Learning can be difficult and it can be hard to stay focused on one thing for an extended period of time. This is what seniors Blake Lawson and Richard Beal felt last year in their chemistry class, and they needed something else to help alleviate their attention for just a little bit. They ended up discovering a game called Snake on Google. After finding this game, they were not only able to focus better but they were also able to find a fun way to pass the time.
“We found it hard to pay attention just on our own,” Blake said. “[Me and Richard] decided that if we play the game while we listen, we’ll be able to concentrate and do better on our chemistry assignments. So we found the game Snake. I began playing Snake while listening, and it helped me out during chemistry.”
This was fun for a little bit, but Lawson felt like the original version was too easy and he wanted to challenge himself a little more by adjusting the settings. He ended up changing the map to the smallest size and also made it so walls start to appear after every two apples your snake eats. If your snake runs into any of the walls, the snake dies.
Since Lawson added these restrictions in the game, it grew in popularity. In a matter of time, so many players were playing and joining the Snake community that Lawson and Beal decided a leaderboard needed to be made.
“It really has just become this whole community,” Lawson said. “Anyone can join and anyone can compete. Everyone enjoys it and it’s fun. I think the competition aspect really motivates people and drives the scores up on the leaderboard. At one point, we had so many people sending us scores and we were like, ‘We’re going to need to make a leaderboard for this.’ And so with Mrs. Villegas’ approval we made the leaderboard in her classroom.”
The more they played, the more recognition the game got. Everyone was trying it out and trying to outdo their fellow classmates.
Lawson and Beal realized that this could be a competition and they decided to add different levels to the leaderboard. Each level is considered a sport level. The lowest level is “Cut” (which is a score between 0-9) and the highest level is “Hall of Fame” (which is any score over 45).
The top finishers on the board right now are Lawson and Beal, who are in the Pro and Hall of Fame levels with scores of 42 and 45, respectively. English teacher Kimberly Villegas first saw the leaderboard and thought it may be just a distraction, but after trying it out for herself she understood what all the hype was about.
“At first I was pretty judgmental of [the game],” Villegas recalls. “But then I gave it a go and found out that it is really obsessive. I spent about 30 minutes on it. Couldn’t get past 13, which is embarrassing. But as long as my students are still getting their work turned into me, I mean, I find it kind of funny.”
This game has become a staple of the English classroom. It helps keep students engaged and looking forward to going to class. One of the founders has his own two-hour routine he does everyday when he gets home. This routine is intended to help him learn the secrets within the game. These “secrets” are things such as different algorithms, the speed on which you click the buttons and many other aspects.
“Every day after school before I even do my homework or anything like that, I set a timer for two hours and I practice,” Beal said. “I practice (Snake) maneuvers. I watch videos. Sometimes I’ll even record myself so I can watch my film back. It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point, but usually a solid two hours a night is enough for me to improve my skills and just be able to achieve those little milestones.”
Whether students are using this game for a source of entertainment, a distraction, or for a way to help them pay attention, it has become a signature part of dual credit English class.
Beal said if you try out the game for yourself, don’t be discouraged by a slow and frustrating start.
“This isn’t a game where it just clicks automatically and you just automatically get it,” Beal said. “It really is a slow progression. So don’t get discouraged if you have days that are off, you can learn through those mistakes. Everyone has their own starting point, but every single person has the potential to get to that Hall of Fame point.”
