2C THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CollegeRECESS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28.2005
Retro pastimes alleviate boredom
CATHERINE ODSON
editor@kansan.com
KANSAK CORRESPONDENT
As a child, Bryson Rexwinkle always had to visit his neighbors to play Nintendo.
Rachel Barnes
I love chalking for clubs because it reminds me of when I was little."
Hutchinson sophomore
For Rexwinkle, Iola senior, the land of Nintendo is closer now. He ran across a used Nintendo at a garage sale last year and had no problems forking over $10 for his own system.
Kyle Billings, owner of Fun and Games, 830 Massachusetts St., said lots of college students came to the store in search of costumes, but many left with a little reminder of childhood as well.
Great deals aren't the only reason college students are reaching out to their childhood favorites to entertain themselves. Lost memories, boredom and heavy workloads all encourage University of Kansas students to break into the toy box to have fun. Jumping into play allows them to escape the stress of college.
"It was an awesome deal," he said.
He said college students liked
to play what they did as children especially when they discovered that their friends played similar games.
College students often come looking for replacement games because they have moved. Sometimes entire houses or apartments will contribute to buy familiar games, he said.
"Even if they're childish,
they'll get them," he said.
Tiffany Goebel, St. Joseph, Minn., senior, said she and her roommate avoided boredom with her Twirl-A-Paint, a device that allows users to create a painting on a spinning circle without ever seeing the work in progress.
Her roommate discovered it in a closet during a trip to Goebel's home, and the two decided
to bring it back to Lawrence.
"I got it when I was, like, 4," Goebel said. "Now we play with it all the time."
The pair also owns a multitude of board games, including Twister, Scrabble and Dream Phone.
"It's a good break from serious stuff," she said.
"I love chalking for clubs because it reminds me of when I was little," said Rachel Barnes, Hutchinson sophomore.
Even campus essentials such as chalking can invoke childhood memories.
As winter approaches, Barnes can suit up for another favorite past time: sledding. She said she once rode the bus to campus with her pink sled to ride down the hill behind JRP Hall. She said the looks were worth it.
"It's a lot of fun," she said. "I still enjoy it."
Elizabeth Cusimano, Dallas junior, said coloring was one of her favorite ways to procrastinate. The selection of Disney coloring books in her apartment usually entices her guests to do the same. They come in and see the books and want to color, she said.
In addition to coloring, Cusimano said she randomly swung in a park with her roommate. She has even gone to McDonald's just to get the Happy Meal toy.
"If I'm in a bad mood, I'll do it," she said. "It puts me in a really good mood."
She said acting like a kid seemed to make the chaotic college experience a little easier.
"It makes your life not as serious as we make it now." Cusimano said. "It puts a hold on everything."
The breather only lasts until students climb out of the toy box and re-inhale the pressures of going to college.
- Edited by Becca Evanhoe
Games evolve to meet players' needs
ERIN CASTANEA
EDITOR@KANSAN.COM
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
Board game companies are finding ways to appeal to people looking for intellectual depth or simply action-packed entertainment, from strategic war games to DVD interactive games.
Gwen Billings, co-owner at Fun and Games, 816 Massachusetts st., said older games, such as RISK had held steady, but the strategic war games had evolved into more complex and time consuming endeavors.
Chris Baker, Lawrence resident, and his friend Brian Schwarzer, Lawrence freshman, set aside time every Friday night to strategize and conquer while playing war games with a group of friends.
They have to find enough space to set up their board games, such as Civilization, which easily fills up a living room floor.
Candice Rukes/KANSAN
"We used to spread out on a pool table, but we are playing on the floor now." Baker said.
Axis and Allies was originally designed in the 1970s and the newest version is two years old.
These older games can be completed in two to four hours while Baker and his friends have spent more than nine hours trying to finish Civilization.
"I like Civilization because it is a cross between Monopoly and RISK," Schwarzer said. "It is multi-faceted. You can do politics, practice diplomacy and manage your economics."
Michael Breen, owner of Hometown Games, 711 W. 23rd St., said that games had evolved to meet the needs of the people.
"The game industry considers life's distractions and tailors a game to fit people's schedules," he said. "Now, a complex game like Axis and Allies can be completed in a night and it is still a challenge whereas in the past you had to schedule your time around the game."
Randy Davis (left) Saracuse junior, Zach Gale (middle) Saracuse freshman and Lindsey Davis (right) Overland Park junior play Yahtzee Deluxe to divert time from homework. The deluxe edition is one of many board games that has been re-created to challenge players.
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