University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt

The Scavenger Hunt is held annually over four days in May, such that the final day's judgement of items is on Mother's Day.{{cite web | url=http://articles.redeyechicago.com/2013-05-07/news/39147778_1_list-chicago-scavenger-hunt-residence-hall | title=U. of C. Scavenger Hunt tests students' brain power | publisher=RedEye | date=7 May 2013 | access-date=14 May 2015 | author=Peregrin, Tony}}

File:2013 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List Release.jpg

"The Hunt" begins ceremoniously at midnight of the Wednesday preceding Mother's Day weekend, with an event known as "List Release."{{cite web | url=http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/university-of-chicago-scav-hunt | title=University of Chicago Scav Hunt: Participants in the U. of C.'s 25th annual Scav Hunt try to set a Guinness world record. | publisher=Time Out Chicago | date=3 May 2011 | access-date=14 May 2015 | author=Cromidas, Rachel}} The ceremony surrounding the unveiling of the list usually begins a few hours before midnight, as teams slowly assemble on the ground floor of Ida Noyes Hall. These teams (ranging in size from 1 to over 250) then participate in what has been described as collective effervescence, as they chant various team-based and humorous slogans, eventually coalescing into a repeated "we want the list".{{cite web | url=https://college.uchicago.edu/2014-university-chicago-scavenger-hunt-list-release | title=Event: The 2014 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List Release | publisher=The College of the University of Chicago | date=8 May 2014 | access-date=14 May 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://chicagomaroon.com/2015/05/11/scav-inspires-student-creativity-and-matrimony/ | title=Scav Inspires Student Creativity and Matrimony | publisher=The Chicago Maroon | date=11 May 2015 | access-date=14 May 2015 |author1=McVea, Andrew |author2=Hauck, Grace |name-list-style=amp }} Then, at midnight, the judges (members of the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Organizing Committee) run into the center of this gathering, and announce that year's list release challenge.

Each challenge is designed to delay teams in acquiring a paper copy of that year's list of approximately 300 items. Previous examples have included the pages of the list buried under sand at a nearby beach, team captains kidnapped and forced to transcribe items onto their bodies with Sharpies, and copies of the list suspended from a wall six feet high ten feet away from a team representative, because "the floor is lava."{{cite magazine | url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/07/02/the-hunter-games | title=The Hunter Games | magazine=The New Yorker | date=2 July 2012 | access-date=14 May 2015 | author=Marx, Patricia}} Once a team has obtained the list, they travel back to their headquarters (usually a dorm lounge or apartment living room) to begin working on the list of items. Several hours after the release of the list the judges publish it online (usually around 3:00 A.M. CDT on the Thursday of the Hunt), thus making it available for teams unable to attend "List Release."{{cite web | url=http://rickvug.com/node/34 | title=SlashDot Article | publisher=Rick Vugteveen | date=17 February 2012 | access-date=14 May 2015}}

Every year, teams attempt to complete items from a list of approximately 300. Each item is written, assigned a point value, and put onto the list by a panel of judges known as the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Organizing Committee. The list has, since 1997,{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/1996.pdf|title=The 1996 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|date=5 May 1996|publisher=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/1997.pdf|title=The 1997 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|date=11 May 1997|publisher=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}} been formatted in LaTeX and released online in PDF and the original LaTeX formats at 3:00 A.M. CDT on the Thursday of the Hunt.{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/chores.html|title=Scav Hunt Current List|publisher=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Organizing Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}}

Since 2006,{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/2006.pdf|title=The 2006 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|date=11 May 2006|publisher=The University of Chicago Organizing Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}} the list has begun with a set of official rules, including:

1. "Acquisition of Items. All items on the List can be obtained and performed legally. It may involve smooth talking, or it may involve something else, but it is all possible. The Judges take no responsibility for your getting thrown into the clink—be it local clink, state clink, federal clink, or Colonel Klink. If you end up there, it is your fault."
   • This rule is said to have been put in place as a response to the 1999 item to build a nuclear breeder reactor which had legal repercussions.

4. "Props. All props must, always and forever, be mad props."

7. "A Good Time. For a good time, call (202) 762-1401."

