Thanks, Mom

My Op Ed article on the Collegiate StarLeague and Korean StarCraft finally got published in the Harvard Crimson.  You can check it out here - it's currently the #2 most read article on the Crimson website, which is very gratifying (let's make it #1!).  Here's a snippet:

"Instead of pads and helmets, this sport merely requires a computer, keyboard, mouse, and Internet connection. These tools are standard for any college student, and travel costs are negligible, since the opposing teams can play each other online. The game is “StarCraft: Brood War,” and by starting the Collegiate StarCraft League, the Princeton gaming club, “SmashCraft Heroes,” might be setting a new precedent in North America. However, it follows a model that has been tested for years elsewhere in the world with incredible results."

I personally feel it's very important for pro and competitive gaming to get more press in mainstream media, and hopefully the people reading this article who don't know about the global trend in eSports will be inspired to check out some of the links and see the great things that are happening in gaming everywhere (minus the announcement of the fall of MYM).

Then I attended the awards ceremony for the Harvard I3 startup competition, which gives out $80,000 in prize money to startups headed by Harvard undergrads every year.  My organization, Voice of eSports, which promotes StarCraft through online media, actually won in the category we competed in.  Also very gratifying.  Sadly because I'm a senior we weren't allowed to compete for one of the $15k prizes, which I think is stupid, but we won a lesser sum of money and a good deal of recognition in the process.  It's great to know that there are people out there who aren't in the gaming community who understand the potential of eSports.

But the best part was that my mom, a 50 year old Korean immigrant who hates using computers, attended the ceremony and finally seemed to understand and support my passion.  She gave me a beautiful bracelet after I went up to receive the award, and I intend to wear it whenever I can.  Thank you, Mom, for being supportive.  I know you'll almost certainly never read this blog entry, but I love you.