Scav Hunt at UChicago: Seeking Fun—Finding Tradition
Exhibition Dates: April 29 – August 9, 2024
Exhibition Location: The Joseph Regenstein Library, 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637
Quirky, at times impossible, yet always fun, Scavenger Hunt—or Scav—has set UChicago students dashing on multiday searches for eclectic lists of miscellany since 1987. Simultaneously a break from coursework and a thinly veiled learning exercise, Scav has become an enjoyable rite of spring for undergraduates, as well as some graduates and alumni.
Beyond the dorms, Scav unifies the student body in a way that sports teams build school-specific spirit at some colleges. Students recognize Scav as uniquely UChicago and players back the game with fierce intensity and school pride.
For nearly four decades, Scavenger Hunt has evolved, adapted with technology, and garnered local, national, and international press, yet throughout time, it has retained its characteristic spirit of humor, playful rigor, and inclusion that reflects core UChicago values and has become an endearing student tradition.
This exhibition features materials donated to the University of Chicago Archive and items on loan from the Scavenger Hunt’s founding members, former judges, past players, and current teams. Notable items include the first Scavenger Hunt list and items used in the 1999 creation of a breeder reactor, along with an array of t-shirts, photographs, and judges’ notes that document the lengths Scavvies will go to in search of fun and to be part of a beloved UChicago tradition.
Curators
Christine Colburn, Reader Services Manager, The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, The University of Chicago Library
Patti Gibbons, Head of Collection Management, The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, The University of Chicago Library
Chelsea Kaufman, Library Exhibition Designer, The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, The University of Chicago Library
Visitors
This exhibition is free and open to the public.
Visitors to the University of Chicago Library may obtain a visitor pass by checking in at Regenstein Library's entry desk. Get more visitor information.
Exhibition Gallery Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.; Wednesday: 10 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Associated Events
The Hunt
April 28, 1-3 p.m.
Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E. 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637
Doc Films
Journey back to 2002 with this alumni-made documentary about everyone's favorite UChicago tradition. Free screening sponsored by the Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center.
Meet the Founders of Scav
May 1, 2024, 7 p.m.
The Joseph Regenstein Library, Room 122A
Chicago, Illinois 60637
On the eve of Scav 2024, find out how it all started in 1987 from the founders themselves. Chris Straus, Cassie Hallberg, Diane Kelly, Rick Jeffries, and Nolan McCarty will tell us how it all began.
Free and open to the public. Learn more.
Images and Media Contact
Images from the exhibition included on this page are available for download to members of the media and are reserved for editorial use in connection with University of Chicago Library exhibitions, programs, or related news. For more information, contact Rachel Rosenberg at ra-rosenberg@uchicago.edu or 773-834-1519.
