<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Christina Kelly&#039;s Portfolio]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://christinajkelly.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Christina]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://christinajkelly.com/author/peanutsc/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[The Collegiate StarLeague:&nbsp;MIT]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is right across the river from me.&#160; That being said, the MIT CSL team’s side of the match didn’t take place on campus.&#160; Instead, my trusty photographer assistant Michael and I headed over to Brookline &#8211; a nearby town that also happens to be my hometown – to the ZBT fraternity house on a quiet residential street.&#160; </p>
<p>Unlike the Princeton side, this match was not open to the public.&#160; It was a quiet, homey setup, with the six players and an extra girlfriend gathered around a couple long white tables in a dining area.&#160; The MIT captain, Yang (aka Sedraxis), was very hospitable and offered us access to the wealth of food in the kitchen as well as a tour of the house’s facilities.&#160; Michael and I arrived at 8 with a half hour to spare before the match was set to begin.&#160; </p>
<p><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" height="375" src="https://i1.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3320/3272899306_c1ab463bd1.jpg" width="500" /> </p>
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<p align="center">I guess Yang hadn’t had dinner …</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/3272079721_9f7fde630e.jpg" /></p>
<p align="center">Setting up the hardware and software before the match</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3427/3272080055_01f582546a.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">Testing headsets, reviewing strategies</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/3272080401_f936d07af1.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">Bubble tea: drink of champions</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center">One of the players also had commentating aspirations, so he sat in a comfy chair in the next room and prepared to live-cast the games.</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i1.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3272080699_af8a407fc3.jpg" /> </p>
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<p align="center">Puffy jacket required</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center">Then, even though the MIT team had taken the time earlier in the day to test out the streaming system, technical difficulties struck.&#160; Yang was a man of action, running around with frantic energy and not hesitating for an instant to call Hazel up with questions about iCCup launcher.</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/3272900882_11cc3abe13.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">“Houston, we have a problem.”</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3447/3272901224_697f53a5c7.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">Yang had the brilliant idea of setting up a webcam so that his laptop could record player reactions during the games.&#160; Maybe he’d catch a look of shock during an unexpected drop?</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i1.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3272901518_8b623d175c.jpg" /> </p>
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<p align="center">Last-minute warmups while technical difficulties were holding things up</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3313/3272901774_81b20a0ce6.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">Apparently fleece hoodies and pullovers were the uniform of choice.&#160; Northface, this is a great sponsorship opportunity!</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3272902100_0be459ee2f.jpg" /> </p>
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<p align="center">Things were looking grim on the technical side, but we all knew the issues would get resolved in the end.&#160; The only question was whether there’d be an audience left …</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/3272084109_5a87213624.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">The shirt naturally requires a fistpump.&#160; Yes!</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3378/3272904438_d8b9ed2df2.jpg" /> </p>
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<p align="center">Yep, that’s the first four zerglings after a nine-pool.&#160; Oh, and Peanut in the background.</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/3272084891_5eb4be5ce7.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">It’s all about teamwork.&#160; Even the 1v1s (scrimmage games!).</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3526/3272085311_2c4aed1f3a.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">No fancy-pants Macs for this team.&#160; SC runs better on a sleek black Toshiba.</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i1.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3401/3272086021_a179ea4985.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">“Someone stole the cookies?&#160; Who would do such a thing?!!”</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3498/3272086419_d3161468ec.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">This is no mere college student.&#160; This, my friends, is a WARRIOR!</p>
<p align="center">&#160;</p>
<p align="center"><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i0.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/3272906602_4c228ec299.jpg" /> </p>
<p align="center">Can you handle this?!</p>
<p>I had to leave before the third game, unfortunately, but it was really great meeting the MIT team and witnessing this historic event.&#160; I did a few interviews with the captain and players – you can check them out on <a href="http://youtube.com/peanutsc1">my youtube page</a>.&#160; They have really interesting things to say!&#160; Here’s one to whet your appetite:</p>
<div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:ed22dcc2-74a6-4346-ad29-2e8ae43fe875" style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;width:425px;margin-right:auto;padding:0;">
<div><span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='640' height='360' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WpEqQm4Plc4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;' sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation'></iframe></span></div>
</div>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>And finally, here’s a message from the MIT team to all you would-be challengers:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><img style="display:block;float:none;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;" src="https://i2.wp.com/farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3272907058_5bbb17b809.jpg" /> </p>
<p>Yeah, that’s right.&#160; Peanut out!</p>
<p><a href="http://sc2gg.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6709">link</a></p>
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