The Origin of the Final Fantasy Professor | Prof Weekly Episode 8

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Speaker 1
Hey, everyone, I'm Evan. Welcome to the Noctis weekly show. This episode, we have the origin story of the prophet Noctis himself. Right here. Tell us what we can expect. All the ins and outs and deep, dark secrets of yours truly. Little of me. Let's get right to it.

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Unknown
You.

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Evan
Okay, everyone, we have a very special interview today. Today we will be interviewing our very own professor Noctis. Professor ahead of the world.

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Wade
What's up? I'm excited.

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Evan
So we're going to be covering a little bit of the. What do you want to call it? Your origin story. That sounds like a bit of a villain thing, right. How you got the way that you were.

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Wade
Yeah. Heroes have origin stories, right?

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Evan
Yeah. That's true, that's true. They do. But I feel like it comes more with villains. Typically, you like to understand why they're so bad and the way that they are.

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Wade
Well, I mean, I'm.

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Wade
Still fairly young. Maybe I've still got time to go, doc.

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Evan
Okay, so you're saying that maybe we're starting your villain art?

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Wade
Okay, this my new arc.

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Evan
If you were to be a villain or what would be the thing that maybe we'll do our mini game stretch, particularly if you were to. Maybe. What is the thing that has triggered you, Wade, to be a villain?

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Wade
That my students in the end of the semester. End of the semester? asking for bonus points. That is the triggering arc.

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Evan
The evil villain in the villainous manifesto. The answer was bonus points in that.

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Wade
Or, discussions about, side content, which makes it side quests.

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Evan
Sent him on a vicious spiral.

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Wade
Yeah, it really.

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Wade
Just listening to people.

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Wade
Talk about side quests and how they don't like.

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Wade
Certain games because.

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Wade
Of side quests. Okay, now I'm like, well, they're side, they're optional. Yeah.

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Evan
So mine's probably robocalls like spam.

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Wade
He turned to a very legitimate.

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Evan
one too many spam calls, and he turned to either way. So you ended up in grad school writing a dissertation on video games, and you may not have known that this was possible, but I want.

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Wade
To start here.

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Evan
And then we'll kind of build back up to it. So you have this dissertation that you've written and that kind of spawned all of this, right?

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Wade
Yeah.

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Wade
everything here.

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Wade
Is due to.

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Wade
Writing that dissertation in 2019, for.

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Wade
Sure.

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Wade
and I did.

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Wade
Not set out to write a video.

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Wade
Game dissertation or anything like.

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Wade
That. It just.

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Wade
Kind of.

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Wade
It fell.

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Wade
In my lap.

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Wade
To be perfectly.

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Wade
Honest. I mean, it.

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Wade
It was a series of.

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Wade
Synchronous coincidences.

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Wade
That.

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Wade
it ended.

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Wade
Up with this.

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Evan
Was it changed your life? How is it impacted kind of the trajectory that you were on? And then we'll get to kind of how you got there.

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Wade
Yeah.

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Wade
So I mean, part of my origin story, from undergrad on, I was studying religion, right. I, I became.

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Wade
Religious personally.

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Wade
When I was in middle.

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Wade
School.

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Wade
I wanted.

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Wade
To go into.

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Wade
professional practitioner in practicing.

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Wade
Religious.

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Wade
Life, being a minister.

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Wade
A pastor.

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Wade
Some sort.

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Wade
Of religious leader.

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Wade
And,

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Wade
So I got.

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Wade
A religion major in.

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Wade
Undergrad.

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Wade
but.

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Wade
The other thing about undergrad was that I found.

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Wade
Not only the.

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Wade
Stories, the theology.

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Wade
And the.

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Wade
Mythologies really.

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Wade
Compelling.

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Wade
But I also took a slew of literature classes.

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Wade
And this I.

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Wade
Mean, if we really want to talk.

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Wade
About an origin story.

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Wade
It was.

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Wade
not just.

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Wade
My religious professors.

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Wade
My religion.

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Wade
Professors, but it was one particular literature.

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Wade
Professor named Doctor.

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Wade
Susan.

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Wade
Hagan.

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Evan
Shout out doctor.

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Wade
Shout out Doctor.

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Wade
Hagan.

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Wade
She taught.

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Wade
I remember a.

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Wade
Class that she taught.

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Wade
My freshman year called monsters, monarchs, and Monastics.

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Wade
Okay.

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Wade
Pretty banger.

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Wade
Title. Yeah. And it went through.

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Wade
Everything from, like, a little bit of King.

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Wade
Arthur to.

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Wade
there was.

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Wade
Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, all the stuff. It was a survey class of all these different writings.

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Wade
I fell.

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Wade
In love with that. I loved.

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Wade
Reading and writing and all this stuff connected.

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Wade
To that. This professor, I took her five times to five different classes.

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Evan
And Doctor Hagan.

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Wade
Just loved, loved. And the reason I loved it is because she always made us look at the the literature through.

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Wade
The lens of modern media.

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Wade
So she.

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Wade
Would bring in.

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Wade
Movies,

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Wade
Modern fiction books, but then she would give us final projects. And I remember.

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Wade
That I was the, the first person.

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Wade
I think,

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Wade
That ever chose a video.

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Wade
Game for a final.

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Wade
Project for her.

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Wade
And she found it.

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Wade
So.

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Wade
Interesting and compelling and was just.

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Wade
Like, you have to keep doing this sort.

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Wade
Of thing. Now, I was 20 years old.

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Wade
At that point.

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Wade
And,

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Wade
Had no concept that this could.

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Wade
Ever be a thing. I just wanted.

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Wade
To, like, do youth ministry or like, you know, read churches, all that kind of stuff. So I graduated.

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Wade
I didn't really think anything of it. Continued on my.

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Wade
Trajectory, went over to,

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Wade
Emory, got my,

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Wade
Grad degree.

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Wade
in religion again, and then came back to Alabama. And I was.

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Wade
Just, like.

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Wade
Working in.

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Wade
Churches.

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Wade
eventually.

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Wade
Started.

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Wade
Working at the University.

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Wade
Of Alabama in religious life. So then I,

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Wade
I started on a.

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Wade
Doctoral.

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Wade
Program. And again, it was not about.

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Wade
Video games at all.

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Wade
I'm studying leadership. I'm studying, you know, how to.

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Wade
Convey these.

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Wade
Ancient stories to a modern audience?

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Wade
That's what it was. Yeah.

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Evan
Let's stop for a second about. Yeah, that moment where Doctor Hagan, believed and saw something in you that you maybe didn't see or know about yourself and the role that a teacher or someone in your life can have to do. That kind of sparked that curiosity. Tell me what that was like and what you experienced in that process, and what was going on in your head when she communicated to you?

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Evan
You have to keep doing this because that's an amazing statement to hear from someone that you respect, especially someone you've taken five classes from. You have to keep doing this. The way that she seemed to believe in you seemed interesting.

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Wade
Yeah. And, yeah.

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Wade
It was a final project.

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Wade
And I was presenting to the class. And the question that was kind of the guiding question for.

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Wade
These projects was when you were.

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Wade
Reading or experiencing, some of these texts, in my case, it was King Arthur.

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Wade
Lancelot, Arthur.

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Wade
Guinevere.

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Wade
All of that.

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Evan
What images you in that story?

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Wade
I'm the narrator.

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Wade
It doesn't end well for any of them, so I'd rather not be. So the court jester plays, the.

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Evan
Narrator.

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Wade
And the narrator.

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Wade
So she she said, what do you.

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Wade
Conjure up in your mind when you're reading and hearing these stories?

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Wade
And I thought of.

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Wade
The opening scene of Final Fantasy.

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Wade
Eight.

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Wade
The opening scene in Final Fantasy eight. So I,

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Evan
Is that I showed King Arthur had a gun blade or.

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Wade
I am so proud of.

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Wade
You for knowing anything about Final Fantasy.

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Wade
Eight. I'm so overwhelmingly.

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Wade
Beaming with.

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Wade
Pride right now because, like, that's not a lot of people know or like.

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Wade
Final Fantasy eight.

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Wade
Well, I think a lot of people do, but like it. But I, I here's.

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Wade
One of my.

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Wade
Favorites. So I was.

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Wade
Thinking about.

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Wade
This.

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Wade
Opening scene.

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Wade
Yeah. Except five.

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Wade
not that.

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Wade
One.

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Evan
Five doesn't know it's an identity because it's whatever. Anyways, continue.

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Wade
no, I don't want to get into that fight here with,

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Wade
The fans.

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Wade
But, I know that the.

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Wade
Opening scene of Final Fantasy eight.

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Wade
Has two characters.

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Wade
Squall and Cipher. And, these images are.

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Wade
Juxtaposed with.

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Wade
Ron Noah, who is the main love interest.

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Evan
God, I forgot, that's such a it's. You can tell that had to have been made like around the Matrix because they needed to like.

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Wade
Just these names. Yeah, yeah. Well, now they've got things like Clive and Glenn and so.

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Wade
There.

00:08:47:29 - 00:08:49:05
Wade
Were no.

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Evan
Names like Glenn. So Glenn's.

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Wade
all.

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Wade
The Glenn you.

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Evan
Got to Glenn in your life and you're watching or listening to this shout out to.

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Wade
Yeah, hopefully people know you because they.

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Wade
Don't know Glenn and Final Fantasy seven rebirths.

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Evan
so, so so you're you equated this Arthurian legend to it in the opening as Final Fantasy eight. So, Cipher and Squall are in this opening sequence, and it.

00:09:13:19 - 00:09:15:15
Wade
Looks as though they.

00:09:15:15 - 00:09:21:20
Wade
Are fighting over Renault. And now that is not really a love triangle that should ever, you know, come to the creator.

00:09:21:23 - 00:09:23:09
Wade
But Renault it. Yeah, she's.

00:09:23:09 - 00:09:26:09
Wade
The main female protagonist.

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Wade
so I showed this.

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Wade
In.

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Wade
Class.

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Wade
And I kind.

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Wade
Of pause.

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Wade
It as I'm going through. And this is my.

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Wade
First.

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Wade
experience.

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Wade
Of what?

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Evan
No. Go ahead. But I'm curious.

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Wade
Yeah, yeah. So I, you know, I.

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Wade
This is my first experience.

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Wade
Of pressing play and pausing and saying so here and analyzing, dissecting an actual scene, and equating them to different.

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Wade
Characters. I was 20 years old.

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Wade
And I was doing this.

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Wade
It's crazy.

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Evan
I haven't heard this part.

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Wade
Of no one's heard this.

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Wade
No one's heard.

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Wade
This.

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Wade
because.

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Wade
I've.

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Wade
I've really never told it. because it was never pertinent.

00:10:03:04 - 00:10:03:29
Wade
so you brought your.

00:10:03:29 - 00:10:07:21
Evan
PlayStation into the classroom and, like, hooked it up to a TV or.

00:10:07:21 - 00:10:11:05
Wade
Projector or, how did I do it?

00:10:11:25 - 00:10:17:15
Wade
What I want to say, I'm pretty sure we had YouTube back then.

00:10:17:18 - 00:10:17:26
Wade
it was.

00:10:17:26 - 00:10:19:22
Wade
Like, oh, five. We had.

00:10:19:22 - 00:10:20:28
Wade
YouTube then. How old is.

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Wade
YouTube?

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Evan
I don't know, let's find out.

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Wade
Hey, how old is YouTube?

00:10:25:00 - 00:10:25:10
Wade
because.

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Wade
There were probably two ways that I have.

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Wade
Done.

00:10:29:06 - 00:10:29:27
Wade
This.

00:10:29:27 - 00:10:30:06
Wade
In the.

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Wade
Past.

00:10:32:24 - 00:10:35:01
Evan
How old is YouTube?

00:10:35:03 - 00:10:38:09
Wade
How old is YouTube?

00:10:38:11 - 00:10:43:22
Evan
YouTube came out February 14th, 2005. So it's almost.

00:10:43:25 - 00:10:46:12
Wade
Was. I like the first person on YouTube.

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Evan
You invented YouTube.

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Wade
I, I discovered YouTube for an academic purpose. Okay.

00:10:52:04 - 00:10:56:20
Evan
did a lecture play essentially at 20 years before that was even ever.

00:10:56:21 - 00:10:58:00
Wade
I'm trying to remember.

00:10:58:06 - 00:10:58:24
Wade
What.

00:10:58:26 - 00:11:00:29
Wade
How it went down.

00:11:01:02 - 00:11:01:18
Wade
somehow.

00:11:01:18 - 00:11:02:28
Wade
I had the opening movie.

00:11:03:02 - 00:11:03:14
Wade
Of this.

