Hello, dearest reader. Since this is the first post, allow me to give you a brief introduction on myself. My name is Diego Balce, and I’ll be your admin and content creator for this particular blog dedicated to the ASTU G03 class in the University of British Columbia.
Within the ASTU G03 offered at UBC, the current topic being discussed is a graphic memoir (comic book) called “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.” This memoir was illustrated and written by Marjane Satrapi, and she illustrates what it was like growing up in Iran during the late 1900’s. While she describes that this memoir is “far from the truth,” her work focuses on showing the west that Iran isn’t all full of radicals. That Iran, like the west, can also have decent, civilized, and patriotic individuals.
A theme within Satrapi’s graphic memoir which can be seen throughout the entire book is the theme of tradition with respect to social order. And this is shown by Satrapi’s protagonist “Marji” who always went against tradition and social norms, even though going against them could cost Marji her life.
This theme of tradition and social order is going to be the main focus of this post, because it seems like the 21st century is the time for change. There is a great influx of people who are slowly changing the flow of social norms, from controversial movements such as the gay rights movement, to more subtle but noticeable changes within photo sharing.
However, if there is something that is definitely going against the ebb and flow of tradition and social norms, it would definitely be the rise of professional gaming (more commonly known as “eSports“) within the west. Now a days, it isn’t “just a game” anymore.
The professional gaming scene begun over in Korea with a popular strategic game called “Starcraft” by Blizzard, where one needs to posses great micro and macro skills, and be able to perform at least 10 actions per second (apm). Currently, Riot Game’s League of Legends (as well as their 70 million player fan base) is leading the charge in the push for the global recognition of eSports, and professional gaming as a legitimate career.
If Marji challenges her societies social norm by buying jeaned jackets, Michael Jackson pins, and questioning her education system, then eSports challenges what it really means to be an athlete. Honestly, I can’t wait for the future of professional gaming, especially if MY kids want to pursue a professional career in gaming.
-Diego Balce