These interviews were conducted on the College of William and Mary campus in Williamsburg, Virginia. All transcripts were used with permission from the Oregon Trail enthusiasts.
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Mike, Graduate Student
"I played the Oregon Trail in the second grade. I didn’t feel like I was learning, but I was learning. It’s a common shared experience for my generation. It was kind of sexy for school teachers to use the game for teaching and entertainment in the classroom." |
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Alyson, Senior
"I was obsessed with it at school. You could choose to play outside for recess or stay inside to play the Game. I definitely learned from the prospective of a pioneer. As a little kid, you get so wrapped up in the show you really believe it’s you and your family. I was quite intrigued by all the illnesses everyone got. And the hunting. I liked the hunting. |
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Digo, Senior
"I liked being the banker without experiences but with the most money, or being the carpenter who was the low-level guy but could do everything. I particularly enjoyed the hunting aspect of it. "
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Krishnan, Senior
"When I think of the Oregon Trail, I think about the video game and Lewis and Clark. They’re thugdizzle. I definitely remember that you have to try to keep your family living." |
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Sean, Junior
"The Game made me feel like a man. It was kind of slow going. But I imagine that’s what it was like on the actual trail." |
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Noel, Sophomore
“I’m actually from Oregon but I’ve never played the game like everyone else did. What’s funny is people’s responses when I tell them I am from Oregon. The first thing they ask is if I’ve played the game. But the Oregon Trail is really a time in history, and at least they know something about Oregon." |
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Karmen, Senior
"You had to learn responsibility on the Trail or else you would die." |
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Kevin, Senior
"The game makes people aware of the trail and confounds what the trail meant to a lot of people. The game is left in the minds of our generation. It’s purely edutainment. It’s fun, hands-on history, and improves hand-eye coordination. You wish it had an expansion pack and that it was just bigger!" |
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Casey, Sophomore
"I liked how the game was green. Shooting the animals was fun. But I never made it to Oregon. I always got stuck on the Mississippi. Of all the childhood games I played like Number Munchers and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, I think of the Oregon Trail first." |
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Randall, Sophomore
"The Oregon Trail was the game that I played in elementary school. I didn’t really learn anything from the game, just that you basically had to buy a bunch of food, survive, not get sick, cross rivers, and definitely not get your cows sick." |
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Nick, Junior
"When you mention the words "Oregon Trail," the first thing I think about is the Game, for sure. I really liked building a raft to get along some body of water. And I learned that typhoid fever can kill you on the Trail." |
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Layla, Senior
"When I think of the Oregon Trail , I think of Lewis and Clark going out west. You could choose your own adventure. The Oregon Trail game was the only fun and educational game we played in school."
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Andrea, sophomore
"The Oregon Trail game gives you a basic idea of its history. [The Game] makes you think about the settlers going out to find land and raise their families. It is also a good game because it is fun. It’s purpose was to teach people about the trail in a fun way." |
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Chuck, Junior
"I enjoyed hunting although it’s bad. The Game is a cool video game. It’s fun—but it also includes a lot of themes like death, unity, and American geography." |
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