Entry d4: A Doomsday Dilemma

   Well today was like winning a free cruise... then finding out the cruise ship's name is the Titanic. Okay maybe it wasn't quite that dramatic, but in line of furthering my project; I have good and bad news. 

    Today I spoke with a woman named Kathy, she is the Sr. Library Assistant at the downtown Saint Joseph public library, about using the library as a venue. She actually was really fond of the idea and readily accepted the idea. I was so excited when I heard that she would in fact be willing to sponsor my event at the library. So I now have a venue! I now have step two done, but I bet your wondering why I am describing the S.S Awesome, when previously I stated the Titanic... well theres was one catch. 

    I have solved the answer to "where" but not the "when!" See the issue is that I really want to hold this event on a week-end. As the library is open on Saturdays 9;00am till 5;00pm, this is perfect for my event. The only problem; Available Saturdays... this coming one, and Saturday, October 9th. The project due date is October 8th. Thus I had to email my Tag teacher Mr. Haskey about perhaps allowing me one more day of wiggle room. I really want to do it on a Saturday as this gives me a full day to set up my event and a plentiful time frame to allow for the participants to learn the basics of the game.

   My other options are that I can hold this event any Tuesday between now and then, but I fear if its on a weekday my turnout will be lessened. Plus the library is only open till 9:00pm... which is a bit late running for a school night event. So I'm in a bit of a doomsday dilemma here. 

    No matter I guess, I got good news and bad news today. The important thing is that Kathy the super nice Sr. Library Assistant is allowing me to run this event in the first place, and no matter the date I'm sure it will be a great time for all involved. Also worst comes to worst... I think that if I can I may run a session on a Tuesday for my project and then continue it outside of the TAG project on a Saturday after the deadline should Haskey reject my plea.

Entry d3: A Mission Statement

My service project will consist of sharing the beauty of Dungeons and Dragons by exposing others to the experience of the game. I hope to share that same chance I got my freshmen year with others. I do not have a venue as of yet, nor a true plan, but I want to not only educate people about the game and its history but also allow people to participate in the game itself. So here is a quick mission statement for my project:

"The aim of this project is to encourage creativity, imagination, social skills, and basic math skills in the community via the history of the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, and by the playing of the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 role playing game system."

All in all this will be accomplished by running an event (to be named later) at a local saint Joseph venue that will be open to the public. This event will include: A short description of the game in general, an adventure ran by me and other local players with experience in running dungeons and dragons sessions, and then a conclusion that will end with a short feedback session. This event will take around five and a half hours, and by the end of it I hope those participating will have learned more of the game. By doing this I hope to spread my passion and love for the game to the community at large.

The first goal of mine to make this project become reality is to secure a venue in which to hold the games, and mini-museum. My first stop is the Saint Joseph down town library where I will be giving my pitch to the woman in charge of the youth events and rooms.

If I able to get this venue here are just a few ideas that I hope to institute into my plan

   -Have a display of books from my and others collection, which will be open for the public to look at

   -Have all that participate go home with a starters guide written by my self.

   -Each table will have a bowl of dice which those playing may use. 

Entry d2: A Breathing Art

    D&D is a cumulative contribution of creativity between a group of people. This group may consist of two or it may consist of 100 (realistically 10 is a well exstablished max) really it just depends on how well the dungeon master can capture and hold the interests of his players. The dungeon master creates a world of his own in which the story takes place. In his head he will have a rough idea of what is to happen during each session of play, but ultimately the players decided the tone and story. This sharing of emotion and choice between each individual player makes D&D more then just a game at times, it makes it an Art.

    As my TAG class discussed, Art is created when one person attempts to capture their own raw emotion via some medium. This alone though does not yet constitute Art, the piece must then pass that emotion unto the viewer. When their is this sharing of emotion then the piece is considered to be Art.

    I believe that is is why Dungeons and Dragons is a perfect example of art. As dungeon master I sit down and I try to capture an emotion in my storyline. This message is not always created, but every session is a piece of breathing, living Art. Raw emotion is spilled out by players and dungeon master alike. When one character accomplishes a task the whole party soaks in his winning. When the party as a whole conquers a new enemy, they all celebrate in the glories victory.

