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President Jonathan R. Alger's inaugural address
President Jonathan R. Alger
James Madison University
Inaugural Address
March 15, 2013
Convocation Center
Introduction and Thanks
Governor McDonnell, Lt. Governor Bolling, public servants from state and local government, Rector Funkhouser, members of the Board of Visitors, special greeters, presidents and delegates from other institutions, faculty, faculty emeriti, staff, students, alumni, parents, community members, and special friends and family – good afternoon! What a wonderful moment for the entire, extended JMU family to come together to celebrate our past, present, and future. Some friends are joining us via the Internet today and wearing purple to show their solidarity—you all look good in purple! Let me offer a special word of thanks to the Inaugural Committee, to our speakers and musicians, and to everyone who has helped organize or participated in the many activities of this special Madison Week.
As only the sixth person to be installed as President in the 105-year history of James Madison University, I am especially grateful to those who have come before me and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations. Indeed, opening doors has been a theme at this institution ever since our founding. Julian Burruss, our first president, and his fellow educational pioneers literally opened the doors of this new institution to future teachers. Samuel Duke and his compatriates opened the doors of many new buildings and facilities. G. Tyler Miller and his collaborators opened the doors to male students. And two of my predecessors are here today, both of whom worked with the JMU community to open the doors of the University wider than ever as a small teacher's college became a nationally renowned university. Guided by a vision focused on students and learning, Ron Carrier and his colleagues built a campus that spanned the great continental divide—otherwise known as Interstate 81—and Lin Rose expanded the vision further by growing the institution with new programs and technology to meet the needs of a new century. Please join me in saluting these two extraordinary leaders, Dr. Carrier and Dr. Rose, along with all of the people with whom they worked over the course of many decades of leadership. Our great thanks to all of you!
While James Madison University has changed significantly over time, its strong foundation of educational excellence and engaged learning has remained remarkably constant. In reflecting on the University's centennial just a few years ago in a book called The Madison Century, Dr. Sidney Bland, Professor of History at Madison who will deliver our benediction today, observed that the State Normal and Industrial School (as we were first known) came into being in 1908 with the ideal that in education, "the individual could still take charge of his or her destiny and effect personal and societal change."
Does that ideal sound familiar? All these years later, at JMU we review essays from applicants who want to come here because they desire to Be the Change. As Dr. Rose observed in his 1999 inaugural address, "[t]he character of this university has remained a constant, an anchor, in our institutional evolution."
Listening Tour
Out of respect for these founding principles and traditions of leadership at Madison, I decided to make it a priority to listen and learn when I first joined this remarkable community. Thus, I embarked on a Listening Tour to hear first-hand from students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, donors, legislators, and community members about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for this university. Framed around the simple question, "Why Madison?", our goal has been to focus on what makes JMU a special place to learn, work, and live, and on the difference this institution has made in people's lives. We've held dozens of these events on campus, in the community, throughout Virginia, and across the United States. In person, in writing, and over the Internet, people have shared profound joys, suggestions for improvement, and sometimes deep concerns about the future.
As of this week, the tour has shifted into a new phase. Through this rich and thoughtful series of conversations, key themes have emerged that allow us to answer the question, "Why Madison?"—and to chart the course and priorities for the next phase of our history by building upon our identity, strengths, and mission. So let me turn to these themes that illustrate, "That's Why Madison" —through a few examples of the many voices that have captured the essence of this institution and its impact.
That's Why Madison
First, at every stop along the way people have described the welcoming culture and family feel of Madison. It is a big, diverse, and constantly evolving family to be sure—but this culture has remained remarkably constant even as the university has grown from a teacher's college into a major university. When I started in this position last summer, I had the privilege of welcoming incoming freshmen and their families at the Summer Springboard orientation sessions. As a JMU freshman myself, I decided to bring my own parents (along with my wife and daughter) to one of the sessions. By the time we were finished that morning, I think all of us were ready to enroll at JMU—and my parents were getting nervous that they might have to start writing tuition checks again.
As we heard that morning, the magic of Madison can be found in the close interactions of faculty members and students — moments that can be inspiring and life-changing. At a "Why Madison?" event with Parents Council members, alumna Robin Goodman (who was there with her husband Clem, also an alum), spoke of their strong family connection to JMU. Not only are they alumni and parents, they also are donors who give to support and retain top faculty because, as Robin said, "They sustain JMU's vibrant academic culture and support student success." That's Why Madison.
At a listening tour event in Portola Valley, California, I met alumnus Michael Szymanski. He has described with passion how important his experience was with Lee Congdon, now Emeritus Professor of History. Michael believes that were it not for Dr. Congdon's world history class his freshman year, he might not have made it through Madison. A widely published and internationally respected scholar, Dr. Congdon took personal interest in Michael as a student, and became a mentor to him. That's Why Madison.
When alumnus Jeff Gammage won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for a series appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the newsroom broke into chaos with hugs and champagne. Jeff described this moment as he thought of Flip De Luca and Dave Wendelken, his faculty advisors at The Breeze. He wrote, "It wasn't just that they were smart journalists and good teachers. It was that they gave enormously of their time and insight. That's a rare and important thing, but it's also a fragile thing, and needs to be nurtured." That's Why Madison.
Throughout the Listening Tour, people have talked not just about these close relationships between faculty and students, but also about the high caliber of these special professors who love to teach. English Professor Joanne Gabbin puts JMU in the national spotlight as founder and executive director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center. Last fall I witnessed firsthand the national respect Dr. Gabbin commands when I traveled with her to the "Sheer Good Fortune" event she organized with renowned poet Nikki Giovanni to honor novelist Toni Morrison, with Maya Angelou as honored guest. That's Why Madison.
It's not just our own students and alumni who recognize the quality of our faculty. When the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia presented its Outstanding Faculty Awards this year, not just one but two JMU faculty members were honored: Associate Professor of Engineering Olga Pierrakos and Professor of Mathematics Laura Taalman. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Taalman said, "I'm really proud of JMU, especially the growing excellence in undergraduate research as a vehicle for student learning." And Dr. Pierrakos noted that the award "… is recognition of JMU as an innovative institution that fosters true scholars, not just in teaching, but across many domains." That's Why Madison.
As we have heard often on the Listening Tour, the JMU learning experience is special in part because much of the JMU curriculum and co-curriculum is based on problem solving and applied learning. Current graduate student Eric Imbrescia exemplifies this approach. As a third-grade mathematics teacher at Peak View Elementary in Rockingham County, last week Eric was presented the 2013 Mathematics Educator of the Year Award in Virginia. Eric says, "I teach math through a problem-solving-based approach, meaning that simply writing 27 + 5 on a piece of paper and doing traditional addition is out the window." JMU educators go on to motivate and inspire future generations of students. That's Why Madison.
Last semester I witnessed a faculty team critiquing a student team in COB 300, the full semester 12-credit course required of all business students. The students go through the experience in teams and are taught by a team of faculty from several disciplines in the College of Business. This is a rare experience for undergraduates. We collaborate within and across disciplines—and we understand the values of innovation and teamwork. That's Why Madison.
Another critical element of JMU's identity that has come through loud and clear on the Listening Tour is our passion for public service and civic engagement. Junior psychology major Krysten Yee calls the University's Office of Community Service Learning her home base. Krysten writes, "The people I work with have inspired and pushed me into leadership positions I never would have thought I was capable of pursuing when I first entered JMU. These hands-on experiences and invaluable connections made are why Madison matters to me." That's Why Madison.
At the "Why Madison?" event held last fall with the College of Business Executive Advisory Council, I heard many perspectives on how well JMU prepares students for the new economy. Alumni in senior leadership positions in successful organizations praise our graduates for their collaborative spirit, interpersonal skills, creativity, and resilience. But we also heard a constructive comment from Steve Boehm, who spoke of a need for greater diversity on our campus—echoing comments we have often heard from our own students. Steve is now Senior Vice President for Global Customer Services at eBay. He is sending his team to manage operations all over the world where they have to do more than just understand other cultures—they have to lead and collaborate with people in those cultures to advance complex operations. That requires not just cultural sensitivity, but cultural knowledge and skill.
We are making strides in this area. The story of Tania Rodriguez is one example. Tania was born in Cuba, came to the United States, graduated from JMU, and is now an attorney at a local law firm. Hers is a great American story. Access to JMU for students of great potential such as Tania is an essential component of our mission.
Increasing the diversity of our campus is only one way to broaden the experiences of our students. International experiences provide another. Senior honors student Mary Ta heads to South Africa in 2014 to embark on a lifelong dream of studying abroad. As a recipient of a $27,000 Rotary Foundation scholarship, Mary (a double major in history and justice studies) will study conflict resolution. Mary said, "I became passionate in humanitarian issues in Africa as I learned more and more about global issues and gained knowledge through classes, books and, of course, the amazing professors at JMU." That's Why Madison.
