Oct 12th, 2020
Vol. 5
BELFIELD BANTER THE
Th e S t . An ne’s -B el fi el d S choo l S tud en t New s l etter
In This Issue:
VIDEO GAMES EXPLAINED: THE WHY AND HOW OF ONLINE GAMING PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM ON THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL LUCIFER: A TV REVIEW POETRY INSERT: Hayley Chisolm BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH FACULTY FEATURE: MR. ROSS
VIDEO GAMES: WHY THEY’RE ADDICTIVE AND HOW TO PLAY THEM EFFICIENTLY by Qiming Fu — The video game: a tool we are all familiar with, and have probably interacted with at some point in our lives. Parents and teachers alike often do not approve of the use of games that can be distracting, considering them a waste of time. However, these statements’ truth does not diminish the popularity of video games or help explain why we keep playing them. So why are they so addictive? Are video games truly bad things? How can we efficiently use them in our lives? In this article, I will explore these topics and uncover some new angles from which to view this virtual world. Video games release large amounts of dopamine to the brain, thus creating the desire to play these games repeatedly. Video games trigger a dopamine release, thereby putting into action the chemical in our brain that makes us happy. Hundreds of thousands of employees and professionals in the gaming industry combine all of their ideas to try to maximize that effect. There are many tricks that game production companies use to make their game attractive and addicting. Here, I will address a few common tactics within the field.
gardless of the target audience or the genre of the game itself. For example, most video games have their own theme music. Background music in games serves the primary purpose of focusing the user by employing specific progressions and instruments that focus the brain to such an extent that your mind temporarily disregards everything else. You may forget completely about a quiz that you didn’t study for because you were too busy gaming. A brilliant demonstration of this effect would be the classic Plants VS Zombies background track, and the upbeat music of Geometry Dash. Leaderboards Humans like competing. It is a part of our nature that we simply cannot help, especially in player v. player games. Presenting a leaderboard in a video game encourages players by showing them that “this person is better than you at this, and the world knows.” Sometimes, it can take participants months, or even years, to be on the leaderboard. There is usually nothing physically rewarding about actually being on it beyond bragging rights, yet we care immensely nonetheless. Rewards Although player v. computer games seem to utilize these systems more, almost all games include a reward system. Whether it be through quests, daily logins, or gifts via events, rewards are a cheap and efficient way to bring users back. Arknights, for example, has more reward systems than I have cells in my brain. To maintain their player bases, some games even have a “penalty” system. In the case of a “cumulative sign-in” penalty system, for instance, if you do not sign in for a day, you will lose a big reward and have to start again. This is basically an invisible fist pressuring the user to actively play the game everyday. All this pressure culminates in nothing more than the pleasure inherent to receiving another virtually useless line of code that developers somehow think is worth selling their soul to the industry’s machine for.
Music Having music in video games is essential, re[cont p2]
Oct 12th, 2020
Vol. 5
How do I know when I should stop gaming? Great question. Depending on the game and your schedule, it certainly varies. Sponsored by both science and time management skills, here is a formula I created: 1. Do you have an urgent assignment? If the answer is yes, listen to a game’s background tracks instead. 2. Are you on a timed break? If yes, take a 5-minute video game check-in. 3. Do you need some stress-relief, or to take your mind off of things? If yes, play for 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Do you have something to do later, but not currently? If yes, play for 20 minutes. 5. Is it a school day? If yes, play for 30 minutes to 1 hour, maximum. 6. Is it animal crossing, and you have house debt to pay off? If yes, play for 24 hours.
Artistic accompaniment by Qiming Fu
Video games effectively relieve stress, temporarily reduce mental illness symptoms, and controlled usage can even enhance academic performance. Believe it or not, video games are actually a common tool used to treat depression! These activities are popular at their core because of how they create dopamine, thus providing users with short-term escapes from stress. Playing gaming tracks in the background of your schoolwork can enhance comprehension skills and make you less likely to be distracted while doing homework. A 15 to 20-minute break taken to play video games can effectively relax both the brain and body, even leaving the user simultaneously focused on their other tasks—yup, studying for a test after a round of Piano Tiles is actually legit. Video games also help build communities. Today, with imposed social distancing rules, online friendships are thriving. Having avatars engage in physical interactions by completing quests together is a brilliant way to ease stress and create a true sense of community. Using the local server functions offered on some games, people can now connect with individuals that they would not be able to see in person otherwise. Moreover, you can also make new friends in your pre-established communities using online servers! Who knew that convincing strangers you’re not an imposter that is trying to kill everyone on your Among Us server could be this fun?
In conclusion, video games can be beneficial depending on how players utilize their time. Still, they essentially serve as a double-edged sword, and many cannot resist the urge to spend more time gaming than most scientists recommend. After all, you’re one person up against a company whose main goal is to addict you. That said, listening to the music offline never causes any harm. Did you get this far into my article? Congratulations! As your reward, go play some video games! This time, do it in the name of science ;)
** If you are planning on participating in all or any part of Inktober, please feel free to send your pieces in to newsletter@students.stab.org! We’re accepting submissions!
PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM ON THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL by Ellie Powell — This summer was truly a revelation in terms of student activism. Following the murder of George Floyd, high school students from all around the United States began posting about racial justice, the upcoming presidential election, and broader issues of social equality on social media platforms such as Instagram. I was ecstatic to find my feed flooded with informative posts concerning voting in local elections, avoiding microaggressions, and more. Yet immediately, the words “performative activism” began to dominate my timeline alongside posts regarding feminism and [cont p3] the Black Lives Matter movement.
Project, the Black Trans Advocacy Organization, and Black Girls Smile. Otherwise, signing petitions on change.org can be a free and effective way to help the causes that are specifically important to you.
Bridget Gibbs of the One Woman Project describes performative activism as “a pejorative term used to describe [gestures] of activism that are performed on a surface level, and for the benefit of the user.” These acts could include posting a black square on Instagram without actually signing any petitions regarding police brutality, taking photos of yourself at protests without protecting the identities of those around you, and far more. I have found, however, that performative activism on the high school level can often be challenging to identify. For instance, while hanging out with your friends without masks or physically distancing can feel more personally harmful than anything else, this pandemic disproportionately impacts ethnic minorities. Suppose you go to the grocery store after having traveled or partied, and spread the coronavirus to a person in a community disparately affected by COVID-19. In that case, how can you be a true ally to the Black Lives Matter movement? Additionally, if you say that you support the LGBTQ+ community while alienating your gay peers, then you cannot claim allyship there, either. Posting photos saying “abolish gender normatives” while speaking pejoratively about students who wear gender non-conforming clothes is a perfect example of performative activism on the high school level. Frankly, if you do not have any people of color or queer people in your friend group, you need to think seriously about why that is the case. In general, the amount of woke Instagram stories you share out to your followers doesn’t matter without direct action. If you are looking for ways to be more involved with the widespread call for social justice in the United States, I would suggest donating to The Bail
LUCIFER: A REVIEW Rowan Isaacson — Lucifer is certainly one of my all-time favorite shows. It seems the perfect mix of comedy, drama, romance, and action. It currently has five seasons, but luckily, a sixth season is said to be in the making. The basic premise of this show is that Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil, got bored in Hell, and in order to defy his overbearing father (God), has decided to vacation in Los Angeles, where he begins to run a nightclub. Lucifer then becomes involved in a murder case with the LAPD, where he meets Detective Chloe Decker. After meeting Detective Decker, Lucifer becomes intrigued by human culture, and decides to use his devilish tricks as a consultant for the LAPD. While this premise may seem slightly odd, the show makes it work. This program also does an excellent job of providing their characters with significant depth. Lucifer, for example, starts going to therapy, and slowly learns to deal with his father’s imperfections, his own self-acceptance, and what it means to truly be human. This also presents some instances of massive comedic value as Lucifer wildly misunderstands the advice of his therapist, the constantly exasperated Linda. Every episode of the show is a riot, and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend you check out this show on Netflix, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do.
Oct 12th, 2020
Vol. 5
CULTURE– POETRY INSERT
ugh rare, males can contract breast cancer as well. Around 440 males die from the disease a year.
Hayley Chisolm
So what can we do? There are so many amazing organizations focusing primarily on raising money for breast cancer research that you can donate to. In Charlottesville, the Women’s Four Miler gives twenty-five percent of their proceeds to the UVA Breast Care Center. On a larger scale, the National Breast Cancer Foundation supports women throughout their journey. Finally, you can always show support by wearing pink, or a pink ribbon!
— When the boy asked me to write about him He was offended when I said no. I do not think he understood that I don’t write About the things I love. That I write about the silent shatter of hearts At 4am And the cigarettes you chain-smoked just to feel something. I am not the nature-and-ballads-kind-of-love-poet He thought I was\when I write about flowers, They are always dead. I do not write about the butterflies in my stomach, But the demons in my mind. Now when he asks me if i write about him I hand him my notebook Of torn pages And unheard words And it is no longer the answer he wants photo accompaniment by Sam Sidders
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH by Noelle Robinson — So many colors have come to define October, from the oranges and purples of Halloween to the reds and yellows of fall, and naturally, pink, which denotes breast cancer awareness. In 1985, October appended the name “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” which became represented by the pink ribbon in 1991. This color symbolizes the courage and perseverance of Breast Cancer survivors. Personally, pink reminds me of all the strength within my lineage from many women who have lost their lives to this awful disease. Unfortunately, a cure has not yet been discovered, but breast cancer treatments are advancing rapidly. Surgery and radiation are the most common treatments after a diagnosis, while a mammogram or MRI can reveal signs of breast cancer. With new technology, the breast cancer survival rate has grown to ninety percent, however the American Cancer Society estimates 42,170 people will still die from breast cancer in 2020. The third week in October takes on a third meaning as Male Breast Cancer Awareness week. Tho-
FACULTY FEATURE: MR. ROSS — Mr. Ross is a new addition to the Upper School math team -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -Are you new to the Charlottesville area?
Yes, I am new to the Charlottesville area. I moved here with my wife and two kids this summer after my wife accepted a job at UVA. We moved from Durham, where we had lived for the past 5 years. Although we are new to living here, we are not new to visiting this area. My wife’s sister and her family live here and we’ve been visiting them multiple times per year for a while now. It’s definitely nice to now call Charlottesville home. We’ve enjoyed exploring the outdoors with our kids and getting takeout from lots of restaurants in town. What made you interested in teaching?
My interest in teaching actually started in high school when I realized how much I enjoyed explaining math concepts to my friends when we would be studying for tests together. I took some education courses in college, and decided to pursue a master’s degree in teaching. Through that, I was able to student teach in two Atlanta schools and knew this profession was for me. St. Anne’s-Belfield School is now the third independent school that I’ve worked for, and I am so happy to be here. What do you like to do for fun?
Most of my free time is spent with my two kids, who are 2 and 6. We love to be outside together and have been going on lots of hikes around town. We also enjoy camping and cooking together. When I need to relax, I’ll take out a New York Times crossword puzzle or watch something on Netflix or Hulu.
Lo o k o u t fo r o ur w ee kly ed i ti on s con ti n ui n g thi s fa l l ! Oct 12th, 2020
Vol. 5