Sept. 9, 2016
Entertainment
Page 5
Pokémon Go, going, gone? Will groundbreaking new game take over campus?
Claire Rauf Contributing Writer These days, a quality shared by both culture and technology is instantaneity. People expect to be entertained, informed and taught by quick, vapid soundbites of information. A study by Microsoft has shown that the advent of mobile, computerized technology is to blame, with results that illustrate how the average human attention span has fallen from 12 to eight seconds since the year 2000. That is one second shorter than a goldfish’s attention span. While the gaming industry caters to this fast-paced and vapid lifestyle, it is also adversely affected. An example of this is a now moderately un-played game that had taken over the world just last month: “Pokémon Go.”
The game is centered on the classic premise of “Pokémon:” to “catch ‘em all, and to be the very best” (at least in your town). Once a player logs in and creates an avatar, Pokémon immediately start popping up in relation to the GPS location. Imagine Google Maps, but with virtual creatures. The highlight of the game is its “augmented reality” feature: using the camera on a phone, the Pokémon will appear to be directly in front of the player. It is a fun and fascinating trick, most often resulting in too many photos of your unsuspecting friends with Ratatas on their heads. After catching it, a Pokémon will be available in the inventory to trade in, level up and evolve into more powerful forms. One could satisfy themselves by simply collecting new Pokémon and
A night of laughter
OBOB delights new freshmen Angela Kim Contributing Writer After several months of planning, prayer and preparation, the Orientation Board finally had the opportunity to meet the class of 2020 on the morning of Thursday, Aug. 25. The real show, however, did not hit the road until Sunday night. “OBOB” stands for “Orientation Board Off Broadway,” in which all five OB committees and the freshmen resident assistants perform comedic skits for the freshmen. The goal is always to make them laugh before the first day of classes hits – to relieve stress before the semester really begins. Each committee had several months to write a script, five days to practice, and one dress rehearsal before stepping onto stage for the real show. The social committee – in charge of running the Graffiti Dance, Community Luncheon and the Street Dance,
etc. – also prepared a dance to perform at the end of their skit. This year, they danced to Backstreet Boys, led by Emily Fletcher. When the song came to an end, they ran from the stage screaming “intermission!” at the top of their lungs. The final show was a smashing success. Just as hoped, the Orientation Board and the RAs got the freshmen to laugh until their sides hurt the night before their classes started. It was exciting to see the OB members say their lines perfectly and to watch the crowd’s roaring laughter as a result. A week of practicing and fixing mistakes paid off. “It’s so satisfying to see it all come together and know that it was a team effort by people I love so much,” said Maya Craig, a senior serving on OB for the third year in a row. If you missed OBOB this year, do not worry – next year’s performance will come soon enough!
filling up their Pokédex, an encyclopedic catalog which fills in information about all 150 Pokémon as they are acquired, a much more daunting task than it seems. The other option is battling. Gyms are most often found at churches, but by Grove City College there are three gyms. The one on campus is at the Pythagorean Pi statue outside of the Physical Learning Center. The other two are at the Guthrie theatre and the fish statue across the street from the post office. Thirteen hours after the game was released, “Pokémon Go” topped the chart for the highest-grossing app in the U.S., and has since continued to break international mobile gaming records, according to Digital Statistics and Gadgets. The initial excitement has declined slightly, but not enough for the news media
to declare the game dead. As of Sept. 3, the Chicago Tribune reported that app analysts say “Pokémon Go” has over 160 million downloads, and millions of fans continue to play daily. As for Grove City College, the biggest buzz the game generated was when a July 9 post on the Facebook page “Overheard at GCC” revealed that there was a gym on campus. “I played the game for a little bit at home, but stopped when I came to school. Right now it’s just more important for me to focus on schoolwork than wander around campus,” junior Courtney Drescher said. The gyms both on campus and in downtown Grove City shuffle leaders every few days, so there are still some loyal players in the area. In a world where millennials are almost constantly being rebuked for lacking
local community, “Pokémon Go” seems to be an answer. Thousands of people across the world have publicly expressed admiration for the exploration the game requires, as it has helped them to leave the house, meet new people and traverse their neighborhood in a way that most never have. “Pokémon Go’s” impact on Grove City College, however, appears to have been quite minimal. The novelty of the game seems to have already diminished between its July release and the start of this school year. Perhaps as the game is updated and new, multiplayerfocused features are added (direct trainer vs. trainer battles? Pokémon trading?), a resurgence in the school’s interest might come about. Until then, it is still a fun, nostalgic game that is worth the download.
‘Gilmore Girls’ returning Alexis Marnejon
Contributing Writer
Wherever you lead, “Gilmore Girls,” your fans will follow. One aspect the die-hard enthusiasts of the famous relationship between Lorelai and Rory would never have missed was the announcement of their revival. That’s right: Netflix announced last month that the Gilmore Girls would be returning for a four-part event this fall. On Friday, November 25 the continuation – entitled “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” – will drop in its entirety, instead of over an extended period of time. Netflix president Ted Sarandos claimed that “The fans would kill us!” if they did not release all parts of the revival at once. Each part will be 90 minutes long and will feature all of the four seasons, completing a full year. The “Gilmore” fandom will not only witness the revival of one of television’s favorite mother/daughter relationships, but they get an answer they have been demanding for quite some time.
The question, of course, is, “What are the last four words of ‘Gilmore Girls?’” Creator Amy Sherman-Palladino claims she has known the final four words of the show since 2006 when she left before the seventh and last season. Despite her refusal to reveal the sacred words, the “Gilmore” fan club could probably make some guesses as to what they may be. Perhaps they have something to do with coffee or chocolate. No matter the topic, fans are convinced that it will be the most epic ending to the famous mile-a-minute banter between Rory and Lorelai that we all miss. The movies will pick up with Rory working and living in London and Lorelai dealing with Richard’s death, coinciding with the cast mourning the reallife death of Edward Hermann. This could make for an emotional revival. If you are searching for someone on this campus to watch the revival with upon your return from Thanksgiving break, it will not be hard at Grove City College. Megan Baak, a senior student and fellow “Gilmore” fa-
natic says that she is excited the producers got the original cast back together. “I’ve been re-watching the entire series to gear up for it,” Baak said. All lovers of the show are trying to balance these ‘rigorous academics’ while binge watching numerous episodes in one sitting. “I am excited to see which of [Rory’s] boyfriends she ends up with. I’m rooting for Jess,” senior and “Gilmore Girls” enthusiast Katherine Taylor said. Many in the show’s fan club hope to see him in Rory’s future. Whether or not that is the case, nothing can come between the love of this legendary mother-daughter pair. Fans all around the world are excited to see the return of Lorelai and Rory. So while you are wondering what to do as you sit on your couch with your postThanksgiving food coma come November 25, think no more. Curl up with a cozy blanket and grab the largest cup of coffee you can find, because the girls are back!