00:11:03:14 - 00:11:03:21
Wade
Game.

00:11:03:21 - 00:11:04:13
Wade
I think that.

00:11:04:13 - 00:11:04:26
Wade
It was on.

00:11:04:26 - 00:11:10:12
Wade
YouTube. But it's also possible that I.

00:11:10:14 - 00:11:11:03
Wade
I don't think that.

00:11:11:03 - 00:11:13:04
Wade
I brought my PlayStation this.

00:11:13:04 - 00:11:14:26
Wade
Time. There were other times when I did.

00:11:15:00 - 00:11:16:13
Wade
But not that first.

00:11:16:13 - 00:11:17:01
Evan
Time. Okay.

00:11:17:01 - 00:11:20:14
Wade
Not the first time. Just because I was like, yeah, I don't want to deal with that.

00:11:20:14 - 00:11:22:24
Wade
But, also, I'm not sure that my.

00:11:22:24 - 00:11:23:04
Wade
College.

00:11:23:04 - 00:11:24:27
Wade
Classroom had that kind of technology.

00:11:24:27 - 00:11:26:13
Wade
Set up, hook up.

00:11:26:16 - 00:11:33:10
Evan
Oh, well, yeah. And I think just a brief moment of silence for Birmingham Southern.

00:11:33:13 - 00:11:33:29
Wade
Oh, yeah.

00:11:34:01 - 00:11:36:23
Wade
Birmingham Southern. Hey, listen.

00:11:36:25 - 00:11:39:00
Wade
I may be gone, but it's still alive in our hearts. The religion.

00:11:39:00 - 00:11:39:27
Wade
Department sent me.

00:11:39:27 - 00:11:41:04
Wade
One of these mugs.

00:11:41:06 - 00:11:42:07
Evan
You don't know.

00:11:42:09 - 00:11:43:12
Wade
and all of the.

00:11:43:14 - 00:11:44:12
Wade
Religions on the.

00:11:44:12 - 00:11:46:27
Wade
Back. Tragic. At least the ones that we pay. Yeah.

00:11:47:04 - 00:11:50:29
Evan
Wade's undergrad alma mater, closed.

00:11:51:01 - 00:11:53:27
Wade
It did it did.

00:11:53:29 - 00:11:55:04
Wade
it was a long, hard.

00:11:55:04 - 00:11:56:09
Wade
Fight, but.

00:11:56:11 - 00:11:57:10
Wade
Birmingham Southern College.

00:11:57:10 - 00:11:58:13
Wade
A private liberal.

00:11:58:13 - 00:12:02:08
Wade
Arts institute in Birmingham, Alabama.

00:12:02:10 - 00:12:03:16
Wade
It was great.

00:12:03:18 - 00:12:05:10
Wade
I am who I am today.

00:12:05:10 - 00:12:06:24
Wade
Because of that.

00:12:06:26 - 00:12:09:00
Wade
College and the opportunities they gave me. You wouldn't.

00:12:09:00 - 00:12:10:13
Wade
Know why I chose.

00:12:10:13 - 00:12:11:22
Wade
Birmingham Southern, because I.

00:12:11:22 - 00:12:12:08
Wade
Had applied to.

00:12:12:08 - 00:12:14:06
Wade
Alabama and Auburn and all this kind of.

00:12:14:06 - 00:12:17:15
Wade
Stuff. they had what was called.

00:12:17:15 - 00:12:18:21
Wade
A Jan term.

00:12:18:21 - 00:12:19:09
Wade
Yeah, but the.

00:12:19:09 - 00:12:23:10
Wade
Thing during Jan term was they did not do ordinary.

00:12:23:10 - 00:12:24:14
Wade
Classes.

00:12:24:16 - 00:12:25:17
Evan
I'm sorry.

00:12:25:20 - 00:12:26:10
Wade
It's okay.

00:12:26:10 - 00:12:27:21
Evan
Oh my gosh.

00:12:27:24 - 00:12:28:13
Wade
I'll start over.

00:12:28:14 - 00:12:30:10
Evan
Oh you're good. Hold on.

00:12:30:12 - 00:12:34:28
Wade
Sneeze at me. That this is this may be a very edited.

00:12:34:28 - 00:12:41:22
Evan
Episode as they're the things that have happened.

00:12:41:24 - 00:12:42:03
Wade
no.

00:12:42:03 - 00:12:46:00
Wade
Just meandering, the meandering.

00:12:46:00 - 00:12:48:00
Evan
To less meandering, if you want.

00:12:48:03 - 00:12:49:26
Wade
To know. It's. It's good, it's good.

00:12:49:29 - 00:12:51:18
Evan
I was doing that on purpose.

00:12:51:20 - 00:12:55:18
Wade
Oh, no. But. Yeah.

00:12:55:18 - 00:13:07:27
Evan
Do you want to out more straightforward?

00:13:08:00 - 00:13:08:17
Wade
I guess it.

00:13:08:17 - 00:13:12:14
Wade
Depends. Meandering, too. Meandering. Some of them are good rabbit holes. Like, I don't mind this.

00:13:12:14 - 00:13:14:01
Wade
One that we're on right now.

00:13:14:03 - 00:13:16:07
Evan
Where I sneezed.

00:13:16:10 - 00:13:18:27
Wade
Not this one. You mean like.

00:13:19:04 - 00:13:28:19
Evan
You mean for story? I mean, I mean, in the beginning. Yeah. I can make it tighter if you want to make it tighter. I'm just trying to let people experience your personality.

00:13:28:22 - 00:13:29:22
Wade
No, that's good.

00:13:29:24 - 00:13:37:03
Wade
But I'm good either way.

00:13:37:05 - 00:13:39:03
Evan
Anatomy.

00:13:39:06 - 00:13:42:25
Wade
Let's keep it up. All right. okay. Where was I?

00:13:42:27 - 00:13:49:17
Evan
14 out. All right. You know, you're picking back up.

00:13:49:20 - 00:13:51:03
Wade
Talking about Birmingham Southern.

00:13:51:04 - 00:13:53:14
Wade
Yeah, yeah.

00:13:53:14 - 00:13:55:12
Wade
Okay, so the reason that I picked.

00:13:55:13 - 00:13:56:08
Wade
Birmingham Southern.

00:13:56:08 - 00:13:56:24
Wade
College.

00:13:59:06 - 00:14:00:07
Wade
Like a lot of schools, it.

00:14:00:07 - 00:14:02:22
Wade
Has a Jan term and they called it interim.

00:14:02:24 - 00:14:05:18
Wade
Okay. But it wasn't.

00:14:05:20 - 00:14:06:09
Wade
Normal.

00:14:06:09 - 00:14:07:07
Wade
Classes.

00:14:07:07 - 00:14:08:09
Wade
During January.

00:14:08:09 - 00:14:09:28
Wade
Instead they were specialty classes.

00:14:09:28 - 00:14:11:06
Wade
So some people played.

00:14:11:09 - 00:14:12:21
Wade
Bridge and learned how to play.

00:14:12:21 - 00:14:14:13
Wade
Bridge and went to nursing homes.

00:14:14:16 - 00:14:17:15
Wade
And stuff like that. others would do service.

00:14:17:15 - 00:14:18:13
Wade
Learning and they would.

00:14:18:13 - 00:14:19:13
Wade
Go.

00:14:19:15 - 00:14:20:02
Wade
on all of.

00:14:20:02 - 00:14:24:03
Wade
These trips. Yeah. To, whether it was like national or.

00:14:24:03 - 00:14:25:01
Wade
You know, international.

00:14:25:01 - 00:14:26:03
Wade
Whatever it was.

00:14:26:05 - 00:14:27:08
Wade
For the entire month.

00:14:27:10 - 00:14:27:20
Wade
There was.

00:14:27:20 - 00:14:29:11
Wade
One that was a semester.

00:14:29:11 - 00:14:30:14
Wade
At sea.

00:14:30:16 - 00:14:32:13
Wade
The entire month of January.

00:14:32:13 - 00:14:34:02
Wade
You went with a.

00:14:34:04 - 00:14:34:20
Wade
astronomy.

00:14:34:20 - 00:14:35:02
Wade
Professor?

00:14:35:02 - 00:14:36:25
Wade
I took the astronomy professor. I didn't take.

00:14:36:25 - 00:14:38:27
Wade
This class to.

00:14:39:27 - 00:14:44:22
Wade
Live at sea, like on a little boat. And you would chart your course.

00:14:44:22 - 00:14:45:19
Wade
According to the.

00:14:45:19 - 00:14:46:10
Wade
Stars.

00:14:46:10 - 00:14:47:27
Wade
Isn't that insane?

00:14:47:29 - 00:14:49:17
Wade
There was another one. There was dog.

00:14:49:17 - 00:14:52:04
Wade
Sledding. I almost signed up for the dog sledding.

00:14:52:04 - 00:15:04:07
Wade
One. I, I wish I had some rules. It was awesome. And we need to get it back. I know we need to get it back. so three of my four years I was.

00:15:04:07 - 00:15:04:15
Wade
In.

00:15:04:16 - 00:15:05:23
Wade
Europe.

00:15:05:26 - 00:15:06:20
Wade
and,

00:15:06:23 - 00:15:07:18
Wade
Because that's.

00:15:07:18 - 00:15:09:21
Wade
Why I came to Birmingham Southern. I wanted to.

00:15:09:21 - 00:15:12:26
Wade
Travel as much as possible. Okay.

00:15:13:00 - 00:15:14:19
Wade
Over, over my four years. And so every.

00:15:14:19 - 00:15:17:16
Wade
January, I would just head over to Europe with.

00:15:17:19 - 00:15:19:01
Wade
Classes and professors, and it was.

00:15:19:01 - 00:15:22:07
Wade
Awesome. But that was the reason. And the.

00:15:22:07 - 00:15:23:06
Wade
Reason I wanted.

00:15:23:06 - 00:15:26:05
Wade
To do that was so that I could really set.

00:15:26:05 - 00:15:27:11
Wade
Feet on the ground in.

00:15:27:11 - 00:15:28:25
Wade
Cultures.

00:15:28:28 - 00:15:30:26
Wade
and so returning to Doctor Hagan's.

00:15:30:26 - 00:15:34:00
Wade
Class, when that was the.

00:15:34:00 - 00:15:35:25
Wade
First time that I connected.

00:15:35:28 - 00:15:36:23
Wade
That video.

00:15:36:23 - 00:15:42:06
Wade
Games allow me to put my feet on the ground of a culture that I don't know from the comfort of my own.

00:15:42:06 - 00:15:49:05
Evan
Home video games allow you to put your feet on the ground of a culture you don't know from home.

00:15:49:07 - 00:15:51:24
Wade
And this is why I.

00:15:52:01 - 00:15:52:20
Wade
Spent 100.

00:15:52:20 - 00:15:53:23
Wade
And 75 hours.

00:15:53:23 - 00:15:56:19
Wade
In Final Fantasy seven rebirth, when some people are spending 50.

00:15:56:19 - 00:16:00:06
Wade
Hours in it. It's because I want to talk to.

00:16:00:06 - 00:16:04:26
Wade
Every single NPC, and I just keep doing circles and loops until.

00:16:05:03 - 00:16:05:23
Wade
They start.

00:16:05:26 - 00:16:06:07
Wade
Repeating.

00:16:06:07 - 00:16:07:03
Wade
Dialog, because.

00:16:07:03 - 00:16:13:10
Wade
I am craving everything. It's the reason why I don't use minimap apps and nav systems, and it's the reason why I.

00:16:13:10 - 00:16:13:28
Wade
Don't do fast.

00:16:13:28 - 00:16:19:04
Wade
Travel in games. Because I am immersed in this world.

00:16:19:06 - 00:16:21:21
Evan
You don't do mini maps or fast travel ever.

00:16:21:21 - 00:16:23:08
Wade
I don't know,

00:16:23:10 - 00:16:25:16
Wade
Only when I have earned it.

00:16:25:22 - 00:16:28:25
Wade
Like when I know where.

00:16:28:25 - 00:16:31:16
Wade
I'm going, but if I don't know where I'm going, then I.

00:16:31:16 - 00:16:32:02
Wade
Refuse.

00:16:32:09 - 00:16:34:22
Evan
Okay, you got to get the lay of the land first, and then.

00:16:34:24 - 00:16:35:07
Wade
I have to get the.

00:16:35:07 - 00:16:35:25
Wade
Lay of the land.

00:16:35:25 - 00:16:37:21
Wade
And it's easier to get the lay.

00:16:37:21 - 00:16:40:19
Wade
Of the land when you take out the mini map. And then I have systems.

