Thursday, February 27, 2003

by Jeremy Schifeling
Co-Managing Editor

After countless weeks in production, “ROLE,” the student-created documentary
on role-playing games, will premiere this evening in LPAC Cinema.

Described as a 13-minute “work of bleeding-edge visual ethnography with more
than a hint of irony” by co-producer Branen Salmon ’03, the film is designed
to provide a compelling look at the culture of role-playing for both gamers
and non-gamers alike.

“With ‘ROLE,’ we hoped to dispel the shroud of stigmatic mystery that
plagues RPGs, and to reveal them for what they really are: not majjickal
underworld havens for diabolical teenage misanthropes, but deeply
imaginative performance, an eclectic ‘jazz’ of collectively improvisational
narrative,” said Salmon, who worked on the digital video project with Rowena
Collins ’06, Mara Fortes ’03, and Anna Headley ’03.  “RPGs aren’t about
pimples and paladins, but about stories and sociality, and they have a
uniqueness to them that’s worth showing to the world.

The movie features Swat’s very own Mage gaming group, as well as History
Professor Tim BUrke.  According to Salmon, Burke not only studies
computerized role-playing games professionally, but was also an avid gamer
himself throughout college.

Burke and the other subjects of the film will be complemented by original
artwork created by the producers.  Between the drawings and the video
production, Salmon estimates that some 20 hours went into each minute of the
movie, leading to an “unbelievably intense” creation process.

But with all that now behind them, the producers can finally sit back and
enjoy their premiere screening tonight.  And based on Salmon’s parting
description, it should be quite enjoyable indeed:

“Students should NOT expect to see satanic masters, social ineptitude, or
pedantic diatribes about wizardry.  Instead, they’ll get three killer
dynamic speakers and gobs of stunning original artwork at a breakneck
riveting pace.  No boring fill music here; ‘ROLE’ is straight-up and uncut!”

————-
“ROLE” premieres tonight in the LPAC Cinema @ 6:45 p.m., followed by a
reception.

*****

* US Officials announced on Wednesday that North Korea has restarted the
nuclear reactor located at Yongbyon. It is estimated that Kim Jong Il’s
government could begin reprocessing fuel from the reactor in preparation for
making nuclear weapons in one year. The announcement comes the day after
Secretary of State Colin Powell returned from a series of diplomatic
meetings in Japan, China and South Korea. In recent days the official North
Korean news agency has warned that the joint US – South Korea military
exercises planned for the near future could be preparations for a
pre-emptive nuclear strike by the US.

* Israeli television reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
would meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the continued
violence in Israel and the possibility of military action in Iraq. The two
country’s defense ministers will also meet. The meeting will be the first
meeting between the two influential Middle Eastern leaders since early 2001.
In recent months Mubarak has been sharply critical of Sharon’s handling of
the violence in Israel. Mubarak has also been attempting to get Palestinian
militant groups to agree to a year-long cease fire, but has not been
successful.

* In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute Wednesday evening,
President Bush said that although intervention in Iraq would require a
“sustained commitment” from the US, a democratic Iraq would serve as “a
dramatic and inspiring example of freedom” in the Middle East. Bush
continued, “Any future the Iraqi people choose for themselves will be better
than the nightmare world that Saddam Hussein has chosen for them.” The
speech follows the recent introduction of a new resolution to the UN
Security Council by the US, the UK, and Spain that could clear the way for
military action in Iraq.

*****

Upward Bound Tutoring
Sponsored by Upward Bound
Kohlberg 202, 4:00 p.m.

“Living Under Fire in Colombia: The Displaced and Militarized Communities of
Arauca”
Sponsored by the Dept. of Latin American Studies
Kohlberg 115, 4:00 pm

“Global Islams”
Lecture by Michael Gilsenan, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, NYU
Kohlberg 115, 4:30 p.m.

Student Film: “ROLE”
Reception to follow.
LPAC Cinema, 6:45 p.m.

Asian Film Festival: “Days of Being Wild” by Wong Kar-Wai
Sponsored by the Dept. of Modern Languages and Literatures
LPAC Cinema, 7:00 p.m.

Troop Information Session
Sponsored by Troop
Kohlberg 116, 9:00 p.m.

*****

Despite the efforts of the Garnet, Johns Hopkins shut down the women’s
basketball team at last night’s Centennial Conference Semifinal game in
Baltimore, 69-55. Hopkins began with a strong lead, and led 13-3 at the
14:13 mark of the second half. The garnet made a run for the lead with 3:10
left in the first half, but ultimately could not overcome Hopkins. Ali
Furman ’03 led the Garnet with 14 points, and Zoey Adams-Deutch ’06
contributed 11 points.

*****

The Garnet demolished Manhattenville last night in the Men’s Lacrosse season
opener, 9-2. While Manhattenville struck first blood just 1:58 into the
game, the Garnet retaliated with eight straight goals, including two within
a mere five seconds of play. Captain John Murphey ’03 scored two goals while
Chung Lee ’04 also claimed two points.

*****

Today:
Men’s tennis hosts Mercyhurst, 3:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
There are no contests scheduled for tomorrow.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I have discovered that all human evil comes from this, man’s being unable
to sit still in a room.”
–Blaise Pascal

*****
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