Words with Gators

By: Catelyn Bowers

Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Doodle Jump have a new friend on the Apple App Store’s top 25 list.

Words With Friends (WWF), a modern remake of the classic game, Scrabble, has become an application for the iPad, iPod, and the iPhone and has grown to become the dominant game in the gadget world.

Sophomore Victoria Barnett first played the game after a family member found it in the App Store.

“I’ve been playing Words often since my sister downloaded it to my mom’s iPhone,” Barnett said. “Although it gets frustrating when you can’t find a word, it is still fun.”

Many teachers are beginning to play the game as well, and among them is English teacher Michelle Matherly.

“A friend told me about Words With Friends just before I got my iPhone,” Matherly said. “I’m an English teacher so it is fun for me.”

The concept of the game is the same as that of Scrabble, but with a technological twist. “Words is very similar to Scrabble, but

since it is online you can play with just about anyone as one of the random opponents, which makes it cool,” Barnett said.

As with all new technological games, some still prefer the old fashioned board game to the new touch-screen craze.

“I would rather play the real Scrabble, although Words works when you don’t have as much time,” freshman Kaitlyn Cabrera said. “Scrabble is the original game and I like the fact that it is easier [than Words] to interact with the person you are playing.”

Although playing random opponents is optional, Barnett prefers to play with her friends on WWF.

“I think it is more fun to play with your friends because you can put funny words or inside jokes and know they’re laughing too,” Barnett said. “It also makes it more competitive.”

Some students are taking Words to the next level and challenging teachers to play. “I didn’t play with students at first, but now I am playing with two of them,” Matherly said.

Though they are her teachers, Cabrera attempts to give them a run for their money while playing.

“I am always sure to be smart in choosing my words,” Cabrera said. “I try to always pick the one that gets the most points at that time.”

Though the game was meant to be for fun, some teachers use Words to teach their students new vocabulary and to get them conscious of their spelling habits. As a teacher, Matherly promotes this idea.

“Words is a great way to learn new words,” Matherly said. “It forces you to be creative with the letters you have, and by looking up possibilities you can even find some words that you didn’t know existed.”

Cabrera agrees that Words can help in learning as well as being entertaining.

“It makes me think and it definitely shows me how bad of a speller I can be,” Cabrera said. “Besides that, it has taught me strategies and more vocabulary words, while still being fun.”