Video arcade a flashback to glory days of childhood

Published: Friday, February 27, 1998

Friday, February 27, 1998

By Carol McKay

Daily Bruin Staff

The population of UCLA students largely consists of twentysomethings. The days of lunch boxes, legwarmers and pegged jeans are gone. Images of the A-Team and Knight Rider no longer dominate our television sets, and My Little Ponies and Legos have long been forgotten.

Yet, despite the fact that we conquered Space Invaders, Miss Pacman and Dr. Mario years ago, the arcades remain.

There's one in Ackerman. There's one in Westwood. And when the one near Sunset Village was rumored to be shut down, student hysteria ensued.

So what's the deal? Why are the male-dominated arcades so freaking popular? Haven't we outgrown this? Or is the popularity of arcades simply evidence of our tight-fisted, youthful nostalgia?

"It's a form of stress relief."

Doan Ha

Fifth-year

Physiological sciences

"They have nothing else to do. It's a way to vent, to release. It's just so you can get kind of spaced out."

Alice Chen

Second-year

Undeclared

"It's a form of distraction. It gives you time to get away. Since you don't have to talk to people while you're doing it, it's a way of letting things out by yourself and having fun by yourself."

Adriana Lopez

Third-year

History and Education

"That place is full of guys. Guys love video games. It's the thing to do, I guess. Girls like video games like Nintendo, but not at the arcade. Guys are addicted. They want to show who's better."

Bethany Audriuzzo

Fourth-year

Sociology

"Some people do it in their spare time to have fun. But there are others who do it because they have no life."

Lisa Kingery

First-year

Undeclared

"I'm personally not interested. But I know that for my friends, it's a break from school. It's linked back to when we didn't have to worry so much. And it's a good way to compete nonviolently. It gives a way for people who aren't as good at sports to compete with their friends."

David Hill

Second-year

Political science