Become the very best without ever leaving campus

Chances are, if you’ve been out and about in Augusta during the past couple of days, you’ve heard the name Pokémon Go.

It’s the reason for the sudden increase in Facebook posts about safety, gyms and long walks around town. It’s also the reason your coworkers aren’t making eye contact in the halls anymore.

It’s safe to say that Nintendo’s newest game, released last Thursday, has become something of a household name among younger generations. But for those not in the know, here’s a Poké-crash course.

Pokémon is a Japanese multimedia franchise based around fictional creatures known as Pokémon (short for “pocket monsters”) which inhabit their own fictional Pokémon World. These “pocket monsters” can be caught in the wild by players (known in-game as “trainers”) who then train their Pokémon to battle one another at specialized locations known as “Pokémon gyms.” Parents of Millennials will no doubt remember the term Pokémon from the series of handheld and card games released in the mid-to-late 90s under the same name. These are the same creatures.

Now available for Android or iOS devices, “Pokémon Go” allows players to explore and find Pokémon anywhere in the world: at home, around town or even at one Augusta University’s three local campuses. While searching, players also have the opportunity to stop by various “PokéStops.” Many of these stops are cultural or historic landmarks, meaning the Summerville Campus in particular is a hotbed of Pokémon activity.

To save you some time – and make your eventual quest to Catch ‘Em All that much simpler and safer – we’ve compiled a list of known PokéStop locations at Augusta University’s Forest Hills, Summerville and Health Sciences Campus. While you’re out there hunting for Clefairies or nabbing Snorlaxes, watch roadways, pay attention to your surroundings, and obey all posted signs (several areas of campus are active construction zones and closed to visitors!).

Also, while you’re on campus, feel free to stop by either of the university’s two JagStore locations (Summerville or Health Sciences) to cool down and refresh.

Share screenshots of Pokémon you’ve caught on campus with the hashtag #PokemonGoJags on social media for a chance to win Augusta University swag. And if you happen across any interesting catches or discover a nearby PokéStop we might have missed, let us know. We’ll continue to update this list throughout the week. Happy hunting, trainers!

Forest Hills Campus:

Christenberry Fieldhouse
“Jaguar” Rock (located west of Christenberry Fieldhouse)

Summerville Campus:

University Entrance – Walton Way
University Entrance – Stovall Gate
Russell A. Blanchard Fountain
History Walk – Arsenal 1905 Site Plan
History Walk – Arsenal Powder Magazine Marker
History Walk – Walton Way Historic Marker
Walker Cemetery
Payne Hall Fountain
Arsenal Quad
Grover C. Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre
Allgood Hall
Science Hall
Maintenance Building – Gorgas Road
Jaguar Student Activities Center (JSAC)
JSAC Ballroom
Guardhouse Museum
Counseling Center
Douglas Bernard, Jr. Amphitheatre
College Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Marker

Health Sciences Campus:

Deborah K Schmidt Tree
Moretz Surgical Library
Nature of Healing Art Installation at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia
Greenblatt Library Fountain

Above: Augusta University student Keyanna Arnett shows off an-game representation of the university’s Summerville Campus. Photo credit: Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle