Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_846" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Junior Luke Klefstad holds the medallion near where he found it outside Graff Main Hall early Friday. He and sophomore Carissa Krug worked together to decipher the clues. “I happened to be the one who saw it first,” says Klefstad."][/caption]

Medallion found early Friday morning

Luke Klefstad didn’t need the final clue in the Eagle Eye Medallion Hunt to find the elusive piece of metal. But the junior did need a flashlight. He found it at 1:50 a.m. Friday, the day the final clue was to be posted. “I did the River Watch patrol from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. then headed out for another look,” says Klefstad, a marketing major from Prairie Farm, Wis. He and his sleuthing partner, Carissa Krug, were more worried about being tracked down by campus police in the wee hours of the morning than getting sleep. But, their persistence paid off. Klefstad says he encouraged Krug, a sophomore political science major from Green Bay, to take part in the hunt because he knows she loves challenges. Deciphering the clues each day was challenging, but they cracked most of the clues by searching historical information online. They found the medallion under a bush in a planting area just west of Graff Main Hall. “I happened to be the one who saw it first,” says Klefstad. The first clue with the “’08” reference led them to Graff Main, built in 1908, as well as the stadium, which was built in 2008. The second clue that referred to “cheer” kept them there, but also took them to Wittich Hall. The third clue referring to Wing Technology Center brought them there. The fourth clue, which referred to Chancellor Kenneth Lindner, moved their search to Linder Forest. Because he found the medallion, Klefstad is now a lifetime member of the UW-L Alumni Association. He also received a $25 gift card provided by the University Bookstore.  University Communications sponsored the hunt.  

Here are all the clues:

Clue #5 – Friday, Oct. 19

An area where the band marched and played, Soon converted to a forest that provided shade; Outside the window of the campus’ top cheese, Look closely and you’ll find the treasure with ease.

Clue #4 – Thursday, Oct. 18

From a professor to a state system administrator, Came back to become the sixth president and first chancellor; Campus grew and the halls went co-ed, Then off to Madison he went to work for the governor dressed in red.

Clue #3 – Wednesday, Oct. 17

Books and more books were stacked from the floors, But a human link changed that taking them out the doors; In the 70s became home to the computer rage, Nearly three decades later lead more technology rampage.

Clue #2 – Tuesday, Oct. 16

A campus pioneer who helped people get in gear, Eventually, a building where people would come and cheer; A lasting tribute for those in the air and on the mat, A father who with the team would stand pat.

Clue #1 - Monday, Oct. 15

The Eagle Eye Medallion Hunt is back after a four-year hiatus, Read the clues carefully before you scour the campus; The construction on the sandy tract of land began in the spring of ’08, These early buildings made the campus look great.  

The 2012 Eagle Eye Medallion Hunt Key

Clue #1- The search is underway; the land originally purchased for the Normal School where construction began in 1908 plays a major part in the location. Clue #2- The campus pioneer referred to is Walter Wittich, one of the originators of the physical education program. A lasting tribute from a father of a gymnast is on the southwest corner of the building, which directs seekers to the hiding spot.  Clue #3- Wing Technology Center was built as the main library on campus. After Murphy Library opened in 1969, the building housed communications – and the campus’ first mainframe computer. In 2000, the building became the campus’ computer hub. Clue #4-Chancellor Kenneth Lindner’s career is referred to in the clue. Clue #5- Lindner Forest was named in Chancellor Kenneth Lindner’s honor. You’ll find the medallion on the plantings area outside the current chancellor’s office in Graff Main Hall.  

Eagle Eye Medallion Hunt begins Oct. 15.

After a four-year hiatus, the Eagle Eye Medallion Hunt is set to return on campus Monday, Oct. 15. There will be five clues given, one a day through Friday, to help seeker find the medallion. By 9 a.m. each day, a clue will be posted via the spotlight section of the homepage, www.uwlax.edu. A notification will also be posted via the homepage when the medallion is found. The search is open to staff, students and alumni.  General rules for the contest are as follows: The medallion ...

• is located within the boundaries of the university’s campus
• is never buried in the ground
• is never inside a building
• is accessible 24 hours a day
• fits in a person’s hand
• may be camouflaged.

The successful seeker must return it to University Communications, 115 Graff Main Hall, during regular business hours, 7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays. Instructions for the lucky finder will be on the medallion. Among the winnings is a $25 gift card to the UW-L bookstore and a lifetime membership to the UW-L Alumni Association — a $400 value! The contest is sponsored by the UW-L Communications Office.