Imagine thirty years ago, a prospective family of PDS might have come to see how a school day here might go. They would go from class to class, see the athletic areas, and see the Campus Center, filled with excited students enjoying a break in their day. Now, imagine a prospective family coming to the version of PDS you know, from the newly redone Shepherd Commons, up to the beautiful fields and newly constructed athletic center, back to the extremely technologically advanced Steam Center. Of course, after 30 years, many changes have been made to the school. The family comes to the Campus Center, and they see the many ways which it has changed. The students are having trouble staying connected because of the coronavirus, so they have resorted to new ways to do so. Enter Among Us. 

Among Us, a video game created in 2018, just recently gained popularity this summer, after Chance Morris started streaming the game online to his following. It involves 4-10 players being dropped on an alien spaceship with anywhere between 1-3 imposters: people who have the ability to kill others and sabotage the spaceship. In September, the game became extremely popular among us (pun intended), and it was widely promoted by players on social media networks like TikTok and Youtube. 

This game is one of survival; whoever can successfully find out who the imposter is, kill the crew-mates, or finish all of their tasks is deemed the champion. As such, many students at Princeton Day can be found playing the game because of the “irresistible draw” people have towards it, according to freshman Brooke Law. Some students share similar views, including freshman Lea-Jade Richards, who stated that the game is “fun for now, but probably will die out soon.” Freshman Isabell Hu agreed that Among Us is a “fun and popular game, but like other games that gained mass popularity, it will soon enough lose its popularity.”

Among Us, being a very interactive game, has the ability to socially connect people who otherwise wouldn’t be connected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having played it myself, it is clear that Among Us can truly be a fun way for people to bond with each other, even when they are in different towns or separated by a plexiglass border. 

Additionally, Among Us can be addictive because of the lively play and the rush of the kill. Junior Allison Liang has proposed an idea for a Spokesman Among Us tournament, which, according to the interviewed students, would best be played soon before the interest in the game dies out! Freshman Logan Harrison also stated that “similar crazes have come and gone, like the popularity of the video game Fortnite.” This game has helped us move with our times, and thankfully, we get to enjoy playing in this enhanced version of our school where we have an environment that can progress with technology.