Every fortnight I put pictures online of me in my red and white striped hat and scarf in different locations around campus for my students. The idea is you find the place where I am in the photo such as the library, the museum, the gym, the lake, or Ubar, and you go there and take a picture of yourself to show me you found it. If I make things sillier and funnier with the Where’s Wally approach, we can laugh together.
Some students are fresh out of high school, some are new to the country, and they don’t know what’s here. Some have been here for years but still don’t know how beautiful the campus is. It’s an opportunity for them to walk around and find places they can go between classes.
Students ask me why they should get involved in the game. I tell them they will discover their campus and meet classmates. And that walking is good exercise. Some of the photos I get back are of individual students, some are pairs, some are groups. That’s the best part. When I saw a picture recently of four students, I thought that’s really cool, they’re getting to know each other and having fun.
I’ve expanded the fun and included post-graduate students in the game. I talked a colleague into joining me in Where’s Wally 2.0 - so keep your eye out for us on campus wearing the hats and scarves. Come say ‘hi’ if you see us!
Some students tell me they have never been to the library. They have access online, but I want them to know how beautiful the library building is. New domestic and international students sometimes don't know that we have a bar. They can have food, they can have a drink, there are games, there’s pool. If they are shy, if this is their first year, this activity provides another way they can meet people.
Sometimes I've found students can be afraid of talking to their teachers or of asking us questions. But we’re here to help and are just people who are a little older than you. You can tell me what you need, and I can tell you how I can help. I’m very happy to meet students over coffee if they need help. When they see you as a person just like them, they are more comfortable talking to you.
I had a group of international students from China who were very quiet. They were doing the scavenger hunt every single week. By the end of the semester, they would stay at the end of class and talk to me. The first week, they were very nervous over things like struggling with the language. It can be challenging, and that resonates with me. I know the feeling because I am originally from Chile. It helped me to connect with them. Week after week, they were able to progressively participate more in class through playing the campus photo game.
Now I’ve decided to expand the fun and include post-graduate students in the game. I managed to talk my colleague Associate Professor Sarah Bankins into joining me in Where’s Wally 2.0 - so keep your eye out for us on campus wearing the hats and scarves. Come say ‘hi’ if you see us!
