Black College Games Introduces 'Howard-opoly'
New Board Game Expected to Attract HBCU Students
Go to the 'A' building. Go directly to the 'A' building. Do not pass 'Ho-Chi'. Do not collect a refund check.
Black College Games, a board game production company, has introduced its newest product. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) now have their own version of Monopoly to enjoy, which instead of Park Place and Baltic Avenue, spotlights the happenings on college campuses that are customized for each school.
Howard-opoly, the game focused on Howard University life, is the premier item on the website and is one of only two versions available on pre-order. Clark Atlanta-opoly, the other of the two, is featured along with Spelman-opoly and FAMU-opoly, among others.
These collegiate board games were created as a response to the "Ghetto-opoly" version, that had many blacks outraged.
"We created Black College Games in reaction to another 'opoly-style' game - launched in 2003 -- which highlighted the worst stereotypes associated with Black America. We were so offended by this so-called "ghetto game", we decided to "answer" it with a line of games that celebrate the rich legacy of African-Americans and HBCUs," said the company's website.
Ghetto-opoly was centered around gun violence, buying stolen properties and building crack houses and projects, which was found very offensive to people in the black community.
The game featured pieces that included a forty ounce, a marijuana leaf, a pimp, a prostitute and a gun.
Junior public relations major Jenea Robinson believes that reversing the negative aspects of Black America is a good thing for HBCUs.
"A lot of HBCUs and black organizations in general are doing a lot of positive things to spotlight the positive aspects of the black community," Robinson said.
With Howard's version, board spaces include WHUR-FM, Howard University Hospital, The Towers and The Hilltop, which is the equivalent of a player landing on the properties of various colors.
And instead of passing go to collect $200 dollars, players would advance to the flagpole to collect a scholarship of the same amount.
Another feature of the new game will not send a player to jail, but - to relate to a college student - players will be subject to academic probation that will send them home.
Among the game's tokens are a gym shoe, graduation cap, alarm clock, bicycle and a pizza slice, which all attempt to draw from the everyday experiences of a student.
"I would play Howard-opoly," Robinson said. "I would even buy it, because I think that once I graduate it would be a good keepsake of my alma mater."
Other students agree that the item is something they would enjoy.
"If it was available to me, I think it would probably be cool," said junior graphic design major Lauren Jackson.
Although students who do not attend the particular university may not understand the terminology and university specific names for places on campus, some don't see that as a problem. Jackson considers it an opportunity to learn new things about other HBCUs.
"I think that even though you probably wouldn't know about the campus, you would learn other things in the process," Jackson said. "Maybe they would even learn new things about Howard."
Despite some criticism, the response to the game appears favorable. Those interested can purchase the new game on BlackCollegeGames.com for $24 plus shipping and handling.
Now, long waits in Howard lines can perhaps be punctuated by uproarious laughter generated by an unfortunate roll that may result in the loss of a player's visitation.
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Thursday, December 1st 2005 at 3:11PM
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