 "Photo: Kevin Trujillo ~ Daily Egyptian")
Students arrived at Grinnell Hall carrying computers and controllers as they prepared for a video game marathon and a presentation on computer security.
Tthe Carbondale chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery hosted SalukiLAN, a public event in Grinnell Hall Saturday and Sunday, said Ben Wasson, president of the Carbondale chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery.
Wasson said SalukiLAN and the Association for Computing Machinery are student organizations with the goal of advancing awareness about computer science within the campus.
The event featured 31 hours of consecutive video game playing, and six tournaments among participants using a video game of their choice, said Wasson, a senior from Rochelle studying computer science. More than 100 students played in the tournaments, said co-founder of SalukiLAN Jared de Siefe, a junior at NIU from DeKalb studying criminology.
Wasson said while the event has been held the past five years, this was the first time it was open to the public, which led to more than triple the amount of average participation. This year, Suite said, members made several advertising efforts by seeking out support from local businesses.
“There are not many student events for purely having fun and learning,” Wasson said. “I also ran a similar gathering when I attended Kishwaukee Community College. It was successful, so I wanted to bring it to SIUC.”
The event also featured a speech by Curt Wilson, network security officer for the university. Wilson said the goal of his presentation was to further knowledge about the importance of computer security. He said he touched on various topics, including a brief history of malicious software, threats and detection.
Wilson said this was his first year speaking at a Saluki Lan gathering and he sees a great deal of importance in the group’s work.
“It is crucial to educate students about computers,” Wilson said. “They are a great tool, but users can be tricked into giving up information or downloading viruses. With the knowledge these people now have, they can avoid much of the stress that can go along with maintaining a computer.”
Wasson says the group plans on running this gathering for years to come, but is looking to hold it in a larger venue. Wasson said the club is planning to hold next semester’s event in the Student Center so more students can attend.
Next year, Wasson said he wants to raise more money to improve the event. He said he plans on putting fliers up around campus and partnering with local businesses.
“I want to keep making it bigger and better,” Suite said. “It is a fantastic gathering where people can come up with transparent ideas.”
Carrie Mulderink can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255.
