Destination Downtown scavenger hunt hosted by university

Downtown Waynesburg was filled with students Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. as local stores and banks teamed up with Student Services, participating in a local scavenger hunt. The goal was to get students involved in and more familiar with the area by walking around downtown. A cash prize of $50 was awarded to one person that went to every business on the map.

“Students had to pick up an envelope at Student Services and were assigned a number to drop into a bag at each location along with a signature on the envelope,” said Pat Bristor, assistant dean of students. “The students needed to bring the envelope back by 3:30 p.m. to be entered in each raffle.”

Some students found it difficult to find some of the businesses on the map.

“I did the scavenger hunt with my friend, Macy Guenther,” said Lauren McTizic, junior children and youth ministry major. “It was definitely a learning process for us both. We found it challenging to find all of the businesses, as some did not match up with the location on the map.”

To help find the locations easier, some students had to use their GPS to locate that business.

“It would’ve been helpful to maybe have a guided course to follow around town,” McTizic said. “We did, however, complete all the stops with our phone GPS that were on the envelope to be entered for the grand prize.”

Only 21 students competed in the hunt, which was low Bristor said, due to students being in class on a Thursday.

“Many students had class during the allotted time or were only able to complete some locations in between classes,” Bristor said. “Our goal was to get students to go in between classes to the locations on the envelope.”

There was an award ceremony held in the Beehive at 4 p.m. after the envelopes were all calculated.

“Each location gave a different prize, which included $25 amazon gift cards, a $50 hairstyle appointment, gift bags, candy and apparel,” Bristor said. “Our local businesses are very giving, and we appreciate it so much that they partnered with us.”

A total of 15 businesses donated a prize for the scavenger hunt. One number was pulled from each bag to determine the winner.

“I wasn’t able to attend the award ceremony because of class,” McTizic said. “I was notified that I didn’t win, but they gave me a free Waynesburg water bottle for participating.”

Students suggested for next year that they host the event on the weekend or make it a two-day event.

“We will definitely look into different scenarios for the next time we host this event,” Bristor said. “We want to encourage our students to explore our local shops in their free time and see what they have to offer.”

To get involved with activities hosted by the Student Activities Board, check the Toilet Paper around campus or check your email at the beginning of each week for “This week at WU.”