Student continues the hunt for Waldo
Written by Taylor Gaudens, Sep 19, 2011, 0 Comments
Be sure to check out The Crow’s Nest‘s special version of Where’s Waldo, and try to find Daniel McGarical!
Childhood games may be a thing of the past for some, but not for USF St. Petersburg student Daniel McGarigal—he wants to make them larger-than-life.
Even though McGarigal never finished his first “Where’s Waldo” book, the junior environmental science and policy major wants to turn the book into a real life game.
His idea stemmed from the Facebook group he is a member of: “Osama is dead, now we have to find Waldo.” McGarigal wondered why Waldo was not a game yet.
“I think on a campus this size, it’s a great place to start [the game,]” he said.
The 24-hour game begins on Mon., Oct. 31 at 4 a.m. and ends on Tues., Nov. 1 at 4 a.m.
Six Waldos will have individual shifts, and registered teams or players will try to snap photos of Waldo dodging around campus. The five best photos from one group or individual win a cash prize. Photo submissions can be either hardcopy or digital.
As with any game, there are rules. Each team pays a $5 entry fee, $3 of which will go toward the prize money. Supplies for the game—Waldo costumes, posters, and patch materials—will be purchased with the remaining funds.
Players are not allowed to take photos in classrooms, including the Davis and STG buildings.
“I just don’t want someone taking pictures of a classmate who’s Waldo,” McGarigal said. “The objective is to find him and get a clear picture of him running around.”
McGarigal said he wants the Waldos to act sneaky, move fast and avoid staying in the same location for too long during their shifts.
McGarigal wanted to bring the childhood favorite to the college level because “college kids are always looking for some kind of crazy game,” he said.
If the game is a success, McGarigal hopes the next Waldo Hunt could encompass Downtown St. Petersburg.
“I’m not sure how the city would feel about that,” he said.
Despite potential setbacks, McGarigal would like to see the game grow to other universities. He has a lot of contacts at the University of Central Florida, Florida State University and the University of Florida, he said.
“Those are huge campuses, and we’re just this little school,” McGarigal said. He believes the opportunity to catch Waldo at smaller school, such as USFSP, has an advantage but a bigger school would be ideal.
Registration will take place on Oct. 29 and 30 in the grassy area behind the Davis building.
Students interested in participating in the Waldo Hunt can email McGarigal at dmcgarigal@mail.usf.edu.
Photo illustration by Daniel Mutter and Ren LaForme