During the Listening Tour, I heard from alumni as well as current students about the value of staying connected to Madison throughout one's life. We have heard about the power of intergenerational connections in sharing and enhancing the Madison experience. Alpha Kiflu graduated in 2004 and is a vice president at Goldman Sachs in New York. Alpha remained connected and mentored Justin Quaglia, class of 2010, who is now an analyst at Goldman Sachs and who sits just seven trading desks away from Alpha. Justin continues the tradition and is now mentoring J.P. Kril, class of 2013. J.P. spent much of this summer working at Goldman and sleeping on Justin's couch for the duration of an internship. Connecting all of this activity is finance professor Elias Semaan. One of our top priorities will be to keep alumni engaged with Madison who can share their experiences with each other and with subsequent generations of students. That's Why Madison.
Speaking of alumni who remain connected, one of the first JMU people I had the pleasure to meet was Warren Coleman, who served on the presidential search committee. As a former football player and dedicated student-scholar, Warren exemplifies the student-athlete ideal. He's an ambassador for the University, a longtime supporter of JMU Athletics, and now a member of the JMU Foundation Board of Directors.
Athletics plays an important role as a front porch for the University—and as another aspect of the educational experience in which students learn how to work in teams, provide leadership, and persevere to achieve high goals. During the Listening Tour I learned that eight of our student-athletes are in the Honors program. Participating in such a rigorous academic experience—while managing the schedule of an intercollegiate athlete —is nothing short of heroic. These academic achievements are an important part of the character of our JMU athletics program. That's Why Madison.
As in everything we do at JMU, our athletes push themselves to reach the highest levels of achievement. One such athlete is alumnus DJ Bryant, who was a linebacker for the Dukes and had some fun recently in New Orleans as a member of the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens. Unless JMU alumni Charles Haley and Gary Clark have sneaked in today, I am fairly confident that DJ is the only person in this room to have earned a Super Bowl ring!
A National Model in Higher Education
If there were a Super Bowl for colleges and universities that exemplify the best elements in American higher education, however, we might all be in the running to wear those big rings. As we put our values into practice, James Madison University can be the model of what I have often called "the engaged university"—one that is engaged with ideas and the world. In other words, we are a community committed to learning, with a conviction that all people are interconnected. Our mission statement captures this combination of learning and engagement: "We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives." So how do we go forward to build this national model of the engaged university?
We begin by understanding our core strengths and identity. Throughout the Listening Tour, we have discussed how James Madison University combines the intense faculty-student interaction and sense of community fostered by smaller liberal arts colleges with the breadth and opportunities of larger research-intensive universities—including strong professional and graduate programs. We seek to provide students with the skills needed to get that first job and to earn a living—but we also believe in preparing them to develop habits of mind and character so that they will be active citizens. Our General Education program develops lifelong learning skills in critical thinking and communications, while also helping people view issues and challenges from different perspectives.
We take seriously our obligation to keep improving and to be accountable to our students and the public for the quality of education we provide. Our Center for Assessment and Research Studies is a nationally recognized model in evaluation of academic programs, and this strong culture of institutional effectiveness allows us to be innovative in how we teach and in how students learn.
JMU has also embraced a holistic, well-rounded approach to education, recognizing that students learn outside as well as inside the classroom. Student organizations create outlets for students to explore their interests and passions. Vibrant visual and performing arts programs help us to see the world in new ways and contemplate timeless questions of truth and beauty. Athletics, and club and recreational sports promote wellness and a strong work ethic. Public service opportunities extend the learning environment beyond the boundaries of the campus, and allow students to apply their knowledge to address real-world problems.
This is who we are. So where do we go from here? Let me highlight six focal points in which we can invest our energy as we seek to exemplify what it means to be the engaged university.
The Madison Future Commission
First, we can model our values in the process we use to develop and implement our strategic plan and goals for the future. That inclusive process is well underway. The Madison Future Commission is already at work—a group of more than 150 faculty, staff, students, former faculty, alumni, former Board of Visitors members, and community members who have studied the higher education landscape and will help us to shape the University's new strategic plan. This process will include a hard look at the serious realities we face—including new educational technologies, changing demographics, our funding model, and issues of access and affordability. The Commission is also receiving feedback from our entire community, including reviewing ideas and recommendations shared with us during the Listening Tour. The Madison Future Commission will complete its work this fall, which will result in a new strategic plan that will guide us through the year 2020. We can use our own planning processes to model and reinforce our values. That's Why Madison.
The Madison Collaborative: Ethical Reasoning in Action
Second, as we seek to live out our mission, another major initiative we are launching is The Madison Collaborative: Ethical Reasoning in Action. This initiative has been born out of our ten-year review as we reaffirm our university-wide accreditation. As part of this process, the University is required to prepare a Quality Enhancement Plan to enhance student learning. For this purpose, we selected a topic that goes right to the heart of our mission and of what it means to be a citizen. Beginning this summer at freshman orientation, every incoming student will be taught a set of ethical reasoning skills designed to help them become more deliberative about situations and issues that include ethical dimensions. And then, the rest of the student body will encounter this same set of reasoning skills in General Education courses and in their majors, in programs in the residence halls and in other co-curricular experiences. Students will learn how to apply these skills in their personal, professional, and civic lives. And we will carefully assess how students are learning and engaging with these issues. Just imagine the effect over time of 4,000+ James Madison students graduating annually and taking with them the power to understand how to confront issues and situations where right and wrong are not clear-cut, or where moral principles provide only a general guide when specific action must be taken. That's what it means to be a model of the engaged university. That's Why Madison.
Reflecting our Heritage as James Madison's Namesake
Third, given our special heritage as the university named for James Madison, a Founding Father who had a profound impact in shaping our Constitution and our civil society, we have a unique opportunity to reflect the meaning and relevance today of the core principles to which Madison dedicated his life. As a model for how to produce educated and enlightened citizens, we can make a significant impact on our nation at a time when our public dialogue has deteriorated. As a society, too often we seem unable to have thoughtful discussions on the major challenges we face. This must change. If we create an atmosphere of mutual respect in which everyone can feel valued and share their ideas and perspectives, JMU can model the kind of civil discourse desperately needed for a well-functioning democratic republic. How fitting that our Debate Team is one of the strongest teams representing Madison—they epitomize how to discuss and debate important issues while recognizing that we are all interconnected.
One of the tangible ways in which we are already highlighting these principles is to reinvigorate our relationship with Montpelier, the nearby home of James Madison. Tomorrow, I will have the honor of delivering the annual address at James Madison's gravesite, commemorating his birthday. With us today is Kat Imhoff, the new president of Montpelier, as well as her senior leadership. Our two institutions are elevating our relationship to bring more attention to James Madison and his wife, Dolley. The Montpelier Foundation has created the Center for the Constitution—where in-person and online courses on the Constitution and our founding principles are being offered to the public. Faculty from our two institutions are designing a course on Madison that every student of James Madison University can eventually take.
In his State of the Union address on December 5, 1810, Madison pitched Congress on the idea of creating a national university in Washington, D.C. He proclaimed,
"Such an institution, though local in its legal character, would be universal in its beneficial effects. By enlightening the opinions, by expanding the patriotism, and by assimilating the principles, the sentiments, and the manners of those who might resort to this temple of science, to be redistributed in due time through every part of the community, sources of jealousy and prejudice would be diminished, the features of national character would be multiplied, and greater extent given to social harmony."
Imagine the societal effect of graduating over 4,000 enlightened citizens annually who possess ethical reasoning skills and understand the founding principles of Madison. We can be that institution. That's Why Madison.
Diversity Task Force
Fourth, as we seek to nurture diversity of thought and perspectives, we must also meet the needs of our students and society in preparing graduates who can function effectively in a diverse democracy and global economy. Our greatest strategic asset in this changing world is our diverse human capital. If we are to harness the power of this great asset, we must ensure that we provide opportunities for students from all backgrounds to fully develop their potential—and to learn from and with each other. Accordingly, I recently charged a task force to take a comprehensive look at how we can strengthen our campus diversity. That diversity includes a rich tapestry of many facets—not just race, ethnicity and gender but also many other factors such as socioeconomic and family backgrounds, age, religion, disabilities, and veteran status among others. We understand that diversity and excellence go hand in hand in education. That's Why Madison.
Community Relationships
Fifth, as a university engaged with ideas and the world, we should model our collaborative approach in our own backyard. In celebrating the history and character of the University this week, we highlighted our relationships with our local communities. Yesterday, for example, many of us walked from campus to Court Square downtown for a ceremony in which we presented the keys to the University to Mayor Ted Byrd of Harrisonburg and Supervisor Fred Eberly of Rockingham County. With this symbolic gesture we hope to usher in an era of even greater partnership with our neighbors. As we move forward, we will try to ensure that we participate actively in the community on many levels—and that our doors are open wide to welcome the community to our campus and programs. That's Why Madison.
Finally, in order to meet our hopes and dreams for the years ahead, we know that we will need to strengthen our own culture of philanthropy. We must develop new revenue sources if we are to succeed on the national and international level to which we aspire. Thus, as we set our strategic plans and priorities for the years to come, we will need to gear up for a next comprehensive fundraising campaign. You heard earlier that we have established a new Vision Fund to support initiatives to meet the needs of the 21st Century. Special thanks to the Alumni Association for their very generous $100,000 challenge gift! JMU has made an indelible impact on the lives of many people, and we embrace the challenge to cultivate resources so we can continue to make a difference in the lives of future students and in the world. That's Why Madison.
