Courtesy of Jason Friend

The seniors in the city on September 25.

As one of the culminating activities , 45 Media Arts Program seniors made their way to San Francisco for an annual “Amazing Race”-inspired competition on Sept. 25, bonding with friends and returning with a better knowledge of the city. 

The game resembled a scavenger hunt, taking the seniors across the city to complete different tasks at iconic San Francisco landmarks — from Coit Tower to the Grace Cathedral. The race started on the bus, where students were split into nine groups to plan their routes across the city according to a list of locations they had to visit, in order to complete the tasks assigned in their scavenger hunt instructions. With a packed day, planning was of the utmost importance in ensuring efficient travel from location to location.

“Teams who go into the city with a solid plan tend to do a lot better,” English teacher Jason Friend said. “Also, when teams are flexible and communicate with each other well, that helps a lot — especially because you always have to make adjustments to your plan in real time.”

Once the seniors got to the city, they split into their groups with a staff chaperone. With groups formed, students were then free to complete their tasks, which included filming a video in front of the historic United Nations Forum or snapping photos in SF’s Chinatown. For each task completed, teams earned a certain number of points, and the group who gathered the most points won.

Ultimately, Group 7, with Thalea Charton, Orion Tamas King, Anjali Sahni and James Gavin, gained the most points and earned an A on the assignment.

“We planned out our route early on so we were able to do the tasks in a smaller area,” Charton said. “We were also just a motivated group, so that brought us a lot of points.”

While some groups planned carefully, others didn’t, forcing them to take more circuitous routes through the city. English teacher Erick Rector, who served as a chaperone for the trip, said that his group went to the same areas more than three times due to a lack of communication and planning.

Aside from building communication and teamwork skills, their trek through the city helped students make connections to the history, literature and art the famed city has to offer. 

“Since the trip is done as a scavenger hunt, students really have to get out of their comfort zones and do all sorts of tasks around the city,” Friend said. “They have to learn to talk with strangers and strategize in order to work together.”

The race has its roots in an event organized by former history teacher Mike Davey and former English teacher, vice principal and journalism advisor Kerry Mohnike for the American Studies program previously offered by the school. Though it has been many years since the tradition started, the core principles remain the same — offering students a unique opportunity to discover the historic significance of a city so close to home.

“It’s amazing how much there is in that small of an area,” Friend said. “Getting to experience the city firsthand, through the lens of connecting it to history, literature and art, is really what we try to emphasize. And of course, the competitive aspect makes it a lot of fun.”