Freshman students at Spoon River College enrolled in LA 103 The College Experience class taught by Amy Rutledge (Biology) recently competed in “The Great Race,” a scavenger hunt designed to assist new students in getting orientated to the campus buildings and location of the offices and spaces often utilized by students.
Five teams of two each had to solve a series of riddles, leading them to the correct location where they then received the next riddle that would lead them to the next location. Teams were given just one hour to find all the locations.
“I wanted to give them a better sense of where some of the resources they could benefit from were located and thought this would be a fun way to do that,” said Rutledge, who also encouraged staff to prepare handouts detailing the services they provided that they could give to students along with the next clue.
Locations each team raced to find were the weight room in the Multi-Purpose Building, Community Outreach Office in Engle Hall, the SRC Theatre, IT Helpdesk, and Rutledge’s office in Taylor Hall, and Advising, Cafeteria/Coffee Shop, Dean’s office, Financial Aid, Learning Resource Center, and the Bookstore in Center.
“Each group made it to the finish line in the allotted time, and all said they enjoyed it and found it helpful. I’m already thinking about how to make it even better the next time,” said Rutledge.
The College Experience class is designed for first-year college students, but open to any student wanting to get the most out of the college experience. It plays a vital role in helping students navigate the challenges of the their first year in college, and aims to foster personal growth, academic achievement, and a smoother transition into higher education.
