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UC Berkeley Starcraft class debunked
Study Starcraft for college. Yeah, you read it right, and no, I am NOT kidding! Students in UC - Berkeley can take up StarCraft studies for college credits.
This was the headline and intro for a story on a site that I didn't intend to link to when I saw it, and I'm not going to start now. Of course, it was picked up and passed around as news over the last few days by the usual sites. It feeds neatly into other urban legends about Starcraft (some of which are actually true), and it even has a side dish of "LOL Berkeley!"
What a relief to read from someone who bothered to take a closer look. Troy Goodfellow finally debunks it on his blog....this is apparently a DeCal course - a student initiated class in Berkeley's democratic, alternative education program. There are also classes listed in playing outside, Firefly, and Chinese for restaurants. The Starcraft course is nowhere on the official DeCal list, though.
By Leord at 11:54 AM ON 01/30/09
It's not really possible to debunk though, since it's REAL...
http://www.starcraftwire.net/blog/comments/study-starcraft-for-college/
Read the comments on DeCal.
By andrewdoull at 4:33 PM ON 01/30/09
And from the sound of it, will be an interesting and challenging course. See sirlin.net for a write up on the 1st class.
By Benjamin Barker at 8:34 PM ON 01/30/09
As alumni (who aren't too old) know there are always crazy DeCal classes. DeCal classes are worth one unit (not three or four) and one is limited in how many can be taken. They're also always pass/fail-- you don't get a full grade-- and there are limits to how many pass/fail classes one can take too. DeCal has long provided fodder for "crazy class at Berkeley" stories, so please next time you see such, remember it's probably a DeCal class, and that they are a very limited part of the curriculum.
By c0de at 11:37 AM ON 01/31/09
Actually Benjamin, it's worth 2 credits =D
By Benjamin Barker at 12:54 PM ON 01/31/09
Sorry, that was from personal memory and it's been a while. Thanks for the correction.
By robertp at 11:51 PM ON 02/01/09
Troy Goodfellow is an idiot. the class is real, and it actually looks pretty challenging.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34931692@N07/3242744933/in/set-72157613178035097/
By Tom Chick at 2:25 AM ON 02/02/09
Troy's debunking it isn't saying it's not real. The problem is that it was passed around as an overblown "OMG play Starcraft for a degree!!1!" story, which is clearly not the case. It's part of a program of fringe studies at Berkeley (How's that for an oxymoron? And can I get a rimshot?) with very limited application to an actual degree. I think if you guys will read the link to Troy's blog, you'll see not only that his debunking is thorough and substantiated, but that some of the coverage of the "story" is absolutely absurd. This is a non-story blown out of proportion by a giddy Starcraft fan site and then passed along by lazy bloggers.
By Andrew Doull at 5:29 AM ON 02/04/09
Or you could be a non-lazy blogger and actually attend the course (http://www.sirlin.net/blog/2009/1/30/uc-berkeley-starcraft-class-week-1.html). It's still a story - just not a 'news' story. For a game designer, or game aficionado, this is interesting stuff.
By bahimiron at 10:42 AM ON 02/04/09
Isn't Berkley the school that gave a guy a PhD in magic? Why did I go to Kansas University?
bahimiron:
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