We have amazing opportunities before us, even as we face daunting challenges. We are in the midst of an era in higher education marked by major fiscal limitations, along with heightened domestic and international competition. So-called "disruptive" technologies are raising questions about traditional models of higher education. Increased regulation and pushes for strict accountability measures are testing our ability to demonstrate the value of what we provide. These issues might seem unique to our time, but JMU has faced the winds of change throughout its history. In his 1971 inaugural address, Dr. Carrier observed that "[h]igher education, like all institutions today, is caught up in the whirlwind of re-examination, change, and re-valuation."
The James Madison University of the future will not be identical to what we see today. We must be prepared to understand and adapt to a rapidly changing world. But we should also recognize that we are positioned well for this moment. We provide high-quality education at lower cost than peer institutions. Our graduation rates are strong. Our faculty are top-notch. We offer many courses online and use technology to enhance the learning experience. We take assessment seriously. We have a mission that is relevant, clear, and much-needed in society. And most of all, we have a phenomenal team of people who care deeply about this institution —just look around you in this room today. Last week, I was reminded of this fact when I witnessed the work of facilities staff all around the campus—clearing the streets, parking lots and sidewalks after a major snowstorm that reminded me of my childhood in Rochester, New York. Our talented and committed people are our most important resource and have a can-do spirit. And more than any other single thing, That's Why Madison.
So let's go forward from here confident with the knowledge that we can accomplish great things together. We have an awesome privilege and responsibility as part of the JMU family. As I say to the entering freshmen, now is a time to "DREAM BIG." Let's take this moment to reflect on what is most important in our lives, and let's DREAM BIG TOGETHER. Thank you very much!


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Story highlights
- NTSB chairwoman said bridge is inspected for structural problems twice a year
- Investigators still waiting for all clear to go on site
- Train derailment led to one car being punctured, releasing hazardous fumes
- Accident occurred after engineer couldn't get green signal to cross bridge, got OK from dispatcher
A railroad swing bridge in New Jersey that collapsed near the Delaware River was inspected in November, the chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday.
Several cars on a train that was passing over the bridge derailed Friday morning. Some fell into the water below and one car hit another, tearing it open and releasing a vapor cloud from hazardous materials, Debbie Hersman told reporters at a new conference.
Investigators are just beginning to piece together information from the accident and whether the bridge collapse or the train derailment occurred first.
The bridge is subject to several different types of inspections, a biannual structure assessment that occurred in May and November, and a quarterly mechanical examination. Inspectors also look at the parts of the bridge underwater once every five years. The next such inspection was scheduled for September 2014.
Hersman said the track is inspected often, most recently on November 20.
NTSB investigators have interviewed train crews that recently used the bridge and some of them said there have been signal issues with the bridge, which swings across the river when trains need to cross the waterway. Herman said a team from Conrail, which owns and operates the track and the bridge, was at the structure on Thursday.
On Friday, the train engineer tried several times to get the bridge signal to turn to green using a keypad, but it stayed red.
After about six minutes, the train crew spoke with the dispatcher who monitors the bridge and was given the OK to cross.
The front of the train reached the other side of the bridge when the crew said they saw the bridge collapse. Emergency brakes activated, but by that time seven of the cars had derailed, four of which fell in the water.
One of the cars in the water was carrying ethanol. The three others were carrying vinyl chloride, and the crash tore open a 1-by-3-foot hole in one of them.
The bridge near Paulsboro collapsed in 2009 and was rebuilt, Hersman said.
Saturday morning, crews found slightly elevated levels of fumes in the immediate area, but still well below acceptable thresholds, Coast Guard Capt. Cathy Moore said.
Twelve square blocks near the scene -- approximately 48 households -- were evacuated Friday. The residents have been told to stay away for three days, Moore said.
CNN affiliate WPVI reported that 70 people went to emergency rooms, but no one was injured.
Hersman said NTSB investigators are waiting to be told it's safe to conduct on-site information gathering.
Her teams will pay close attention to the locking mechanisms on the bridge, she said Sunday.
The NTSB has examined most of the cars didn't derail and found no problems with them, Hersman said.
Investigators will also be looking at the possibility that elevated levels of water created by Hurricane Sandy affected the bridge. The structure crosses a creek that flows into the Delaware River. Water levels in the creek also rise and fall with the tides.

subset: commoncrawl


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While the General Assembly is currently focused on smoothing the road to drill for natural gas in North Carolina, a new report shows the economic value clean energy has brought to our state over the past five years.
The report was prepared by Research Triangle Institute and LaCapra Associates.
Some of the key findings:
Clean energy programs created or retained over 21,000 jobs.
The clean energy industry and government incentives spurred $1.4 billion in project investments.
These projects contributed about $1.7 billion to the gross state product.
Clean energy and energy efficiency projects saved 8.2 million megawatt hours of energy.
For every $1 spent on renewable projects, $1.90 was generated for that investment. For energy efficiency projects, $1.67 was generated for that investment.
Finally, rate payers benefit from renewables and energy efficiency programs. A typical NC residential customer saved $.50 per month last year and that is expected to only rise if our state continues to lead in this industry.
Earlier this year the Washington Post reported that the conservative Heartland Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) were considering a strategy to repeal North Carolina's Renewable Energy Standard (RES). Our state has the only RES legislation in the south. This legislation requires utilities to hold a portion of their energy portfolio in renewables. This legislation and incentive programs are the reason for the healthiness of the renewable energy industry. As the governor and legislature focus on job creation and economic development, this part of the energy sector now has a strong and proven track record and should be encouraged to grow.


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Malisse advances at Delray Beach
Two-time winner Xavier Malisse beat Alejandro Falla 6-3, 6-3 Monday at the at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
The 50th-ranked Malisse, who has reached the quarterfinals at the Auckland and San Jose tournaments this year, has beaten the 59th-ranked Falla all four times they've played.
Malisse, who won in 2005 and 2007, now has a 26-10 winning record at the tournament.
2010 winner Ernests Gulbis had to come through qualifying to reach the main draw, beating 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4 Denys Molchanov. Third seed Sam Querrey faced fellow American Michael Russell in the featured match on Monday night.


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Zyos plays the video game Halo, plays it better than anyone in the world. His mother, Rhonda, watched him dominate the military combat game in San Francisco last year at the World Cyber Games--the gaming Olympics--and because of her status, because she is the mother of Zyos, Rhonda became a de facto celebrity herself. She didn't expect that. She doesn't understand the game, in which you kill enemy combatants on your own or on a team. Yet gamers from across the world approached her. Zyos is a great champion, they said. One of them, an earnest kid from New Zealand, sought her out to tell her he'd flown to San Francisco to study Zyos' playing tendencies.
Zyos' father, Steve, once got a call at work from a man in Oklahoma. The man in Oklahoma wanted Zyos to play his 14-year-old son. The man told Steve he would pay Zyos, pay him anything he wanted, if he would play one game of Halo--just one--against his son. Zyos, after all, was the kid's hero.
Zyos, while vacationing in Italy over Thanksgiving, went a week without playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live. Microsoft makes Xbox, and Xbox Live is the company's latest and best advance. It allows a gamer to plug his Xbox into an Internet cable and play, say, Halo 2 against anyone in the world. It also keeps track of how often a gamer plays, and makes that information available to all others.
Over Thanksgiving, on Day Five Without Zyos, the message boards of the online world were abuzz with rumors. Zyos has quit. Zyos is playing under a different name. Zyos is dead. Five pages of this, growing more fevered as it went, until one of Zyos' handlers, one of the people in the business of "building Zyos' brand," logged on.
"Guys," he said. "Zyos is fine. He's just on vacation."
It sounds like apocrypha, doesn't it? But it's not. Zyos is as talented, as sought after, as any myth you could make about him. And in the coming years, you will hear about Zyos. For one, he lives in Allen, Texas, and he's practicing even tonight. Look at him. He's hunched over in his chair again, shouting.
"Bombs down in front of our base! There's a sniper on the ridge...Sniper's dead...He's coming after your flag! There's a ghost who just went in...Ghost is dead."
He has the headset on, the one with the microphone that wraps around the ear and drops down to his mouth, and on the television screen is Halo 2, the shoot-'em-up head-to-head sequel to Halo that racked up sales of $125 million in its first day on the market, and in the air there's a slightly stale stench, the sort that comes from a 21-year-old who plays the game for hours behind a closed bedroom door.
But on the walls are his first-place plaques and oversize checks for $20,000. And in an hour he'll leave his parents' house, where he still lives, drive to Dallas and sign a contract with a company called Check Six, which will pay his airfare and hotel fees in 2005 whenever he plays Halo for money.
Zyos plays Halo for a living, but the checks he earns are signed under his given name, Matt Leto. Major League Gaming signed Leto to play Halo professionally in the fall of 2003, when Leto was 19. MLG is a professional gaming league that holds tournaments across the nation and last year handed out $175,000 in total purses in its inaugural season--a season that concluded with MTV broadcasting its championship, further convincing MLG personnel that theirs is the new X Games. Hell, the new NASCAR.
