The Hunger Games: Killing the Game.

After reading The Hunger Games trilogy, I, along with almost everyone else in the world, was completely trapped in the series. I felt like I knew the characters personally, and I honestly felt like I was almost abandoning Katniss and Peeta by finishing the series (similar to how I feel after watching episodes of Friends).  Directly after completing the third book, I thought to myself "so... what do I do now?" And then I read about the movie being released. Yes.

When I heard about the movie, it's all I could think about. I was beyond excited. My cousins and I bought tickets for the midnight showing immediately after they were put on sale, and I swear it's all we could talk about. We watched trailers over and over again... actually ecstatic. We waited for hours outside the theatre  in anticipation, not doubting for a second how incredible these next few hours were about to be. And then we watched the movie. Oh my god. No.

How could a story with such potential and quality be so completely butchered? Not only was the casting and acting atrocious, but the plot was destroyed. The little things were exaggerated, the big ideas were underrepresented, and my worst fear had come true: The Hunger Games were about to turn into the Twilight series. Suddenly the story changed from being about the future, the harsh "government,"and the sick ways of the Capitol,  into a creepy, weird love story. It was no longer about the cruelty of the Games and the Capitol and how the main characters dealt with them, and instead was completely misinterpreted. Everything was wrong. I felt as if the entire movie was a parody of itself... as if I was watching a bad youtube video making fun of a good movie (similar to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgsIitK77yc).

Since when did Gale and Katniss have such a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship? Weren't their feelings for each other realized after the games? Why isn't Haymitch drunk? Don't Katniss and Haymitch hate each other... and don't they have an unspoken sort of "pact" (loving Peeta = survival)? Where's the avox girl Katniss recognized, and why weren't avoxes explained at all? Why do Rue and Katniss only know each other for 5 minutes... and why isn't it explained that Katniss become so attached to her because of how it makes her think of Prim? Why does it seem creepy how attached Katniss  is to Rue, and weird how she cries when Rue is killed? Wait, why did an uprising start in District 8 after her death... isn't that not supposed to happen until the second book? Why doesn't Peeta lose his leg in the end? What is going on...

The Hunger Games were killed for me. Rather than a powerful story on the importance of survival and family, the movie was twisted into a weird love story between Katniss, Gale and Peeta. I was so disappointed.

After watching this movie, did anyone realize the major differences between the book and the film? Was anyone else disturbed by how everything was shown in theaters? Does this representation of the book in theaters show that this is all really a game of the industry- who can make the most money off of a movie?

The Game of Life

It's 2:43 am and I can't sleep, so... what's there to think about when avoiding studying for final exams? Life, I guess. Here I am, wide awake in bed, thinking about current events. Am I going to get into all the classes I need next semester, even if I'm #28 on the wait list (ugh, late registration)? Should I complete my last semester of Spanish during Spring Term? Am I going to be accepted onto Birthright this summer? Will I get my internship in New York? I have so many goals and so much work to do in order to succeed; then I really started thinking... this is all about competition. Everything I have to do, everything I have to work hard for, it's all against other people in order to get what I want. All of these things I desire, I can only achieve them if I beat other people in getting to the finish line first.

This world we live in, our lives... it's all really a game. I mean honestly, there's even a board game called The Game of Life. Everything we do- even the small things, it's all a competition. For example, in order to get the internship I want for the summer, my resume has to be better than the others applying. If I want to get the best grade in my statistics class, I have to study harder than everyone else. If I want the perfect boyfriend and a later perfect marriage, I have to meet the guy and win his heart over first. In order to get into the college of my choice, I had to get the best grades and impress the admissions office the most. Although we don't always realize it, we constantly have to one-up the person next to us in order to do as well as we wish. It's all a game.

Now I'm not much of a philosopher, but hey, this idea is pretty interesting and definitely something to think about. Sure, not every situation requires being the best, but you sure as hell have to be near the top  if you want to be successful. We spend most of our lives being excited for events, dreading mistakes, learning from our experiences, and then depending on the future for our happiness. During this time, we realize who we are and what we want to accomplish, be apart of, and help to make better. We (usually unintentionally) make everything so complicated, when in reality, it's pretty simple. It's all a game. Once you've got the rules in front of you, it's all about working hard to be the best. With that said, is life really that hard? Or is the hard part really just figuring out how to play the game?

Book Clubbin'

Alex, Chad, Amanda, Brigitte and I were in a book club together for The Hunger Games series. We met to discuss the books, our impressions, answer some discussion questions (which we recorded a few of here), and reflected on the movie that came out just a short while ago. While I loved meeting up with my beloved guild (whatsup guys), I think that for a book like the Hunger Games, a book club didn't exactly add much to my reading experience. I feel as though it was a book that could be understood on the surface, without much deeper reflection, and the same effect would have been left upon my finishing the book.

There were a few parts of the book that could be analyzed, and this gave me an insight to a way in which a book club could enhance the readers experience if the book was a bit deeper and gave more opportunity for analyzation and opinions. For example, when we talked about a modern example of something like the Hunger Games, we shared ideas that would have never crossed my mind previously. We talked about rushing a fraternity when guys are placed on pedestals, only to have to go through pledging after they are accepted. Or making livestock look appealing, only so that people may purchase them and slaughter them. There are a lot of things that I had never thought about before, But I'm not exactly sure they enhanced my reading experience, maybe my own personal thoughts outside the book.

I think a book club would have been helpful for some books I have read recently such as Sarah's Key, or The Art of Racing in the Rain (both great books I would highly recommend), where a book club would give the reader a chance to go more in depth with the point the author was trying to bring across. And in turn, possible help the readers take a look at their own lives and the decisions they are making.