00:16:40:22 - 00:16:41:27
Wade
Because then you say, okay.

00:16:41:27 - 00:16:42:11
Wade
You hang a.

00:16:42:11 - 00:16:42:24
Wade
Right at the.

00:16:42:24 - 00:16:44:26
Wade
Tree, and then you go straight for a bit and then you're going to.

00:16:44:26 - 00:16:46:28
Wade
Take a left. Otherwise it's like, just.

00:16:46:28 - 00:16:48:04
Wade
Follow the mini map.

00:16:48:04 - 00:16:48:19
Wade
Marker.

00:16:48:22 - 00:16:52:04
Evan
Back in my day. Yeah, Google Maps.

00:16:52:06 - 00:16:55:24
Wade
I'm telling you like it is the most boomer.

00:16:55:24 - 00:16:56:10
Wade
Thing that.

00:16:56:10 - 00:16:59:28
Wade
I do. Okay, like I refuse to ask for.

00:16:59:28 - 00:17:01:07
Wade
Directions from the mini.

00:17:01:07 - 00:17:02:27
Wade
Map. Like,

00:17:02:29 - 00:17:16:02
Evan
I like that you give, directions in video games with landmarks in video games, you're gonna quit because a PC who dropped his bucket of biscuits and and then when you see the giant tree, you've gone too far.

00:17:16:08 - 00:17:17:10
Wade
But even, like.

00:17:17:10 - 00:17:17:24
Wade
Seriously.

00:17:17:24 - 00:17:18:27
Wade
With a mini map?

00:17:18:28 - 00:17:20:10
Wade
Yeah. Do you get.

00:17:20:10 - 00:17:22:16
Wade
Those kind of little things?

00:17:22:18 - 00:17:23:11
Wade
Like, you don't.

00:17:23:11 - 00:17:24:09
Wade
Pay attention to the.

00:17:24:09 - 00:17:24:25
Wade
Tree or.

00:17:24:25 - 00:17:25:14
Wade
The NPC.

00:17:25:14 - 00:17:26:17
Wade
That dropped the bucket.

00:17:26:17 - 00:17:26:21
Wade
And.

00:17:26:28 - 00:17:28:21
Wade
All that, so you just don't.

00:17:29:11 - 00:17:30:27
Wade
Unless it's a pertinent story.

00:17:31:02 - 00:17:34:23
Evan
So we're doing a future segment on video game navigation systems.

00:17:34:25 - 00:17:38:01
Wade
Oh, I think it would be amazing because.

00:17:38:03 - 00:17:39:13
Wade
In my mind, this.

00:17:39:13 - 00:17:40:04
Wade
Is the.

00:17:40:04 - 00:17:42:12
Wade
Number one thing.

00:17:42:14 - 00:17:42:25
Wade
That.

00:17:42:25 - 00:17:43:26
Wade
Open world games.

00:17:43:26 - 00:17:44:10
Wade
Get wrong.

00:17:44:14 - 00:17:50:19
Evan
Oh yeah, we're definitely did a segment on this. All right. Don't they. Don't get it all out of the way now. All right.

00:17:50:19 - 00:17:51:26
Wade
So yeah you're.

00:17:51:27 - 00:17:59:17
Evan
Jan terms you you went internationally. You realize that video games help you experience culture and set foot on the ground.

00:17:59:18 - 00:18:02:11
Wade
So literally I'm literally I'm.

00:18:02:11 - 00:18:05:27
Wade
I'm in. I am in,

00:18:05:29 - 00:18:12:00
Wade
Oh, gosh, where was I? I was in Glasgow, England, I believe, and.

00:18:12:02 - 00:18:13:11
Evan
Gallagher.

00:18:13:13 - 00:18:14:20
Wade
Visiting.

00:18:14:22 - 00:18:15:05
Wade
some.

00:18:15:05 - 00:18:15:25
Wade
Castles.

00:18:15:25 - 00:18:21:13
Wade
Yeah. And some. And I am immediately imagining Final Fantasy.

00:18:21:13 - 00:18:23:08
Wade
For the first castle in a.

00:18:23:08 - 00:18:24:06
Wade
Video game that I've ever.

00:18:24:06 - 00:18:24:29
Wade
Experienced.

00:18:25:03 - 00:18:27:27
Wade
And I'm like, okay, I've seen this. And this was.

00:18:27:27 - 00:18:33:20
Wade
Before, like, really, really good medieval 3D video game.

00:18:33:20 - 00:18:35:07
Wade
So I'm still thinking in pixels.

00:18:35:14 - 00:18:38:01
Wade
Okay. Like there were some that were out, but like Final.

00:18:38:01 - 00:18:38:14
Wade
Fantasy.

00:18:38:14 - 00:18:39:04
Wade
Is has.

00:18:39:04 - 00:18:42:10
Wade
Moved into a techno realm at this point. And like.

00:18:42:10 - 00:18:43:01
Wade
I.

00:18:43:01 - 00:18:45:16
Wade
Am just imagining all of this stuff. And I.

00:18:45:16 - 00:18:47:18
Wade
Think that those.

00:18:47:20 - 00:18:48:20
Wade
Those international.

00:18:48:20 - 00:18:55:05
Wade
Trips to cultures that I never experience as a, you know, small town country Alabama guy, like, I.

00:18:55:06 - 00:18:55:15
Wade
Never.

00:18:55:15 - 00:18:57:00
Wade
Really thought of these.

00:18:57:00 - 00:19:03:20
Wade
Sort of things. It opened my mind fresh. And I knew then that I wanted to teach about cultures.

00:19:03:20 - 00:19:04:27
Evan
Really.

00:19:05:00 - 00:19:05:18
Wade
I did.

00:19:05:18 - 00:19:07:23
Wade
And so I had never dreamed.

00:19:07:23 - 00:19:11:04
Wade
That it would be through video games. Never dreamed.

00:19:11:06 - 00:19:11:13
Wade
but.

00:19:11:13 - 00:19:12:01
Wade
There were.

00:19:12:04 - 00:19:16:08
Wade
Remnants and traces, of it, you know, not just in Doctor Hagan's.

00:19:16:08 - 00:19:19:06
Wade
Class, but throughout, throughout my life. There it.

00:19:19:06 - 00:19:20:14
Wade
Is. Amazing.

00:19:20:17 - 00:19:38:05
Evan
Okay, so then connect the dots a little bit. You're continuing to play games. You're enjoying them. This sparks that. You could use video games as a oh yeah to instruct and tell stories and things like that. But then you are doing stuff professionally. You decide you want to get well, what's what's going on?

00:19:38:08 - 00:19:39:07
Wade
Let me tell you about that.

00:19:39:13 - 00:19:40:15
Wade
That's kind of an interesting.

00:19:40:15 - 00:19:41:26
Wade
Story, too.

00:19:41:28 - 00:19:45:29
Wade
you know, you're jogging. A lot of my memories here. I was a youth minister.

00:19:45:29 - 00:19:51:27
Wade
Through college, throughout college. And, what that is. Yeah. Youth minister.

00:19:51:29 - 00:19:52:04
Wade
you're.

00:19:52:06 - 00:19:53:01
Wade
A youth director.

00:19:53:01 - 00:19:54:16
Wade
Is, somebody that works.

00:19:54:16 - 00:19:57:17
Wade
In a church with the sixth through 12th graders.

00:19:57:17 - 00:19:58:15
Wade
So they're middle and high.

00:19:58:15 - 00:20:00:10
Wade
Schoolers, typically. So.

00:20:00:12 - 00:20:01:18
Wade
I am working with the sixth.

00:20:01:18 - 00:20:03:14
Wade
Through 12th graders at a local church.

00:20:03:14 - 00:20:04:19
Wade
That's kind of like my side.

00:20:04:19 - 00:20:08:06
Wade
Job throughout college. And,

00:20:08:09 - 00:20:09:06
Wade
I wanted to.

00:20:09:06 - 00:20:09:19
Wade
Teach.

00:20:09:19 - 00:20:11:08
Wade
Them.

00:20:11:10 - 00:20:14:01
Wade
about decision making, but also about.

00:20:14:01 - 00:20:15:06
Wade
Facing your fear.

00:20:15:12 - 00:20:18:25
Wade
Okay. Now, I also wanted to be safe because.

00:20:18:25 - 00:20:19:25
Wade
Sometimes, like you.

00:20:19:25 - 00:20:20:24
Wade
Hear of these, like, youth.

00:20:20:24 - 00:20:23:08
Wade
Groups doing very, very dangerous things like.

00:20:23:08 - 00:20:24:19
Wade
Let's jump off this.

00:20:24:19 - 00:20:26:08
Wade
Thing, trust fall. And then they, like, break.

00:20:26:08 - 00:20:26:22
Wade
Their legs or.

00:20:26:22 - 00:20:28:23
Wade
Whatever. And I, I'm not really into that thing.

00:20:28:23 - 00:20:30:22
Evan
So everybody's responsibility.

00:20:30:25 - 00:20:31:19
Wade
I remember.

00:20:31:19 - 00:20:32:00
Wade
I.

00:20:32:00 - 00:20:32:20
Wade
Brought my.

00:20:32:20 - 00:20:36:16
Wade
Gamecube to, the youth group.

00:20:36:18 - 00:20:37:03
Wade
And.

00:20:37:03 - 00:20:38:28
Wade
Played the first.

00:20:38:28 - 00:20:43:09
Wade
Opener to Resident Evil four, and we passed around the controller and I would.

00:20:43:09 - 00:20:44:14
Wade
Pause it at.

00:20:44:14 - 00:20:45:12
Wade
Certain points and I would.

00:20:45:12 - 00:20:49:10
Wade
Say, okay, everybody, you get to decide what the player does at this.

00:20:49:10 - 00:20:52:24
Wade
Point, and what's going through your mind. And then I might read.

00:20:52:24 - 00:20:54:03
Wade
Like.

00:20:54:06 - 00:21:00:28
Wade
a poem or something like that, something that gets them thinking of a lens, a framework, and then we keep playing, and then I have them talk.

00:21:00:28 - 00:21:02:11
Wade
About, well, what was the.

00:21:02:11 - 00:21:02:22
Wade
Moment.

00:21:02:22 - 00:21:04:25
Wade
Where you were afraid for the character, what was.

00:21:04:25 - 00:21:10:19
Wade
The moment when and then try to make that turn so that they're integrating it into their lives? I was doing this with,

00:21:10:24 - 00:21:12:06
Wade
Sixth through 12th graders.

00:21:12:08 - 00:21:14:02
Wade
While I was in college. It's insane. Yeah.

00:21:14:03 - 00:21:30:24
Evan
Okay. Well, for those who aren't aware, the Gamecube is one of Nintendo's consoles. It was. Yeah, it's beloved by many, Wade was using it as it was intended, because it's one of the only video game consoles that they ever made that came with a handle.

00:21:30:26 - 00:21:35:00
Wade
A handle on it. Yes, you could care. I brought my little lunch pail.

00:21:35:02 - 00:21:40:22
Evan
So you could carry it places. So Wade obviously said, oh, they put a handle on it. Of course they want me to take. It's meant.

00:21:40:22 - 00:21:41:26
Wade
To go with me.

00:21:41:28 - 00:21:51:04
Evan
Children, about decision making. How did you land on Resident Evil four? because if you have never played, I think the name itself kind of gets you in the lane of the game.

00:21:51:04 - 00:21:52:28
Wade
You probably wouldn't take it to a church.

00:21:53:03 - 00:22:07:00
Evan
Like it's called Resident Evil. Evil, and it deals with the biohazards and zombies type thing. and it's a bit of a scary game. It's kind of a horror that's in the horror genre. well.

00:22:07:03 - 00:22:08:25
Wade
I mean, I'll tell you, that.

00:22:08:25 - 00:22:11:13
Wade
Opening scene.

00:22:11:16 - 00:22:12:23
Wade
Gosh, I.

00:22:12:25 - 00:22:13:21
Wade
The signs were.

00:22:13:21 - 00:22:14:23
Wade
There.

00:22:14:26 - 00:22:16:04
Wade
That opening scene.

00:22:16:04 - 00:22:17:01
Wade
Takes place.

00:22:17:01 - 00:22:18:23
Wade
In a village.

00:22:18:25 - 00:22:20:06
Wade
Where these.

00:22:20:06 - 00:22:21:01
Wade
Zombies.

00:22:21:04 - 00:22:21:20
Wade
People.

00:22:21:20 - 00:22:21:27
Wade
Are.

00:22:21:27 - 00:22:25:19
Wade
Incredibly devoted religiously.

00:22:25:26 - 00:22:27:05
Wade
Okay. And yet they.

