November 04, 2024
SIU will “game” to raise funds to help furry friends
SIU Carbondale faculty, staff and students will participate in a 16-hour livestream of games Thursday and Friday, Nov. 7-8, to raise funds for the St. Francis CARE (Community Animal Rescue and Education) animal shelter, located between Carbondale and Murphysboro.
“Playing for Pets” will consist of an eight-hour stream of game playing while taking online donations. Gifts of dry cat food and dry dog food will be accepted on campus in the School of Communications office, located on the second floor of the Communications Building.
The event is organized by students in the School of Communication Studies Video Games: Art, Culture, and a History of the Medium course. The idea originated from the popularity of game streaming on services such as YouTube and Twitch but giving it a local flavor with donations to the animal shelter.
The event is open only to SIU faculty, staff and students, but the public can watch and give online via playingforpets.com. The event has raised thousands of dollars over the years for animal charities.
“Video games bring people together,” said Justin Young, an assistant lecturer in the School of Communication Studies and faculty sponsor. “In recent years, games have brought people together remotely during COVID lockdowns and even this year on the campaign trail. That connection of sharing, learning and enjoying together is even better in person, and if we can do charitable good for some of the area’s most vulnerable residents — that’s even better. Students can help save lives and have fun doing it.”
The event is sponsored by the School of Communication Studies and SalukiGames.com — a professional workspace for students wanting to work in games or critique them from an academic perspective via podcasts and more.
Throughout the event, participants will showcase some of the latest video games but also feature the diversity in size and play styles. Games include the Jackbox Survey Scramble, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Ultimate Chicken Horse, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nidhogg, Windjammers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, and Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. More unusual games, such as virtual reality experiences, are planned.
For more information, contact Young at justin.young@siu.edu.