The UBC Culture Challenge, an initiative organized by the UBC Welcome Centre, is the latest university programming whose posters and flyers are plastered all over campus.
The challenge ran from September 4 to October 4, and is basically a scavenger hunt with 12 tasks to complete. These activities consist of going to different cultural locations on campus that vary from the Chan Centre to the CiTR studio, completing challenges at each space and then getting the “challenge passport” stamped. These challenges involve participating in the cultural offerings at each space. For example, at the UBC Botanical Garden, a participant must “share a selfie from [their] visit or a photo of plants from [the] collection on any social media channel and show it to [the] admission staff.”
To have a shot at the raffle prizes, which include gift cards and an all-inclusive trip package to Whistler, this passport needs a minimum of four stamps and must be handed in to the Welcome Centre, whose office is at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre.
However, these prizes are just meant to draw people in. Emma O’Brien, the senior Welcome Centre ambassador and co-manager of the Cultural Challenge, said the real prize is “familiariz[ing] people and re-familiariz[ing] people with the UBC Campus.”
This initiative was started two years ago. According to O’Brien, approximately 500 people participated last year with around half receiving the eight stamps required to qualify for the grand prize. Four stamps makes participants eligible for some of the prizes, so even the most strapped for time can give it a go.
The challenge is open to faculty, staff, students as well as community members who live on UBC grounds this year. O’Brien explained that this challenge is way to connect with the work that UBC community members do.
“It’s basically just a way ... to feel more like you have an actual community,” she said.
Plus, most of the activities are free, so you’re a winner either way.