Grace Cavanaugh ~ Copy Editor
This weekend, I took a trip to Indianapolis with my mother, my aunt, and my sister. We went because the people behind Pokemon Go recently created a new game called “Wizards Unite.” It is based on Harry Potter, where you play as a witch or wizard attempting to cover up various instances of magic in the Muggle world.
The event, called Wizards Unite Fan Festival (WUFF), went on all weekend, although we only went on Saturday. It was a lot of fun! There were specialized merchandise for the event, for both Wizards Unite and Niantic, the company that created the app.
The point of the event was to official unleash dragons upon the world of Wizards Unite. Before this weekend, there has been little sign of the giant fire-breathers. While in Indianapolis, in the series of parks that WUFF was held in, players were given the tasks of collecting dragon eggs and fighting fully-grown dragons.
There were also various activities offered besides catching dragons. A food court had the option of food trucks or made-to-order common dishes, like chicken tenders and burgers. Small photo spots had characters or objects from the books and the movies to pose with. Trivia games with shirts, buttons, and stickers as prizes were held in tents scattered throughout the parks.
Overall, it reminded me a lot about a bigger version of the Pokemon community days I have experienced on our small campus in Lynchburg. Indianapolis was much bigger, but it still held the same vibe. Everyone was friendly, excited, and respectful.
One thing my mother and aunt both noticed was that there was a variety of ages that were at the event. Everyone from grandparents to small children attended and enjoyed themselves.
At one point, near the end of WUFF, people were milling around one of the parks that housed the Peruvian Vipertooth dragon. It was the smallest of the four areas where dragons could be found, but the park was roughly the size of the Dell. People found it hard to find the dragons because it was such a small area.
That is, until they figured out a way to let everyone else in the park know where the dragons appeared. It started when one man suddenly yelled out, “Dragon!” In an instant, crowds of people in the park flocked to him, all managing to find and beat the dragon.
It went on like this for the rest of the time we spent in that park. In my opinion, this particular memory is a showcase of the best the community has to offer: friendship, togetherness, and a sense of wonder.
