~2 minute readExperiencing an Infocom "Marathon of the Minds"
The average high school student who enjoys interactive fiction would jump at the opportunity to spend a night with a like-minded bunch of kids, all racing to complete an unreleased Infocom game and win prizes. Sixty-three Southern California youngsters recently did just that at the California Museum of Science and Industry. The event was a "Marathon of the Minds," a continuation of an Infocom tradition begun at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA. Participating museums provide the facility and invite local high schools to send a team of three students. Infocom provides an unreleased game for the competition, along with T-shirts and games for all participants and a selection of prizes. Marathons start on a Friday or Saturday evening, and the kids play right through the night until one of the teams arrives at the solution. The winning team earns a computer for their school and three games each for themselves.
The Atmosphere of the Marathon
We had been curious to see a Marathon of the Minds ever since we heard about them. Since Infocom was kind enough to have one in our back yard, we couldn't resist! When we arrived, the teams had just begun tackling "Bureacracy" by Douglas Adams, which had not been released at the time of the marathon. School spirit was very much in evidence: giant banners on computer paper were hung around the room, each proclaiming the superiority of a particular school or its computer club. Piles of sleeping bags, never to be used, cluttered the corners of the room. Fingers flew over keyboards. Some kids consulted dictionaries, while others began making maps for their team. Kids tried to coax hints out of Infocom personnel. No luck -- the teams were on their own with their computers, their quick minds, and plenty of fortification from the snack room provided by Infocom and the museum.
A Teacher's View
Meanwhile, some of the teachers who had accompanied their students to the marathon were trying "Bureaucracy" in the lounge downstairs. (Teachers were not permitted in the room where the competition was held.) We spent some time with Elijah Mackey, who teaches math and programming classes at Inglewood High School (near Los Angeles International Airport). We were curious to hear a teacher's opinion of the Marathon of the Minds. Mackey saw it as an opportunity for kids to "go beyond their school environment, which in some cases may be very limited." And he thinks that playing interactive fiction fosters logical thinking and helps kids to keep track of facts and develop patience. Aside from the educational benefits of interactive fiction, Mackey felt that it was exciting for the kids to meet Marc Blank, author of "Zork." Mackey added, "I was moved myself when they said that this was the guy who wrote 'Zork,' and he was right here."
Farewell to the Marathon
We checked in on the marathon team once more before leaving. They were still hard at it and would be for many more hours. One team was trying to feed a llama. Someone else suggested, "nuke the whales." Yes, they were definitely playing an Infocom game!
These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.