   • The phone number above is for the voice announcer of the United States Naval Observatory's "Master Clock,"{{cite web|url=http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/voice.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961126202433/http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/voice.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 26, 1996|title=USNO Master Clock Voice Announcer|publisher=United States Naval Observatory|access-date=14 May 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/time/master-clock/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303034541/http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/time/master-clock|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 3, 2009|title=USNO Master Clock — Naval Oceanography Portal|publisher=Usno.navy.mil|access-date=27 July 2011}} which provides time measurements at the atomic level of precision to the GPS satellite constellation run by the U.S. Air Force.

The road trip was discontinued in 2020, but in previous years' lists, after the official rules, the qualifying factors for the road trip portion of the scavenger hunt were included. These qualifying factors had been included in the list at the behest of UChicago's Center for Leadership and Involvement (the governing body for registered student organizations) since 2006. The road trip, itself, though, had been a part of the Hunt since 1991.{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/1991.pdf|title=The 1991 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|date=11 May 1991|publisher=The University of Chicago Organizing Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}}

After the road trip qualifications, all "Scav Olympics" events are listed. These are original competitions designed annually and held on Eckhart Quad Saturday afternoon of the Hunt.{{cite web|url=http://www.wbez.org/story/who-brought-tiger-photosvideos-inside-uofc-scav-hunt-86274|title=Who brought the tiger? Photos/videos inside the UofC 'Scav Hunt'|author=Dries, Kate|date=9 May 2011|publisher=WBEZ|access-date=14 May 2015}} In 2015, for each event, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place were worth 20, 15, and 10 points respectively, while 5 points were awarded to "(3 < x ≤ ∞)th place."{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/list2015_final.pdf|title=The 2015 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|date=11 May 2015|publisher=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Organizing Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}} After the list of "Scav Olympics" events, there are occasionally special lists, such as wedding-associated items in 2015,{{cite web|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150508/hyde-park/scavwedding-highlights-annual-u-of-c-scavenger-hunt|title='Scavwedding' Highlights Annual U. of C. Scavenger Hunt|author=Cholke, Sam|date=8 May 2015|publisher=DNAinfo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514031748/http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150508/hyde-park/scavwedding-highlights-annual-u-of-c-scavenger-hunt|archive-date=14 May 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=14 May 2015}} and "Scav All-Stars" items from 2004 to 2006.{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lists/2004-AllStars.pdf|title=The 2004 All-Stars Scav Hunt List|publisher=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt Organizing Committee|access-date=14 May 2015}}

Finally, following the above sections, is the list of all general category items. Item lists are broken up into pages, with one or several judges contributing to the items on each page.

Road trip, one of the more original elements of the hunt, was discontinued in 2020.

Before 2020, the road trip was constrained by several factors. The furthest destination could be no more than {{convert|1,000|mi}} from Chicago, and the trip must have been completed between 8 a.m. Thursday morning and Saturday night.[http://chicagomaroon.com/2013/05/17/dispatches-from-the-scav-road-trip/ Dispatches from the Scav road trip] Additionally, the road trip was completed with participants wearing ridiculous costumes. Items for the road trip were scattered throughout the main list.

Drivers on the road trip were held to the following requirements:

• Minimum age of 18.
• Must have had a valid U.S. driver's license for at least two years.
• Must have more than {{convert|2,000|mi}} driving experience.
• Cannot have received any moving violations or convictions or court-ordered supervision.
• Must be alcohol and drug free.
• Must have valid automobile insurance.

On the Friday Night of the Scavenger Hunt, there is usually a large themed event held in one of the gathering spaces on campus. In recent years, this event has been a wedding, a sleepover party with pillow and blanket forts,{{cite web | url=http://college.uchicago.edu/uniquely-chicago/story/scav-past-and-present | title=Scav: Past and Present | publisher=The College of the University of Chicago | date=29 October 2014 | access-date=18 May 2015 | author=Rhee, William}} and a prom dance.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}

Previously, this event took the form of a large party held on the main quads attended by scavenger hunt participants and nonparticipants alike.{{cite web | url=http://chicagomaroon.com/2008/05/09/scav-hunt-festivities-consume-campus/ | title=Scav Hunt festivities consume campus | publisher=The Chicago Maroon | date=9 May 2008 | access-date=16 May 2015 | author=Yang, Mimi}} Usually, this party involved a theme. Each team would design their own section of the party with drinks and attire adhering to this theme.

