Fairfield Way was the place to be on Friday, Sept. 26, as the UConn Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG) held a scavenger hunt around the Storrs campus. The scavenger hunt was the first event put on by SUBOG for Homecoming Week, which is currently ongoing, and also coincided with Family Weekend.
The first five participants to complete the hunt were awarded a free piece of homecoming merchandise, such as shirts and pullovers. Others were given other prizes like a stuffed husky or generic SUBOG merchandise.
“I was just really interested in the free merch, if I’m being honest,” said Camryn Woodin, a second-semester animal science student. “Plus, it’s just the fun thing to do during the day.”
While the giveaways were a big draw for many students, SUBOG’s main goal was to spread awareness for the rest of the weekend’s activities.
“I think a lot of people don’t know about homecoming, so, to start it off, I just wanted to have something that would get people to see the merch understand this is a thing that’s sort of happening right now,” said SUBOG Major Weekends Chair Chi-Chi Onoh.
The scavenger hunt, which allowed participants to scan a QR code to access a list of clues, started outside of the UConn School of Business. The list contained clues to 11 locations around campus, with each clue containing rhymes or puns about the location. The goal was to take a photo of each location as proof that the clue had been solved. Some places that contestants had to photograph included Gampel Pavilion, the Student Union Theatre and the former location of the university seal outside of the library. While many participants were students, there were also some families who took part in the hunt.
“My parents [and] a lot of my family are coming to visit, so I’ll be here around campus, like, for all the events,” said Audrey Glorioso, a third semester pre-teaching major.
Participants were allowed to work in teams for the hunt, as long as a group member was in the photo taken of each location.
“[The Homecoming committee] just wants to set the tone to have a moment for all of us to come together, for all Huskies to celebrate,” said Onoh.