Phoebe Kingsak
Yes, PokémonGo has taken over NYU. Since July 6th, basically the entire NYU community took to the streets to swipe Pokéstops, hurl Pokéballs at the critters to add to our Pokédex, and take over the gym at the Washington Square Arch (may the odds be ever in your favor with that one).
And with Pokémon Sun and Moon’s release this past weekend, our fervor to catch them all is anything but a passing phase. We in Undergraduate Admissions are avid Pokémon trainers, and it’s been a literal lifelong dream to experience our favorite childhood show/game in New York City as adults, and now we get to interact with fellow trainers in the great outdoors! (Don’t get us started on which teams we picked, though…)
Speaking of outdoors, there are quite a lot of Pokéstops around the Square, and we wanted to take you on a tour NYU’s campus through the eyes of a Pokémon Trainer.
No campus visit is complete without a visit to Bobst, our main academic library. Home to nearly 6 million books for academic or personal leisure, Bobst is also part of a consortium of other university’s libraries in the city, including Columbia, the New School, and Cooper Union. Bobst is also surrounded by three Pokéstops, so pick up items while you’re cramming for that exam! You may see some Drowzee students in the stacks throughout the day, but the lower levels are open 24/7 and have vending machines to keep you from getting Krabby during your studies!
The Stern School of Business is among the top business schools in the country, and the prestige extends from the facilities to the faculty to the countless internships offered to its students. Whether its on Wall Street or at a start-up in Midtown, internships are anything but Oddish during your undergraduate education, as that almost always provides your first step in the door toward your career. Relax on Gould Plaza as you’re refilling on Potions and trying to catch that pesky Meowth lurking nearby.
The Steinhardt School of Culture Education, and Human Development is home to two Pokéstops (Pless Hall and the NYU East Building), as well as many of our human services programs. Conduct research studies in Applied Psychology; get creative in Studio Art; learn new and old pedagogical styles in Education; or debate the impact of Pokémon on 90’s and 00’s culture in Media, Culture, and Communication. Steinhardt is anything but one-size-fits-all, and any student eager for collaborative academic interests and engaging in the liberal arts should Diglett more into the programs offered.
All the world’s a stage for aspiring actors and filmmakers at the Tisch School of the Arts. One of the top performing arts schools in the nation, Tisch provides its students the opportunity to learn in both a conservatory-style setting and with a liberal arts approach, creating brilliant creative thinkers of tomorrow. Hollywood’s best and brightest have walked these halls, and it isn’t Farfetch’d to have a Tony/Oscar/Grammy-nominee teaching one of your classes here.
The Kimmel Center is the hot spot for all things student life. From the fantastic dining hall to endless study and meeting space, Kimmel is also adjacent to the Global Center for Spiritual Life (aka GCASL), adding classrooms and spaces for worship and meditation. Students who want to escape the Gloom that homework and city life can bring find themselves at peace in our student center. Below Kimmel is the Skirball Center for Performing Arts, the largest theatre space south of Times Square and setting of many professional and student performances. Our annual showcase, Ultra Violet Live, takes place in Skirball and highlights future talent in an American Idol-like competition (Lady Gaga won 2nd place back when she was a student at NYU before she Rapidash‘d into music history).
The fountain and arch in Washington Square Park are so much more than frequently lured Pokéstops; they’re the two central symbols of NYU’s non-traditional campus. Back in the day, NYU’s graduation ceremony took place in the park, and fresh graduates would jump into the fountain and dye the water purple with their graduation robes (we’ve since moved on to the classier but just-as-breathtaking Yankee Stadium for commencement). The arch also frames a great view of Fifth Avenue up to the Empire State Building, which glows violet on the eve of commencement as a city-wide shoutout to NYU’s global and city-wide alumni network.
When you finish your own hybrid NYU/Pokémon campus tour, try your best to take over the gym at the Washington Square Arch. Do you have what it takes to be the very best, like no Pokétrainer ever was?
These are just some of the many Pokéstops around the area, and we hope, as you walk through the park and Greenwich Village, you gain a better sense of the community, neighborhood, and network that could very soon be yours. Perhaps next spring, or in the near future, you could also decide to say,
“NYU, I choose you!”
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