As Homecoming week draws nearer and Ohio University prepares for the influx of alumni and families, the Alumni Association prepared for its first “Bobcat Quest” event, a campus-wide activity for visitors and students.
Bobcat Quest allows participants to visit both nostalgic and new campus and Court Street locations including Paw Print Park, Bobcat Benches and the Alumni Gateway, with the chance of winning a prize at the end.
The activity includes a checklist of campus and Athens spots, including Peden Stadium, Pawprint Park and Donkey Coffee, where participants can snap a picture of themselves enjoying the space. After taking five photos at five different highlighted locations, teams and individuals can enter to win an Ohio prize pack.
The Bobcat Quest offers another option, catered to show off Athens’ nightlife for those 21 and over, “Bobcat Quest: After Dark.” The evening option features popular local spots such as Sidebar, Jackie O’s, Tony’s Tavern and Casa Nueva.
Chloe Kantowicz, the alumni engagement coordinator for the Alumni Association, led the collaborations and partnerships with small businesses for the event. The chosen check-in spots for the quest are all strategically chosen, according to Kantowicz.
“We wanted to include mostly iconic Athens businesses and spots on campus that either old alumni are going to show their family or new alumni can explore,” she said.
According to Kantowicz, around 50 people registered for the event so far, with the link still being open.
The association’s goal is to be exciting for everyone, regardless of age or relation to the university.
“Bobcat Quest (is) a way to get current students involved, alumni from all ages as well as community members,” Hannah Protsik, the assistant director of student alumni engagement and philanthropy education for the Alumni Association, said.
In partnership with the Alumni Association, Tony’s is bringing back the signature mint chocolate chip-flavored, “Forever Bobcat” shot.
Along with the highlighted shot, Chandra LaPorte, the manager of Tony’s, is also getting ready for the influx of customers on Homecoming Weekend.
“(We are) stocking up on everything, and I have a lot of staff scheduled so that we can be prepared for everyone,” LaPorte said.
Konneker Alumni Center, another check-in spot on the adventure, will have free swag for participants including stickers and buttons.
Bobcat Quest is a self-paced activity meant to fill in downtime between other Homecoming activities, according to Protsik. Participants can visit their stops anytime throughout Homecoming week.
“I think (Bobcat Quest) is a really great add-on to what people are already doing,” Protsik said. “They could really make an afternoon of getting all of these quest stops. This is also something that could be easily integrated into their existing Homecoming plans.”
Participating in the activity is free, aside from purchasing from restaurants and establishments. Registration for the BobcatQuest is on the website, and participants can enter in teams of up to six.
Protsik is a fellow Ohio University alumna and holds insights on the purpose of the quest.
“As an alum, I always love coming back to campus, and I just love the area around it,” she said. “Whenever my friends and I are on campus, we love to go check out our old stomping grounds. I'm hoping that when alums are on their Bobcat quest, they're able to rediscover old places and find the new places on campus and just celebrate all the memories that are on the Athens bricks.”
In the same vein of holding events for Bobcats of all ages, the Alumni Association is also organizing the Bobcat Family Tent, an all-inclusive and family-focused alternative to tailgating. The event will feature stilt walkers, face painters, caricatures and balloon artists, according to Kantowicz. The event is $15 for ages 10 and up and free for ages 9 and under.
“Homecoming is always a really fun and exciting weekend, but it can be really busy,” Protsik said. “We know that people love to walk around the campus and see what’s new, what’s changed. We really wanted to capture that element of Homecoming, people just walking around campus and exploring new and old places.”
