Traditions

As the internet eclipsed trivia-style questions, items asking players to race, perform, and endure proliferated. By 1996, the Scav Olympics debuted as an official category and became the area of the list that focused on items of skill, often designed for multi-player participation. Originally judged on Sunday morning, by its second year, organizers moved the Scav Olympics to Saturday, before the final push for Judgment. Scav Olympics has become a pillar event packed with zany contests where teams get points based on players’ performances in madcap events like rounds of lubed Twister and backward Pogo Stick racing. [10 points for gold, 5 for silver, 2 for bronze]

2010.61 ____ “We Judges have been looking a bit scrawny lately”

In 2006, item #286 called for culinary challenge based on the popular 90s Japanese cooking show Iron Chef. Scavvies were asked to prepare “a feast worthy of viceroys” for an elaborate communal potluck dinner. The scrumptious event reappeared as part of the road trip prep meeting for a few years and evolved into the Scavvenfeast dinner, which is now a Saturday night highlight where teams prepare multicourse tasting menus based on the current year’s theme. After judges sample the courses, Scavvies snack on the leftovers. During 2020’s quarantine, when dinner parties were virtual, list item #31 asked people to share food photos on Instagram. [5 points as part of this balanced diet]

Thursday morning, hours after list release, judges cater coffee and pastries and meet with team captains to answer questions and clarify list items. As tradition holds, judges include a list item asking captains to wear themed outfits to breakfast. With little time for prep, teams scour the list for this item immediately after list release and rush to outfit their captain in time for the morning meeting. [9 am rise and shine points]

For a few years, between 1999-2007, teams were tasked to host parties on the quad. In 1999, list item #338 earned teams up to 600 points for a BYOBus (Vengabus) party. Teams rented school buses and RVs and the epic bacchanal united teams, increased student participation, and sparked a legendary tradition. In 2006, prompted by weather, organizers wrangled space inside Cobb Hall. Indoor debauchery with damage to classrooms could not be swept up as easily as outdoor festivities. Icarus hit the sun and the neutered 2007 party, with security checks and limited drink tickets, was dismal. Since then, Scav parties have been notably tamer. [Party like it’s 1999 points]

In 1998, judges began selecting annual Scav theme songs that get referenced as hints to help Scavvies complete items. Not explicitly stated, today’s judges drop clues to songs via social media and the web. [10 earworm points]

2023: Akiko Wada, “KANPAI FUNK”
2022: The Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones of 2022
2021: Tame Impala, “Elephant”, as covered by The Wiggles
2020: Daði Freyr, “Think About Things”
2019: The Black Eyed Peas, “Pump It”
2018: Ethel Merman, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (Disco Album version)
2017: Carly Rae Jepsen, “Store”
2016: Wang Chung, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”
2015: Hoobastank, “The Reason”
2014: Tegan and Sara feat. The Lonely Island, “Everything is Awesome”
2013: Quad City DJs, “Space Jam”
2012: Buddy Holly, “You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care)”
2011: The Foundations, “Build Me Up Buttercup”
2010: Adriano Celentano, “Prisencolinensinainciusol”
2009: Queen and David Bowie, “Under Pressure”
2008: The White Stripes, “Conquest”
2007: Maldroid, “Heck No! (We Won’t Listen to Techno)”
2006: Scorpions, “Rock You Like a Hurricane”
2005: The Beach Boys, “I Get Around”
2004: Junior Senior, “Move Your Feet”
2003: Kenny Loggins, “Danger Zone”
2002: Andrew W.K., “Party Hard”
2001: The Charlie Daniels Band, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”
2000: Positive K, “I Gotta Man”
1999: Vengaboys, “We Like to Party”
1998: Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men

The Scav Blood Drive is almost as old as Scav itself, beginning with the second annual Scavenger Hunt in 1988. Taking various forms over the years, from bloodmobiles, to a donation center out on the quad, to the DCAM blood donation center today. [minimum 12.5-13.0 iron points]

Over the years, players and judges have adopted terms and phrases specific to their Scav-related experiences. The name of the event itself evolved from the Scavenger Hunt to Scav in the mid-90s. Illustrating how language responds to group speak, here are some insider terms co-opted into the Scav lexicon: [Duo-lingo points]

• Train wash – a poorly made item that technically completes the judges’ instructions but is not truly what was desired, term adopted when an item asked players to take something through the CTA’s train washing depot, but someone ran items through a shower
• Boat sink – an item that is thoroughly well made, more so than its point allotment would warrant
• Hot Side Hot and Cold Side Cold – ‘Hot Side Hot’ are active judges who run Scav and the ‘Cold Side Cold’ are non-judges who help with administrative tasks. The twin terms reference McDonald’s experimental packaging for its fizzled McD.L.T. sandwich that boasted side by side compartments to keep burger ingredients separated by temperature.
• List release – 12:00 am Thursday of Scav when the judges make the year’s list available
• Judgment, Judgment Day – last event where points are awarded, initially known only as “the judging”
• Fourdays – Thursday through Sunday of Scav, where time runs together
• Showcase items – elaborate or nearly impossible items commensurately awarded a large number of points, noted on lists by: †

Roles

• Scavenczar – head judge
• Sir Ector – archivist
• Keeper of the Scrolls – list tracker
• Minister of Propaganda – Scav’s public image burnisher

Contractions

MacPierce – residents of Maclean and Pierce banded together after those dorms closed

Snitchcock – blending of neighboring dorms Snell and Hitchcock

Phrases

• “Feels like Saturday night of Scav” – a point of exhaustion and near despair
• “No fucking limit” – judges’ caveat to award infinite additional points for superlative performance of an item
• “Random guy on a bike” footnotes – proactive judges’ warning that points won’t be awarded for circumventing the spirit of an item, coined after a guy riding a bicycle won a Mario race car rally