About This Episode
Season 5. Episode 6.
Almost every person at some point or another has played video games. This can include a simple mobile game on your phone, or an intense MMORPG that you have sunk thousands of hours into. For college students especially, video games are among one of the most popular hobbies. They provide a chance for students to unwind and immerse themselves into a world that can become all their own. Many people believe that playing video games can come with negative effects, but your host Natalie Hinton speaks out about how gaming can actually improve a student’s learning habits and general well-being in the sixth episode of Education Chat’s fifth season: Video Games and College E-Sports.
Gaming proves to be more accessible as technology improves, but Natalie takes a blast to the past by visiting Retrovolt Arcade in Calimesa, California, a local arcade with a variety of classic and modern games. Since the first arcade game was released in 1971, more genres and play styles have been created to cater to almost every audience. Your host speaks with an employee and recent CSU San Bernardino graduate named Cesselie to learn more about why people enjoy video games so much, and her answer has a lot to do with the struggles of real life.
Not only does this episode cover the benefits and history of video games, but it also dives into the professional side of gaming through college e-sports. Natalie speaks with Yufeng Chan and Kadell (KD) Washington, a professional Valorant player and events officer for the Highlander Gaming club at University of California, Riverside. Yufeng shares what it is like playing competitive with a team of like minded individuals, and Kadell opens the curtain to share the behind the scenes of preparing competitions and events for both the competitive players and the general student body.
Even if you would not classify yourself as a gamer, this episode provides a glimpse into why people love playing video games, either casually or professionally. As gaming and e-sports continue to explode in popularity, it is essential to understand how the growing gaming world can change a student’s life for the better.
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Education Chat tells the stories of students in the Inland Empire by cultivating meaningful discussions about lived experiences, successes, and opportunities for growth. Join GIA Intern Natalie Hinton as she engages in candid conversations with students throughout the region. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment.