NPR held its first this year, inviting students from grades 5-12 to submit the best podcast episode they could muster.
From 6,000 entries, NPR chose just 10 finalists. Columbus student Skyler Perry was
Then a senior at The Wellington School in Upper Arlington, Perry is now about to head off to Miami University of Ohio.
For her , she interviewed her dad, Jim, asking him if he did anything for fun in his free time. First, he denies any passion in his off-work hours. Then he demurs.
"I don鈥檛 like saying it," he says.
鈥淒o you want me to say it?鈥� Skyler asks.
He equivocates for a few moments before finally admitting it.
鈥淚 play Pok茅mon Go.鈥�
The mobile game came out in 2016, and encourages players to walk outside and catch various Pok茅mon using . Pok茅mon Go became an international , scoring 752 million downloads worldwide as of
鈥淚 always thought it was really interesting that he continued his obsession with this game even after most people stopped playing it," Skyler says. "But I didn鈥檛 like that he was judged for it."
For her podcast entry, Skyler set out to understand the draw of Pok茅mon Go for her father and other players. One big factor is the community of people that play the game.
鈥淚 meet the most interesting people playing this game, and you know, you have this instant bond with these people in that you both share a very visible, common passion,鈥� Jim says.
His daughter says that backs that up.
鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 get out of their house when they鈥檙e playing video games, and Pok茅mon Go was really the game to really make sure you have to leave and you have to work together in order to progress in the game,鈥� she says.
But the game acts as more than just a connection between Jim and his fellow players鈥攊t connects him to his kids.
鈥淚f you told me when I first had you, that at some point you and your brother would lead me to my most passionate collecting hobby, and it would be virtual animals in the middle of the world, I honestly would not have believed it," Jim says in the episode.
Now through his daughter鈥檚 podcast, he鈥檚 sharing that hobby with folks across America.
鈥淗e鈥檚 freaking out,鈥� Skyler says with a laugh. 鈥淏ut I told him the whole point of the podcast is to educate people about why it鈥檚 good. I understand his embarrassment but he really shouldn鈥檛 be ashamed.鈥�
Read about the winners of the
