By Betty Kaldas
You slowly close the cover of an extraordinary novel you have just finished. It told the tale of a cruel government and a colorful, overarching rebellion against the dictatorship. What separates you from the dystopian book in your hands is the fact that a world like this will never exist, unless it already does.
On Thursday, Dec. 18, president Donald Trump announced one of the main events taking place on America’s 250th anniversary celebration. Deemed the “Patriot Games,” the event features one high school girl and boy chosen from each state to participate in athletic games as part of a four-day competition.
Trump’s announcement has sparked controversy across the nation as people negatively react to the introduction of the event. Although the information has received much backlash, the event is scheduled to take place during the fall of 2026.
Recognized by book lovers and students alike, the event is similar to the “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins, in which one boy and one girl are chosen from each district to battle it out to the death. Although many argue that the situation is not as dramatic as people make it seem, and that it compares to other athletic competitions such as the Olympics, plenty of people are making sarcastic comments on the dystopian aspect of the games.
Despite all of this, the Patriot Games are up-and-coming, with a little less than a year until they take place. There are still plenty of uncertain factors we are yet to have information on, leaving the Patriot Games up for debate on whether or not they stand to gain popularity or continue to be mocked as time goes on.
