City and college collaborate on scavenger hunt
Washington & Jefferson College student Samuel Schaub displays menus and business cards from local merchants during a scavenger hunt last month.
Washington & Jefferson College students Bryce Egger, front, and Davy Oliverio pose in front of Main Street Hotdogs’ menu to earn points during a recent scavenger hunt.
In her role as executive director of Washington’s Citywide Development Corp., Christy Bean Rowing sometimes feels like cruise director Julie McCoy from the TV show “The Love Boat.”
“I have to get everyone to the lido deck and make sure they have a good time,” Rowing said.
Rowing’s tasks include creating and expanding community events and attracting businesses and consumers to the city. Since starting in September, her plan has been to forge relationships to achieve that goal.
Rowing’s latest project, a collaboration with Washington & Jefferson College and Washington Financial Bank, had college students competing in a downtown scavenger hunt. While the event provided hours of entertainment during intersession, the competition also introduced students to their community, a relationship that benefits everyone, said Rowing.
“Increasing pedestrian traffic is not only good for business, it creates a vibrancy that people want to see,” Rowing said. “The hallmark of a great city is a pedestrian-focused Main Street.”
Using the GooseChase app, 12 teams of two to five students completed as many as 110 tasks to earn points. The tasks ranged from answering questions – What is the name of the current mayor of Washington? – to taking photos inside popular businesses such as Chicco Baccello. The business district and historic buildings were prioritized as checkpoints.
“We know that college students have a lot on their plates,” said Erik K. Rueter, W&J director of marketing and communications. “It’s very easy to get so wrapped up in that, you forget there’s anything outside of campus. But Washington has a lot to offer.”
The event, which ran from Jan. 19-21, served as a test run for a larger scavenger hunt that will take place in the summer for all incoming freshmen.
Rueter said he knew students would enjoy the activity, but didn’t anticipate how competitive they got. He had to add tasks when teams were nearing completion halfway through the second day.
Rueter talked to several students who said they’ve been on campus for years but didn’t know about a lot of the features in the city.
“Obviously, there’s a need and a desire,” he said. “It’s very important to our dean of student life, Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, to improve the town and college relationship. This is just another piece of the larger puzzle.”
Rowing said integrating into the surrounding community gives students ownership.
“For every freshman, there’s the thought, when the parents have driven away, of ‘This is my life now. How do I make it my own?'” she said.
It’s Rowing’s hope that, instead of driving out of town to stores and restaurants, students will walk to local places.
A part of her strategy is creating a calendar of events that people will know to expect.
“I want it to become a mainstay for the community. Like, there’s a scavenger hunt for students in the fall and the farmers market is in the summer,” Rowing said. “I want people to think, ‘Washington is open for business.'”