This long string of parties ended when, in 2006, during a particularly bad storm, the party was moved inside Cobb Hall. The theme that year was "visions of the future." ORCSA, the university administration body responsible for overseeing the Hunt, shut down the party due to intoxicated participants and alleged property damage.{{cite web | url=http://chicagomaroon.com/2006/05/16/scav-hunt-party-in-cobb-shut-down-2/ | title=Scav Hunt party in Cobb shut down | publisher=The Chicago Maroon | date=16 May 2006 | access-date=16 May 2015 | author=Brown, Aaron}}

Items on the list include codes and cypher, large scale construction and engineering projects, performances, unusual sports, and difficult to acquire objects. Some items require connections to accomplish such as: get your Scav team a shout out on the news, get a flag on the North Pole, or reach the lowest elevation possible (the winning elevation was reached in a submarine).

Each year there are a handful of particularly large point items. There have typically been three showcase items per list in the recent past. These items are typically over 100 points each, but in the past it was not unusual for an individual item to be 500+ points. These items are judged in competition between the teams and points are awarded according to the ranking.

• "A periodic coffee table. (25 points plus 1 point per element included)"{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt1.uchicago.edu/lists/2007.pdf|title=ScavOlympics|access-date=8 February 2012}}
• "A real live, breathing elephant. (500 points)"{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt1.uchicago.edu/lists/1997.html|title=The 1997 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt List|access-date=22 February 2012}}
• "A breeder reactor built in a shed, and the boy scout badge to prove credit was given where boy scout credit was due. (500 points)"
• This was on the 1999 Scav list, and the item was successfully completed by Justin Kasper and Fred Niell, students on the Burton-Judson team.{{cite web|url=http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/050505.scavhunt.shtml|title=2005 Scav Hunt}} The team only came in second place that year.{{cite news|title=UC junior wraps up 'Jeopardy!' college title |author=Gary Wisby | date=15 May 1999 | work=Chicago Sun-Times| page=1}}{{cite news|title=On Campus: It's that season at Chicago, and Ph.D.'s have taken a back seat to a degree of silliness. |author=Andrew Bluth | date=19 May 1999 | work=New York Times| url= https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/19/us/campus-it-s-that-season-chicago-phd-s-have-taken-back-seat-degree-silliness.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm}}
• "A zeusaphone. (300 points)"{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt1.uchicago.edu/lists/list2008.pdf|title=The 2008 University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt list|access-date=12 May 2012}}
• "A Stradivarius violin, viola or cello. (90 points for a violin, 125 points for a cello, 150 points for a viola)"

File:Ready for battle (4590500259).jpg

Scav Hunt was founded in 1987 by Chris Straus, who organized the list and judged items collected by other residents of Hitchcock house, with Cassie Scharff, Diane Kelly, Rick Jeffries, and Nolan McCarty.{{cite web | url=http://college.uchicago.edu/uniquely-chicago/story/secret-history | title=Secret History: What do the Senior Class Gift and Scav Hunt have in common? Christopher Straus, LAB'84, AB'88, MD'92, tells all. | publisher=The College of the University of Chicago | date=1 August 2012 | access-date=14 May 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://college.uchicago.edu/news/student-stories/scav-past-and-present|title=Scav: Past and Present|website=college.uchicago.edu|language=en|access-date=2019-05-11}}

Perhaps the most notable item that has yet been completed was from the 1999 list; a breeder reactor in a shed was successfully built in front of Ida Noyes Hall.{{cite web|url=http://scavhunt1.uchicago.edu/lists/1999/node2.html|title=Items|access-date=22 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309222750/http://scavhunt1.uchicago.edu/lists/1999/node2.html|archive-date=9 March 2008}} The item itself was a joke referring to the "Radioactive Boy Scout" David Hahn. The students irradiated thorium with thermal neutrons and observed traces of uranium and plutonium.{{cite web|url=http://www-news.uchicago.edu/citations/99/990519.scavhunt.nyt.html|title=In Chicago, Ph.D.'s Take a Back Seat to a Degree of Silliness|access-date=22 February 2012}}

