Although trick-or-treating is the most traditional form of celebrating Halloween, some students chose to exercise a different form of fun.
On Saturday, teams of students tacked physical challenges, snapped photos for points and ran great lengths as part of the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences “Witch Hunt.”
A team of SAR graduate students held the Hunt to promote physical therapy during Physical Therapy Awareness Month.
The two to three-person teams were given clue sheets and two hours to complete the timed scavenger hunt.
Once group members arrived at a station, a Witch Hunt team member educated the group about a health-related issue, such as the warning signs of a stroke or heart attack.
“The point of the project was to raise awareness of what physical therapy is, and [to increase] activity on campus,” said event organizer and DPT program member Jessica
Vernier.
At some locations, groups encountered physical challenges as well. These challenges included jump rope, pull-ups, crutch racing and a 100-meter sprint.
There was also a bonus photo challenge in which participants had to take pictures of a list of possible sightings, including bikers wearing helmets, people rollerblading and a Sargent Choice meal.
Ultimately, with a running time of 50 minutes, team Infinity Sprint Squad, which consisted of graduate student David Shi and Berklee College of Music alum Mark Flux, won.
The hunt was part of a Health Care Management class project for which students were split into four groups, each containing 13 to 14 students, and were assigned to organize an event to promote physical therapy awareness.
“People had fun and the tidbits of knowledge were well-presented and short enough to keep people’s attention,” said Meghan Tubridy, a third-year graduate student in SAR’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program.
Jolene Nelson, also a third-year graduate student in SAR’s DPT program, agreed that it’s “good to know risk factors” for such serious health problems.
Jon Rogers, another Witch Hunt organizer and third-year graduate student in SAR’s DPT program, said the hunt aimed to enlighten BU students about the role physical therapists play.
“A lot of people know that physical therapists work with people who had surgery for a torn ACL, or people with a spinal cord injury, but there are a lot of different rehabilitation roles that many people might not know about,” he said. “That’s why we tailored our scavenger hunt so that each station briefly described a different role of the physical therapist.”
“Physical therapists also promote general health and physical activity to help prevent injuries, surgeries or diseases in the first place, so that’s why we incorporated the physical aspects of the scavenger hunt,” Rogers added.
The Witch Hunt was the last of the four Health Care Management class projects.
Vernier said she was pleased with the hunt.
“I believe our witch hunt was definitely successful in fostering an enjoyment of exercise through the use of this scavenger hunt,” she said. “I believe we did a great job of encouraging physical activity, which is a huge part of the practice of physical therapy.”
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