Yesterday, I was on a game show. I had gone through several rounds of fierce challenges throughout the past week; all I had to do was spin the wheel. It was a 50/50 chance: Half the wheel had a golden $1 million, and on the other half, comically large and stamped in red ink, was the word “NOTHING.” I spun the wheel. The crowd cheered. The host in a gray suit screamed, “What’s it gonna be?” into the microphone as the wheel slowed to a stop. And then it landed on “NOTHING.” “Unlucky!” the host cried as the crowd groaned. That dream ruined my whole day. 

I woke up in disappointment and later fell back asleep, irritated. I’m generally a lucky person—I win raffles and guess the right number. Yet all that does is set my expectations too high and make my inevitable losses hit harder. As I struggle through another problem set, trying to calculate the probability of A and B or the chance of a computer program identifying the correct Dora the Explorer character from the shape of a shadow, I know it’s really just probability. But that doesn’t mean that luck isn’t real or that lucky symbols and signs don’t work. 

Maybe the real problem is that we’ve been calling the wrong objects lucky all along. So here are some objects that are “close enough.” I’m sure they’ll work just fine! See how many objects you can find in one hour!

ITEMS TO COLLECT!

Four-leaf clover → grass (+1)

Clovers aren’t even native to Rhode Island, so I’m not sure if they’d be lucky or a curse. Why not switch it up and wish on some grass? There’s so much of it all over the place, and for what reason? It hides bugs under a sea of green, and we cover the ground in picnic blankets anyway. 

→ Pick up a blade of grass! I’m sure you’ll find some somewhere.

Multiplayer: Longest piece of grass (+1 point).

Ladybug → raincoat (+1)

Ladybugs are red with polka dots. You know what else is red with polka dots? That’s right: classic, cute, little raincoats! No, the raincoat cannot be your own, and yes, it must be waterproof with a hood. Otherwise, it’s not fun and also not a raincoat.

→ Take a picture with someone on campus wearing a raincoat! 

Multiplayer: Red raincoat (+1 point).

Horseshoe → snow footprint (+1) or horse (+3 for a live one, +1 otherwise)

Horseshoe is a compound word, so this one has compound points! The snow might be a little melted, but I know there’s a patch somewhere just waiting to melt into ice and make me slip. You’ll find it! If you find a horse, you’ll be in the lead with those extra three points. 

→ Take a picture of a snow footprint or a horse! 

Multiplayer: Smallest snowprint (or biggest horse?). Put your own foot in the photo for comparison (+1 point).

Maneki Neko → high five (+2)

I used to greet this beckoning cat any time I saw it waving at me from a counter. Most people shake hands when they first meet someone, but I was eight and chased the satisfaction of the perfect high five. So go meet someone new and give them a high five!

→  Get a video of a high five and the person’s name! You must high-five someone you’ve never met before. 

Multiplayer: You cannot high-five someone who has already been high-fived.

Penny → money (+2)

I know you spend too much time on your phone anyway, so put away the Venmo and Apple Pay and grab a stack of cash! Maybe you’ll find some under a couch cushion; maybe your grandma gave you some in an envelope. You’ll find it. And then, find a store that will still take it.

→ Buy something with physical money (paper bills or coins). You must keep this on you until the end of the hour to win points. 

Multiplayer: Least amount of change (+2 points).

Tortoiseshell cat → squirrel (+1) or cat/tortoise/turtle (+3)

Black cats may be unlucky, but you can counteract their effect with a tortoiseshell cat. I haven’t seen one recently at Brown, so make like a dog and chase down a squirrel! As the snow melts, more will peek out of the trees. And if you’re lucky enough to see someone’s inside pet out on a walk, ask the owner for some pets and snap a photo!

→ Take a picture of a squirrel or a cat/tortoise/turtle. It doesn’t count if you have one as a pet.

Multiplayer: Dog in the picture (+2 points).

Seven → rainbow (+3)

Seven colors—the lucky and wonderful rainbow! There’s been rain; there’s been sun. But not both, so take it back to kindergarten and DIY your own.  Follow the rainbow to the end, and you just might find a pot of gold (or, at the very least, win)!  

→ Find seven objects in the colors of the rainbow. You must have them with you at the end of the game for points—no half-credit. Anything related to arts and crafts does not count (pens, paper, paint, prints, etc.)

Multiplayer: Weirdest item (+1).

BONUS → Lemon Pig (+5)

If you have completed every other challenge, you may take on the Lemon Pig. A fiercely American tradition, Lemon Pigs are traditionally made with four toothpicks, two cloves, a coin wrapped in foil, and, of course, a lemon. These beautiful creatures provide cleanliness to your home while ushering good fortune in with the New Year.

→ Craft your Lemon Pig with any materials you choose, but it must have the base of a lemon and must take the form of a pig. 

Multiplayer: Most beautiful pig (+1).

PRIZES!

• Single-player (1–9 points) or Multiplayer (1–12 points): A leprechaun who will make you a lifetime supply of shoes. Careful, though—he really only has experience making cursed dancing shoes, so your cowboy boots might dance you to the edge of the universe. 
• Single-player (10–15 points) or Multiplayer (13–22 points): A magic green potion. If you drink it, you’ll be able to make anything grow and fix climate change. Unfortunately, the side effect is that you’ll be permanently green, and every time you wear black, people will ask you if you’re dressed up as Elphaba in an alternate universe.
• Single-player (16–19 points) or Multiplayer (23–29 points): A rainbow GPS. Use it to find pots of gold anywhere in the world, but it only works when there’s a rainbow in the sky. Pirates wish they could be you.