MLG loves Leto. In fact, the league was so confident he would succeed as a professional, it signed him before it held its first event. Now, one year later, a year in which Leto dominated all comers in single and team play, a year in which he won MLG's single-player Halo championship and retained his title as best Halo player alive at the World Cyber Games, MLG has built a marketing campaign around Leto, staked its future on him. "He's the face of our league," says Mike Sepso, the CEO and co-founder of Major League Gaming.
It's not a bad move, for a few reasons. For one, Leto's competitive as hell. Even the best Halo players in the world say Leto's drive far exceeds their own. He has no girlfriend. Halo is his focus. Even tonight, one hour before he meets Check Six executives, even as he practices Halo with his teammates spaced across the country--all of them connected to one another by plugging in their game systems, their Xboxes, to an Internet cable--even on this self-described "fun" night of game play, Leto's elbows are on his knees; he's shouting at his teammates; he has no time for idle chitchat with the visitor who's stopped by. There are still competitors to best.
Second, and perhaps surprising, Leto's not a nerd. He's an athlete. He lettered in swimming at Allen High and still holds the build: His shoulders stretch wide the white T-shirt he wears tonight, and his quads and calves fill out his sweat pants. He's handsome enough, about 5-foot-8, with the olive complexion of an Italian heritage. He sweeps his dark hair straight back, and a day's growth of stubble is forever on his chin. He's personable, too--once you yank the controller away. "He's very laid-back," says Kim Murphy, an associate producer at Worldsport HD, a satellite channel that followed Leto around for a documentary it will air next month.
Last, Leto has a wisdom beyond his years. At 17 he told his parents he would one day make a living playing Halo, though MLG did not exist at the time and there was no reason to believe it ever would. But Leto's wisdom most often presents itself in his speech. For someone who's played video games since he was 4, sometimes for 12 hours a day, Leto is surprisingly articulate. "Oh, he's very well-spoken," Murphy says. It's incisive, his speech, in no way cluttered with the stammerings and non sequiturs of his peers, gaming or otherwise. He has a deep and confident voice, too. But it always sounds flat, as if he's heard before how lucky he is and is tired of hearing it again. It's for these reasons--the directness of speech, the tone of voice--that people often find Matt Leto cold upon meeting him.
"Yeah, we're working on that," Sepso says.
He's not kidding. MLG has hired a public relations firm from L.A. to train Leto in speaking to the media. Sepso and his staff talk openly about creating a marketable image for their star--an image similar to that of skateboarder Tony Hawk: pioneer, best ever, industry spokesman.
It sounds crazy to talk this way about a kid playing a video game. But it was crazy 20 years ago to talk about a skateboarder like this. Besides, have you seen the stats? They're crazy, too. According to the National Institute on Media and the Family, 92 percent of boys play video games. There are 108 million people over the age of 13 in the United States playing today, and 13 million of those are "hard-core," people who spend upward of 15 hours a week under the glow of a television or computer screen.
And the craziest thing of all? The money that's out there. Last year, Matt Leto, college dropout, cleared more than $80,000 playing Halo, the earnings a combination of tournament winnings and endorsement deals. That spoke to him. Talk all you want about his competitive drive, the notoriety; it's the promise of money, and more money, that finds him in that stale bedroom night after night. If all goes as planned, he figures, he should make well more than $100,000 this year. Just for playing a video game.
"After all, the hackneyed first story inevitably is about the novelty of video gamers playing for cash, but what is the second story about this phenomenon going to be about?"
--Electronic Gaming Business, October 22, 2003
Well, more stories, certainly, will be written about Matt Leto, so maybe the next one, for a change of pace, could focus on his driving to Houston, or Detroit, or flying to Seattle, on his dime, just to practice Halo against opponents living in those cities. Leto, of course, doesn't have to fly anywhere. With an Xbox plugged into the Internet, he can play anyone, in any city, at any time. But the truth is, when he does that, within seconds there are 20 people who see he's online. And all 20 will want to play against him. And none will be any good. It's a big waste of his time when he's preparing for a tournament. No, far better for Zyos to seek out the best players in the States and go to them.
Still, that's not telling the whole story, if we're worried about moving beyond the hackneyed first attempt of profiling Matt Leto. Because Zyos does plug his Xbox into the Internet to practice. He plugs it in and "closes the room," meaning only the select few he deems worthy can practice against him. So why fly to Seattle? To videotape the practice matches, of course.
Yeah, maybe the second story will be about Matt Leto flying to Seattle before the World Cyber Games 2004, practicing for a week against Stephen Booth, a world-renowned player (and a freshman at the University of Washington), and videotaping every match. The two played for 12 hours a day during Zyos' visit. But what Booth remembers about Leto's stay is his analyzing the matches, reviewing the tape that had recorded every move, every shot, and looking for weaknesses in his game and Booth's.
"He puts in more time than anyone," Booth says. Before Leto's visit, he had never thought to record his preparatory games. Yet in Zyos' closet there are more than 20 tapes of practice matches.
"He does all the things that all the other kids won't do. And that's why he wins," Steve Leto says.
The second story will probably mention Leto's youth, how, at 4, Matt got a Nintendo with the famous Super Mario Brothers included. He'd play and play and play the game. Then conquer it and ask for another. Then conquer the second game and ask for a third. Then conquer that and ask for a fourth. Soon, games like Zelda, games that take months to beat, Leto would be done with overnight. Yet he'd need more challenges, more games. "What's the point," his parents asked, "if you're going to conquer it tomorrow?" But in the end, they always gave in.
In an effort to show a balanced childhood, perhaps the second story will talk about the real-life games he played. Every team sport you can name. But, truth be told, "He's never been much of a team player," his mother says. Too many kids goofing around. Too many kids screwing up in key situations, times when Leto would have done better if only he had the ball.
But in individual sports, he controlled everything. Individual sports, he loved. That's why he swam at Allen High, even though Allen didn't have a pool and practice was held in McKinney at 5:15 every morning, which meant Leto had to be out the door at 4:45, a gruesome hour by any account but made worse by his closing Chuck E. Cheese's every night at 10:30.
"He never missed a practice," Rhonda Leto says. Her son was a three-year letter winner in three events.
School bored him. Yet Karen Bradley, house principal at Allen High, says he was "one of the smartest kids I've ever come across." And Brent Mitchell, Leto's swim coach, remembers Matt more as an intellectual than a swimmer. He memorized the book on school policy, Mitchell says, not because he had to but because he wanted to. "He made a game of it," Mitchell says, every morning explaining to the swim coach what he could and couldn't get away with, testing Mitchell to see if he knew the rules as well as he should. If Mitchell doubted him, Leto'd say, "Look in the book."
"Verbatim," Mitchell says. "To the tooth and nail of it exactly. It always drove me crazy."
It would be pretty amazing, too, if the next story could contrast Leto's love for knowing the rules in the real world with his love of breaking them in gaming. Leto knew his games so well, he knew where to find glitches in the programmer's code. That's when he got really good at gaming, because every game has glitches. When he properly exploited them, Leto's finishing scores were among the best in the world.
At 17, Leto broke the world record for points in a game called Crazy Taxi. Elated, he snapped a photo of his score and mailed it to Twin Galaxies, the official scorekeeper of all video games and publisher, every few years, of a book on gaming world records. But Twin Galaxies said Leto's photo wasn't good enough. It needed video proof. So Leto plugged the VCR into his Sega Dreamcast and broke the record he'd taken a picture of. Then, because he "always wanted to be the best at something," Leto says, he spent a year breaking as many scores as he could.
"He probably holds over 800 world records," says Walter Day, the chief scorekeeper and founder of Twin Galaxies. Day doesn't have a definitive count because, three years later, Twin Galaxies is still combing through Leto's tapes, more than 30 of them. "Matt Leto may be the premier video-game player in the world," he says.
Most guys hold world records in racing games or shooting games; never, Day says, in both racing and shooting games. Leto holds records across the video-game spectrum. Any sort of game--ones based on the most kills, the best time, the highest points--on any sort of console: GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation, the old Nintendo Entertainment System. Leto has world records for them all, some for an entire game, some for an individual level. "No matter the game, he will be among the top 2 percent at it in a matter of days," says Robert Mruczek, the chief referee of Twin Galaxies.
And the glitches he knows. Maybe the second story will mention them; hell, it could be about nothing else. Here, one example will suffice: In Crazy Taxi 2, Leto found a glitch, or, as he says, an "exploit" that's invisible--traditionally, these are very difficult to find, Mruczek says--and it's in the sky above the road.
"Less than five people in the world know where this is," Mruczek says.
Yet he's humble about this and all those records, and maybe the next story on Matt Leto, if it needs a telling anecdote, will highlight how he never told his parents of the many exploits he knew or the records he held.
"Really?" Rhonda Leto says. "Oh, my gosh. I had no clue. I had no clue."
Never told Major League Gaming, either.
"No," says Erik Semmelhack, MLG's senior vice president, after a pause. "I didn't know that."
At first, there were two of them, Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni, playing Halo in the summer of 2002 in DiGiovanni's downtown New York loft, the one with the projection screen that made the play larger than life and all the more addictive. Betting on their matches, where each was a soldier trying to kill the other, led to friends stopping by to place their own bets on who would win. Which led to more friends stopping by to gamble. Which led to still more friends, some of whom just wanted to watch. When are you two doing this again? the friends would ask at the end of the night. This is fun. Which led to an epiphany.
