First Ever Waynflete Amazing Race!

(Production Team: Molly McNutt, Randall Seder, Ellis Heminway, Almu Canales, and Elsie Parrot)

This fall, the PA Production Workshop class came together to create the first organized scavenger hunt photo challenge in Waynflete history. This class gave the students the freedom and time to create a project of their choosing from scratch, one that was conjured entirely from  their own ideas. For five students, this was an enormous opportunity to build something, whatever we wished no matter how uncommon. In the beginning, it was troublesome to organize a design that everyone supported, and at times it was clear that creative opinions were not also shared, which created conflict. This privilege gave freedom but also responsibility; when it began, we had no idea what we wanted to design! Despite the setbacks, the group was ambitious and determined; a small idea blossomed into something much larger than we originally planned. It turned into something interactive and born completely from our brainstorming: a scavenger hunt.

In the very early days of our project, the Production Team decided nearly instantly that we wanted to create and support a fundraiser. We talked about local nonprofits around Portland and also global establishments; we finally decided upon an organization called Dream Factory, which grants wishes to children who are chronically ill. A student at Waynflete, Sophia Mayone, had started up an activity to assist them by raising money and awareness and the team wanted to do whatever it took to help.

This “scavenger hunt”/ photo challenge consisted of many tasks that could be accomplished on the Waynflete campus and required participants to produce photographic evidence of each completed labor.  This activity took place the week of Monday, October 27th through Thursday, October 30th. The rules stated that the group that finished with the most points would win a piñata filled with candy. The prize was to be be given to the winner at a future assembly. The first place winners was Team A-Hoy- Elizabeth Ralston, Althea Sellers, and Emily Tabb- , second place went to Steve Withers, Tom Campbell, and Steve  Kautz, and third prize went to Bob Wilson and Jonas Maines.

While creating this project, the Production Team wanted the participants to become familiar with the Waynflete campus and interact with one another in new and unusual ways. The team wanted to create an entertaining project that would become an opportunity for the Waynflete community to come together. The group hoped that this activity would encourage teamwork and creativity from the participants and that the final result would be fulfilling to those involved.

This enterprise was a result of a brainstorming process which started with the idea of wanting to raise money for a certain organization at our school. Along the way, these ideas evolved into a bigger one, a wish to unite the entire upper school in different and interesting ways in the process of helping one of the fundraisers at our school.