Back in the Games

 Article by: Lexi Clary 

The last time golf had an appearance in the Olympics was 1904 during the saint Louis games. Unfortunately, the men who showed up to play were from Ireland and Great Britain, sadly they were told that they would no longer be able to participate because they didn’t have enough room on the boat to transport the lads. Instead they decided to replace them with tug of war. That left the U.S. to compete against Canada. And if you think that’s lame, well, it only gets lamer. Canada actually beat the U.S., and until now I had no idea that Canada ever beat the U.S. in anything except for hockey. In 2009 they renounced that golf would be brought back into the games to play at the 2016 Rio Olympics, held in Rio Brazil.

With the return of golf, both men and women competed for the gold, bronze and silver medals. Although I personally am glad that they have chosen to add the sport back in, competition may not have been as grand as a person would think. Due to the Zika virus, many top players dropped out of the competition. This list includes Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlory, Jason Day and a few other top players in the game. The hope of golf returning to the Olympics is that it will help expose the game all over the world, and bringing more people to game whether it is to play or simply to watch. 

The format for the competition consisted of stroke play, which is where the total number of strokes taken to complete the course for an individual and the individual with the less number of strokes wins.

For the 2016 Olympics the format for competition would have probably been better with match play, that is when players are paired up in teams and the teams win by holes and not by individual strokes. One player, Matt Kuchar, had no idea that the competition was going to be played individually. An article by Kyle Robbins, thinks that the format is “counterintuitive and wasted an opportunity to set up an exciting an interesting team and match play event.” I would personally agree with Robbins, considering that for people who tend to think golf is boring, a match play; U.S. against Australia and Asia against Europe would have been quit a bit more exciting than the standard play of golf that we see all the time. The format would resemble much of the Ryder Cup match play. According to Olympic.org they are trying “to use the unprecedented exposure of the Games to increase participation in countries that do not already have a strong golfing background.” With hopes of attracting more spectators and participators in the game of golf.

https://youtu.be/R0aYbDdWiEw

Gotta Catch Them All

Article by: Lexi Clary

We love them, we catch them and we collect them. Yes, that’s right, I am talking about Pokémon Go. The app that has generated not just thousands, but millions of downloads within seconds upon its arrival in the app store. With all the problems millenniums face, and by problems, I mean notifications/texts on our phones.  It is my shame to say, that I am guilty of fleeing a scene in hopes of catching a nearby Pokémon when the notification on my phone goes off telling me that Bulbasaur is nearby.  Unlike many of the games out there, Pokémon Go is a real world interactive game. It allows users to get up and on their feet, and actually move around while they try to hunt for the beloved Pokémon. I have seen many people, as well as met people randomly playing this game. In a way, Pokémon Go is bringing people together, whether consciously or by sheer luck.

Pokémon Go appeals to our generation because we grew up with them. We collected the cards and participated in battles, we watched it every Saturday morning on TV, and drug our parents to the movies to see the Pokemon: The First Movie, where a new poke was born- Mewtwo . 

Pokémon Go allows our inner child to fly. According to an article by Eleanor Roy, A man by the name of Tom Currie, quite his job to become a full time Pokémon hunter. Tom Currie spent two months traveling to try and catch all the Pokémon.  Talk about priorities.  While Pokémon Go is fun and exciting there are a few dangers that come along with the game. For example, a girl was reported falling into a pond while playing, some people are even filing trespassing charges for players entering their property, although very few charges have been made. There was even a dead body reported after a player unknowingly stumbled upon it while playing.

Here on the Avila Campus, we have a few pokestops of our our own as well as a place to battle. So download the app, get out of the dorms and go hunting.  You will find the game enjoyable as well as an opportunity to meet new people.

https://youtu.be/Mmfg2YFEtso