Since what feels like the beginning of time – or at least several years ago – the iClicker has been a mainstay for large class sizes. As a way to keep track of attendance and dictate quizzes, the handheld device has become a necessary yet mundane tool for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln student. With its plain aesthetic and little use outside of the classroom, the technology becomes a burden to students and the device a relic of a time forgotten.
These problems have been facing Chancellor Ronnie Green and UNL administration for years. The iClicker has no appealing qualities outside of the classroom, and finally, after years of pontificating over the issue, Chancellor Green has announced an innovative solution to make the iClicker appeal to everyone.
At 3:02 p.m. on Sept. 14, Chancellor Green called a news conference to introduce his newest creation, the “iFidget clicker,” a combination on the original iClicker with the recent popularity of fidget spinners. Sold exclusively at the UNL bookstore, the design features three buttons: A, B and C – one on each prong.
Green expressed confidence about his creation and that the “iFidget clicker” will make the clicker a popular fad that all the kids will want to get into.
“I see these [fidget] spinners everywhere. All around me all I hear is BBBBBZZZZZZZZZZ,” Green stated, emphasizing the BBBBBZZZZZZZZZZ. “This will change the perception of the iClicker. By making it a fidget, we’ve turned a chore into a treasure.”
Green envisions the “iFidget clickers” as more than a learning tool, as he expanded upon lucrative licensing and branding ideas for his invention.
“Kids aren’t going to get enough of these. They may only need one for class but with so many different designs they’ll want to collect them all,” Green expressed excitedly. “I’m talking iFidget clickers for different seasons, emotions, holidays, majors, a limited Husker edition, and ones with famous movies or nerd stuff. The possibilities are endless.”
Green left his conference with enough confidence for 10 men, but his enthusiasm didn’t last. While students were initially curious about the new iFidget clickers, once word got out that the price would triple from the original, they quickly appreciated the old junk they already had.
