Geek of the week: Malachi McDonald

While geeks tend to be a different breed from the rest of society, many chose to not embrace popular culture and march to the beat of their own drum. Whether he’s rapidly switching conversation topics from Magic to video games or planning out his next insane scheme in an RPG, Freshman Malachi McDonald is confined to his own realm of geekiness.

[Oredigger]: Why did you go for Mining Engineering?
[McDonald]: I actually met the head of the department and he sold me on it.

What’s been your favorite class?
Probably NHV. I actually had a really good group where when we held a debate, we could hold it in an intellectual and interesting manner…they actually knew what they were talking about!

Are you a geek and why?
Yes, I’m a geek. I go to Mines, I play League of Legends, I play Skyrim, I play Dwarf Fortress, I play all the geek games, I play geek card games, I’m in all the geek clubs…I don’t see how I could not be a geek.

How do you occupy your spare moments?
Games. Lots and lots of games.

What have been your greatest accomplishments thus far?
The Pyramids, the tower of Babel (they cut me out before it collapsed), the Hanging Gardens, and surviving two years in Dwarf Fortress.

What would you do if you suddenly found yourself face-to-face with Batman?
[I would be] half-tempted to ask how his parents are doing and the other half wants to ask if he has got any catnip in his utility belt.

If you could be dropped into any fictional setting, what would it be and why?
Pokémon would be fun. I mean, [you are a] ten year old with money told to go off and if you beat people…you get their money. It’s essentially free money. Plus, it is Pokémon. I could have a team of muggers—I mean companions.

What’s your favorite thing about Mines?
The fellow geeks. I mean, I have a table where I sit every day and we’re all geeking out. What more is there to love than people who actually click with and understand you?

Assuming there was a semi-silent protagonist tournament, who would win in a fight: Link or Gordon Freeman?
Considering he can summon four giants that can stop the moon from crashing on Earth, I would have to say Link. If he brings Navi, Gordon Freeman will be too distracted trying to kill her to notice Link stabbing him.

What’s your best nerd story?
I was playing a crazy doctor in a “Firefly” RPG and I had spent the whole adventure with my lab coat on backwards. We got to the final encounter with the mayor and the sheriff of the town, the sheriff had a gun pointed at me, and I whipped off my lab coat. My character had two bandoliers with all these poison and gas grenades strapped to his chest. My character was immune to the grenade poisons and effects, but no one else was. The rest of my party was freaking out and I looked at the sheriff and tried to scare him into putting the gun down. The GM rolled to see what the sheriff would do and started laughing. Apparently, the sheriff had crit-ed his will check, so he kept the gun pointed at me. So, I pulled the pins on the grenades and things went insane. Two of our party members bolted out the door, the rest ran upstairs and jumped out the windows, the mayor and the sheriff start choking, and I’m just calmly walking around in the chaos. It was awesome!

Do you have any plans for the future?
I would like to see Australia.

Do you have a favorite quote?
“Losing is fun.” – Dwarf Fortress

Do you have any advice for fellow geeks and Mines students?
Don’t play Dwarf Fortress. It’s just a great way to lose your soul, so don’t.