00:22:27:05 - 00:22:27:15
Wade
Are.

00:22:27:15 - 00:22:31:06
Wade
Zombie like, and then they become very murderous.

00:22:31:08 - 00:22:32:05
Wade
And so there is.

00:22:32:05 - 00:22:34:01
Wade
A meta commentary that I'm talking to.

00:22:34:01 - 00:22:35:25
Wade
These six through 12th graders about.

00:22:35:25 - 00:22:36:20
Wade
Faith and stuff.

00:22:36:20 - 00:22:41:05
Wade
And like, hey, there's a zombie esque, component to this. Let's let's.

00:22:41:05 - 00:22:41:16
Wade
Not.

00:22:41:16 - 00:22:45:09
Wade
Do that. Let's not write it, let's rise above it. But then there was the the.

00:22:45:09 - 00:22:46:17
Wade
Thing of, very.

00:22:46:17 - 00:22:49:26
Wade
Practical. It was October. Oh, which.

00:22:49:26 - 00:22:50:11
Wade
Is when.

00:22:50:11 - 00:22:53:14
Wade
We celebrate Halloween. So I was like a scary.

00:22:53:17 - 00:22:55:08
Wade
Pseudo meta narrative.

00:22:55:08 - 00:22:56:11
Wade
About religious.

00:22:56:11 - 00:22:58:27
Wade
Commentary and decision making. So.

00:22:59:01 - 00:22:59:20
Wade
Yeah.

00:22:59:22 - 00:23:04:13
Evan
Listen, it was spooky time, and, you know, everything's fair game when it's spooky time.

00:23:04:15 - 00:23:07:10
Wade
Yeah. That's true. I currently.

00:23:07:10 - 00:23:08:05
Wade
In,

00:23:08:08 - 00:23:09:08
Wade
My religious life.

00:23:09:14 - 00:23:10:02
Wade
Setting.

00:23:11:17 - 00:23:12:28
Wade
I do an.

00:23:12:28 - 00:23:24:14
Wade
October series called Scare Balls. It is scary parable where I used. Yeah. yeah, I take modern horror films. Yeah.

00:23:24:14 - 00:23:28:22
Wade
And, I splice it up using the video editing I've learned from streaming.

00:23:28:24 - 00:23:29:29
Wade
And, splice.

00:23:29:29 - 00:23:33:23
Wade
In many, like, devotional, encouraging.

00:23:33:23 - 00:23:34:19
Wade
Messages.

00:23:34:22 - 00:23:37:08
Wade
With scenes from these movies.

00:23:37:08 - 00:23:38:16
Wade
And we don't we don't put.

00:23:38:16 - 00:23:39:25
Wade
Them out on YouTube or anything because of.

00:23:39:25 - 00:23:40:09
Wade
Copyright.

00:23:40:09 - 00:23:41:09
Wade
But you can do it in a.

00:23:41:09 - 00:23:50:09
Wade
Live setting like this. So we, I show these and it is the number one most, most asked for.

00:23:50:09 - 00:23:50:26
Wade
Thing that I.

00:23:50:26 - 00:23:51:06
Wade
Do.

00:23:51:07 - 00:23:56:14
Evan
Scare. I believe I'm writing that down. Yeah. We're getting so many good segment ideas from your origin story.

00:23:56:14 - 00:24:01:14
Wade
I'm telling you scare balls, man. But again, like, all of this is how.

00:24:01:14 - 00:24:07:11
Wade
Do you make something that people are not immediately interested in? More interesting.

00:24:07:13 - 00:24:20:09
Wade
And so like whether it is a lecture or a, a devotion or history, whatever it is, how can you pair this.

00:24:20:11 - 00:24:22:09
Wade
With something that people might be interested in.

00:24:22:09 - 00:24:23:03
Wade
A movie, a.

00:24:23:03 - 00:24:24:08
Wade
Video game, for example?

00:24:24:08 - 00:24:27:26
Wade
That is where my research really lands.

00:24:27:27 - 00:24:48:27
Evan
So you ask yourself this question how do I make things more interesting for people when they may not be interested in it? And so you've been kind of experimenting along the way with this method of instruction and learning that is more interactive. So with Resident Evil four, you had students make decisions and then process their decision making live together.

00:24:49:02 - 00:24:54:19
Evan
What the results of that, what what did it did they interact with it differently than maybe.

00:24:54:22 - 00:24:55:25
Wade
Oh, they loved it.

00:24:55:27 - 00:24:56:25
Wade
and.

00:24:56:28 - 00:24:57:02
Wade
They.

00:24:57:02 - 00:24:59:01
Wade
Loved it. And they would tell their friends or like, hey.

00:24:59:01 - 00:25:00:20
Wade
In our youth group, we we played a video.

00:25:00:20 - 00:25:01:20
Wade
Game and learned about.

00:25:01:20 - 00:25:04:27
Wade
Stuff. I mean, it was like, it was a really.

00:25:04:27 - 00:25:07:23
Wade
Cool sort of marketing thing for us. It generated.

00:25:07:23 - 00:25:08:04
Wade
A lot.

00:25:08:04 - 00:25:09:20
Wade
Of interest.

00:25:09:23 - 00:25:12:03
Wade
But also what I found was.

00:25:12:03 - 00:25:16:05
Wade
That students would talk to me, in a.

00:25:16:07 - 00:25:21:01
Wade
Personal way. That was depersonalized by using Leon.

00:25:21:04 - 00:25:22:04
Wade
Yeah. He's the main character.

00:25:22:04 - 00:25:22:13
Wade
Of.

00:25:22:15 - 00:25:23:01
Wade
Resident Evil.

00:25:23:01 - 00:25:28:02
Wade
Four, right. And so they would say.

00:25:28:04 - 00:25:29:10
Wade
Something to the extent.

00:25:29:10 - 00:25:31:07
Wade
Of like, that was really scary.

00:25:31:09 - 00:25:33:25
Wade
Like that scene when that thing's head.

00:25:33:25 - 00:25:42:18
Wade
Popped off and like, this monster came out very, very normal churchy sort of stuff. And, I would usually ask follow up questions like, hey, what was scary about that?

00:25:42:18 - 00:25:44:08
Wade
And then they would tell me some story.

00:25:44:08 - 00:25:47:01
Wade
Of like when they were a kid, they used to have this fear of this.

00:25:47:01 - 00:25:48:22
Wade
Thing or whatever, and.

00:25:48:22 - 00:25:50:25
Wade
Eventually it typically.

00:25:50:25 - 00:25:52:07
Wade
Would turn into things that they're.

00:25:52:07 - 00:25:53:08
Wade
Currently scared of.

00:25:53:09 - 00:25:53:26
Evan
Okay.

00:25:53:26 - 00:25:59:19
Wade
And so it's just a very safe way to show vulnerability through.

00:25:59:23 - 00:26:02:08
Wade
Leon without really being vulnerable.

00:26:02:08 - 00:26:06:03
Wade
Yourself. But you are being vulnerable yourself. That's the sweet spot.

00:26:06:07 - 00:26:09:28
Wade
When you can help people think and talk about themselves in third.

00:26:09:28 - 00:26:12:06
Wade
Person, which is really.

00:26:12:06 - 00:26:12:23
Wade
Interesting.

00:26:12:23 - 00:26:13:26
Wade
I love that.

00:26:13:29 - 00:26:24:21
Evan
Yeah. That's amazing. well, that leads straight into our mini game Stretch Break. So this everybody, we're going to kick it to our mini game stretch break. And we'll be back in a minute.

00:26:24:21 - 00:26:30:01
Wade
Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time in the weekly show where we get to.

00:26:30:01 - 00:26:38:28
Evan
Stretch a little bit. It's time for our mini game. Stretch break. Wade, any good stretches you've been doing recently? Any new ones?

00:26:39:00 - 00:26:50:21
Wade
My body is falling apart, so every stretch is a good one right now. yeah. My left shoulder. Man. I used to ask shoulder exercises and stretches right now, so. Yeah.

00:26:50:23 - 00:26:56:24
Wade
Oh, okay. Well, I think probably in order to stretch. Well, we should probably hit that music. What to do?

00:26:56:27 - 00:27:03:10
Wade
But, Baba baba baba baba baba baba baba baba baba.

00:27:03:12 - 00:27:16:00
Evan
Great job. All right, ladies and gentlemen, it is that time for our mini game stretch break. And we have our bingo wheel of vulnerability. There are 50 numbers in this bingo wheel. Here's your audio preview.

00:27:16:03 - 00:27:26:14
Evan
There you go. So I'm going to pick out a number in the bingo wheel. And then Wade is going to pick out a question from our cars. But we have a different card.

00:27:26:14 - 00:27:43:26
Wade
We have a brand new card deck today. This is coming from the Heroes Journal. journal set. this is actually from the heroes planner. you're going to be hearing a lot more about the Heroes Journal card decks and journals and all that kind of stuff in Future Stream. So we're testing it out today.

00:27:43:29 - 00:27:52:14
Evan
Okay, great. So we're going to turn there kind of challenge into a get to know you question as we get together. So here we go. Wade one through 50. What's your number.

00:27:52:16 - 00:27:54:04
Wade
I feel 27 today.

00:27:54:11 - 00:28:08:03
Evan
27 okay great. it's grabbed one I don't know what it is I'm going to say 17. All right. Let's see what we got. Oh, no. The integrity is that one had already fallen out. We got to start over. Do you want to keep.

00:28:08:03 - 00:28:09:23
Wade
We have to,

00:28:09:25 - 00:28:11:01
Wade
Do you want to know what it was?

00:28:11:01 - 00:28:16:00
Wade
I don't know, I I'm not into defying fate today. I feel like we just resign ourselves to it.

00:28:16:04 - 00:28:38:09
Evan
Okay. All right, here we go. We're starting over. This is now taking forever. Hang in there. All right, here we go. Me? When? Now. All right, I grabbed one, I said 17, you said 27, and I did 33. So if you said 33, you got it right. All right. So give me question number 33 from the card deck here.

00:28:38:09 - 00:28:42:09
Wade
123456.

00:28:42:11 - 00:28:42:25
Wade
Okay.

00:28:42:25 - 00:28:43:26
Evan
So counting he's.

00:28:43:26 - 00:29:01:14
Wade
Counting, I'm counting, I'm counting, I'm counting. How about this one? Oh, man. Oh, this is this is intense. Are you ready for this? I'm scared. Oh, my gosh. This is in bold big letters. It says boss battles. Boss battle.

00:29:01:16 - 00:29:02:04
Evan
And in the.

00:29:02:04 - 00:29:05:15
Wade
Question, it's our first one. It's our first one. Boss battle.

00:29:05:18 - 00:29:07:28
Evan
what's your Social security number?

00:29:12:28 - 00:29:16:16
Wade
You're not going to get me? I'm not a grandpa yet. Wait.

00:29:16:16 - 00:29:18:16
Evan
This is the fishing card deck.

00:29:18:18 - 00:29:30:07
Wade
This fishing. They misspelled fishing here. Fishing minigame. What knocked it? Boss battle. Exclamation point, exclamation point.

00:29:30:07 - 00:29:31:06
Wade
I'm ready.

00:29:31:08 - 00:29:54:29
Wade
I want you to identify a difficult task that you've been putting off. And I want you to treat it like a boss battle. No, I want you to slay the task. Congrats. Your quest will be complete. So, what is a task that you've currently been treating? Like pushing aside that you would consider your current boss battle?

00:29:54:29 - 00:29:56:05
Wade
Oh my gosh.

00:29:56:08 - 00:29:58:02
Wade
I hate this.

00:29:58:04 - 00:30:02:13
Wade
What is your current boss battle? I can, I can go, I'm ready for it.

00:30:02:14 - 00:30:02:23
Evan
I'm.

00:30:02:23 - 00:30:08:13
Wade
Oh, no. I'm I'm I'm ready. I just have to decide if I actually want to say the thing that I've actually been putting on.

00:30:08:15 - 00:30:11:17
Wade
Oh my gosh. Okay. Well,

00:30:11:19 - 00:30:13:22
Evan
You go first. What you got? Okay, I'll go first.

00:30:13:22 - 00:30:53:01
Wade
I'll go first. So I'm preparing for the fall semester right now, and the task that I keep putting off is writing. Writing. I am trying so, so hard to make an effort, but, like, I just keep getting distracted from, like, silly things. Coffee meetings over here, staff meeting. It's really meetings that are killing me. But, like, I am trying to write everything from my syllabus for classes to, all of the scripts for video essays this fall.

