Have you ever had the chance to explore Downtown Ypsilanti or Depot Town? Those brave enough to participate in the #ExploreYpsi Scavenger hunt last Friday did.
The event called for a group ranging from one to five people to follow the Volunteers Incorporating Service into Our Neighborhoods Center’s Instagram account and tag themselves in photos or videos from around Ypsilanti.
Whatever they posted had to have corresponded with clues given by VISION in order for the groups to receive any points. The group with the most points and creativity would be the winner.
Each group could only use one Instagram account to upload their photos to discourage cheating or multiple uploads and had a deadline of 3 p.m. to solve and post as many riddles as they could.
All photos and videos were judged by Executive Director of Media Relations, Geoff Larcom, the Advisor to the President, Lee Graden, and Alternative Break Program Coordinator, Brialle Ringer,
When asked why the VISION center hosted the event, Ringer said, “to get students off campus and into the community…We want them to gain a better relationship with the community… become more aware of businesses in the area and to support them.”
As the clues were given to the contestants and the Instagram accounts were up, the competition had become intensified with groups trying out different strategies to win. One group in particular had managed to win using strategizes such as breaking up into smaller groups to figure out different riddles. With the first place prize being held as such a secret, all squads were determined to get as many points as possible.
Kate Mueller and Adrianna Sputa, two EMU freshmen of the winning group, expressed the difficulties of being in a larger crowd.
“I hope they get DQ’ed!” Mueller confessed when asked about a team that was following hers.
Along with them, their other teammates, Rob Cottrell, Alyssa Licavoli and Erin Beyer won a replica of Ypsilanti’s water tower in the form of a candle. Although the group of five had won based on their points and creativity, all groups were considered winners in the mind of VISION and were also given candles as gifts for participating in the event.
You can check out VISION’s Instagram page, @vision_emu, to see which pictures came out the best.
