Students raced through the first floor of Knight Hall on Sept. 26 during QuadWorks' cleverly named “Bear Hunt,” an annual scavenger hunt. Students had one mission: find the hidden rainbow Care Bear plushy accompanied with a brand-new Nintendo Switch Play and Mario Kart bundle.
Over the course of 90 minutes, QuadWorks members hid the rainbow Care Bears, along with pink and green stuffed decoys. QuadWorks hold this annual competition to foster teamwork and build connections on campus.
"This event builds into our overall goal of getting people out through building community,” Malajah Grace ‘27 said. “By having people come out and find these bears, maybe meet someone new who could become a longtime best friend.”
At the moment the announcer said "Go!,” dozens of students sprinted across the first floor of Knight, looking in classrooms and every possible hiding spot. While some students worked in groups, the award was individual, so only one person could claim the prize.
The scavengers looked under desks and behind podiums, and even emptied trash and recycling bins to find the hidden bears. Students crawled under tables to peek behind window blinds and mounted TVs. Just 10 minutes in, the pink bear was found, leaving only the green and rainbow bears left.
With the clock ticking, teams got more strategic and began splitting up to cover more ground. Jayla Battle ‘29 discovered the green bear under a desk.
With the rainbow bear still in play, many groups ditched the classrooms and huddled in the hallway. Tensions rose as large groups of competitors formed at the opposite end of Knight Hall's elevator.
After a few minutes of searching, the winner was confirmed by a big cheer from the crowd. Two-time winner Battle ran down the hallway with the rainbow Care Bear in hand. Her winning strategy?
"Teamwork makes the dream work."
Precious Clark '26 is a Law & Public Policy major with a minor in Political Science. She works at the circulation desk in Tarver Library and Auxiliary Services. When she is not writing for The Mercer Cluster, she enjoys reading, drawing and listening to Tame Impala.
