On Dec. 6, WEGO’s AV Club held its annual scavenger hunt in downtown Naperville. Members completed a series of riddles to figure out which artifact to capture during the event.

Most clubs do games and fun activities, but AV Club, which meets just once a month, focuses on capturing – with a camera – countless smiles.

The fun does not start without a bit of stumbling blocks, and the club’s minibus, helmed by adviser Dave Jennings, stumbled upon four curbs before getting to the location. Even though students got pulled back by a hitch, only a series of laughter could be heard.

Before the actual scavenger hunt began, Jennings shared pieces of information and clues, and members who were on the bus took notes of each. He also provided his group with a little secret that members in a separate car were unaware of.

As soon as all the members arrived in front of Starbucks, Jennings handed out the papers with the set of riddles and a map that outlined the boundaries. All members were allowed to group themselves as desired.

The first group who finished by taking all the required photographs had to look for a certain man in Starbucks. Once approached, the man would treat the group to a thirst quencher.

“Well, I thought it was super fun going around downtown Naperville and doing the scavenger hunts, also the riddles were super fun,” Licxy Barrera (‘24) said.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Photo by Jayem Nato

Teams were provided with a map that read, "Everything should be within the boundaries of my, but not at all in order! Make a plan!"

Six groups went their separate ways to find the logical items – even the cold winter wind could not cease the determination each group had. Not even an hour later, a group of boys, Holden Kaiser (‘25), Eli Sampson (‘25), Micah Weber (‘24), Gilan Hosticka (‘25), and Peter O’Brien (‘25) made their way to Starbucks and were the first one to get all ten photographs.

The scavenger hunt is an annual tradition, dating back to when the club was called “Photography Club”.

“We did our first photo hunt in 2015. COVID prevented us from doing it for a year or two, but it’s wild to me that this is a tradition coming up on ten years. I think the reason behind it was just to try and do something fun and out of the ordinary. Most people in AV Club take photos as a form of relaxation or a hobby, so adding a competitive timed element and the real reward of free holiday drinks for the winners seemed like a fun way to shake things up every December,” Jennings said.

With that, the tradition must be carried on by the next generations of talented photographers.

“I think the scavenger was really great this year. It felt a lot colder than last year’s scavenger hunt, but it was just as fun since a lot more people were with us! Honestly what I would want to change next year about this scavenger hunt is getting a bigger bus so everyone can come with us,” Guadalupe Perez (‘27) said.

Being inclusive, and providing opportunities for members to bond, is important for the organization.

“I like that AV Club is a place that creates space for all kinds of students from all backgrounds and across all four grades. And it’s for everyone regardless of your skill or experience as a photographer, too. I like how our little community creates a space of zen and connection and relaxation for students by getting us out and about and slowing us down long enough to try and be intentional about how we capture our experiences on film,” Jennings said.