By Kristyn Shannon

At 11 a.m. on Feb. 4, Dr. Keith Massie, professor of communication studies, is giving a lecture in the Sharadin Art building in room 120 titled “The Visual Rhetoric within Dark Summoner: An Analysis of Depictions within a Popular Smartphone App Game.”

Massie provides an in depth look at three aspects of this game including a distinction in representation between male and female characters, the sexualizing and passivity of women, and the use of a symbolic rape within the game.

Massie believes that the subjugation of women in the app “sends a powerful, corrupt message to both men and women.” The seminar is his way of showing the need to be aware of the ways in which society and media are attempting to shape our identity.

“I usually dabble with video games in order to have a feel for what ‘gamers’ are doing and engaging in,” said Massie on his downloading of the Dark Summoner app. He began to notice trends and the patterns he found lead to good research.

This does not affect some students, as there are many on campus that prefer console games to app video games.

Brianna Bennet, senior, said console games are “more interesting and engaging because the time has been taken to develop a strong storyline.”

While console apps create a more in depth story with more realistic scenes, app video games allow for gaming on the go where they can be checked whenever time allows, which adds to the addictive appeal.

“Phone apps are way more addicting because of the simplicity in them; they don’t take a lot of time to learn,” said senior Ashley Mecca.

Massie believes that everyone who attends could gain some knowledge that could be useful to a diverse population. Some of the speech will speak to college students and gamers, while other parts will aim at faculty who are parents.

For more information, contact Dr. Keith Massie.