A fun event for JCR students to participate in is English Society’s upcoming scavenger hunt in semester 2! English Society is a club where students who enjoy literature, reading, writing, and discussion can come together to discuss a variety of topics and be introduced to many opportunities. That is why it has decided to kick off the year with a scavenger hunt! Scavenger hunts are laid back and do not require as much pressure as other events, like writing competitions, which is why it is perfect for English Society’s first event of the year. This event will start around early December and go on for roughly a month to give opportunities for many students to get involved.
This is actually English Society’s first ever scavenger hunt, and was suggested to the president by other members last year, who were very interested in organizing an event like this for the club. Since this was something people had really wanted to take place, the president had gone along with the idea this year! It is very possible for English Society to make this scavenger hunt a yearly event if future executives decide to carry it forward. Though that is ultimately up to them. This year, English Society hopes to provide the resources, experience, and opportunities to members for the scavenger hunt, if they choose to carry this fun event forward.
The theme English Society has chosen for this scavenger hunt is fairytale themed, due to how fairytales are a good introduction to English literature as a whole, takes influence from multiple different aspects, and is a topic of nostalgia for many. Though in particular, as said by English Society’s president Ramla Cheema: “English literature is really about learning about those different perspectives, where even if one’s life is completely far removed from your own, you still have that connection to them…Fantasy and fairytale novels are really good at playing with those sorts of emotions, and even if a character’s situation is completely different from yours, such as riding a dragon to school, you can still relate to them in some capacity.” A lot have heard, read about, or seen many forms of fairy tales in their lives; through popular media, children’s books, movies, and TV shows. There are famous classics that people have most likely encountered, such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, or Jack and the Beanstalk. Along with its popularity, the fairytale theme has a major visual aspect to it, and due to the arts and crafts that come along with preparation for this scavenger hunt, it is perfect for organizers and participants alike.
This scavenger hunt will be organized by English Society’s general members and executives. In addition to that, as of now, the club is also hoping to partner with JCR’s Arts Council in terms of the scavenger hunt’s arts and crafts portion for preparation. In terms of what this event will look like, the scavenger hunt is going to be a series of posters around the school, with riddles on them for students to follow. At the end of the hunt, whichever student has found the fairy tale book of stories and has brought this book to one of English Society’s meetings, will receive an Amazon gift card! There will also be a gift basket prize for the person who manages to solve every riddle. Thus, even if a student had already found the Book of Stories and received the gift card, if they have solved the riddles and given explanations, the student will also receive a gift basket. Other winners will be receiving goodie bags and small treats. Regarding the graphic design portion of the posters, it will be open to any person who wants to be involved in the scavenger hunt. Overall, whether one is a general member, or would like to just come by for the meetings, English Society will gladly welcome anyone interested in helping out with this scavenger hunt. To figure out the general theme of what the posters will look like, there have been many mood boards created by English Society members as well! Essentially, the main part of this scavenger hunt is not only in terms of solving riddles and finding the book of stories, but also in the preparation portion. For organizing this scavenger hunt, it is, as a whole, one big collaborative arts and crafts activity. Below are some interesting mood board examples submitted:
In general, this scavenger hunt is going to be an exciting event for students to participate in. The actual scavenger hunt portion, along with the preparation. English Society intends for this to be something where students can engage in their problem-solving and communication skills by working through the riddles, have fun through the arts and crafts portion of it, and participate in something with the chance to receive prizes!
