originally posted in:UniversityOfTheLastCity
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A couple people have requested to join and have been denied because they have not attended college/university. I explained the situation to them and in both instances they were cordial and understanding, and withdrew membership. I wanted to post that explanation here, hopefully to prevent any confusion in the future.
UTLC is a community of students, yes. However, we are more than that. We are a community of higher learning and unique situations. The university environment creates challenges that high school (secondary school for those outside of the USA) and lower levels of education do not pose. Because of these challenges, college students must allocate their most precious resource, time, very sparingly. This is unfortunate for those of us who game as it is an enjoyable hobby, but a time consuming one. Moreover, our hectic schedules may make it difficult to play together. Indeed, it deserves mentioning that there is still slight social stigma to the video game culture that makes discussing it outside of a close knit group of friends awkward. It is not nearly what it was when I was younger (e.g. 5-10 years ago) but it is still there. I am very happy to say that I think Destiny bridges this gap and makes it easier for gamers to connect via social media and their awesome apparel and symbolism (I got myself a Hunter Tshirt from the Bungie Store). Casual gamers will be more respected and catered to in Destiny. But I digress.
Due to college students facing these unique challenges (though not so unique to adults who are out in the workforce already), we wanted to create a community for these students. UTLC is the culmination of that dream. Because we want members who understand what our life is like, and who are open-minded and respectful in the way a University experience can give you, we want to stay exclusive to college students and graduates. Graduates face an ever wider array of challenges, and they can relate to our situation as current students along with passing on wisdom from the days of yore. These are the reasons why we must ask high school, middle school, primary school, and secondary school students to look elsewhere for a group that better fits them. It is not anything against you all, simply a matter of having a target audience. Indeed, we hope that someday these Guardians will pursue higher education and join our ranks. But a position in UTLC is to be aspired to, not expected. We welcome all Guardians with time.
I hope this clears the air on any questions or concerns relating to your membership at the UTLC. We thank all Guardians for their interest, support, and enthusiasm, especially over the last 24 hours. We look forward to fighting alongside you on September 9th.
Cheers,
SmrtAngel3702
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I'm not eligible for the group(yet, I will be in about 4 years), but I found your argument very respectful and well thought out and explained.