Scientists may believe that video games are linked to increased violence and crime, but for the members of the Interscholastic Gaming League (IGL) club, video games are both an outlet for stress reduction and social interaction.

Games commonly played at club meetings include Rock Band and Super Smash Bros. “Rock Band is about music,” sophomore club member Kyle Lian said. “[Super Smash Bros. Melee] is just random fighting. Everything involves a lot of hand-eye coordination.”

According to Rock Band’s official web site, Microsoft Xbox 360’s Rock Band video game allows players to “put together a band, play in it and tour for fame and fortune, all while learning to master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.”

Another video game usually played at the IGL meetings, Nintendo GameCube’s Super Smash Bros. Melee, “features [favorite Nintendo characters] and other video game icons in furious, yet utterly absurd fisticuffs that usually make for a smashing good time,” according to a review from Amazon.

However, the club did not originally appeal to video game players. “We used to have a lot of [online computer] gamers, which is where the term ‘[local area network] parties’ comes from,” club advisor Eric Ledgerwood said. “But [connecting to the Internet on campus was really hard], so we switched to more console-based games, which brought in a lot of casual gamers.”

The club was originally created as the Cyberathlete Scholastic League five years ago. According to Ledgerwood, the club has since changed its student demographics with the addition of more casual video games, such as Rock Band. “It’s easy for anyone to pick up a mike and sing karaoke-style or to pick up a set of drum sticks,” Ledgerwood said.

Students said that playing video games during club meetings gives them a chance to interact with other students. “The club provides friendly competition, and a place to help relieve stress in high school,” senior club vice president Alexander Rasgon said.

However, Ledgerwood feels that the club offers more than just video games for members to play. “It’s really become sort of two-fold,” Ledgerwood said. “On one hand, it’s a place to hang out with friends, but we also get together with other schools for [interschool video game tournaments once a month].”

The main purpose of the club “is to be a place [for members] to enjoy [themselves], and be part of something that’s fun,” Ledgerwood said.

Despite misconceptions that the IGL meetings are filled with only male “hard-core” gamers, there are a few female club members who also attend the club meetings regularly. “Being one of the only girls feels weird,” sophomore club member Pejing Lee said. “But it’s still really fun to come because I like to play the games, and the guys aren’t too mean about it usually.”

The IGL meets every day at lunch except for Thursday in S-8.