Question
PASSAGE 2: Video Game Scholarships
By Katie Jones
Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles, Missouri has an esports team. In a September 2019 article for the NBC News website, Brian Seto McGrath described how esports—electronic sports—became an important activity at Francis Howell. Kris Miller, the school’s guidance counselor, was visiting a college in 2018 when he saw the college esports facility. Miller decided that his high school should start an esports team, too. In time, Miller invited college coaches to meet the new esports team. Two of the students were invited to play at a university tournament for a game called Overwatch. Later, they were offered $100,000 in scholarships by the university.
“If colleges are offering scholarships,” Miller said, “our kids should be competing for them.” Many parents became enthusiastic about high school esports when they realized that their child may be able to obtain money for college. Physical education teachers were less excited. They questioned whether esports are really athletics and should be eligible for scholarships. Esports promoters point out that, like traditional sports, esports rely upon reflexes, strategy, skilled execution, and teamwork.
There can be injuries from athletics, of course, and the same is true for esports. Gripping a controller for hours a day can lead to joint pain in the fingers and hands. Repetitive movements can cause inflammation in tendons. Staring at a screen for hours on end may cause eye strain. Football players would likely say that these injuries pale in comparison to what they experience, from bruises and broken bones to concussions.
There are some who believe that students who focus on gaming may develop unhealthy habits. Unlike traditional sports, esports require players to stay in one place without much movement. This can be unhealthy at best and cause blood clots at the most extreme level.
Video game scholarships are not just for game players, it turns out. Many schools offer tuition support for students who are interested in game design. For example, the New York University Game Center created a scholarship with EVO, the longest-running fighting game contest. The program supports students who want to study game design at the university. The Entertainment Software Association Foundation and the National Videogame Museum also offer financial aid for students interested in game arts. The awards are open to high school students who want to pursue a career in game design.
For technology-minded students, video game scholarships offer a chance to get paid to play, just like students who play traditional sports.
4. Read this sentence from Passage 2.
There are some who believe that students who focus on gaming may develop unhealthy habits.
How does the information from BOTH sources support this claim? Use at least ONE detail from Source 1 and ONE detail from Source 2 to support your response. Write your answer in the space provided. Remember to clearly reference the texts.
By Katie Jones
Francis Howell Central High School in St. Charles, Missouri has an esports team. In a September 2019 article for the NBC News website, Brian Seto McGrath described how esports—electronic sports—became an important activity at Francis Howell. Kris Miller, the school’s guidance counselor, was visiting a college in 2018 when he saw the college esports facility. Miller decided that his high school should start an esports team, too. In time, Miller invited college coaches to meet the new esports team. Two of the students were invited to play at a university tournament for a game called Overwatch. Later, they were offered $100,000 in scholarships by the university.
“If colleges are offering scholarships,” Miller said, “our kids should be competing for them.” Many parents became enthusiastic about high school esports when they realized that their child may be able to obtain money for college. Physical education teachers were less excited. They questioned whether esports are really athletics and should be eligible for scholarships. Esports promoters point out that, like traditional sports, esports rely upon reflexes, strategy, skilled execution, and teamwork.
There can be injuries from athletics, of course, and the same is true for esports. Gripping a controller for hours a day can lead to joint pain in the fingers and hands. Repetitive movements can cause inflammation in tendons. Staring at a screen for hours on end may cause eye strain. Football players would likely say that these injuries pale in comparison to what they experience, from bruises and broken bones to concussions.
There are some who believe that students who focus on gaming may develop unhealthy habits. Unlike traditional sports, esports require players to stay in one place without much movement. This can be unhealthy at best and cause blood clots at the most extreme level.
Video game scholarships are not just for game players, it turns out. Many schools offer tuition support for students who are interested in game design. For example, the New York University Game Center created a scholarship with EVO, the longest-running fighting game contest. The program supports students who want to study game design at the university. The Entertainment Software Association Foundation and the National Videogame Museum also offer financial aid for students interested in game arts. The awards are open to high school students who want to pursue a career in game design.
For technology-minded students, video game scholarships offer a chance to get paid to play, just like students who play traditional sports.
4. Read this sentence from Passage 2.
There are some who believe that students who focus on gaming may develop unhealthy habits.
How does the information from BOTH sources support this claim? Use at least ONE detail from Source 1 and ONE detail from Source 2 to support your response. Write your answer in the space provided. Remember to clearly reference the texts.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
In Source 1, the article discusses the impact of excessive gaming on physical health, mentioning that "spending too much time in front of screens can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to issues such as obesity and cardiovascular disease." This highlights the potential for unhealthy habits among students who are heavily focused on gaming, as their lack of physical activity may lead to various health problems.
In Source 2, the passage reinforces this claim by noting that "unlike traditional sports, esports require players to stay in one place without much movement," suggesting that the sedentary nature of gaming can have negative health effects as well. Furthermore, it mentions extreme consequences such as "blood clots," which further illustrates the seriousness of these unhealthy habits.
Together, both sources provide evidence that the focus on gaming can lead to detrimental health habits, underscoring the potential risks associated with a lifestyle centered around esports.
In Source 2, the passage reinforces this claim by noting that "unlike traditional sports, esports require players to stay in one place without much movement," suggesting that the sedentary nature of gaming can have negative health effects as well. Furthermore, it mentions extreme consequences such as "blood clots," which further illustrates the seriousness of these unhealthy habits.
Together, both sources provide evidence that the focus on gaming can lead to detrimental health habits, underscoring the potential risks associated with a lifestyle centered around esports.