    Yet it is not just this sharing that makes the game of Dungeons and Dragons an Art.. it is also that these feeling can be shared by anyone who is witnessed to then. If a group sits around a table with dice in their hands and adventure in their hearts, then all are subject to the raw emotions that will be expressed through role playing, be it pain, be it joy, be it suffering, or triumphant; all players no matter their background can share in this. (assuming all involved speak the same language) This Art is able to transcend over social, ethnic, religious, and personal barriers. An art form is created when a table of people who not only have out of game differences on a multitude of ways, as well as differing in-game goals and views, can share in a singular emotion because of something we as a collective brought to life is truly beautiful.

    All in all, it is this beauty we create that makes me enjoy Dungeons and Dragons so very much. I get to drink soda, hang with people I care for, be in an environment where no one is judging me, and be part of a emotional and creative collective.

An old advertisement from Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons and Dragons 3.5

Entry d1: A Call to Arms

      Hello, my name is Dakoda McAlister. I am a senior in high school at Central High School here in Saint Joseph, MO. I have lived here for about three years now. I'm your average kid, I have a straight B- grade average and I enjoy hanging out with my mates the few times a week I can. I enjoy music and watching television with my mother, as well as a host of other things considered to be the average interests of a teenage male.

    Currently I am enrolled in the T.A.G. program (Talented and Gifted), and as a TAG student I haven been given an assignment for the next month or so...

1. Develop an idea for a service project

2. Go out into the world and make it happen!

   Pretty simple the only rules of this project are that A. it must have a tangible goal, and B. whatever this project may be, it must exist in the higher spectrum of intelligence, and C. it had to wrap the meanings of art and intelligence and service into it as these were our central themes for the unit. Making this project as open as a Tupperware bowl with no bottom. When I got the assignment I was afraid and confused as to how I was going to manage to do this, but I knew that somehow I would wrap my own interests into it in order to make it unique. I was lost for some time, until I finally came to a conclusion on what my service project would be! I was going to work hard, put in a 110%, so that I could not only help the community but change the views of people. I was going to do this by using the only thing I could.

    As average as I may be, my interests are anything but that. I am a self-proclaimed nerd. I love reading Fantasy books, watching Sci-Fi, and "worst" of all I love playing Dungeons and Dragons. I participate in LARPs (Live Action Role Playing). I sew renaissance fair costumes, and I'm quite fond of drinking Mountain Dew while having lengthy conversations about the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, or 11th century warfare. I'm a hopeless nerd, and I'll admit it in a heart beat! 

    The question though was how could I turn that passion for all things geeky into a project that existed in the higher spectrum of intelligence and benefited man kind in some way? I had no idea.

   I soon came to an idea though. Dungeons and Dragons is a game that is very dear to me. It defines me, and at one point it made me who I am today. D&D is known for a lot of negative false hoods, but what they never tell people is all the therapeutic good it does for people with a wide range of problems.

"Over the years D&D has received some very bad press. Some right-wing nut jobs think its linked to satanic worship and black magic. Others have linked it to suicide and violence. All this is rubbish. Dungeons & Dragons gave me a safe environment to learn vital life skills that because of my dyslexia, the education system had singularly failed to provide me. For tens of thousands of bright teenagers with dyslexia, asperges, ADHD and other educational problems, this fantasy game has provided a safe haven in which to learn, explore and to grow."

Leon Lewis Jr.

    I really think the above quote really sums my message up. D&D is a great way for those that sometimes fall between the cracks to be able to grow creatively, socially, and it helps one to build basic math skills. D&D has helped me, one such teenager who suffers from ADD, to grow into myself so very much. I used to be very anti-social and generally afraid of people. My comfort level was null and I was miserable, but in my freshmen year I was presented with an object that would forever improve my life. The 3.5 Dungeons and Dragons, Player's Handbook.With this book I jumped head first into the hobby of D&D. I met new people and began to share my creative imaginative mind with the world.

    D&D gave me a place to be myself, and when I began dungeon mastering (running) a small group each week I felt like I was comfortable, and not only that but I was providing that same friendly environment to others like me.

So I have decided that for my TAG service project I will expand that invitation to all the people in my community that have ever felt that theres no one else like them in the world. I want to share the happiness that I get from D&D, and role playing in general with the community. I want to spread the wonderful game of D&D in order to encourage creativity. To be able to give others the same push I got freshmen year.