00:30:53:01 - 00:31:07:27
Wade
And I just keep getting distracted. That feels like a huge boss battle. So I'm going to like, buff this morning and like, take on this. Yeah, I think it's a seven headed dragon for me right now because that's how many things I have to write.

00:31:08:01 - 00:31:11:24
Wade
Oh, yeah. Well, you know, one one.

00:31:11:26 - 00:31:12:04
Evan
One more.

00:31:12:04 - 00:31:14:19
Wade
Time, Hercules.

00:31:14:21 - 00:31:15:23
Evan
Yeah. And then you get to burn.

00:31:15:23 - 00:31:17:15
Wade
The edges, right? And then what he did.

00:31:17:18 - 00:31:23:20
Wade
I. Yeah, not in the. He didn't burn them in the, in the Disney version.

00:31:23:20 - 00:31:25:26
Evan
So but that. No, not not.

00:31:25:29 - 00:31:27:23
Wade
Actual Hercules didn't have a lot of singing.

00:31:27:23 - 00:31:34:18
Evan
So that's that's true. and for copyright issues, we won't be singing that song.

00:31:34:21 - 00:31:39:01
Wade
No, we only massacre one song on this show, and that's the Gold Saucer theme.

00:31:39:01 - 00:31:40:10
Wade
That's so true.

00:31:40:13 - 00:31:46:29
Evan
my thing that I've been putting off, is.

00:31:47:01 - 00:31:48:00
Wade
like,

00:31:48:02 - 00:31:49:15
Evan
LinkedIn.

00:31:49:17 - 00:31:55:01
Wade
LinkedIn? No, yeah. Ultimate boss battle. I don't.

00:31:55:08 - 00:31:56:22
Evan
I have nothing I hate.

00:31:56:22 - 00:31:58:06
Wade
All that stuff.

00:31:58:08 - 00:31:59:02
Wade
When I'm home.

00:31:59:04 - 00:32:00:16
Evan
And, but I.

00:32:00:16 - 00:32:08:07
Wade
Need to do it. I need to have, like, that, professional presence and, you know, get the resume up to date and all that stuff.

00:32:08:10 - 00:32:13:09
Evan
And I hate it. I just want to do. I just want to do good work. I want to be recognized.

00:32:13:12 - 00:32:24:05
Wade
At least where it's relevant for that good work. And then just have what I need. I don't want to do. I no, I don't want to do the fake, hey, it's me. I live for.

00:32:24:07 - 00:32:29:24
Wade
The little and people should just know you're great. I like why don't more people know that? I don't see.

00:32:29:24 - 00:32:34:09
Wade
That you're like the town crier. You just walk around my hometown. He's great.

00:32:34:12 - 00:32:45:12
Wade
He's great, he's great. There you you you give him a job, give him a job. Pay him money. Job. He does good. I am a reference.

00:32:45:15 - 00:32:46:03
Evan
Yeah.

00:32:46:05 - 00:32:50:21
Wade
What do you do for a living? I am, I am good to.

00:32:50:23 - 00:32:53:03
Wade
What do you do? I am adequate.

00:32:53:05 - 00:32:56:17
Wade
Yeah I'm adequate. Dude, it is not about me. It's about hiring him.

00:32:56:23 - 00:33:02:24
Evan
All right, well, listener, what is it that you have been putting off? And how could you treat it like a boss battle to.

00:33:02:24 - 00:33:10:07
Wade
Accomplish what you need to? This week we won't be accomplishing ours. And hopefully you will use.

00:33:10:09 - 00:33:12:25
Wade
You're gonna eat those words. I'm going to finish my hydra today.

00:33:12:27 - 00:33:19:11
Wade
You know what? And I'll. And I'll do my LinkedIn. But luckily we record this at a time. So I got some I got some runway.

00:33:19:13 - 00:33:20:16
Wade
For real.

00:33:20:19 - 00:33:33:15
Wade
I love it, I love it. Well, I will say just as a reference, we talked about lives of P a few episodes ago, and we said, what are we going to do if you haven't beaten Liza P by the time this episode airs, you beat it well.

00:33:33:15 - 00:33:36:08
Wade
Before that episode airs. So yeah, that was close.

00:33:36:14 - 00:33:38:19
Wade
That was your boss battle. So way to go. All right.

00:33:38:19 - 00:33:40:13
Wade
Everybody, nine hours.

00:33:40:15 - 00:33:42:00
Wade
Back to the episode.

00:33:42:02 - 00:34:00:28
Evan
Okay. So you have this idea of vulnerability that has popped up with students in their decision making in these games. But then your role starts to change as you grow professionally. And when did you start thinking towards grad school in general, like your doctorate?

00:34:01:00 - 00:34:01:18
Wade
Yeah, I guess it.

00:34:01:18 - 00:34:11:26
Wade
Was around 2015. I had a friend that said, hey, they just got into this program. maybe I should look into it. And so I.

00:34:11:26 - 00:34:12:10
Wade
Did.

00:34:12:10 - 00:34:12:25
Wade
And.

00:34:13:00 - 00:34:20:12
Wade
I got accepted, all this kind of stuff. And so it's ostensibly a.

00:34:21:01 - 00:34:22:00
Wade
Leadership.

00:34:22:05 - 00:34:23:04
Wade
And teaching.

00:34:23:04 - 00:34:26:14
Wade
Track. Okay. So it's like, how do you lead.

00:34:26:16 - 00:34:28:25
Wade
And communicate messages.

00:34:28:25 - 00:34:30:08
Wade
To to groups of people.

00:34:31:07 - 00:34:34:12
Wade
And especially religious, life sort.

00:34:34:12 - 00:34:34:14
Wade
Of.

00:34:34:14 - 00:34:35:03
Wade
Messages.

00:34:35:07 - 00:34:41:02
Wade
How are you going to do that? And, concurrently.

00:34:41:02 - 00:34:43:02
Wade
You select a research topic.

00:34:43:03 - 00:34:44:19
Wade
That you're wanting to do a dissertation.

00:34:44:19 - 00:34:46:10
Wade
And I.

00:34:46:13 - 00:34:53:11
Wade
was not doing this research topic. This fell into my lap. Okay. I was doing a very different research topic.

00:34:53:13 - 00:34:55:19
Wade
that was not worthwhile.

00:34:55:19 - 00:34:56:06
Wade
For me at.

00:34:56:06 - 00:34:57:26
Wade
All.

00:34:57:28 - 00:34:59:29
Wade
and it really wasn't going anywhere. I.

00:34:59:29 - 00:35:01:25
Wade
Wrote two chapters of five.

00:35:01:25 - 00:35:02:15
Wade
In it, but.

00:35:02:15 - 00:35:07:08
Wade
I was like, I'm good. so.

00:35:07:10 - 00:35:13:03
Wade
Around this time, Final Fantasy 15 comes out.

00:35:13:05 - 00:35:14:05
Wade
And anybody that's.

00:35:14:05 - 00:35:21:29
Wade
Followed me for any amount of time knows that I've been a huge Final Fantasy fan since 1992, when my dad brought home, a Super Nintendo. We went to.

00:35:21:29 - 00:35:22:16
Wade
Blockbuster.

00:35:22:16 - 00:35:25:01
Wade
Video, picked up Final Fantasy.

00:35:25:05 - 00:35:26:05
Wade
Two.

00:35:26:07 - 00:35:27:27
Wade
Four, even though in America it was.

00:35:27:27 - 00:35:28:12
Wade
Called to at.

00:35:28:12 - 00:35:28:29
Wade
That point because.

00:35:28:29 - 00:35:29:11
Wade
We're too.

00:35:29:11 - 00:35:33:18
Wade
Dumb to have gotten to obviously two and three.

00:35:33:20 - 00:35:34:22
Wade
and we played it.

00:35:34:22 - 00:35:40:17
Wade
And, he's explaining mythology to me. He's helping me sound out, the names of.

00:35:40:17 - 00:35:42:28
Wade
Mythological creatures like I call.

00:35:42:28 - 00:35:47:22
Wade
Them. but Bahamut and,

00:35:47:24 - 00:35:48:25
Wade
Levithan.

00:35:48:25 - 00:35:50:21
Wade
For Leviathan and,

00:35:50:23 - 00:35:53:15
Wade
But but that's a behemoth was my favorite.

00:35:53:15 - 00:35:56:14
Wade
Behemoth, not a behemoth. Yeah.

00:35:56:17 - 00:35:58:15
Wade
So it was all things like that. My dad would.

00:35:58:15 - 00:36:03:04
Wade
Would help me understand where these things came from. And he didn't really know.

00:36:03:08 - 00:36:03:21
Wade
All of.

00:36:03:21 - 00:36:09:22
Wade
It himself. It actually forced him to do a little bit more, reading. But, I remember playing that with.

00:36:09:22 - 00:36:10:13
Wade
My dad.

00:36:10:13 - 00:36:11:13
Wade
And,

00:36:11:15 - 00:36:12:07
Wade
That is how.

00:36:12:07 - 00:36:14:26
Wade
I got into Final Fantasy, and my dad.

00:36:14:26 - 00:36:17:07
Wade
Did a great job of this, too, because.

00:36:17:07 - 00:36:21:02
Wade
The game was probably a little bit more advanced than I truly.

00:36:21:02 - 00:36:22:26
Wade
Understood. So while I was asleep.

00:36:22:26 - 00:36:26:19
Wade
Sometimes he would go and he would grind levels for me so that it was an.

00:36:26:19 - 00:36:31:24
Wade
Easier boss fight the next day when I came back. There isn't a sweet so so.

00:36:31:26 - 00:36:32:12
Wade
I know.

00:36:32:12 - 00:36:32:23
Wade
Right?

00:36:32:23 - 00:36:40:25
Wade
So that was my entry into Final Fantasy. And so ever since then, I've been a day one kind.

00:36:40:25 - 00:36:42:04
Wade
Of buyer,

00:36:42:07 - 00:36:45:09
Wade
Jumped from Super Nintendo to PlayStation on on on.

00:36:45:11 - 00:36:47:12
Wade
Yeah. So then while.

00:36:47:12 - 00:36:48:03
Wade
I'm in a.

00:36:48:10 - 00:36:51:04
Wade
This, doctoral program, I.

00:36:53:10 - 00:36:53:26
Wade
Final Fantasy.

00:36:53:26 - 00:36:55:23
Wade
15 comes out and again, I'm a day one.

00:36:55:23 - 00:36:58:01
Wade
Buyer. Right. So I've played.

00:36:58:01 - 00:36:59:16
Wade
Final Fantasy 15 from day one.

00:36:59:16 - 00:37:01:00
Wade
And people are like, it wasn't.

00:37:01:00 - 00:37:05:21
Wade
Complete on day one. Well, I can tell you I have a dissertation that says otherwise.

00:37:05:23 - 00:37:09:17
Wade
I love Final Fantasy 15. So I pick it up.

00:37:09:19 - 00:37:18:20
Wade
And, this is what happens. I spend all night playing it and I'm enjoying the game. Okay. I'm like, I love knock.

00:37:18:20 - 00:37:25:18
Wade
This. I love the the the side characters. And I play through a couple of chapters.

00:37:25:18 - 00:37:26:05
Wade
And.

00:37:26:08 - 00:37:27:09
Wade
I.

00:37:27:11 - 00:37:28:22
Wade
Having 20 some odd.

00:37:28:22 - 00:37:30:11
Wade
Years of religious.

00:37:30:13 - 00:37:38:02
Wade
Education under my belt at this point, I'm beginning to notice some interesting similarities. Some big ones.

00:37:38:04 - 00:37:38:16
Wade
Not.

00:37:38:16 - 00:37:41:06
Wade
This is fighting a behemoth.

00:37:41:09 - 00:37:42:11
Wade
Okay.

00:37:42:14 - 00:37:47:08
Wade
and he's trying to save chocobos. And that immediately.

00:37:47:08 - 00:37:47:24
Wade
Recalled.

00:37:47:24 - 00:37:52:05
Wade
To my mind, David protecting sheep against lions. And there's.

00:37:52:05 - 00:37:54:03
Wade
A lot of like, okay, well, that's that's normal.

00:37:54:03 - 00:37:55:04
Wade
Kind of shepherding stuff.

00:37:55:10 - 00:38:00:14
Wade
That could be a lot of different things. Yeah. They,

00:38:00:17 - 00:38:01:05
Wade
Not this.

00:38:01:05 - 00:38:04:11
Wade
Fights Titan. Well, this is a real.

00:38:04:11 - 00:38:06:08
Wade
Allusion to David and Goliath.

00:38:06:08 - 00:38:12:17
Wade
Right? A giant in a very small, you know, boy.

