Since school started, students all over campus can be found chasing Pikachu through the hallways or during lunch. Pokèmon Go is a mobile-app game based off the popular Pokèmon franchise. It uses players’ GPS location and augmented reality to search and catch roaming Pokèmon. Players are allowed to customize their digital character’s clothing and choose a ‘team’ to join based on the players’ personality types. For many students, the school campus is another location to catch more Pokèmon to add to their collection.

Junior Austin Vuolo says, “I like really playing Pokèmon Go. It’s harmless fun and I really enjoy playing it at school.”

However, due to the rising popularity of Pokèmon Go since its release in July, administrators have had many concerns over the safety of students and are considering restricting its access on campus.

The initial idea was to restrict the use of Pokèmon Go on campus because of the potential hazards to teenage players. Reports of car accidents, trespassing and security issues were among the major issues that worried Mrs. Patti Boggs. Boggs decided to see if she could find a way to create a ‘Pokèmon-free zone.’

“We haven’t had a lot of Pokèmon Go issues so I haven’t pursued it with the diligence or the aggressiveness I was going to do originally,” Boggs states. “These kids have been very respectful of the campus and therefore I don’t want to disrespect them. There is no reason at this point to lock the school down when I have not seen anybody do anything disrespecting the campus in that manner.”

For many students, playing Pokèmon Go allows them to have fun at school while at lunch or between classes.

“I’m really glad the school decided to not restrict Pokèmon Go on campus, I play it with my little brother and it’s a lot of fun.” Junior Isabel Adamus says, “I understand why administration is so concerned, but I also don’t think it’s more distracting than other apps like Snapchat or Twitter.”

As long as students are mindful of the campus and its property, school administrators feel that there should be no reason to restrict Pokèmon Go on campus.