From resident hall game nights and pick-up ball games to Registered Student Organizations and intercollegiate athletics, the University of Chicago’s campus community is built and sustained through play. This page highlights some of the many groups that foster the spirit of play on campus.

From resident hall game nights and pick-up ball games to Registered Student Organizations and intercollegiate athletics, the University of Chicago’s campus community is built and sustained through play. This page highlights some of the many groups that foster the spirit of play on campus.

Scav Hunt

There is perhaps no greater symbol of the University of Chicago community’s spirit of play than the annual Scav Hunt. To quote from the venerable RSO’s website:

“The purpose of the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt… is actually a matter of some debate. A more extensive disquisition on our ontological orientation may be found in our Bylaws, but this much we know: every May, since 1987, the University of Chicago has hosted the largest and best scavenger hunt in the world. Spanning four days, the Hunt is an intense blend of bliss and chaos. The modern Hunt includes a list of items and events, Scav Olympics, and a blood drive benefiting the University of Chicago Medical Center, though the precise form and content evolves from year to year.”

See the “Preservation” Page of this website for more on a UChicago Library Special Collections exhibit celebrating Scav.