00:38:12:19 - 00:38:17:20
Wade
and interestingly, with Titan, the final thing that kills Titan.

00:38:17:20 - 00:38:19:02
Wade
Are three.

00:38:19:02 - 00:38:23:26
Wade
Stones that are thrown at him in the form of magic stones. And then a final blow.

00:38:23:26 - 00:38:35:06
Wade
Of the sword. Very David again. Maybe too close. Okay, like, maybe too much of a stretch. So I was like, okay, well, maybe not, but then you start to learn a little bit more about.

00:38:35:09 - 00:38:35:28
Wade
Knox's.

00:38:35:28 - 00:38:36:14
Wade
Story.

00:38:36:15 - 00:38:39:20
Wade
His ascension into kingship. And I'm like, okay.

00:38:39:22 - 00:38:45:27
Wade
This, this is almost beat for beat. Yeah. a city harbors, not us.

00:38:45:27 - 00:38:53:25
Wade
And when Noctis is gone after being helped by them, the enemy comes in and slaughters, people in the town.

00:38:54:01 - 00:38:54:26
Wade
Who helped.

00:38:54:26 - 00:38:56:26
Wade
Him. That exact same thing happens to.

00:38:56:26 - 00:38:57:17
Wade
David with the.

00:38:57:17 - 00:39:00:19
Wade
City of Nob. And so I'm reading in.

00:39:00:26 - 00:39:03:11
Wade
Literally around chapter 12.

00:39:03:17 - 00:39:04:23
Wade
11, or.

00:39:04:23 - 00:39:08:27
Wade
12. I have a Bible out to read Jewish history, and.

00:39:08:27 - 00:39:14:02
Wade
I have a controller in the other hand. And I'm playing and I'm reading and I'm playing and I'm reading back and forth.

00:39:14:05 - 00:39:15:28
Evan
Shout out to the logo.

00:39:16:00 - 00:39:19:27
Wade
Yeah, right. and so.

00:39:20:00 - 00:39:21:22
Wade
I'm playing this game and I'm like, this.

00:39:21:22 - 00:39:23:16
Wade
Is really, really wild.

00:39:23:16 - 00:39:25:09
Wade
Really, really interesting.

00:39:25:12 - 00:39:26:20
Wade
Now at this point.

00:39:26:20 - 00:39:27:23
Wade
In my actual.

00:39:27:23 - 00:39:28:18
Wade
Life.

00:39:28:21 - 00:39:29:29
Wade
I am also not.

00:39:29:29 - 00:39:30:17
Wade
Only a.

00:39:30:21 - 00:39:34:26
Wade
Program in education program, but I am also teaching as an adjunct.

00:39:34:28 - 00:39:35:29
Wade
At the University of.

00:39:35:29 - 00:39:39:25
Wade
Alabama. I'm teaching like a, essentially like a book study.

00:39:39:27 - 00:39:40:12
Wade
Right? They have a.

00:39:40:12 - 00:39:48:00
Wade
Common book for my department every year, and I was teaching a group of freshmen there. So it was like a 1 or 2 hour class. Yeah, nothing major or whatever.

00:39:48:02 - 00:39:49:27
Wade
So I wasn't,

00:39:50:00 - 00:39:51:24
Wade
I didn't suck at teaching, apparently.

00:39:51:24 - 00:39:52:03
Wade
Because.

00:39:52:03 - 00:39:53:02
Wade
They came to me and they were.

00:39:53:02 - 00:39:54:01
Wade
Like, hey, your your.

00:39:54:01 - 00:39:54:18
Wade
Ratings are.

00:39:54:18 - 00:39:57:07
Wade
Pretty good. would you like to teach.

00:39:57:07 - 00:39:58:17
Wade
More in the in the.

00:39:58:17 - 00:40:01:00
Wade
Future? Yeah. I have just.

00:40:01:00 - 00:40:02:03
Wade
Finished Final.

00:40:02:03 - 00:40:03:25
Wade
Fantasy.

00:40:03:27 - 00:40:08:23
Wade
15 at this point, and I'm like, my mind is buzzing. Chapter 13 for me.

00:40:08:28 - 00:40:11:00
Wade
Blew the the lid.

00:40:11:00 - 00:40:12:26
Wade
Off the thing and I was like, I can do something.

00:40:13:00 - 00:40:14:24
Wade
With this.

00:40:14:27 - 00:40:17:01
Evan
And Hagan's voice in your head.

00:40:17:03 - 00:40:18:16
Wade
I kind of it kind of.

00:40:18:16 - 00:40:19:09
Wade
I honestly was.

00:40:19:09 - 00:40:19:28
Wade
Like, you.

00:40:19:28 - 00:40:20:25
Wade
Can do this and you need.

00:40:20:25 - 00:40:23:21
Wade
To do this. So what I did first and foremost was I.

00:40:23:21 - 00:40:24:07
Wade
Wanted to.

00:40:24:07 - 00:40:27:08
Wade
Put together a pilot study. So I gathered.

00:40:27:08 - 00:40:28:12
Wade
Some interested.

00:40:28:12 - 00:40:29:01
Wade
People.

00:40:29:01 - 00:40:30:11
Wade
From,

00:40:30:14 - 00:40:31:20
Wade
Both religious.

00:40:31:20 - 00:40:33:18
Wade
Life and then also from a,

00:40:33:25 - 00:40:34:06
Wade
Local.

00:40:34:06 - 00:40:35:00
Wade
Gaming like.

00:40:35:00 - 00:40:36:25
Wade
Esports group with.

00:40:36:25 - 00:40:39:02
Wade
The University of Alabama. And I was like, hey.

00:40:39:04 - 00:40:43:05
Wade
Let's,

00:40:43:07 - 00:40:45:10
Wade
Let me let me teach you something.

00:40:45:12 - 00:40:46:17
Wade
Would you be interested.

00:40:46:17 - 00:40:50:06
Wade
In doing some interdisciplinary work between.

00:40:50:09 - 00:40:51:04
Wade
religion.

00:40:51:04 - 00:40:53:23
Wade
And a video game? And they were all like, absolutely. And so.

00:40:53:23 - 00:40:55:06
Wade
We did essentially.

00:40:55:08 - 00:40:56:09
Evan
By the handle.

00:40:56:11 - 00:40:59:18
Wade
I know, by the handle at the beginning. and it was essentially like a.

00:40:59:18 - 00:41:00:21
Wade
Video game, book club or.

00:41:00:21 - 00:41:02:00
Wade
Video game Bible study.

00:41:02:00 - 00:41:03:23
Wade
And, so I had them play.

00:41:03:23 - 00:41:04:23
Wade
Through parts.

00:41:04:23 - 00:41:08:16
Wade
Of the game. We'd come together, we'd meet, I would have them read.

00:41:08:19 - 00:41:16:24
Wade
Certain passages of, Jewish history that I'd laid out. It was a 4 or 5 week,

00:41:16:26 - 00:41:17:11
Wade
Thing.

00:41:17:17 - 00:41:17:25
Wade
Yeah.

00:41:17:25 - 00:41:19:03
Wade
And by the end of it, they were.

00:41:19:03 - 00:41:20:14
Wade
Like, this was incredible.

00:41:20:14 - 00:41:24:12
Wade
Like, I never knew these stories. So the University of Alabama.

00:41:24:15 - 00:41:25:23
Wade
I says, we'd like for you.

00:41:25:23 - 00:41:29:01
Wade
To teach more. And, do you have any ideas?

00:41:29:01 - 00:41:30:08
Wade
Would you like to pitch a course?

00:41:30:08 - 00:41:30:16
Wade
And I.

00:41:30:16 - 00:41:32:12
Wade
Said, I have got this weird.

00:41:32:14 - 00:41:34:20
Wade
Thing that I've been doing, and it's been working with.

00:41:34:20 - 00:41:37:02
Wade
A small group of people.

00:41:37:05 - 00:41:38:22
Wade
Maybe it's something that we could do.

00:41:38:29 - 00:41:41:20
Wade
Yeah. and I pitched this Judeo.

00:41:41:20 - 00:41:44:22
Wade
Christian kinship through Final Fantasy.

00:41:44:22 - 00:41:49:17
Wade
15, and they said, we love it. Let's give it a shot. Class filled up.

00:41:49:19 - 00:41:54:22
Wade
And, it was amazing. And these students became, pseudo.

00:41:54:22 - 00:41:59:02
Wade
Research assistants with me. I was like, I started out the class by.

00:41:59:02 - 00:42:03:02
Wade
Saying, what are the things that you found interesting? And I'll write them all up on the whiteboard.

00:42:03:02 - 00:42:05:25
Wade
And say, okay, what parallels with biblical.

00:42:05:25 - 00:42:06:16
Wade
Kingship.

00:42:06:16 - 00:42:08:25
Wade
Literature did you find?

00:42:08:28 - 00:42:10:02
Wade
in this chapter? And we would just.

00:42:10:02 - 00:42:10:22
Wade
List them all.

00:42:10:22 - 00:42:14:02
Wade
Out. Then we'd have an amazing discussion. I could bring up YouTube in this.

00:42:14:02 - 00:42:18:16
Wade
Classroom, and I would show clips, and I would do all of this really.

00:42:18:16 - 00:42:20:11
Wade
Interesting, immersive.

00:42:20:13 - 00:42:21:05
Wade
Sort of stuff.

00:42:21:05 - 00:42:27:14
Wade
And, it was a banger class. So, one theme in the game.

00:42:27:16 - 00:42:28:11
Wade
Is.

00:42:28:11 - 00:42:31:02
Wade
You know, you're on a journey with your friends and you're.

00:42:31:02 - 00:42:32:19
Wade
Constantly going on little campfire.

00:42:32:19 - 00:42:34:01
Wade
Tours and all this kind of stuff. And one of the.

00:42:34:01 - 00:42:37:07
Wade
Characters is prompt dough, and his whole deal.

00:42:37:07 - 00:42:37:28
Wade
Is he's going to take.

00:42:37:28 - 00:42:39:19
Wade
Pictures to record your.

00:42:39:19 - 00:42:40:05
Wade
Journey.

00:42:40:05 - 00:42:43:00
Wade
Okay, like this idea of photos.

00:42:43:03 - 00:42:45:25
Wade
In the game becomes really, really important at the end. And so.

00:42:46:01 - 00:42:46:23
Wade
I wanted to do.

00:42:46:23 - 00:42:47:02
Wade
Something.

00:42:47:02 - 00:42:47:22
Wade
Special for.

00:42:47:22 - 00:42:49:08
Wade
Them because they were my research.

00:42:49:08 - 00:42:52:19
Wade
Assistants throughout this whole semester.

00:42:52:22 - 00:42:56:20
Wade
and so I've invited them over to the house and I had a,

00:42:56:22 - 00:42:57:16
Wade
a little fire.

00:42:57:16 - 00:42:58:10
Wade
Pit thing in the.

00:42:58:10 - 00:43:01:24
Wade
Backyard. And, we did, like, our own campfire.

00:43:01:24 - 00:43:03:17
Wade
And I asked them all to bring a.

00:43:03:17 - 00:43:07:04
Wade
Photo that is like part of.

00:43:07:04 - 00:43:08:01
Wade
Their own ascension.

00:43:08:01 - 00:43:08:17
Wade
Story.

00:43:08:17 - 00:43:16:10
Wade
Their their ascension not to a throne, but to who they are in life. And so we went around and,

00:43:16:12 - 00:43:17:08
Wade
We shared these.

00:43:17:08 - 00:43:18:14
Wade
Photos and these stories.

00:43:18:14 - 00:43:20:07
Wade
And it was just deeply personal.

00:43:20:07 - 00:43:21:22
Wade
And every one of them was.

00:43:21:22 - 00:43:24:07
Wade
Like, hey, this is.

00:43:24:07 - 00:43:25:01
Wade
The most impactful.

00:43:25:01 - 00:43:25:19
Wade
Class I've ever.

00:43:25:19 - 00:43:26:01
Wade
Taken in my.

00:43:26:01 - 00:43:26:23
Wade
Life.

00:43:26:26 - 00:43:29:15
Wade
Like, I came in wanting to.

00:43:29:15 - 00:43:31:05
Wade
Be this profession.

00:43:31:05 - 00:43:35:29
Wade
And now I'm changing my major. I was in a relationship, and I.

00:43:35:29 - 00:43:36:29
Wade
Realized it wasn't right.

00:43:36:29 - 00:43:37:16
Wade
For me.

00:43:37:16 - 00:43:39:04
Wade
I was in.

00:43:39:07 - 00:43:39:20
Wade
I was.

00:43:39:20 - 00:43:40:02
Wade
Afraid.

