POTSDAM –Clarkson University has joined up as a site for a new mobile phone-operated game called SCVNGR, pronounced “scavenger.”

SCVNGR is a geo-location game that can be played using a smartphone or any mobile phone with text messaging capabilities.

The college is one of the first 400 higher education institutions nationwide to buy into the game.

Clarkson will be using SCVNGR to help introduce both the campus and the surrounding areas to both prospective and current students.

Users can participate in "treks" that send them to different places to "check in" or complete a challenge. Points are awarded for every location visited and every challenge completed.

Area businesses can become a location on SCVNGR and offer users incentives to return to their business often, such as discounts on items and services based on the number of times a user returns.

The first official "trek" created by Clarkson for students is Feb. 18 to 20. Top finishers will be awarded gift certificates and free coffee certificates will be given to the first 100 students to complete the trek.

For information on getting involved in SCVNGR, contact Jessica McPherson at 268-3873 or at jmcphers@clarkson.edu.