Miami University - Recensio Yearbook (Oxford, OH)

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Tim Folker 24 Games he room was dark and full of smoke. He stood poised in front of the screen, fingers dancing on the controls in nervous anticipa- tion. He knew what to expect; the veterans had briefed him well. The visual display ignited in a fluorescent Hash. The invasion had commenced, there was no turning back. Electronic games evolved as one of the most compelling crazes 0f the year. Along with pinball machines, the electronic wizardry of Space Invaders and other electronic games found new audiences in the Uni- versity Center and the majority of the uptown bars. Young and old alike joined in the fad: crowding around the machines; pockets bulging with assorted change; waiting for their chance to take on the little men from Mars. Space Invaders, popularity even cascaded into the music industry with a try at the Top Forty entitled Space Invaders? The song, al- though not an artistic success, heightened the Space Invaders hysteria. Off the academic playing field and away from the Classroom, stu- The always busy bowling lanes in the basement 0 the Res often needed a uich clean-up to keep the hat 5 rolling smoothly. Mar Hayt polzshed the lanesqbefore the next bowler arrived.

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Gregg Stevens M any freshmen occasionally blewgpf their studies, as Dave C ushnie did, and studzed harder a5 upperclassmen. owever, a 5i hi icant number of M iamians optedfor an alternative strategy: build a good P early at M iamz because a se- nior with a D still meant degree. This diligence in the pursuit of extra-curricular activities often left small time for considerations of the mind a namely studies. Studies took a devastating blow during the freshman year. For some, the damage was irreversible; their grade point never would attain a meritorious level. For others it was time to Change bad habits, to shift priorities before it was too late. Many Changed their majors. Career-oriented Changes often came from the realization that the Chosen course would prove too difficult ltoo difficult to main- tain a healthy social lifel. Other Changes underscored the sudden, scary insight that onels present major really had no purpose and would probably award the holder only a diploma, not a job. Priorities underwent a subtle change from late during the sophomore year and continuing on through the junior year. Wednesday and Thursday uptown drinking nights were forgone more often in lieu of staying caught up with a professors syllabus. Entire Sunday afternoons became devoted to the place most peo- ple didnlt know about during freshman year - the library. In the senior year, the nagging pressures of reality nudged in- side the Close-Confined security of twenty-one years under paren- A drastic Changefmm the usual Miami preppie wardrobe was the Classic blue three- zece suzt worn when mtervzewmg. Andy DeSollar, a marketing major, looke hzs best as he prepared hzmself mentallyfor a critical interview. tal and university wings. Reality tap-tapped with bothersome pers15tence. It was a year ofinterviews, of applications forjobs and graduate school, medical and law schools. It was a year of waiting, hoping and fearing. For some, job offers and graduate school acceptances prom- ised an intellectually-challenging and economically-rewarding future. Education majors who had spent one semester student- teaching found that their taste of the real world gave them a desire for more. Priorities shifted again. And what had once been a college coed became a member of the world outside - an adult. a Christy Rumpf Student Life 23 Karen Linch

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dents explored recreational escapes designed to Challenge their mental and physical coordination. . The fast-paced electronic games, each with its own personality, put the students through celestial dog fights and simulated invasions - all in a minutes time. For just a quarter, enthusiasts could challenge a rebel fleet or protect the mother land from a horde of intergalactic intruders. Card games, like poker and euChre, and the traditional board game, backgammon, formed the backbone of the recreational sit-down games in dormitories and off-campus kitchenettes. Decks of cards became dog-eared from constant play and backgammon sets transformed into elaborate reflections of each ownerls personal style. In some dorms, tournaments sprang up periodically, testing through competition the skills students polished in their leisure time. Crossword puzzles and dominoes, two examples of comparatively forgotten passions, were rediscovered, earning a limited but faithful following. Students studying in the Res could often break the monotony of their studies with a game of l on any weeknight until 1 am. Pool sharks could call the shots on the table of their Choice for just one dollar an hour. Suzie Soller M iami challenged students in a variety of intriguing ways, including dszicult courses and fascmatmg iames. Asterozds, a szster to S pace I nvaders, posted the ten scores to beat and too zts opponents through the heavens. Tammy Otto diligently wheeled her pot into shape at the C raftcenter. Pottery was one Of the many crafts offered by the center. . Foosball was a opular sport in the u town Oxford bars an time 0 the week. The students used t ezr talent and the htt e men to smack the ha I mto t ezr opponentts goal. WWWWWymyW If students had any time to spare, bowling provided a chance for them to get together with good friends. Leagues sprouted up among fraternities and sororities and other Clubs on campus. The Physical Education Department even recognized bowling by offering it as a course for credit. Frisbees, like boomerangs, returned as a popular form of outdoor recreation. Frisbee prices soared to the whopping $5 mark, but Frisbee fanatics were undaunted by the increase. Frisbee throwers even de- manded recognition as a sport; the univerSIty complled Wlth the creation of a frisbee golf course on the Western campus. Frisbees werenlt the only UFOls flying over Oxford. Kites in all colors of the rainbow and in every shape conceivable graced the Skies. Japanese dragon kites and home-made contraptions compe- ted for the breeze and room in the trees. Regardless of the type, games allowed students an opportunity to forget the tedium of academic life and to immerse themselves, if just for awhile, in the company of good friends, relishing the exhilara- tion of a favorite retreat. a Craig Michalski Student Life 25 Tim Folker Tim F olker