CONCEPT
Also known as Trip to Chicago, Part 14.
Photos here do not represent the most extensive documentation of these events.
For a more comprehensive catalogue, please see the Offical Scavhunt Gallery.
Later in the Hunt, I started forgetting to take my camera to events. As a result, my photos become more sporadic.
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Judgment begins with the judging of the Road Trip teams.
239. _____ The following balloon animals: a horsey, a 19th century carousel, and a creature of your choice. [0.25 points, 10.75 points, and variable pointage based on awesomeness, respectively]
115. _____ A flying machine unlike any we’ve seen. [31 points]
The McPiece team’s machine flew…
..but at what horrible price?
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SHOWCASE
For roughly ten years scavhunt has featured items that qualify as obscenely huge, with massive number of points going into a complex and demanding set of requirements. Typically these items require some combination of connection, resources, imagination, and innovation, and a heavy dose of blood and hard labor. Since they may represent the Hunt’s crowning achievement, we judge these items as a group. This serves the practical function of allowing us to judge collectively and by consensus, and the indulgent function of allowing both scavies and judges to see the badassest things around. The Showcase precedes the Judgment proper.
294. _____ The third coming of the Bassmobile. We’re looking for some seriously vantastic action that at the very least should feature quadrophonic sound, a water bed, and a strobe light, along with a disco ball, lava lamp, shag carpeting, and a bumper sticker detailing a plan of action in the event that the vehicle is a-rockin’. It goes without saying that there should be a totally bitchin’ Scav scene painted on the side. [125 points]┼
I didn’t closely track which Wagon corresponded to which team. I’ve gotten lazy in my old age, as the quality of these posts probably suggests.
Best “bumper sticker detailing a plan of action in the event that the vehicle is a-rockin’.”
Best “totally bitchin’ Scav scene painted on the side.”
Most happenin’ wagon.
Max Palevsky conflates their vehicle with another item:
295. _____ An actual, live, present, non-impersonated famous person. University-affiliated persons not permitted.
- level 1 — local celebrity (Chicago weather man, that Empire Carpet guy, Stephen Baldwin) [1 to 20 points]
- level 2 — minor celebrity (former member of Megadeth, dude from MST3K, Daniel Baldwin) [21 to 50 points]
- level 3 — national star (Senator Obama, Michael Crichton, Billy Baldwin) [51 to 100 points]
- level 4 — international star (Kofi Annan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alec Baldwin) [101 to 200 points]
- level 5 — Mike Royko, of the Chicago Tribune. [A bajillion points]
Getting in on the action.
We got a lot of quality on the following item:
52. _____ A walk-in kaleidoscope. [200 points]┼
BJ’s Keleidoscope (from the inside).
Shoreland’s totally sweet Kaleidoscope (from the outside).
Snitchcock’s Kaleidoscope (from the inside).
Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures of Max P’s Kaleidoscope, which also incorporated another item:
267. _____ Use a trampoline in conjunction with any other item on the list to make that item more awesome. [5 points. Use once, use wisely]
While not techniclly Showcase:
276. _____ A Lego replication of an M.C. Escher drawing. [12 points]
What follows is also not a part of Showcase, but is worth including because of the success of the results and the number of people involved:
166. _____ The veterans of the Cola Wars demand a fitting tribute. Give them a spectacular simultaneous 21 two-liter and Mentos(R) salute! [21/2 spectacular points]
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And finally, the results of Bike Pimping:
Bike Parade!
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JUDGMENT
Now regular judging commenced. Since Jess and I were Jess emeriti this year, we took on the perennially shunned task of sitting in the 1st Floor West Lounge and tabulating the points (not the Way West Lounge, but the Slightly West Lounge). I did, however, manage to sneak out and take a few pictures of chaos spending itself.
Surprisingly, there were fun moments of point tabulating. As we moved my page after page, we were the first to see the final results of the Hunt taking place. And we also computed that two teams were within a few points of a tie. We invited them to either agree to tie or to read the results in order, notwithstanding the closeness. I am happy to report that Austin of McPierce and Nora of BJ, two of my favorite scavvies, agreed to allow their worthy teams to tie:
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ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS
Having tabulated all the scores, it was time to announce the winners. First, we discarded the practice of reading from last place to first, with the astonishing conclusion that Weathorr had won with a million bajillion points for all of the blocks of Hyde Park he’d permanently cast into darkness. But seriously now: We concluded that Team Judge had won for being the only team to successfully capture a live bee. Okay, for real this time: The UC Dems came in last with 1 point, closely followed by the last minute entreant, the UC Republicans who got 2 points.
Ahem:
Ninth Place
Vegan/Co-op/MacLab
Eighth Place
The Broadview
Sixth Place
TIE
MacPierce and Burton-Judson
Fifth Place
The Shoreland
Fourth Place
Broover House
Third Place
The F.I.S.T.
Second Place
Snell-Hitchcock
First Place
Max Palevsky
I do not have any photos of the final announcements, including final winners of the Scavhunt Rookie All-Stars or the Poet Laureate competition. God-willing, someone will post some photos on the gallery.
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SUNDAY NIGHT
After our dreary annual cleaning of Ida Noyes, with rain threatening, we started back for HQ. Except… a detour was in order:
Several of our items were in reference to the University’s outgoing musicologist president, Professor Randall. (A) team(s) left us with these items, and we put them to the best use we knew:
131. _____ Presidents so giant they’re called gigantones. Build Randall or Dylan and bring him to Justice Sunday. Now dance puppet, dance! I wann see those arms swing. [32 points]
243. _____ Present outgoing President Tony Randall with a memorial plaque engraved with his classic lines from The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao. [12 points]
Back at HQ we spent a half-hour cleaning up our messes, vacuuming, and putting Courtney’s apartment back in order. Then we sat around and talked about the items that had struck us as memorable. Then, one by one, we dispersed, although we planned to converge, nasty weather notwithstanding, on the point with any scavvies hardcore enough to brave the taunts of Weathorr.
Jess and I stopped back at Tom’s, took showers, and cleaned up. We arrived at the Point where we met up with a solid third of judges and about twenty scavvies from all over the map.
Steve Cicala started this tradition just last year with his “let’s gather on the 57th street beach, drink beer, and fire potato cannons.” This year we had s’mores and bottles of pharmaceutically enhanced carbonated beveredges. Teams told their stories and we hung out there for several hours. It was wet and misty, but not too cold. I cannot think of a better way to have ended the hunt.
S’mores!
END OF POST.