In 2002, Scav Hunt was the subject of a documentary titled The Hunt.{{cite web|url=http://periphrastic.com/about.html|title=The Hunt|access-date=22 February 2012}} The 2007 Scav Hunt was also the subject of a documentary, Scavengers.{{cite web|url=http://thecore.uchicago.edu/springsummer08/the-searchers.shtml|title=The Searchers|access-date=16 June 2011}}

The Scav Hunt formerly held the Guinness World Record for largest scavenger hunt. To obtain the record, the Judges organized a miniature scavenger hunt during the 2011 Hunt.{{cite news|last1=Dries|first1=Katie|title=In its 25th year, University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt breaks a world record|url=http://www.wbez.org/story/its-25th-year-university-chicago-scavenger-hunt-breaks-world-record-86200|access-date=17 May 2015|publisher=Chicago Public Media|date=7 May 2011}} The smaller event was required to meet the Guinness World Record definition of a scavenger hunt. The Scav Hunt has since been officially surpassed for the title of the world's largest scavenger hunt by "Passport to Provo," an event organized by Provo and Google.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 Hunts were held virtually.{{Cite web|url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/after-move-online-scav-hunt-teams-focus-not-whats-lost-found|title=After move online, Scav Hunt teams focus not on what's lost, but found}}

In 2024, [https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/scrc/ The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center] curated an exhibit titled [https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/collex/exhibits/scav-hunt/ Scav Hunt at UChicago: Seeking Fun, Finding Tradition] about the history and traditions of Scav. On May 1, 2024, the eve of Scav 2024, they hosted a Meet the Founders panel, where Dr. Chris Straus, Cassie Scharff, Diane Kelly, Rick Jeffries, and Nolan McCarty talked about how it all began.

File:The University of Chicago is watching you (5694539537).jpg attached to Harper Memorial Library during the 2011 hunt]]

The Scavenger Hunt committee is a registered student organization at the University of Chicago. The committee is made up of judges, those who make the list and determine item completion, and non-judges, who help with other administrative tasks. Judges are known as "Hot Side Hot" while non-judge members are known as "Cold Side Cold".{{cite web|title=Bylaws|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/bore.html|work=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt|access-date=26 September 2013}}

The list is compiled solely by the panel of judges, though the panel also organizes other aspects of the Scav Hunt. Judges begin compiling the list after the end of each Scav Hunt weekend, and continue to add items throughout the year. Members of the panel are sworn to secrecy on the contents of next year's list.

Any University of Chicago student with a GPA above 0.5 may apply to be a judge. Potential judges submit applications consisting of a questionnaire and a sample list of 30 items. Applicants are chosen to interview with the existing judges based on merit. New judges are often previous team captains or perennial participants of the Hunt. Actual methods of judge selection, however, are kept secret. Fragments of the sample lists of the newly chosen judges are often added to next year's list. Applications for new judges open at the beginning of October. New judges are selected by the end of the calendar year. Judges are appointed for life, but are required to maintain eligibility to join a student organization to remain active.{{cite web|title=About|url=http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/lore.html|work=The University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt|access-date=26 September 2013}}

The head judge, known as the Scavenczar, is appointed at the end of the Scavenger Hunt each year. They oversee the planning and execution of the next Scav Hunt, until their successor is named.

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{{reflist}}

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• {{Official website|http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/}}
• [http://scavhunt.uchicago.edu/yore.html Archive of past lists]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/SnitchcockScav87 Snell-Hitchcock Scav youtube]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/bjscavhunt Burton-Judson Scav youtube]
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgbosqxTDH9465hPi8H-Q8w Breckenridge Scav youtube 2018]
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpTvdoPsvjNP6V_NwW9z5pg Maclean Scav youtube]

{{UChicago|studentlife}}

Category:1987 establishments in Illinois

Category:Recurring events established in 1987

Category:May

Scavenger Hunt

Category:Culture of Chicago

Category:Puzzle hunts