When will we watch the best in the world on a projection screen?
Sepso had been the co-CEO of Gotham Broadband, a nationwide broadband service, and DiGiovanni was the company's creative director. But they left Gotham to answer that question. Over the next year, they flew across the country, hitting up every local video-game tournament they could find. They took notes, talked about the passion the gamers had, how they played for the competition of it, because the cash prizes handed out--when they were handed out--were often less than advertised. They talked about a professional gaming league, a league that would organize tournaments across the nation, where each tournament was open to any competitor, provided the competitor paid an entrance fee. They talked about a league that would draw sponsors to hand out cash prizes unseen in any local tournament, a league that would take the best players from each game and help the players find endorsements in exchange for wearing league memorabilia. They talked about a league, like NASCAR, that would highlight the personalities of its players over the intricacies of its game.
On August 3, 2003, Sepso and DiGiovanni took a limo to a Halo tournament in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Zyos was there. He'd finished seventh in the individual tournament, and his team, The Dream Team, the team no one could beat, the team that made a video of itself playing and watched as the tape was downloaded more than 80,000 times on the Web--this team was once more in the championship game.
But it lost that day to Shoot to Kill, a team formed for the express purpose of defeating The Dream Team. Undeterred, Sepso and DiGiovanni ushered the four teenagers--two from Texas, two from Kansas--into the limo and took them to a steak house in Times Square, where the pitch was made: We've formed a professional gaming league, and we want you four as our first signed players.
And so a new industry began.
Which is not to say professional gaming leagues didn't already exist. South Korea has three. It has a governing body for the leagues, the Korean e-Sports Association, which ranks the standings for the 218 professional gamers in the country. Here in the States, there's the Cyberathlete Professional League, a league started in 1997 by a 37-year-old Dallasite named Angel Munoz. But there's a major difference between Munoz's league and MLG: the system through which games are played.
CPL is a personal computer-based league, meaning its athletes--and Munoz argues they are athletes--play their games on computers. MLG is a console-based league, meaning its athletes--MLG makes the same argument--play their games on a console system, such as a PlayStation or Xbox. Both are successful: MLG will hold tournaments for three game titles this year, for a total purse of $250,000; CPL has a $1.2 million 10-city worldwide tour in 2005 for its seven-game roster. But the leagues attract different sorts of gamers. Simply put, PC players tend on average to be more--how to put this?--computer-literate than their console counterparts.
Their sponsors reflect that. CPL is endorsed by CompUSA, Hitachi and Intel. Last year, MLG had Converse as a title sponsor.
"Each is a different culture," says Daiquiri Jackson, promotions manager for GameStop, a video-game retailer that's endorsed both leagues.
Yet both leagues are not without their critics. Doug Gentile is the director of research at the National Institute on Media and the Family. "We have an obesity epidemic in this country. That's not my word. That's the National Institutes of Health's," he says. "And one of the reasons is likely to be screen time...And now we're giving kids more incentive to play more."
Mary Story, one of the nation's foremost obesity researchers at the University of Minnesota, agrees that the leagues could lead to more kids sitting around but argues ours is a sedentary culture regardless of age or interest. To single out MLG over, say, corporate America, which asks its employees to sit in a cubicle for eight hours a day, is hypocritical, she says.
Gentile won't let MLG or any other league off that easily. He points to the work of Dr. Paul Lynch at the University of Oklahoma. Lynch has studied the physiological effects of video games on teenagers for 15 years. In 1999, he published a study suggesting violent video games might cause heart problems later in life.
Violent games, like Halo, raise one's adrenaline level. And adrenaline, the study says, is nothing more than fatty acids that are used as an energy source. Yet these fatty acids released into the bloodstream are not acted upon by the gamer's muscles, because the gamer is sitting and playing, not running or jumping or fighting. Since no muscle will use them, the fatty acids in the end make their way through the liver, where they are converted to cholesterol. "This could be a precursor for heart disease," Gentile writes via e-mail.
Could be, but the scientific community needs to further parse the data. In the interim, MLG is willing to respond to a more general question: Is paying people to play video games bad for the health of the nation?
"My initial knee-jerk reaction is 'Give me a break,'" says DiGiovanni, two years after his epiphany the executive vice president of MLG. "We're encouraging kids to do what they already love. And a small amount of those kids can make a living at it." MLG has signed 17 people to be pro gamers. Yet DiGiovanni says none of the 17 signed, nor the thousands more who attend MLG events, is a pasty-white, obese basement dweller.
"These guys are competitive. These are guys who compete in other sports," he says. And then, almost with an air of resignation, "Just come to one of our events."
Zyos has the rocket launcher. Mathieu Hebbada, from France, runs the halls of this abandoned, darkened warehouse with a shotgun. The game is tied at 14, and if Zyos scores one more kill, he's crowned World Cyber Games Halo Champion 2003 and awarded $20,000. Zyos settles under a ramp, points his weapon toward a second-floor window and waits.
Tournament Halo is played in one of two ways. What Zyos is playing now is single-player Halo. Before him is a television screen of his position in the warehouse, and in the screen's bottom right corner, Mathieu Hebbada's position. In single-player, the first gamer to score 15 kills wins. Then there's multiplayer Halo. The difference between multiplayer and single-player is you're on a team in multiplayer. A two-man team or a four-man team. Together, you seek and kill the other team. The first one to score 50 kills wins. Zyos, in a couple of weeks, will play for The Dream Team in a tournament in New York, but it's this sort of tournament in Seoul, the single-player one, where he excels.
The weapons one uses--pistol, shotgun, rocket launcher, what have you--are the same for both single- and multiplayer tournaments and are found throughout a level's landscape. Zyos discovered that certain weapons are made available at certain parts of levels at certain times. But the times when they're available never change. In other words, it's clockwork. Zyos put a clock above his television one day, ran to the right spots, waited for the weapons to materialize and collected them all before his opponent could get any. Easy game. Today, in 2003, it's the most common exploit known to Halo players.
Still, despite his genius, Zyos' parents remain skeptical. They doubt their son will ever make a living playing video games. They doubt the promises of MLG. Yet here he is in a packed auditorium in Seoul, South Korea, with thousands more watching him over the Internet, with a chance at $20,000. For Zyos, it's a start.
He focuses the rocket launcher's scope onto the right half of the window. Seconds pass. Hebbada hasn't studied the different levels as thoroughly as Zyos, doesn't know that by walking in front of this window, he's inadvertently walking into the line of...
A blast from Zyos' gun. And the game is over. The thousands in attendance, watching the action on a projection screen, cheer.
One year and two months later, sitting in his parents' living room in Allen, Matt Leto says, "That [win] changed everything." Changed his parents' perception of his dream, changed the way in which he practiced--if anything else, he became more obsessive, more thorough after World Cyber Games 2003. He gave himself to Halo.
The year that followed Seoul was a blur of frequent-flyer miles and first-place checks. By the time San Francisco hosted World Cyber Games 2004 in October, Leto had won roughly $10,000 in MLG tournaments, in both single and team play. He'd also formed and disbanded seven teams, because, despite their success, they still didn't live up to Leto's expectations. And he'd dropped out of Collin County Community College, because he could stand to win $40,000 more at WCG San Francisco and the MLG Championship in New York if he practiced nonstop.
It started in 2000, and 2004 marked the first year any city outside Korea hosted the World Cyber Games. Roughly 700 gamers from 60 countries qualified for the five-day, eight-game event. San Francisco held it in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, next to City Hall. There was $412,600 in total purses.
Leto's family came. Steve and Rhonda, younger sister Megan and brother Taylor. It was the first time any Leto would watch Matt in person. He'd breezed through the qualifying rounds in Miami and Long Beach, California. He was the favorite to win WCG again. Wherever he went in San Fran, a camera crew from Worldsport HD followed, shooting footage for a documentary on the Games.
Zyos beat his first opponent, Nelson Triana of Canada, 15-1. Then Yoonho Choi of South Korea, 15-3. Even if he lost his next match, against fellow American Stephen Booth, Zyos would advance. The first day of Halo at WCG is a round-robin of four players per bracket, and no one else was 2-0 with one match left.
Zyos lost his match to Booth 15-6. The loss had its upside, though. It meant both Americans would advance to the championship bracket. But the gamers watching, especially the Canadian Nelson Triana, now eliminated from the next round, thought something wasn't right. Why had Zyos, normally a conservative player, one who waited for his opponents to expose themselves, become the aggressor against Booth, accidentally running into his fire? And weren't the two, away from the controllers, friends? And to prepare for WCG, hadn't Leto flown to Seattle and spent a week practicing at Booth's house? Maybe they'd formed some sort of pact up there, to make sure they both advanced.
Andrew Mayeda covered WCG 2004 for the Ottawa Citizen. He quoted three gamers who thought Leto threw the game. He talked to one of the match's referees, "and I have to be careful how I phrase this," Mayeda says, "but I suspect he thought that Matt threw the game, too."