00:43:40:02 - 00:43:44:04
Wade
To talk to my parents about something, and now I have the courage to. I mean, we're.

00:43:44:04 - 00:43:45:11
Wade
Talking, like.

00:43:45:13 - 00:43:51:01
Wade
Students with significant life decisions that came out of Final Fantasy 15.

00:43:51:02 - 00:43:53:04
Wade
Yeah, as a class.

00:43:53:04 - 00:44:02:29
Wade
And I am just floored. and I've been teaching it ever since. in that same vein, it's kind of amazing.

00:44:03:01 - 00:44:07:04
Evan
It's an incredible.

00:44:07:06 - 00:44:36:13
Evan
Story of an idea that has been percolating for a long time. Like there is like a C, you know, you hear about seeds getting planted and ideas grab, having that impact for something that was started when you were in undergrad to then be able to do it for others who were in undergrad. Right. Like you go into the role that Professor Hagan had in your life to be able to do it for others, it seems.

00:44:36:16 - 00:44:57:11
Evan
Can you tell me a little bit about what it's like to nurture something that you just enjoy, that you have a dream of, but you aren't quite sure how it's going to manifest itself because I don't know if you, can immediately picture where you would be around that campfire with students. Maybe you got a glimmer of it, but what does that look like for you?

00:44:57:14 - 00:44:58:11
Wade
One of my religion.

00:44:58:11 - 00:44:59:20
Wade
Professors.

00:44:59:22 - 00:45:00:11
Wade
now.

00:45:00:11 - 00:45:01:14
Wade
Past.

00:45:01:16 - 00:45:02:00
Wade
named.

00:45:02:13 - 00:45:10:16
Wade
Bishop Morgan. He was a bishop in the United Methodist Church. one of my favorite religion professors. at the end of every semester.

00:45:10:16 - 00:45:10:29
Wade
That I.

00:45:10:29 - 00:45:11:16
Wade
Was in his.

00:45:11:16 - 00:45:12:07
Wade
Class.

00:45:12:07 - 00:45:13:16
Wade
He would invite our entire.

00:45:13:16 - 00:45:15:16
Wade
Class, and we were talking 45.

00:45:15:16 - 00:45:16:03
Wade
Students.

00:45:16:03 - 00:45:17:10
Wade
Over to his house.

00:45:17:10 - 00:45:18:07
Wade
And he and his wife.

00:45:18:07 - 00:45:18:18
Wade
Would cook.

00:45:18:18 - 00:45:22:13
Wade
Us a big meal and stuff, and then he would just kind of like.

00:45:22:15 - 00:45:24:03
Wade
Have a study session with us.

00:45:24:03 - 00:45:24:28
Wade
But I remembered.

00:45:24:28 - 00:45:26:10
Wade
That hospitality.

00:45:26:10 - 00:45:27:01
Wade
And I knew.

00:45:27:01 - 00:45:27:26
Wade
That that was the.

00:45:27:26 - 00:45:32:09
Wade
Kind of, community that I wanted to have in my.

00:45:32:09 - 00:45:36:09
Wade
Classroom, where I was definitely teaching them.

00:45:36:11 - 00:45:39:25
Wade
But at the same time, they were building bonds and relationships.

00:45:39:25 - 00:45:40:19
Wade
As they were on.

00:45:40:19 - 00:45:41:20
Wade
A journey together.

00:45:41:20 - 00:45:42:17
Wade
In fact, he led.

00:45:42:17 - 00:45:44:16
Wade
Three of my January term.

00:45:44:16 - 00:45:45:25
Wade
Classes.

00:45:45:27 - 00:45:46:23
Wade
in.

00:45:46:25 - 00:45:47:13
Wade
Greece.

00:45:47:13 - 00:45:48:29
Wade
And Ireland, Scotland.

00:45:48:29 - 00:45:51:07
Wade
Wales, all these places.

00:45:51:09 - 00:45:52:21
Wade
And.

00:45:52:23 - 00:45:53:03
Wade
I.

00:45:53:03 - 00:45:55:04
Wade
Just remember him being almost.

00:45:55:04 - 00:45:58:20
Wade
Like a tour guide through both religion.

00:45:58:23 - 00:46:06:07
Wade
And culture and life for me and my students and me and my classmates. And so I knew that I wanted.

00:46:06:07 - 00:46:06:24
Wade
To do that.

00:46:06:24 - 00:46:07:04
Wade
For my.

00:46:07:04 - 00:46:08:12
Wade
Students.

00:46:08:14 - 00:46:10:11
Wade
while I couldn't take them all over the.

00:46:10:11 - 00:46:11:13
Wade
World, I could take.

00:46:11:13 - 00:46:12:10
Wade
Them through.

00:46:12:10 - 00:46:16:18
Wade
These video game worlds. And so to emulate his teaching.

00:46:16:18 - 00:46:20:23
Wade
Style and relational style and.

00:46:20:23 - 00:46:25:08
Wade
Tourism style, do a video game like, it was already.

00:46:25:08 - 00:46:26:09
Wade
Embedded in me.

00:46:26:13 - 00:46:28:22
Wade
So I never really set out to be the professor of.

00:46:28:22 - 00:46:33:07
Wade
Religion in video games. And that was never the thing I was going to work in religious life.

00:46:33:10 - 00:46:34:24
Wade
That was it.

00:46:36:17 - 00:46:37:14
Wade
But this fell.

00:46:37:14 - 00:46:37:23
Wade
In my.

00:46:37:23 - 00:46:38:13
Wade
Lap.

00:46:38:15 - 00:46:39:19
Wade
And.

00:46:39:21 - 00:46:41:20
Wade
I realized.

00:46:41:20 - 00:46:44:29
Wade
My interests, something that I loved doing, had some.

00:46:44:29 - 00:46:47:06
Wade
Appeal for those.

00:46:47:09 - 00:46:50:04
Wade
around me. and I think.

00:46:50:04 - 00:46:51:15
Wade
That to, to look.

00:46:51:15 - 00:46:52:00
Wade
Back on.

00:46:52:00 - 00:46:54:20
Wade
It, I was.

00:46:54:22 - 00:46:59:17
Wade
Trying to set myself on a trajectory that was completely different from where I've ended up.

00:46:59:24 - 00:47:03:28
Wade
Completely sure. Like professionally, personally, for all of it.

00:47:04:05 - 00:47:05:28
Wade
And I was playing Final Fantasy.

00:47:05:28 - 00:47:08:04
Wade
On the side.

00:47:08:06 - 00:47:10:17
Wade
And somewhere in there.

00:47:10:19 - 00:47:12:21
Wade
It all crossed.

00:47:12:24 - 00:47:13:11
Wade
Where Final.

00:47:13:11 - 00:47:14:13
Wade
Fantasy and.

00:47:14:13 - 00:47:21:23
Wade
Teaching and sharing a love and interest of games and the real world, and helping people live in to.

00:47:21:23 - 00:47:24:02
Wade
The life they want to live, that that.

00:47:24:05 - 00:47:27:29
Wade
Became kind of the thrust of my focus.

00:47:28:01 - 00:47:38:04
Evan
But you had enough direction to go, right? Maybe you thought you you knew the destination, but you had enough direction to take the steps that you needed. Okay. Well, yeah, just a little bit.

00:47:38:06 - 00:47:39:01
Wade
Just keeping.

00:47:39:01 - 00:47:39:21
Wade
On moving.

00:47:39:21 - 00:47:40:10
Wade
Forward.

00:47:40:10 - 00:47:42:09
Wade
You know, even I wouldn't say that.

00:47:42:09 - 00:47:42:22
Wade
I was ever.

00:47:42:22 - 00:47:49:11
Wade
Traveling in the wrong direction. It's just that my direction got clarified. I never stopped moving.

00:47:49:14 - 00:47:50:18
Wade
Forward toward.

00:47:50:20 - 00:47:52:03
Wade
You know, my goals, toward my.

00:47:52:03 - 00:47:55:19
Wade
Life. It's just at some points, there was just like a fork in the road. I was like.

00:47:55:19 - 00:47:58:06
Wade
Well, I'm pretty interested in that. Let me take.

00:47:58:06 - 00:47:59:29
Wade
That. The thing that.

00:48:00:01 - 00:48:01:19
Wade
Students and I.

00:48:01:19 - 00:48:04:24
Wade
I guess adults as well don't realize.

00:48:04:24 - 00:48:06:16
Wade
About decision making is.

00:48:06:16 - 00:48:08:09
Wade
That.

00:48:08:11 - 00:48:09:21
Wade
There is an inherent.

00:48:09:21 - 00:48:10:23
Wade
Risk every.

00:48:10:23 - 00:48:12:18
Wade
Time you make a decision because you when you.

00:48:12:18 - 00:48:13:08
Wade
Say yes.

00:48:13:08 - 00:48:16:16
Wade
To something, you are saying no to myriad other.

00:48:16:16 - 00:48:22:13
Wade
Possibilities. This is why we get crippled by decision making.

00:48:22:15 - 00:48:26:28
Wade
So for me, I knew if I'm saying.

00:48:26:28 - 00:48:27:14
Wade
Yes to.

00:48:27:14 - 00:48:29:12
Wade
Being a an.

00:48:29:12 - 00:48:30:24
Wade
Instructor that uses video.

00:48:30:24 - 00:48:31:02
Wade
Games.

00:48:31:02 - 00:48:32:05
Wade
What there are.

00:48:32:05 - 00:48:33:14
Wade
Going to be people that don't take me.

00:48:33:14 - 00:48:36:01
Wade
Seriously. There are going to be.

00:48:36:07 - 00:48:41:17
Wade
Consequences to that. And yet there's also going to be some some gems and some some.

00:48:41:17 - 00:48:42:28
Wade
Good that comes out of that.

00:48:42:28 - 00:48:44:02
Wade
So for me, it.

00:48:44:02 - 00:48:45:02
Wade
Was just chase.

00:48:45:02 - 00:48:51:08
Wade
After my interest. I'm the only one that's interested in this. It seems. So let me go for it. If it doesn't.

00:48:51:08 - 00:48:52:14
Wade
If I don't do it.

00:48:52:22 - 00:48:53:19
Wade
Then who?

00:48:53:21 - 00:49:01:02
Wade
Who will? And that was the question that I kept thinking, because I'll be honest, it is a little.

00:49:01:02 - 00:49:05:12
Wade
Unglamorous in, collegiate and academic.

00:49:05:12 - 00:49:08:15
Wade
Circles to want to use video.

00:49:08:15 - 00:49:08:23
Wade
Games.

00:49:08:23 - 00:49:09:08
Wade
Simply because.

00:49:09:08 - 00:49:11:00
Wade
It has not been done.

00:49:11:02 - 00:49:13:03
Wade
Before. Now, hopefully.

00:49:13:03 - 00:49:15:03
Wade
Through my work and through some of the work my.

00:49:15:03 - 00:49:15:22
Wade
Colleagues.

00:49:15:22 - 00:49:16:18
Wade
It's gaining.

00:49:16:18 - 00:49:21:06
Wade
Traction. But I would still not say that it is.

00:49:21:08 - 00:49:25:26
Wade
Glamorous and that it's seen as an equal, on an academic.

00:49:25:26 - 00:49:26:23
Wade
Footing.

00:49:26:26 - 00:49:55:05
Evan
For you. How do you keep that energy and perseverance when something doesn't seem clear? Maybe the path doesn't seem like it's totally set out, but you know that you need to keep going. Yeah, this is a long time to foster these things that you've cared about, but they've managed to kind of merge over time. How did you kind of keep a positive attitude and keep going to pursue those things.

00:49:55:07 - 00:49:57:06
Wade
When it's fun?

00:49:57:08 - 00:49:58:05
Wade
It really.

00:49:58:05 - 00:49:58:25
Wade
Isn't that.

00:49:58:25 - 00:50:01:23
Wade
Hard of a decision. Like, I just.

00:50:01:23 - 00:50:05:20
Wade
Wanted to keep on playing Final Fantasy and teaching.

00:50:05:20 - 00:50:06:08
Wade
People.

00:50:06:08 - 00:50:08:23
Wade
About final Fantasy. you know, my.

00:50:08:23 - 00:50:10:20
Wade
Favorite lecture that I do.

00:50:10:20 - 00:50:12:08
Wade
Every single semester.

00:50:12:10 - 00:50:13:28
Wade
Is a lecture called What is.

00:50:13:28 - 00:50:17:01
Wade
Final Fantasy? It's my favorite. because.

00:50:17:04 - 00:50:19:29
Wade
I've got sorority girls, frat guys, people that aren't.

