Game On

Ms. D.'s and my room at school has become the lunchtime hot spot for the "cool" kids. At our school - and in the junior class especially - the "cool" kids are double-highs: They have high social status as well as high academic status. They're great kids, and I've been enjoying their company immensely, but I still find it a trifle odd that they choose to sit in here every day. Like, literally - Every. Day.

And why exactly do they sit here? It's certainly not because of inclement weather - we live in California, remember? And much as I might like to believe otherwise, it's not for my witty conversational skills. No, there's a very specific reason they're here every afternoon without fail. And that reason is Connect Four.


That's right, folks. My 17-year-old students are in here every day playing Connect Four, a game for 7-year-olds. And they get intense about it, too. The line of "I play winner!" extends at least five or six people, including Ms. D., my supervising teacher (as opposed to Miss D., which is me). Every day, without fail, it's a full forty-five minute Connect Four marathon death match, winner take all. All what you ask? I have no idea, but they want it.

Of course, I really can't judge too harshly. I spent many of my high school lunches in the AP Chem room observing epic battles on the chess board. Pretty much every lab table had its own chess game going on, with hecklers/cheerleaders for each one. I, however, never played the game myself; I was only there because I had a mad crush on a couple of the chess dweebs. What can I say? I was young and foolish and easily won by a clever rook swap.

I wonder if any of the girls are spending their lunches here to swoon as their adolescent male of choice clinches his victory with the dropping of that red plastic disc.