![WASC looks for more than the basic California State standards. According to chairperson Mike Woo, “As new rules and new concerns come up through society, [WASC] look[s] is the school doing something about that. Like the biggest trend post-COVID is mental wellness. So is your school doing something to address the mental health of the students? Along with are they still doing the proper academics?”](https://theburlingameb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3401-1200x1200.png)
![“For me personally, I want [others] to see the music program as a strong union because we can really bring out the life of our school,” Vega said. “We need music, you know? Otherwise, things would be really silent and dead.”](https://theburlingameb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/unnamed-1200x801.jpeg)
The Rise of Fortnite
March 6, 2018
Ever since its release just over five months ago, Fortnite Battle Royale has been dominating the video game world. The online third person shooter game has already attracted 45 million players.
Epic Games, Fortnite’s developer describes the game simply as “one giant map. A battle bus. Fortnite building skills and destructible environments combined with intense PvP combat. The last one standing wins.” Most people can get the jist of the game with only a short explanation.
The fact that the basic outline of the game can be described in such a short paragraph demonstrates the game’s simplicity, attributing to Fortnite’s popularity. Other than a few strategic tips and facts about the weapons, the whole game can be summed up in fewer than 50 words.
“You work towards the goal of winning but then once you reach that goal you can keep going, it never gets boring,” sophomore Manny Appel said.
The lack of an ending keeps pulling players in to the game. Even though one can win a specific round, there is no way to beat the game, so to speak, because there are always ways to improve.
For example, people continue playing after a win to work for more kills in a game or challenge themselves by only using certain weapons. Every game ends up being different, depending on one’s luck and location on the map, so the gameplay never gets old to gamers. The constant improvisation prevents gamers from losing interest.
Another appealing factor about the game is the sense of achievement one gets when they win. Sophomore Ethan Gardner describes the feeling of winning as “moist as heck.” In other words, the experience is exhilarating.
This sensation, similar to doing well on a test or running a personal record mile time, is a feeling players desperately try to earn. People spend hours upon hours to get the sense of self achievement that comes along with winning, and once they have won, they yearn to do it again.
The commotion caused by the relatively new game, Fortnite, has been rising significantly over the past months and shows no sign of slowing soon.
