion about technology,” Borchers said. “I think they are fun for some people, and I think it’s great that people can really get into them.” Some people do not agree that eSports should be considered a sport because of its absence of physical involvement. “It definitely is strategic, and it engages your mind, but it shouldn’t be called a sport,” Borchers said. Just like athletic sports, eSports can benefit people’s lives in many different ways. “I can control my emotions better because of video games,” Xu said. “Because when you lose your match you can’t get angry, if you get angry you may lose the next match.” Playing video games since he was 4 years old, Xu has an emotional connection with video games. “They taught me many things, it followed me as I grew up,” Xu said. Arturo W. R. Segesman news@dailybarometer.com
Top moments that defined a season: Wrestling News, page 2
Editorial: Put efforts into saving honeybees Sports, page 5
Forum, page 7