THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPPONENTSTO TEAMMATES
Seniors know final season won't end friendship
FLIGHT CLUB: HAWKS FLY HIGH
>> PAGE 1B
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2008
Graduate student seeks lower hourly rates for student pilots
>> PAGE 8A
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 118 ISSUE 145
AN ADDICTIVE PASTIME?
TRAPPED IN A GAME
STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO DROP CONTROLLER
Photo illustration by Rachel Anne Sevmour/KANSAN
BY LUKE MORRIS
Imorris@kansan.com
Tony Lewis, a then KU freshman, sits at his computer entranced in the video game "World of Warcraft." With swift clicks of his mouse and precise strokes of his keyboard, he serves as virtual puppeteer for Surnek Nemaya, a virtual healing druid. Surnek casts healing spells on hunters and warriors as they fight hordes of enemies.
The phone rings, but the puppeteer doesn't answer. When Lewis eventually listens to his voicemail, his boss' voice asks why he missed his shift at the nearby Phillips 66. The boss tells Lewis not to worry about coming in. He's fired.
Lewis is jobless, but his immediate concern is not how he'll pay the bills, or that he hasn't showered since the last time he showed up at work six days ago, or that he hasn't talked to family or friends in a month.
Lewis is focused only on the game, a place where for hours on end he can heal anyone — except for himself.
Lewis is among a growing number of young men who have an obsession with video games, which some call an addiction. Camera, like Lewis have
fallen into a daily rut and can't quit playing — failing classes, losing social contact with friends and family, forgetting to bathe and one even committing suicide at his computer with the game still on the screen. Friends and family look for
effective therapy while some gamers have found ways of quitting, with help or on their own.
too much when a friend introduced him to it in September of 2005, his first month at the University.
@ KANSAN.COM
STORY OF A DROPOUT
Lewis says he enjoyed playing the online computer game "World of Warcraft" a bit
- Extended audio from interviews with video game addiction experts
- Interactive poll about gaming addiction
subscription for
the game
Lewis said that he soon replaced class time with game time. He rarely left his dorm room. He socialized only when his roommate came into the room, or through a microphone when he played with friends he made through
Lewis' gaming ruined his relationship with his roommate, who complained about bright light and noise from computer gaming that kept him up into the morning hours. The roommate moved to another room the next semester.
Lewis quit attending class in early November, failed three of five courses, and the University placed him on academic probation. He didn't even enroll for classes for spring semester.
"All the time I was on the computer playing WoW, and I couldn't even take a few minutes to sign up for classes," Lewis recalled.
The Department of Student Housing evicted him from McCollum in February after they discovered he wasn't enrolled in classes, and he moved back to his mother's house.
"Needless to say, she was pretty pissed"
he said.
After two months, his mother kicked him out of the house, and he moved into an apartment.
Lewis worked at a convenience store for a year. The minimum wage job provided him just enough money to pay for rent, bills, a little food, Internet and his $14.95 monthly
subscription to World of Warcraft. Lewis said he cut costs by stealing food at work. He spent leftover money on enhancements to his gaming experience, including expansion packs to the game, a better video card and new speakers. Lewis said he went from playing 10 hours a day to 16. He started skipping work, then lost his job.
Lewis said that one weekend when friends came home from college and visited, they were shocked. He had gained 60 pounds and hadn't bathed in a week. His friends made him leave his apartment for a day and hang out with them. That night, they told Lewis they were concerned he was throwing his life away for the game.
"It was a pretty sobering experience," Lewis said. "It really hit me hard."
SEEVIDEO GAMES ON PAGE 4A
weather
index
Glassmuss...5B
Crossword...6A
Horoscopes...6A
Opinion...7A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
© 2008 The University Daily Kansan
METEOROLOGY
KU program receives award for collection of weather data
The award recognized the University's contribution to weather data collection and studying long-term climate change in the Lawrence region.
The Atmospheric Science Program received an award from the National Weather Service for a station on campus that has been sending data to the NWS for 50 years.
SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 3A
Student fees for next year increase
》 STUDENT SENATE
Students will pay $414.25 per semester in student fees starting in the fall. Student fees cover services students want but the University doesn't pay for. A rise in student fees covers inflation and an increase in services.
SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 3A
Taylor Miller/KANSAN
DOWNTOWN
Just moments after KU defeated Memphis in overtime for the 2008 NCAA National Championship, Massachusetts Street filled with fans in celebration outside the Granada.
Managing crowds costs Lawrence
The city of Lawrence announced the costs from managing the celebrations from the last three games of March Madness and the championship parade.
SEE FULL STORY ON PAGE 3A