The referee in question is Cody Walker, also a Canadian. Leto says, "Look, both of the referees were Canadian. Nelson was Canadian. The map"--the individual level on which his match against Booth was played--"is almost like a coin toss as to who wins it. Winning on that map is based more on luck than skill. It's completely false that I threw the match...I lose games. Just to say I'm unbeatable is wrong." No, there was no pact between him and Booth, he says. And Booth's practicing against him for a week--could it not mean that Booth had learned in that time how to beat Zyos?
In any case, in a decision they refused to explain, WCG officials ordered another round-robin among Zyos, Booth and Triana.
Zyos and Triana advanced.
That night Triana drove to Best Buy and bought a television so he could practice on his own. He went to bed around 4 a.m. Zyos was up that late, too. But he wasn't practicing; he'd prepared enough for WCG. He was playing poker.
Didn't affect his gaming, though. He dominated his quarterfinal and semifinal opponents the next day; in the semifinal match, Sebastian Droschak, from Germany, failed to score a point.
Zyos faced Triana for the championship. Triana had beaten out Dave Walsh to get there, the American some viewed as better than Zyos. But Zyos had already beaten Triana, and he'd learned something while watching the Canadian's other games: Whenever his match was the match displayed on the movie-style projection screen, the one hanging down from the roof so the thousands in attendance could watch from a distance rather than huddle around the television on which their favorite gamer played, whenever his match was the featured one, Triana would get nervous, play tentatively, be afraid to make a mistake with God and all of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium watching.
And if any match were to be on the projection screen, Zyos thought, it would be the championship one.
"Dad," he said before the match started, when Steve Leto worried his presence might screw up his son's concentration, "I've got this one."
Zyos was right. Triana was too nervous to eat before the match, and during it, as Andrew Mayeda of the Citizen wrote, "in a number of key confrontations, he couldn't finish Leto off despite having the advantage."
Zyos won 15-9 and 15-11, the fist pump he gave at the end the only real show of emotion from the whole tournament. Another $20,000 check was his. From October to October, factoring in the money he'd won from MLG, Matt Leto now made more playing video games than most people did in their first year out of college.
And he still had the MLG Championship in New York to consider.
He got to New York at four in the morning sick as all get-out. Leto spent the next few hours between the bed and the bathroom of his hotel suite. Then it was off to the MLG Championship, to which only the top-ranked players were invited.
The MTV and MLG people had wanted him to come earlier than the night before. MTV needed preliminary footage of Leto for the documentary on Halo 2 it would later air, and it would really be great, really help the piece along, if Leto agreed to come a couple of days in advance. But Leto didn't agree. Said he needed to practice with his team, the Filthy Jackalopes, in Detroit. Said he wanted to be on top of his game. This from the guy who'd won WCG 2004 two weeks earlier.
So he stayed in Detroit. Stayed until he had to go, drove from Detroit to Manhattan--13 hours across the country, carrying with him what would later be diagnosed as food poisoning.
The sickness "was coming out of everywhere," MLG's Erik Semmelhack says. In the morning, he took Leto to get a cup of coffee, then sat him down in the VIP section near the sound stage on West 12th Street where the tournament was about to begin.
He wore his winter jacket while he played. In the Free For All, the event where it's every man for himself, every man trying to score as many kills as possible while getting killed the fewest times possible, where two, four or 10 gamers can gang up on one to take him out, where it makes sense to do that--especially to Zyos, ranked first for the year in the Free For All--Zyos nonetheless took the early lead. And never looked back.
To win the Free For All as Zyos won it, finishing some 20 kills better than the next gamer, "that's just, like, unheard of in any tournament setting," Adam Apicella, the vice president of operations for MLG, told MTV. "Let alone against seven of the best tournament players in the world. He just dominated the game, and I've never seen really a performance like that."
The win meant a bye into the Final Four of the single-player tournament. Dreary-eyed--even when the MTV cameras were on him--he advanced to the championship match. And then won that 15-8.
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"Yes!" he yelled, and pumped his fist a couple of times.
The weekend went well. An $8,000 check for his first-place finish in the single-player tournament. A $15,000 endorsement from Nokia for taking first. A $2,000 check for finishing the season ranked first overall. A $5,000 check to the Filthy Jackalopes for finishing second in the four-on-four tournament. (Fittingly, Zyos had a new team by December.)
And the money keeps coming. Semmelhack says Zyos is looking at "mid-five figures" in endorsements alone this year. And with MLG's tournament purse of $250,000 in 2005, Matt Leto, college dropout, professional Halo player, should be a six-figure 22-year-old by year's end.
"I am lucky," he says. "But it takes a lot of skill, too."


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For millions of home sellers, it's been a hot summer but a chilly housing market.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes plunged last month to the lowest level in 15 years, despite the lowest mortgage rates in decades and bargain prices in many areas.
July's sales fell by more than 27 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday. It was the largest monthly drop on records dating back to 1968, and sharp declines were recorded in all regions of the country.
U.S. & World
The weak economy and high unemployment rate, a standoff between buyers and sellers over price and the expiration of government tax credits are all playing a role in keeping the housing market weak.
For home buyers, the glut of houses means they can be as picky as they please about everything from the home's price to the neighborhood it's in to whether they like the kitchen faucet.
For home sellers, it's more important than ever to stick out among the pack. Msnbc.com asked real estate agents in several markets for five tips for actually selling your home in a sluggish market.
1. Price, price, price
In a market thick with foreclosed homes and short sales, even people who are selling their homes the traditional way need to make sure they are priced competitively, said Robyn Yates, a broker/owner with Windermere Real Estate who has been selling homes in the Las Vegas area for 15 years.
"If a regular seller can price their property the same as the bank-owned property or the short sale (property), then they're going to be in very good shape," Yates said.
A buyer in this market may be turned off by a home that is priced too high, because they don't want to deal with the headache of negotiating to a lower selling price when the next house over is already at that lower price.
2. We're not in foreclosure!
That said, Yates noted that there are advantages to being a traditional seller, and sellers who are not looking for a short-sale or a foreclosure can use that as a differentiator.
Besides the potential financial headaches of buying a distressed home, a traditional seller is more likely to have kept the lawn alive, the house clean and the appliances intact.
Greg Herb of Herb Real Estate in Gilbertsville, Pa., said he is still seeing that sellers are able to command a higher price over homes that are not in foreclosure, especially in markets where foreclosures aren't as rampant. He said that's because they can show that their home is in better shape than a foreclosed home, and will not require as much work before the buyer moves in.
Traditional home sellers also can differentiate themselves by offering little perks, such as a credit toward closing costs, money to repaint the house or a one-year home warranty.
3. Looking your best
The tried-and-true tips for selling a home still apply.
"You've got to make sure that one the house definitely has wonderful curb appeal," said Ennis Antoine, associate broker with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers in the Atlanta area, who has been a real estate agent since 1986.
Clean the house well, add fresh flowers and sprinkle around some brightly colored towels to give your house an appealing look. Sometimes just moving around the furniture can make a huge difference, Herb said.
"You want to lead with your best foot and showcase your property as best you can," he said.
If you can afford it, hire someone to professionally stage the house. If you aren't living in the house, Antoine recommends finding someone who can stay in the house, keeping it clean and furnished.
Antoine also recommends showcasing the house in a non-traditional way, such as holding a wine-and-cheese for potential sellers.
4. Ditch the point and shoot
These days, most buyers are looking at homes online first, so some real estate agents strongly recommend hiring a professional photographer who can showcase the home in the best light possible.
Post as many photographs online as you can, and think seriously about a virtual tour or even a video, Antoine said.
Yates also recommends going beyond just the rooms and yard. A few photos of the neighborhood also can make a huge difference, especially if your home is near a park or if you can show that there aren't that many homes for sale – or in distress - on your street.
"It's not just about the house, it's also about the neighborhood," Yates said.
Don't forget the details, either, Yates said. You may also catch a potential buyer's eye with a photograph of a lovely fixture or beautiful plant.
5. Consider leasing
If you absolutely can't find a buyer at the price you want, consider leasing the property to a family that is having trouble buying. Antoine said he's seeing a lot more leasing activity in the Atlanta area, and that it's especially appealing to people who want to live in a particular area but can't buy for one reason or another.
In the Las Vegas area, Yates said she's seeing a lot of people switching up.
"The renters in our market are now becoming home buyers and the people that used to own homes are now becoming renters," she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Learn how to do lots of tricks and routines for the Stripper Deck!
You already have a Stripper Deck, and you've mastered the couple of tricks that are explained in the instructions that come with the deck. But NOW what??
Learn 101 tricks for the Stripper Deck! This excellent booklet gives you instructions in clear detail, plus lots of ideas for getting the most out of your wonderful trick deck.
This is is a BOOKLET ONLY. Stripper Deck is not included. You must have your own Stripper Deck to do the tricks in this booklet.
The Stripper Deck is one of the most amazing gimmicked card decks available. For example: Let your spectator remove a card from the deck, replace it, and you can always immediately find the card! Find any selected card in the deck- instantly! Remove all four aces from the deck at the same time! Magically pull a complete card suit from a fully shuffled deck! Find a selected card after the deck has been shuffled by someone else! Make a selected card magically and suddenly appear- in your pocket! Seemingly pass a selected card right through a table! And much more! This booklet will teach you all you need to know!
