Introduction

                                                                                                        I'm Janine Olah and I'm a "non-traditional student" taking this pretty "non-traditional class"!                                                                                                                                                            Since 2007, I've worked a part-time job on campus as the secretary for the football team.  Then in 2011, I added another part-time job as secretary for the Modern Languages Department. The two jobs are very different, so it keeps my work life pretty interesting.                                                                                                                                                                              I have an Associate's Degree from University of Maryland which I also earned non-traditionally while my husband served in the US Navy.  In 2013, I decided to take advantage of working on campus and start my "quest" of finishing my Bachelor's Degree. Fortunately for me, SHIP offers a Degree Completion Program specifically for people like me who already have an Associate's Degree and extensive work experience.  Therefore, I am probably one of the few people on campus with my particular major: Professional Studies/Technical Leadership & Management. Actually, I believe my particular emphasis in the DCP has been eliminated since I started it, so I'm am one of the last of my kind!

As I mentioned in class, my gaming experience with computer/console games is very limited. However,  I played the games of my day growing up. Yes, PONG, indeed was my first video game! My stepdad always had to have the most up-to-date technological gadgets, and so our family was one of the first to have an Atari console. As a teenager, played a lot of arcade games, in fact, I was a bit of an arcade junkie. 
For my Senior Project my friend and I did an expose on Video Game Addiction complete with filming and interviewing gamers at the local arcade at Paul's Pizza!  (I wish I still had that video!).  Later when I got out into the "real world", I spent my lunch hours of my first job at the arcade right next to my office, eating very little, but using my whole hour playing my favorites:  Zookeeper, Q-Bert, DigDug, and Ms. Pacman!

When I had kids, I stayed home with them and I'd like to think that I exposed them to the real world a lot.  They did not have video games when they were very young, but eventually probably in their late elementary years, we got a computer, and by their middle school years, we got an XBox.  My two boys are now pretty hard-core gamers, but we all still like to get outside once in a while!

I took this class because I thought it would be good chance to learn more about the interests that my sons have.  I've tried computer and console games with not much success. I have never played any board RPG's unless you count Risk. I believe the time factor is going to be the hardest obstacle for me to overcome in regards to learning the intricacies of RPG's. Besides working full-time and taking two classes this semester, I'm also helping care for my elderly mother. Time is at a premium!