A combination of yelling, laughing and victory cries come from Munson Hall room 809. The Redskins are facing off with the Packers in a heated battle. Their destiny is in the hands of sophomores Kyle Slavin and Douglas Park.

Slavin and Park spend about an hour a day procrastinating from studies by playing NFL Blitz on Nintendo 64. This is no normal study break – it is an addiction.

“No video games equals more stress,” Park said as he started another round of this simulated football game.

Addictions take on many forms. Some students run to Ben and Jerry’s to fill their ice cream fix, and others run to Starbucks for caffeine.

For the sophomore Nintendo duo, an hour a day with computerized football helps ease roommate tension and calms the daily stresses of college life.

“Basically we get out all of our animosity,” Slavin said.

The sophomores said time spent playing video games has not hurt their grades.

Other students around campus have caught the video game bug.

“I really didn’t understand the allure at first, but after I discovered it, I got hooked,” sophomore Jamie Rovira said about addiction to Snood last year.

Many freshmen come to GW with high hopes of a 4.0 grade point average only to find themselves playing a computer game for four hours straight the night before their first midterm.

“You always want to beat the high score,” freshman Isaac Fitzgerald said, a self-labeled addict to such computer games as Tetris, Solitaire and Online Gambling. Isaac plays computer games to relax during study breaks.

But are computer games at fault for causing a diversion for many students with a problem for procrastination, or is it human nature to find a way of getting out of work?

“I think something else would distract me,” Fitzgerald said.

More distractions can be found at the center in the Marvin Center. It is a magical place to those with meal points who have a love for ice cream or a need for caffeine to pull all-nighters. Long lines at Starbucks and Ben and Jerry’s attest to the prevalence of addictions on campus.

“I need more and more because I think my body is immune to it because I drink so much,” said freshman Susan Roe, who drinks about five cups of coffee, tea and soda most days.

“I drink a lot at night when I need to study,” freshman Julia Kramer said. She said she drinks Frappaccinos almost every night to keep her alert.

If coffee is not needed for a night of studying, right downstairs is one of the most popular ice cream franchises in the country. Ever since Ben and Jerry’s opened a few weeks ago the hypnotic smell of freshly baked waffle cones has filled the basement of the Marvin Center with overzealous students with a gleam in their eye for Cherry Garcia and other flavors.

“Now that it’s here, it is so hard to avoid,” said Rovira, stops by the shop every day in between classes.

The Nintendo 64 sits in front of Park and Slavin, waiting for another round after a grueling game of NFL Blitz. The loser has to repair the emotional damage by challenging the victor to another game. It cannot wait. it must be addressed now. One more game, just one more attempt at victory.