By the way, the name of this deck, Stripper Deck, refers to the way the cards are cut, or "stripped". It is NOT an X-Rated trick in any way! It is simply a cleverly cut deck of cards that allows anyone, even children, to perform some astounding card tricks.
The Stripper Deck is similar to the Svengali Deck in that each deck has specially cut cards that help you do great card tricks with no sleight of hand. The Stripper Deck, however, can be handed to the spectator and shuffled if necessary.
We also carry DVD instructions for the Stripper Deck.
BOOKLET ONLY. You supply your own Stripper Deck.
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Hacker group Anonymous and the People's Liberation Front have created a data-sharing site called AnonPaste, meant to host pastes of code and other messages without any moderation or censorship of the information posted. The new site, which uses a free .tk web address, allows users to set a time for the paste to expire. It claims that data is encrypted and decrypted in the browser using 256 bit AES, so the server doesn't see any of the information included in the paste.The site says it's taking donations in the form of WePay or BitCoins.
The two groups launched AnonPaste as an alternative to the popular code-sharing site Pastebin, which has struggled to deal with its growing reputation as the popular hangout for malicious code or stolen data. Recently Pastebin has seen a huge growth in traffic, but it's also faced increasing DDOS attacks—one in February used over 20,000 unique IP addresses alone.
To deal with the growth in sometimes-illegal traffic, Jeroen Vader, a Dutch internet entrepreneur and the owner of Pastebin, has claimed that the site does occasionally filter out illegal information that gets pasted. He commented last week to the BBC that the site has complied with occasional law enforcement requests to turn over data. According to the press-release issued on AnonPaste this week, Pastebin's claims were largely the impetus for the creation of the new data-hosting site.
AnonPaste is built using open-source software called ZeroBin, created by French developer Sebastien Sauvage. According to Infoweek Sauvage has experience in creating online authentication systems for French banks, suggesting the creator knows a thing or two about encryption of data. Still, on the software's information page, Sauvage reminds potential users that ZeroBin software can not protect against potential Javascript attacks. "Users still have to trust the server regarding the respect of their privacy," he says. "ZeroBin won't protect the users against malicious servers."
Although Anonymous has used the news of AnonPaste to taunt Pastebin, Vader isn't worried about the popularity of his own site. He does see problems with the general idea of the new paste site though. "Having this new anonymous paste service online will most likely mean that less 'sensitive information' is posted on Pastebin.com, which we like," Vader told Ars, "But we think this new totally anonymous Paste site will be used mainly by people who have something to hide, people who are posting things that really shouldn't be posted. We see no benefit for normal legitimate users to use it over the currently existing paste websites. We are afraid that this site will be bombarded with people's personal information, credit-card details, and things such as child pornography."
In the press release, the creators of AnonPaste washed their hands regarding content: "Because the data on our servers is unreadable by us (or anyone), the responsibility for the legality or appropriateness of any paste lies solely with the person posting. So there will be no need for us to police this service, and in fact we don't even have the ability of deleting any particular paste."
Indeed, without the possibility of deleting information, authorities might argue the site poses a threat to personal privacy and institutional operations. Vader told Ars, "Here at Pastebin.com we think freedom of speech is very important, but we do think there should be some form of content moderation, because people do abuse paste websites, and if there is really no delete option, this could cause major harm." He added that yesterday his site released a "My Alerts" feature, which allows people to track names or keywords on Pastebin, so if illegal information shows up they can submit a takedown request to Pastebin in a timely manner.
And InfoWeek notes that ZeroBin has not been stress-tested against the kinds of DDOS and other attacks that might threaten AnonPaste's operation and philosophy of anonymity. As of this afternoon, access to AnonPaste has been on-and-off, suggesting there are still many hurdles for the endeavor to function at all.


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Talk about keeping it real.
The second season of Fantasia Barrino's VH1 show "Fantasia for Real" will show the singer crying in her hospital bed after attempting suicide, according to a four and a half minute trailer released Friday.
"I ended up waking up at the hospital. I have not fulfilled my destiny," the "American Idol" season 3 winner says, shown with tears streaming down her face and wires extending from her arms.
Barrino was rushed to the North Carolina hospital after overdosing on aspirin and a sleep aid on Aug. 9, the same day she reportedly read a court complaint by a woman who has accused the singer of destroying her marriage by having a year-long affair with her husband and allegedly making a sex tape with him.
Barrino has maintained she thought the man, Antwuan Cook, was separated at the time of their relationship.
According to a montage from the "Fantasia for Real" trailer posted on People.com, Barrino's show will cover the moments leading up to her hospitalization, her subsequent release and efforts at a comeback.
"My love life is very touchy," the singer says. "I have been in a lot of different situations that have not been good for me."
If the new season will chart Barrino at her lowest moments, it also seems to portray her as highly motivated to get her life back on track.
"I'm better now ... I take a licking and I keep on ticking," Barrino says. "Let them talk. Let them say what they want to say. But I'm still here."
The new season of "Fantasia for Real" kicks off at 10 p.m. ET Sunday on VH1.
Selected Reading: People, EW, Fantasia for Real


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Starlight 2
Tags: Puzzle Games / 3D Games
Publisher: ArmorGames.com
Video Walkthrough
There's only you and a night sky full of stars. Turn your imagination on and find out what pictures are hidden between the stars! Starlight 2 is here, with almost twice more levels that in original game. You've asked for challenge? Two new gameplay modes are there to satisfy those who aren't looking for easy ways. And now you can create your own constellations too! Check out built-in levels editor (with video tutorial). And don't forget to share your creation with others!
Use your mouse to rotate the stars.
Embed this game
Share this game


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Making the decision to breastfeed is a personal matter. It's also one that's likely to draw strong opinions from friends and family.
Many medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. And breastfeeding for a year at least with other foods which should be started at 6 months of age, such as vegetables, grains, fruits, proteins.
But you and your baby are unique, and the decision is up to you. This overview of breastfeeding can help you decide.
What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding for Your Baby?
Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat -- everything your baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.
Breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. What's more, the physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact all help your baby bond with you and feel secure. Breastfed infants are more likely to gain the right amount of weight as they grow rather than become overweight children. The AAP says breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's been thought to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers as well, but more research is needed.
Are There Breastfeeding Benefits for the Mother?
Breastfeeding burns extra calories, so it can help you lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth. Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. It may lower your risk of osteoporosis, too.
Since you don't have to buy and measure formula, sterilize nipples, or warm bottles, it saves you time and money. It also gives you regular time to relax quietly with your newborn as you bond.
Will I Make Enough Milk to Breastfeed?
The first few days after birth, your breasts make an ideal "first milk." It's called colostrum. Colostrum is thick, yellowish, and scant, but there's plenty to meet your baby's nutritional needs. Colostrum helps a newborn's digestive tract develop and prepare itself to digest breast milk.
Most babies lose a small amount of weight in the first 3 to 5 days after birth. This is unrelated to breastfeeding.
As your baby needs more milk and nurses more, your breasts respond by making more milk. Experts recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. If you supplement with formula, your breasts might make less milk.
Even if you breastfeed less than the recommended 6 months, it's better to breastfeed for a short time than no time at all. You can add solid food at 6 months but also continue to breastfeed if you want to keep producing milk.
What's the Best Position for Breastfeeding?
The best position for you is the one where you and your baby are both comfortable and relaxed, and you don't have to strain to hold the position or keep nursing. Here are some common positions for breastfeeding your baby:
- Cradle position. Rest the side of your baby's head in the crook of your elbow with his whole body facing you. Position your baby's belly against your body so he feels fully supported. Your other, "free" arm can wrap around to support your baby's head and neck -- or reach through your baby's legs to support the lower back.
- Football position. Line your baby's back along your forearm to hold your baby like a football, supporting his head and neck in your palm. This works best with newborns and small babies. It's also a good position if you're recovering from a cesarean birth and need to protect your belly from the pressure or weight of your baby.
- Side-lying position. This position is great for night feedings in bed. Side-lying also works well if you're recovering from an episiotomy, an incision to widen the vaginal opening during delivery. Use pillows under your head to get comfortable. Then snuggle close to your baby and use your free hand to lift your breast and nipple into your baby's mouth. Once your baby is correctly "latched on," support your baby's head and neck with your free hand so there's no twisting or straining to keep nursing.
How Do I Get My Baby to 'Latch on' During Breastfeeding?
Position your baby facing you, so your baby is comfortable and doesn't have to twist his neck to feed. With one hand, cup your breast and gently stroke your baby's lower lip with your nipple. Your baby's instinctive reflex will be to open the mouth wide. With your hand supporting your baby's neck, bring your baby's mouth closer around your nipple, trying to center your nipple in the baby's mouth above the tongue.
You'll know your baby is "latched on" correctly when both lips are pursed outward around your nipple. Your infant should have all of your nipple and most of the areola, which is the darker skin around your nipple, in his mouth. While you may feel a slight tingling or tugging, breastfeeding should not be painful. If your baby isn't latched on correctly and nursing with a smooth, comfortable rhythm, gently nudge your pinky between your baby's gums to break the suction, remove your nipple, and try again. Good "latching on" helps prevent sore nipples.
