Speed, agility, more speed. This is intense. What is your quest? Last Friday, it might have been Eco- quest. Described as being similar to the reality television gameshow, "The Amazing Race," Outdoor Club's Ecoquest challenged participants to finish tasks and obstacles as quickly (and safely) as possible around the campus.
"They get clues, and they go to places and they get another clue once they finish the task. And the goal of this one is to get ribbons every time they complete a task, and they want 10 ribbons by the end of the task," said Emily Thompson, committee
chair for Ecoquest and secretary of Outdoor Club. With two years of planning under the Outdoor Club's belt, this year's event was sure to be a success. With a total of five teams totaling up to 19 participators, those in the Outdoor Club couldn't
be happier. "We didn't expect to get five teams. We were ready
to run it with just two. With five, there's a real goal behind it. It's really exciting," said Thompson.
Additionally, rather than go the typical flyer- friendly way, the Outdoor Club decided to take a more eco-friendly approach to spreading the word on the campus-wide event. Flyers around campus had QR codes on them for students to have the ability to scan one with a smart phone and fill out an application form online. With such an approach, it lessened the chance of students being given flyers or applications that may just end up in the trash.
"We're trying to provide a fun extra-curricular activity for college students that doesn't have to be inside on a computer, spending a lot of money. You can just honestly drive down the road to Hampden-Sydney and run the trails or canoe out by Wilkes Lake," said Thompson. "We're trying to get you back in touch with nature."
