I’m sure we all remember Pokémon and how popular it was to “catch them all.” I mean, I collected Pokémon cards, traded them and will never forget how happy I was when I finally beat Blue Version on my GameBoy. Although many of us have moved past that Pokémon craze, it’s still alive and well.
Public relations senior Stephen Ramirtha, better known as ‘Smiles,’ reps Pokémon and all video games we know and love including those we might not be familiarized with.
He approached me with a huge smile on his face; no surprise there. While reaching out his hand for a welcome shake, I noticed the light blue sweatbands with PokéBalls on it that he wore on both of his wrists, his over the shoulder backpack with Mario on it and his necklace of a cross from James Avery that hung around his neck.
Smiles is the marketing director for TSTV, and is also the producer for Videogame Hour Live where he oversees each episode.
“I’m there for whenever anyone needs help with editing or if anyone has questions,” Smiles said. “It might not be my project itself, but I help them out anyway. As a producer, we make sure that the final product is out and we also make quick decisions when things go wrong; like whether or not we should go live or just do it again. It’s about thinking on the fly.”
You might also see Smiles handing out flyers about TSTV on the West Mall in order to gain more viewers. “For the marketing of TSTV, I’m that crazy guy promoting the shows,” he said.
Smiles wants to pursue a career in video game marketing after he graduates and while over at UTLA, did just that for a small company named Legacy Games where he promoted games online and wrote press releases. His dream is to work for GolinHarris as head of the Nintendo account as a UT alum.
In his spare time, he likes to play video games (obviously!). But there’s more to Smiles than just video games. “I’m more diverse than that,” he laughed. “I like swimming and running. I used to run track and field in high school and I would run the mile race. 6:20 isn’t that bad,” he chuckled. “But it was doable.”
I couldn’t help but notice Smiles grabbing his necklace from time to time in between his laughing and story telling. When I asked about the necklace, he gave me a little smirk, grabbed it and kissed it.
“My mom gave me this necklace; it was a Christmas gift from my sophomore year in high school and I have been wearing it ever since,” Smiles said. “It’s a strong connection from home… it’s good to have that connection.”
Kissing it again, Smiles explained how it also helps him reaffirm his faith.
“You get into a lot of stress. With school, work and other responsibilities you have to deal with. It’s good to have that reminder that Jesus is here walking beside me the entire time.”
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When you first meet Smiles, you can’t help but notice the amount of positivity he emits. His welcoming gestures, upbeat tone and down-to-earth personality will automatically put you in a better mood than before.
“A lot of people ask me why I’m so nice or so happy. But really, it’s just because you guys are awesome. People always tell me, ‘Smiles, you’re the best,’ but I’m only the best because I believe that people deserve the best,” he said. “It’s the idea of just giving to people. People really deserve a lot more than what they get in life. I feel that there are so many negative forces working against us and if I could just be that positive force to lift somebody’s day up, that’s what I live for.”
Favorite Pokémon:
“My all time favorite would have to be Typhlosion. I remember it wasn’t really because [Pokémon] was just the popular thing to do [that I did it], but because I just really enjoyed it. Typhlosion kind of symbolized to me that you should follow your passion. Do what you do; not because of what other people say but because of the fact that you enjoy it. It has been 16 years since the Pokémon games came out and I’m still playing them while loving every second of it.”
Videogame Hour Live plays every Tuesday Night at 9:00 P.M. on antenna channel 29.1 and dorm channel 15.
“We kick butt, we take names, and of course we play video games!”