10 Things I Learned About OSU While Playing Pokemon Go

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm. In fact, in a week’s time, it surpassed Twitter’s daily active users. People are spending more time catching pokemon, than they are using Facebook.

I’m not a big gamer, but I do find games fascinating. I just suck at them. However, my job requires that I stay up-to-date on what the youths of today are doing. So, like anyone who has downloaded the app, I caught a Rattata, then wasted a handful of Pokeballs getting a Zubat, and then I caught a Pidgey. From there, I was hooked. It was like I was hit with Alakazam’s psybeam attack… I think.

The OSU campus is a hotbed for Pokestops. My guess is that it has the most stops in Payne County. At lunch on Monday, I walked to Theta Pond to begin my quest to be a true, Team Blue, Pokemon trainer. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

People all over campus, a hundred or more on a summer Monday afternoon, were wandering around on their phones, feverishly flicking at their screens. I trekked across campus, following the herd, to all of OSU’s Pokestops that I could hit in the lunch hour. One thing I noticed, I didn’t recognize any of these OSU stops. Sundial? Where is there a sundial on campus? Here’s the thing...I grew up in Stillwater, I graduated from here, and now I work for the University. At this point in my life I thought I was all out of Pistol Pete-based surprises just by osmosis. Turns out there’s plenty more to learn about my alma mater. Most of it I never noticed, because I never took the time to stop and read all those little (or even big) plaques. OSU’s Pokestops aren’t just a great way to replenish my stock of pokeballs and berries, they are windows into our history. Some of them are really unique, memorializing people and events that made us who we are today.

Pokemon Go is a lot of fun, but I’m finding it strangely educational as well. So here are a few things I learned about OSU while playing Pokemon Go on the OSU campus.

1. Sundial - Henry Bellmon Research Center

So, it turns out that sundial is mounted on the south side of the Henry Bellmon Research Center. It’s a large glass sundial with instructions on how to use it at the base of the building. According to the HBRC website, the HBRC is OSU-Stillwater's only building dedicated exclusively to research. Designed with modern features, this state-of-the-art facility brings together researchers from different departments who collaborate on projects at the cutting-edge of modern research. Named in honor of our state's former senator and governor, the building exists as a testament to what Gov. Bellmon was passionate about - research, education, economic development in Oklahoma.

2. POW/MIA Memorial

The flagpole located just south of Whitehurst, outside of President Hargis’ office, is not just another spot for Ol’ Glory and the Oklahoma flags to wave. You probably walk by it every day, but do you know it’s significance? It’s a dedication to those who serve our country and soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms. There are two plaques at the base of the pole.

Etched into the first plaque is a line from Shakespeare:

“From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remember'd; we few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
- Shakespeare

Dedicated to those who fought, served and never made it home. You are not forgotten.

AFROTC DET 670 Cadet Wing, Fall 2005”

The second plaque reads:

The Flag

Flag of the sturdy fathers

Flat of the loyal sons

Beneath its folds it gathers

Earth's blest and noblest ones.

Boldly we wave its colors

Our veins are thrilled anew

By the steadfast bars, the

clustered stars

The Red, The White, and the Blue.

- Margaret E. Songster, Presented by the Department of Military Science and Tactics, 1936

3. Gundyball

Gotta catch 'em all! #POKEmon pic.twitter.com/j0Kd5CyD7J

Everyone is playing Pokemon Go, even Coach Gundy! Gundy’s tweet even made it’s way on to ESPN.com. Given Gundy’s arm, this should be a breeze for him. Come game day, I bet he lays a lure module at Boone Pickens Stadium.

4. SO. MANY. PIDGEYS.

Campus is covered with Pidgeys. The Pidgey is one of Pokemon’s normal-type creatures and one of OSU’s most common catches. Yes, Pidgeys are great for their low-cost evolution, but after a while I want to see something different. Catch, transfer, evolve, repeat. At least it’s not a Zubat.

5. TREES

Speaking of birds, how about where they nest? There are about as many species of trees on OSU’s campus as there are species of Pokemon, and somewhat surprisingly, those trees are often Pokestops. I have walked across campus thousands of times since being a kid. Have you ever really stopped and looked at Theta Pond? I mean, really soaked it all in? It’s even more beautiful at second glance than its first impression. Theta Pond is surrounded by several types of trees. Kudos to our Landscape Services departments on campus.

6. Mothers Garden

“Honoramus Matres Nostras” - It’s Latin for “We Honor Our Mothers.” It’s also the words mounted to the top of the fountain that glistens in the Price Family Garden, otherwise known as, the Mothers Garden. Located just outside the doors to the Rancher’s club, the Mothers Garden was the result of funds donated by Stuart and Linda Price. Stuart was a member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education from 2004-2013. The Mothers Garden is not only a great reminder to call your mom once in awhile, it’s a fully-functioning herb garden used by the Ranchers Club to prepare those 5-star meals. The Mothers Garden is another great example of donors adding to the beauty of our campus. It’s also great for catching Caterpies. You can read more in this STATE magazine feature on the Price Family Garden.

7. Hidden Art

A little off the beaten path for most, an industrial-looking sculpture rises from the Earth just behind the Bartlett Center for Visual Art. This is a fitting home for the untitled sculpture given that the Bartlett Center is home to the Gardiner Art Gallery. The Bartlett Center was originally the first women’s dorm on campus, but thanks to a gift by Pete and Pat Bartlett, it was renovated to serve the Art Department. It now houses the Visual Resource Center, and classrooms/studios for art history, painting, drawing, 2D design, jewelry/metals, graphic design, and illustration. Read more about this facility here.

The sculpture itself is in memory of its creator, Michael “Brian” Paris.

8. SlowPoke(s)

My favorite Pokemon is a slowpoke pic.twitter.com/rZkWUbfmu5

I learned that this exists. Thanks internet.

9. OSU is AWESOME

OSU created their very own Pokemon Go webpage! This is a bookmark for any Pokemon trainer, regardless of level. It lists of all the Pokestops and gyms across campus. It also has useful tips, like where you can refill your water bottles at the refilling stations around OSU. They even have links to campus security, including the Orange Shield app. Well-played, OSU. Thanks for the tip.

10. This is a Phenomena

Our reality have been turned virtual from this one game. My friends are playing, my family is playing it. Heck, even my boss is playing! I don’t know how long this game will remain the center of global attention, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. It’s strange. On one hand you have people staring at their phones more than ever before...but… they are also out in the wild, interacting with one another, getting exercise and being social. That is what’s fascinating. Take a gaming world that has been stereotyped as antisocial activity and make it the world’s largest social experiment. Pokemon Go requires you to explore their virtual world by experiencing the real world around you. Open your eyes, Pokemon trainers, you might just see something pretty rare, and I don’t mean a Dragonite.

Did you learn something about OSU while playing Pokemon Go? Share your story at mmorgan@osugiving.com.

Matthew James Morgan is the Digital and Social Communications Strategist for the Oklahoma State University Foundation. His job involves finding ways to connect people and their giving to Oklahoma State University across the digital landscape. You can follow Matt across social media at @MattMo2Go.