Twitch – Memphis Flyer

An amendment proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) that would bar the U.S. military from using the popular video game streaming site, Twitch, was struck down in the House last week.

Launched in 2011, Twitch is now one of the largest video game streaming sites in the world, with more than 15 million average users per day. Users tune in to watch personalities play games as well as interact with them through the chat feature. `

The proposed amendment to the House Appropriations Bill would have prohibited the use of funds for military recruitment via Twitch and other esports activities. The amendment was introduced in response to the aggressive recruiting that had been used by all branches of the military on the site, with the U.S Army being the most prevalent.

The U.S military branches had been cited on multiple occasions for their predatory recruitment tactics that seemed to target children visiting the site. In early July, the U.S Army was given a warning by the site for using fake giveaway links that directed people to recruitment pages.

Piyush Kumar, founder of Memphis-based esports team, Glaive Esports, was critical of the practice.

“I think that U.S Army recruitment is important, but there is a reasonable place for it,” said Kumar. “There is a section on Twitch called “Just Chatting,” where content creators can directly speak to viewers about a range of topics, and many of them can be educational. I see no harm in the military giving educational presentations on the platform about joining the military, but baiting viewers with false giveaways is not the right way to go about it.”

The tactic was also condemned by Ocasio-Cortez.

Though the draft of the amendment was initially approved, Ocasio-Cortez relayed frustration at her colleagues’ lack of knowledge regarding the amendment via Twitter following the vote.

Imagine trying to explain to your colleagues who are members of Congress what Twitch is 😭

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 30, 2020

House Blocks Amendment To Bar U.S. Military Recruiting on Video Game Sites (2)

Both the U.S Army and the U.S Navy have denied wrongdoing and have stated that they will continue to stream on Twitch.

Marcos Almendarez

DJ Scotty B

Lightclub Memphis, a community of like-minded individuals whose emphasis is to provide a safe, drug-free environment for members to dance, connect, and enjoy electronic music, has been hosting bi-weekly or monthly events since 2014.

Their goal has always been for the group’s members to enjoy “love and light” while also reveling in an immersive experience, with a state-of-the art 3D projection mapping installation and holograms serving as a backdrop for an evening of free meals cooked up by longtime member Antonio Sanders and multiple genres of electronic music performed by local DJs.

“I made it a personal mission to create a safe space where people could come and connect, dance, and not have to escape life with drugs,” says Lightclub founder Scotty Bollinger. “I feel like people take drugs to escape reality and to mask pain. Our hope at Lightclub is that if you will take a risk and come as you are, you can feel the same acceptance and escape the pain of life for a bit without having to do damage to your body.”

However, by 2018, Lightclub’s community grew so large that Bollinger could no longer safely host events at his property, so he took a hiatus from hosting private parties and began to focus on performing shows at local venues like Black Lodge, The New Daisy, and CANVAS.

But when the outbreak of COVID-19 forced all venues to close for the unforeseeable future, Bollinger wanted to figure out a way to continue to get his and others’ music out there.
“I saw a lot of other DJs starting to post online sets, and a couple of friends reached out to see if I was interested,” says Bollinger. “After tuning into other people’s sets, I realized it was a great way to still have connection.”

Jacob Platania

3D projection mapping installation and holograms

So Bollinger arranged a weekly Friday night online Twitch stream, kicking off the series with an evening of melodic techno with special guest DJ AD on April 10th. Since then, Bollinger has hosted six other local DJs, including Tree, Mylon Webb, Alora, Shinobi Senses, mado, and Jordan Rogers.

“The reception has honestly been better than I had hoped,” says Bollinger. “People are happy to connect and hear the music they love. Some of the local hula hoop community sent me pictures of the stream on the TV and them hooping while we were performing. It’s really cool to see people getting to do what they love in this challenging season.”

Although members of Lightclub Memphis can no longer meet in-person to enjoy the atmosphere, Bollinger says he’s grateful for the opportunity to provide an online space for the core community to engage with each other while also enjoying the audio and visual aspects of what Lightclub has to offer from the comfort of their homes.

“Most people are bored at home and this is a small reminder of normalcy,” says Bollinger. “Music is a universal language that soothes the soul. Around half of my performers DJ for a living and are out of work, and this gives them a chance to still be expressive and connect with their friends. In some ways, it’s as much for the DJs as it is for those who tune in.”

Tune in every Friday night at 8 p.m. by heading over to twitch.tv/lightclubmemphis. Free. Visit lightclubmemphis.com for more information about Lightclub Memphis.