00:50:19:29 - 00:50:20:28
Wade
Gamers. I've got.

00:50:20:28 - 00:50:24:12
Wade
Athletes. I've got, you know, e-sports guys that.

00:50:24:12 - 00:50:24:23
Wade
Have only.

00:50:24:23 - 00:50:25:22
Wade
Played apex or.

00:50:25:22 - 00:50:28:09
Wade
Whatever. And then I've got some Final Fantasy fans.

00:50:28:09 - 00:50:29:17
Wade
As well.

00:50:29:20 - 00:50:32:18
Wade
And I have to bring them all onto the same.

00:50:32:20 - 00:50:34:16
Wade
ship by saying.

00:50:34:18 - 00:50:38:10
Wade
What is Final Fantasy and why are we playing the first 14?

00:50:38:10 - 00:50:39:23
Wade
Because typically.

00:50:39:26 - 00:50:40:14
Wade
You know, you.

00:50:40:14 - 00:50:45:02
Wade
Would play the first four. And so that's that's where that lecture comes from.

00:50:45:02 - 00:50:45:11
Wade
I've got a.

00:50:45:11 - 00:50:46:26
Wade
Video essay that answers that.

00:50:46:26 - 00:50:48:13
Wade
Question. I do in.

00:50:48:16 - 00:50:49:09
Wade
about,

00:50:49:12 - 00:50:50:21
Wade
14, 15 minutes.

00:50:50:21 - 00:50:52:03
Wade
There, what.

00:50:52:05 - 00:50:56:29
Wade
my students get for 75 minutes, in, in our class.

00:50:57:01 - 00:50:58:19
Wade
So but it's that.

00:50:58:19 - 00:50:59:17
Wade
Sort of thing that.

00:50:59:20 - 00:51:03:08
Wade
I love it so much and love.

00:51:03:08 - 00:51:04:07
Wade
These games.

00:51:04:07 - 00:51:06:08
Wade
So much that.

00:51:06:09 - 00:51:07:27
Wade
I want to keep doing stuff.

00:51:08:00 - 00:51:14:12
Wade
About it. It doesn't feel like work to me, at all. The other thing that I'll say to, to your.

00:51:14:19 - 00:51:15:26
Wade
Question is, I know that.

00:51:15:26 - 00:51:19:13
Wade
It works. And by what what works.

00:51:19:15 - 00:51:20:09
Wade
What I mean.

00:51:20:09 - 00:51:30:14
Wade
Is, I know that it's deeply impactful and has like my research shows, there are deep psychosocial impact benefits. Yeah, to.

00:51:30:14 - 00:51:33:10
Wade
Students that learn through video games.

00:51:33:12 - 00:51:36:12
Wade
And so that keeps me going. It's like there's a positive.

00:51:36:12 - 00:51:36:25
Wade
Benefit.

00:51:36:29 - 00:51:37:18
Wade
The purpose of.

00:51:37:18 - 00:51:41:20
Wade
Education. According to John Dewey. John Dewey, educational theorist.

00:51:41:22 - 00:51:44:19
Wade
Is, behavior change.

00:51:44:26 - 00:51:45:23
Wade
Is to change the.

00:51:45:23 - 00:51:46:10
Wade
Trajectory.

00:51:46:10 - 00:51:48:18
Wade
Of someone's behavior based on new insights.

00:51:48:18 - 00:51:49:18
Wade
And so.

00:51:49:21 - 00:51:50:10
Wade
for me.

00:51:50:10 - 00:51:51:20
Wade
That is what.

00:51:51:20 - 00:51:52:26
Wade
I'm trying to do, and there's.

00:51:52:26 - 00:51:53:29
Wade
No better way.

00:51:54:02 - 00:51:57:07
Wade
Of doing it, in my opinion, than giving people those new.

00:51:57:09 - 00:51:57:18
Wade
First.

00:51:57:18 - 00:51:59:02
Wade
Person memories of video games.

00:51:59:08 - 00:52:43:02
Evan
To change someone's behavior based on new insights. That's cool. The new insight part is interesting because you're also in a field where you guys and your colleagues, you're trying something new, you're trying to incorporate a new art form that didn't exist in the same way in the past. I wonder, as we wrap up, if you could talk about what it's like to be kind of on that precipice, that leading edge of a new area of understanding and spending time on something, not knowing if it's going to work out or be effective, know validated in the industry or the field and, and kind of where you see that emerging in the future.

00:52:43:05 - 00:52:48:00
Wade
Yeah, I mean, I, I'm not entirely sure. the entire.

00:52:48:00 - 00:52:48:28
Wade
Trajectory.

00:52:48:28 - 00:52:49:13
Wade
Of my.

00:52:49:13 - 00:52:50:27
Wade
Career at this point has.

00:52:50:27 - 00:52:51:18
Wade
Been.

00:52:51:20 - 00:52:52:01
Wade
To use.

00:52:52:01 - 00:52:53:10
Wade
A frozen two line.

00:52:53:15 - 00:52:53:29
Wade
Just.

00:52:53:29 - 00:52:54:20
Wade
Do the next.

00:52:54:20 - 00:52:54:29
Wade
Right.

00:52:54:29 - 00:52:55:11
Wade
Thing.

00:52:55:15 - 00:52:58:03
Wade
Okay? That's it. It's like, if.

00:52:58:03 - 00:53:00:00
Wade
There's another opportunity, then I.

00:53:00:00 - 00:53:00:14
Wade
Will take.

00:53:00:14 - 00:53:03:18
Wade
It. I would I never wanted to be a streamer. I'm too old.

00:53:03:18 - 00:53:07:27
Wade
To be a streamer. But to be perfectly honest, I at least that's what I thought.

00:53:08:00 - 00:53:08:14
Wade
you know.

00:53:08:16 - 00:53:10:17
Wade
It would say it is true because, like.

00:53:10:17 - 00:53:11:21
Wade
I missed.

00:53:11:27 - 00:53:13:04
Wade
The years of of.

00:53:13:04 - 00:53:14:22
Wade
Watching streamers and YouTube.

00:53:14:22 - 00:53:15:20
Wade
I like.

00:53:15:20 - 00:53:17:02
Wade
I'm, I remember.

00:53:17:02 - 00:53:18:22
Wade
When YouTube was created clearly.

00:53:18:22 - 00:53:19:27
Wade
From the beginning of the show.

00:53:20:00 - 00:53:22:12
Wade
But I never watched it.

00:53:22:12 - 00:53:23:16
Wade
Okay, like, if I need to.

00:53:23:16 - 00:53:25:17
Wade
Fix a leaky faucet, I would Google.

00:53:25:17 - 00:53:26:21
Wade
It. and.

00:53:26:22 - 00:53:35:23
Wade
A YouTube video would come up and I'd follow it. But, I moved over to Twitch out of necessity.

00:53:35:23 - 00:53:38:16
Wade
During Covid, and I think this is an important part of this.

00:53:38:16 - 00:53:41:17
Wade
Story. Like.

00:53:41:20 - 00:53:44:12
Wade
When zoom could not handle.

00:53:44:12 - 00:53:44:29
Wade
Live.

00:53:44:29 - 00:53:48:08
Wade
Streaming Final Fantasy 15 to my students so I could.

00:53:48:08 - 00:53:50:18
Wade
Do lectures.

00:53:50:20 - 00:53:54:03
Wade
I had to come up with an alternative. So I went over to Twitch.

00:53:54:06 - 00:53:57:12
Wade
And through Twitch.

00:53:57:15 - 00:54:00:15
Wade
my students would hop in. They would do their homework or whatever, but then.

00:54:00:15 - 00:54:01:05
Wade
Other people.

00:54:01:05 - 00:54:04:04
Wade
Hopped into and they found it interesting.

00:54:04:06 - 00:54:06:08
Wade
And that's how Prof. Not as was.

00:54:06:08 - 00:54:07:20
Wade
Born,

00:54:07:23 - 00:54:08:14
Wade
Like it.

00:54:08:14 - 00:54:13:14
Wade
Was not like I never wanted to be a streamer or a content creator. That was never.

00:54:13:18 - 00:54:13:29
Wade
In fact.

00:54:13:29 - 00:54:16:14
Wade
The very name people sometimes were like.

00:54:16:14 - 00:54:18:25
Wade
Is he a real professor? Or like, oh, that's just a.

00:54:18:25 - 00:54:19:28
Wade
Catchy name or.

00:54:19:28 - 00:54:21:02
Wade
Whatever.

00:54:21:04 - 00:54:23:23
Wade
That name came about, because one of my students.

00:54:23:23 - 00:54:24:17
Wade
Who was sleeping.

00:54:24:17 - 00:54:24:20
Wade
In.

00:54:24:20 - 00:54:25:05
Wade
Class.

00:54:25:05 - 00:54:26:22
Wade
Forgot my name.

00:54:26:24 - 00:54:28:05
Wade
And he simply called me.

00:54:28:05 - 00:54:29:16
Wade
Professor knocked this.

00:54:29:23 - 00:54:31:00
Wade
Okay, like that's.

00:54:31:00 - 00:54:32:20
Wade
Where the name came from.

00:54:32:22 - 00:54:34:17
Wade
Okay.

00:54:34:17 - 00:54:46:02
Evan
the prof. Not this origin story. The fact that you came up with the name because a student forgot your name in class and just got you. Professor knocked. This is a no.

00:54:46:04 - 00:54:46:17
Wade
Yeah.

00:54:46:24 - 00:55:03:18
Evan
As we go. I can't get over that. As we kind of start to wrap up, I wonder what encouragement you would give to those who are seeing some kind of vision and direction for where they want to go, kind of like you were, but maybe we don't know how to get there. We don't know what it looks like.

00:55:03:18 - 00:55:12:23
Evan
I think we often find ourselves in that situation. And I'd be curious to what you would say and how you would encourage those folks.

00:55:12:25 - 00:55:54:14
Wade
Whatever you are into, whatever you're passionate about, whatever brings you joy and interest in this world, that's the thing that you chase after, okay? It may bring success. It may have an audience, but that's not really up for you to decide. your job is to steward and to nurture the interest and passion that you've been given. and so, I mean, you hear athletes talk about, for the love of the game, in the same respect, the thing that you can create and contribute into the world, whether that is music or whether that is your love or analysis for a video game like I do, or, something completely different that no one has

00:55:54:14 - 00:56:19:05
Wade
ever done before, you simply have to chase that pathway. Now, if there's a market for it, awesome. But if there's not, then the reward in and of itself is just putting that out there. And that's the thing that I think people get hung up on. There's this question of, is it worth my time to do this sort of thing if nobody's going to watch or if nobody's going to enjoy it or whatever?

00:56:19:08 - 00:56:43:13
Wade
And the answer is like, if you've got that passion in you, whether you are like religious or not, like for whatever reason, you have been chosen for this passion, get it back into the world. There's a synchronicity that laid out steps for you to to act on this thing. And that's that's the thing I think that keeps me going.

00:56:43:16 - 00:56:59:04
Wade
it's why I put out videos. Some of them are going to do some numbers, others are just going to be duds. But I know that this was something that I had to put out into the world, because I was interested in my bad is that somebody else was too. And, and that's, that's the encouragement that I would give.

00:56:59:04 - 00:57:18:20
Wade
I talk to content creators all the time, and that is the fundamental fear for every person. Is it worth my while to do this? But I would encourage a love for the game, a love for the creation. because the very act of creation is the reward itself.

00:57:18:22 - 00:57:35:03
Evan
That's awesome. Well, thanks for your time and for your friendship and for, the vulnerability just to help us understand your origin story. And I'm hopeful that it's not a villain's origin story. By the end, I think we'll see.

00:57:35:06 - 00:57:40:15
Wade
Watch my videos, watch my videos more, or else.

00:57:40:18 - 00:57:46:12
Evan
Well, thanks, everybody for tuning in and we look forward to seeing you on the next episode. Bye bye.

00:57:46:14 - 00:57:50:15
Wade
See you.

00:57:50:15 - 00:57:54:12
Unknown
You.

00:57:54:12 - 00:58:17:28
Speaker 1
Thanks everyone for listening. We so appreciate it. We hope that you're just having the best week ever wherever you find yourself. Thanks again to sing for the laughter, for the use of the music. Thanks to Nick Smith for doing all the graphics. This episode was written and edited by us and listened to by you, and we hope everything's going great in your life.

00:58:17:29 - 00:58:21:27
Speaker 1
We will see you next episode.

00:58:32:06 - 00:58:43:02
Unknown
Oh.

00:58:43:05 - 00:58:45:14
Unknown
You.

The Origin of the Final Fantasy Professor | Prof Weekly Episode 8
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