EPIC FAIL: My Search for "The Search for National Treasure"

By Connect2Mason Director of Written Content Kevin Loker

Sigh. So close, but no national treasure.

After a cross country road trip, days of workshops and teambuilding, and hours of lifting fridge after fridge in the Park, all I wanted to do was summon my inner Nicholas Cage and go on a ridiculous, puzzle-solving scavenger hunt in DC. Too bad for me – and by my count, at least nine other gung-ho student adventurers – we misinterpreted some critical information: when and where we were supposed to meet.

I remember clicking around on Mason’s Welcome Week web site earlier this summer and completely perking up when I saw the words, “The Search for National Treasure.” Since I was a wee little youngin’, I have admired and adored the all-time hidden treasure-seeking hero Indiana Jones.  Maybe my nearly intrinsic fear of snakes played into it – or maybe it was just the amazing theatrical skills of Harrison Ford – but nonetheless, I wanted to be him. Nothing’s changed. For real—I’m an anthropology major, I want to be a professor, and oddly enough, I recently stumbled upon a remarkably sweet fedora.

This event was made for me. It was made for me to win. Naturally, I formed a team right away.  And when the day came for the actual event, I naturally woke up right away. I was going to be on time. A true Indiana wouldn’t waste a minute, and neither would I.

Apparently, however, I need a bit more practice. That or a bit more distrust in the information Mason places on its web sites. See, I had the Welcome Week web site's instructions of meeting at the CUE Bus Stop at 10:30 in the morning ingrained into my head, and as I would later find out, that information wasn’t updated.

It turns out Mason left the old information up at that location, and used a last-minute email and Facebook to get the new location and time out to the scavenger hunt’s participants. Talk about integrating social media into campus communications…

At least I wasn’t alone in the mistake. I don’t know what the other nine student adventurers did with their grief-stricken day, but I know I later found myself at the local Target impulse-buying a small kit of Indiana Jones-themed Legos to soothe my disappointment.

I was sad, but motivated to not let it happen again. In result, I’ve decided to start of list of helpful advice to help those who still hold onto their childhood dream.

 Adventurer Tip #1: If you want to be a rugged adventurer like Indiana, don’t forget to check your Inbox before you leave.