For teens, ‘Star Wars’ is more than a movie

A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far, far away, three teenage boys found a love of “Star Wars” that led them each to a trivia night based around the popular movies July 25 at Selby Public Library.

As part of its summer reading club “A Universe of Stories,” a collaborative summer library program that encourages children to read during the summer, the library held a “Star Wars” party.

“[The party] brings people into the library and lets them discover that the library is more than just books nowadays,” Assistant Manager Alicia Diaz said. “You don’t have to read. You’re free to read at the library, and you’re free not to read at the library. You’re free just to enjoy the atmosphere.”

While kids ran around looking for hiding Jedi and Sith clues, two groups of “Star Wars” fans headed to the library’s rotunda to prove they knew they everything there is to know about the eight-movie — and growing -— series.

Decked out in “Star Wars” shirts, twins Quinn and Devin Gulliver, 13, teamed up with Patrick Peoples, 12, to answer questions from the categories: name the character, about the universe, who said it?, complete the quote and making the movies.

One after one, their hands shot up to answer almost every question right and ultimately win 5,200 to 1,000 against the other team, who conceded after the competition that they had never actually seen any of the movies.

The surplus of “Star Wars” universe knowledge didn’t come out of nowhere, though. All of the boys have been fans of the series since their elementary school days.

Peoples found the original trilogy in kindergarten after he heard a few of his friends mentioning it, and the Gullivers found it through their father.

“My friends and I used to kind of quiz each other about the movie and see who could get away with the most obscure details,” Quinn Gulliver said.

“Especially in fourth grade when ‘Star Wars’ mania hit again with ‘The Force Awakens,’” Devin Gulliver added.

For the three young fans, the universe draws them in with its diverse characters.

Peoples said that he likes how Princess Leia leads through hope and how Luke Skywalker aims to always put good first, but on the other side, he enjoys the tricksters, such as Emperor Palpatine.

“Everyone is going to have a favorite book. Everyone is going to have a favorite actor. Everyone has a favorite movie. For me, my inspiration will always be ‘Star Wars,’” Devin Gulliver said.

Although the boys had only met a few hours earlier, they laughed together as they reminisced about their experiences of playing with plastic lightsabers in their backyards because, after all, “Star Wars” brings people together, Devin Gulliver said.

Just as the twins and Peoples’ common love of the series brought the three together to dominate in a game of trivia.