I do think one thing that this book club did do, just as games do, was bring people closer together. I think that by talking about the book and our own experiences with it, how long we took to read it, what obstacles we had to dodge just to get every page read in a day because we were so obsessed, and more, bonded us in some way. We shared something in common and because of that we related to each other, and lead the conversation at some point far from the book and into our lives. As someone who loves making friends and hearing about other people's adventures, I loved every moment of it, and I think that is something that games in general can provide for people. An unspoken language, a bond that bring people together for a common goal. Teammates are one of the greatest bonds that I have made in my life, and I think through something like a constant book club, it can create a friendship circle that connects on another level.

Just as this class made our guild create new friendships through gaming and competing against other guilds, a book club presents that same opportunity. Over the summer my friend and I who are living in different cities are planning on starting our own kind of book club together where we can read books simultaneously and talk about them together. Although we will be in different places, this short insight to a book club reassured me that through the connection of reading the same book and having our own experiences that we share with each other, we will stay close and together.

Summer Internships: Help!?

Seeing as the list of topics that we can "gamify" has been almost entirely exhausted, I thought I'd focus my last blog post on something that many of us are probably looking for in the next couple weeks - internships. Those lucky ones that have had positions locked down for months - politely turn away, as this post is basically going to be a rant against the entire system.

When I first began looking for internships earlier this year, I knew my choices would be slim, as the summer after sophomore year is an awkward "in-between" point. You're just a little too old for remedial grunt work in an office, but just a little too inexperienced for a high-stakes internship. I began to reach out to friends of my parents and people I had interned for in previous summers, but had no luck. I applied for a laundry list of positions in sports, politics and business - basically any industry I was remotely interested in. Still, nothing came of it. Is it all some conspiracy to keep me perpetually bored at home for four months? Like so many things, obtaining internships can often be about who you know. While this system may be inherently unfair, it has panned out alright for me in the past, as I have had an internship every summer since 9th grade - up until now, that is. So what can we do to make this game fairer? Not much, it seems like, unless you expect 12 year olds to start networking with their parents friends, in anticipation of needing a favor seven years down the road.

Internships are all a part of trying to get ahead, and make your resume look better and better for job applications in the next few years. So if I don't get an internship this summer, then what happens? Am I inherently losing the game? I would hope not, and am going to try and take classes this summer to get ahead on credits. Maybe the game of obtaining a job has many planes, and since I may fall behind on one, I'm trying to get ahead on another. What do you think?

Hunger Games and Language

When Robin Queen came to lecture to the class about language, the Hunger Games and the use of language came to my mind. More specifically, once the two competitors, Katniss and Peeta, were in the games, their use of language with their sponsor, Haymitch. There are sponsors that decide to protect players based on whether they think they are going to win, and once they have decided to follow a person, and in this case two people, they send gifts that come in parachutes to keep them alive. 

Haymitch controls the involvement of the sponsors in the game, so Katniss and Haymitch figure out a way to communicate without being able to talk. The two use language and signs to keep the two players in the arena alive. Katniss uses the timing of gifts to realize what Haymitch wants her to do in order to survive in the games. They are using an anti-language, since even Peeta can't understand what is happening, to communicate and keep the tributes alive. Because of this mutual understanding of language and the skills the two have to find a way to work with eachother, Peeta and Katniss are able to survive far longer than they would have without the help of the sponsors or the advice of Haymitch. Language was a big part of their games and their eventual success in the first book. 

Revenge!

So as some of you may have seen on Wednesday night at the end of game 1 of the Red Wings/ Nashville series, Henrik Zetterberg's head was bang into the glass by Predators defenseman Shea Weber. While there may (not) be debate over Weber's penalty for the play, he was nonetheless playing in game 2 last night.

Many people were wondering before the game how the Red Wings would respond in game two, not only after a cheap blow to one of their best players, but also after a tough loss. Enter Todd Bertuzzi. Not even two minutes into the game Bertuzzi already started a fight with Weber, trying to send the message, "Don't mess with my team".

This catapulted the team's confidence and eventually lead them to a game 2 win by the score of 3-2.

My question is, does this type of revenge have a place in the world of competition? While we can see it can help confidence and team chemistry, are there any potential downsides to it? Sure it is dangerous to go after another player and can potentially lead to someone getting hurt, but is the risk worth the reward? What do you guys think?

-Kevin

Relay For Life: Competing To Make Cancer Go Away Forever And Stuff

I need to learn how to write titles.

Relay for Life is an annual event held at many locations across the United States. The idea is that teams of people have one person walking around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Teams raise money before the event and during, through on site fundraisers and events the day of. All in all, it's a fun time for a good cause.

But there is a strange aura of competition surrounding this charity event. At every stage of money raising, competition is not only present, but encouraged. As a team captain, I am willing each member of our team to reach our goal AND raise us the most money. During the event, teams that raise the most money with on site fundraisers are rewarded. Two staples of the day of Relay, "Relay Idol" and "Mr. Relay," a talent show and men in drag competition, respectively, have winners determined by raising more money than other teams. Although in the heat of almost constant competition, nobody really feels like they are competing with each other. Every "win" for a team is equally as much a win for everybody involved. They won because they raised the most money, but either way, the money is still going to The American Cancer Society. That's a pretty beautiful thing in my mind.

Everybody competes. Those in need win. We all have a ton of fun doing it.

Relay For Life is tomorrow, Saturday the 14th. Come down to Palmer Field, participate in the day and some on site fundraisers, and come hang out at the RCPlayers site. We'll have cupcakes in a cone.

Oh. Did you hear that part. CUPCAKES IN A CONE. Yeah. That's portable America if I've ever seen it. Join us, won't you?

Chad Rhiness