What Are the ABCs of Breastfeeding?
- A = Awareness. Watch for your baby's signs of hunger, and breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry. This is called "on demand" feeding. The first few weeks, you may be nursing eight to 12 times every 24 hours. Hungry infants move their hands toward their mouths, make sucking noises or mouth movements, or move toward your breast. Don't wait for your baby to cry. That's a sign he's too hungry.
- B = Be patient. Breastfeed as long as your baby wants to nurse each time. Don't hurry your infant through feedings. Infants typically breastfeed for 10 to 20 minutes on each breast.
- C = Comfort. This is key. Relax while breastfeeding, and your milk is more likely to "let down" and flow. Get yourself comfortable with pillows as needed to support your arms, head, and neck, and a footrest to support your feet and legs before you begin to breastfeed.
Are There Medical Considerations With Breastfeeding?
In a few situations, breastfeeding could cause a baby harm. You should not breastfeed if:
- You are HIV positive. You can pass the HIV virus to your infant through breast milk.
- You have active, untreated tuberculosis.
- You're receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
- You're using an illegal drug, such as cocaine or marijuana.
- Your baby has a rare condition called galactosemia and cannot tolerate the natural sugar, called galactose, in breast milk.
- You're taking certain prescription medications, such as some drugs for migraine headaches, Parkinson's disease, or arthritis.
Talk with your doctor before starting to breastfeed if you're taking prescription drugs of any kind. Your doctor can help you make an informed decision based on your particular medication.
Having a cold or flu should not prevent you from breastfeeding. Breast milk won't give your baby the illness and may even give antibodies to your baby to help fight off the illness.
Also, the AAP suggests that -- starting at 4 months of age -- exclusively breastfed infants, and infants who are partially breastfed and receive more than one-half of their daily feedings as human milk, should be supplemented with oral iron. This should continue until foods with iron, such as iron-fortified cereals, are introduced in the diet. The AAP recommends checking iron levels in all children at age 1.
Discuss supplementation of both iron and vitamin D with your pediatrician Your doctor can guide you on recommendations about the proper amounts for both your baby and you, when to start, and how often the supplements should be taken.
Why Do Some Women Choose Not to Breastfeed?
- Some women don't want to breastfeed in public.
- Some prefer the flexibility of knowing that a father or any caregiver can bottle-feed the baby any time.
- Babies tend to digest formula more slowly than breast milk, so bottle feedings may not be as frequent as breastfeeding sessions.
The time commitment, and being "on-call" for feedings every few hours of a newborn's life, isn't feasible for every woman. Some women fear that breastfeeding will ruin the appearance of their breasts. But most breast surgeons would argue that age, gravity, genetics, and lifestyle factors like smoking all change the shape of a woman's breasts more than breastfeeding does.
What Are Some Common Challenges With Breastfeeding?
- Sore nipples. You can expect some soreness in the first weeks of breastfeeding. Make sure your baby latches on correctly, and use one finger to break the suction of your baby's mouth after each feeding. That will help prevent sore nipples. If you still get sore, be sure you nurse with each breast fully enough to empty the milk ducts. If you don't, your breasts can become engorged, swollen, and painful. Holding ice or a bag of frozen peas against sore nipples can temporarily ease discomfort. Keeping your nipples dry and letting them "air dry" between feedings helps, too. Your baby tends to suck more actively at the start. So begin feedings with the less-sore nipple.
- Dry, cracked nipples. Avoid soaps, perfumed creams, or lotions with alcohol in them, which can make nipples even more dry and cracked. You can gently apply pure lanolin to your nipples after a feeding, but be sure you gently wash the lanolin off before breastfeeding again. Changing your bra pads often will help your nipples stay dry. And you should use only cotton bra pads.
- Worries about producing enough milk. A general rule of thumb is that a baby who's wetting six to eight diapers a day is most likely getting enough milk. Avoid supplementing your breast milk with formula, and never give your infant plain water. Your body needs the frequent, regular demand of your baby's nursing to keep producing milk. Some women mistakenly think they can't breastfeed if they have small breasts. But small-breasted women can make milk just as well as large-breasted women. Good nutrition, plenty of rest, and staying well hydrated all help, too.
Pumping and storing milk. You can get breast milk by hand or pump it with a breast pump. It may take a few days or weeks for your baby to get used to breast milk in a bottle. So begin practicing early if you're going back to work. Breast milk can be safely used within 2 days if it's stored in a refrigerator. You can freeze breast milk for up to 6 months. Don't warm up or thaw frozen breast milk in a microwave. That will destroy some of its immune-boosting qualities, and
it can cause fatty portions of the breast milk to become super hot. Thaw breast milk in the refrigerator or in a bowl of warm water instead.
Inverted nipples. An inverted nipple doesn't poke forward when you pinch the areola, the dark skin around the nipple. A lactation consultant -- a specialist in breastfeeding education -- can give simple tips that have allowed women with inverted nipples to breastfeed successfully.
Breast engorgement. Breast fullness is natural and healthy. It happens as your breasts become full of milk, staying soft and pliable. But breast engorgement means the blood vessels in your breast have become congested. This traps fluid in your breasts and makes them feel hard, painful, and swollen. Alternate heat and cold, for instance using ice packs and hot showers, to relieve mild symptoms. It can also help to release your milk by hand or use a breast pump.
Blocked ducts. A single sore spot on your breast, which may be red and hot, can signal a plugged milk duct. This can often be relieved by warm compresses and gentle massage over the area to release the blockage. More frequent nursing can also help.
Breast infection (mastitis). This occasionally results when bacteria enter the breast, often through a cracked nipple after breastfeeding. If you have a sore area on your breast along with flu-like symptoms, fever, and fatigue, call your doctor. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear up a breast infection, but you can most likely continue to breastfeed while you have the infection and take antibiotics. To relieve breast tenderness, apply moist heat to the sore area four times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time.
- Stress. Being overly anxious or stressed can interfere with your let-down reflex. That's your body's natural release of milk into the milk ducts. It's triggered by hormones released when your baby nurses. It can also be triggered just by hearing your baby cry or thinking about your baby. Stay as relaxed and calm as possible before and during nursing -- it can help your milk let down and flow more easily. That, in turn, can help calm and relax your infant.
- Premature babies may not be able to breastfeed right away. In some cases, mothers can release breast milk and feed it through a bottle or feeding tube.
Warning signs. Breastfeeding is a natural, healthy process. But call your doctor if:
- Your breasts become unusually red, swollen, hard, or sore.
- You have unusual discharge or bleeding from your nipples.
- You're concerned your baby isn't gaining weight or getting enough milk.
Where Can I Get Help With Breastfeeding?
Images of mothers breastfeeding their babies make it look simple -- but most women need some help and coaching. It can come from a nurse, doctor, family member, or friend, and it helps mothers get over possible bumps in the road.
Reach out to friends, family, and your doctor with any questions you may have. Most likely, the women in your life have had those same questions.


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Chris Sale gets an A-/B+ and is #1. From his scouting report:
I know some are worried about his arm action. I think those worries are overblown. If you are worried about his elbow going above his shoulder, the first thing I'd say is that the inverted arm action theory is just that: a theory, and it doesn't mean a pitcher is guaranteed for an injury-plagued career. The second thing I'd point out is that the height of Sale's elbow is exaggerated since his torso is hunched over, distorting the elbow's position as it relates to the shoulder.
Also, Sale's arm slot requires the elbow to drop back down to below shoulder's level. The elbow comes down before the period of maximum stress on one's shoulder. Remember, even those who completely buy into the inverted arm action theory will tell you it's not that the elbow goes higher than shoulder's height, it's if the elbow is above shoulder's height as it begins external rotation. You also have look at the front shoulder. Those who subscribe to the inverted arm action theory are concerned with a pitcher's timing. If the arm is not vertical and the front shoulder has begun opening, then you have a timing problem — I tend to agree with this.
If you look at Sale's mechanics, you'll notice he does a good job of keeping that front shoulder closed. In fact, Sale's front side mechanics are extremely sound. He firms up the glove out in front of his chest and brings his chest into the glove. As a result, he's able to keep his front shoulder from flying open and achieve excellent finish and extension on his pitches as well.
Brent Morel (B-), Jared Mitchell (B-), Jacob Petricka (B-), and Trayce Thompson (C+) round up the Top 5. Hit the link for the full report on Sale.


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14-09-2016, 00:22 #1
New Integrated Homepage
New Homepage Trial!
Just an early introduction to our potentially new integrated homepage, it's still in testing mode and a lot to be changed and tested but please give us your feedback!
The link to the homepage is in the top left hand corner of the screen, or it can be seen by visiting S15 Owners Club - Homepage
From the homepage you will be able to see our latest announcements, in the top right of the page there is a calendar and towards the bottom of the page a listing of the latest updated threads.
Latest Threads (bottom of page)
As mentioned above, this is launched on a trial basis. We would like feedback and suggestions from all members who are kind enough to spend a moment doing so.
Our ultimate goal is to be able to give an All-in-one homepage for our users where they can see the latest upcoming Meets and Events, be able to view the latest news regarding S15oc and view a summary of the latest activity on the forum.
We hope this improves the usability and experience of the forum for you
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