Programming for Men
A Guide to effectively developing a community on a male floor
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There are a limitless number of programs that can be offered to men, and receive positive reactions, but in general, the most popular programs come from one of a limited number of categories. Sports have always been the backbone of men’s programming, and it will continue to be the best possibility for success in the future. There are two types of sporting style programming, active and passive, with the difference being whether or not the residents have to actually move around or not. Another traditional area for men’s programming is to offer social events where they can mingle with their floor mates, or interact with another floor. Two less used, but highly successful several programming areas are Life Skills, and large games. These may not seem like large crowd pleasers, but if done right, with the right amount of enthusiasm on your part, they can be huge successes.
Five
Types of Programming that work well with Men
Ideas that have worked well
Five programs, ready to go, all you have to do is copy it over to a programming form!
Name of Program: Battle of the Sexes
Objective of Program: The objective of the program is to create an atmosphere where the men and women of this building feel comfortable enough to have an open and honest discussion about sex, gender issues, and any topic that they wish to bring up.
Steps Taken: We will split the group into female and male. One RA will take the males into one room and the other will keep the girls in the lounge. We will then discuss some questions made up previously. The questions were made up on what girls want to know about guys and vice versa. The two groups will go through the questions. After about twenty minutes, we will get back together in one room and discuss how each group answers the questions. We hope that there will be some heated conversations, but a good time will be had by all.
Publicity Used: Lots of eye-catching signs, and invitations to the residents of our two floors.
Name of Program: Fishing Trip
Objective of Program: The objective of the program is to create an atmosphere where the men of this building feel comfortable enough to bond, and become a stronger floor, and to catch some serious fish.
Steps Taken: The first portion of the program is to advertise and have a sign up sheet for all those interested. Then we will make sure that those who are going have a fishing license, and that there was a van available to drive us out to the fishing stream. Then on the appointed day, we are off fishing! We will be leaving early on Saturday morning, and we will return sometime around lunch.
Publicity Used: Lots of really cool signs, and a sign up sheet on my door.
Name of Program: Unreal Tournament 2004
Objective of Program: The objective of the program is to allow the residents to showcase their computer skills, to teach others some LAN network gaming basics, and to beat the heck out of each other.
Steps Taken: The first portion of the program is to advertise and have a sign up sheet for all those interested. Then we will make sure that those who are interested have a copy of the game, and have access to the network. On the day and time of the event we will make up a bracket of all those playing, and meet in the game setup room, on the Internet. Once we set up who fights whom, it is a winner takes all battle. The ultimate winner will win our praise, and a gift certificate to Electronic Boutique in the Lycoming Mall.
Publicity Used: Lots of really cool signs, and a sign up sheet on my door.
Name of Program: Conquer the Campus
Objective of Program: The objective of the program is to bring a little bit of MTV to our campus, to have fun, and to bring the floor closer together.
Steps Taken: The first portion of the program is to advertise and have a sign up sheet for all those interested. Then we will make sure that we have enough video cameras are available for all the teams. The cameras were borrowed from the Learning Resource Center. Then on the appointed day, we will distribute the challenges to the teams and they are off! This has an MTV road rules theme to it. Each one of the teams has a different adventure containing eight items. They must videotape all eight scenes. Adventures range from going to the Library and asking the library hours, going to the Academic Assistance office and finding out the different services available for them, to interviewing a frequent guest and finding out just why they come around so often. Afterwards, we have a party and watch all the videos, and a team of judges will decide upon the winning team, and a prize will be rewarded.
Publicity Used: Lots of really cool signs, and a sign up sheet on my door.
Name of Program: Ring Shopping
Objective of Program: The objective of the program is to bring a little class to the floor, and to teach the guys how to shop for an engagement ring, when it is finally that time in their lives.
Steps Taken: The first portion of the program is to contact the jewelry store in town and see if one of their representatives was available. Then we will advertise and have a sign up sheet for all those interested. On the appointed day, we will meet in the lounge, eat some food, and learn about how to buy a diamond ring.
Publicity Used: Lots of really cool signs, and a sign up sheet on my door.
Level Three: Trust me…. Just Trust Me.
Purpose: To get participants to see that they can work together to solve a problem.
Materials needed: None
Description: Stand in a circle. Cross hands (across the circle) and grab one hand of two different people. (Everyone should have two different hands, but not the person on either side of them.) Instruct them to, without releasing hands, get the group to form a circle or figure eight.
Purpose: Fun way to get people to take a chance. Be assertive, look out for yourself.
Materials needed: Balloons, string, and scissors.
Description: Each person takes two balloons and ties them to their ankles. At a signal, each person tries to pop other people’s balloons without letting their own get popped. Last person standing with balloons inflated wins.
Purpose: To build community inclusions and to have a hilarious time.
Materials needed: Slips of paper and a pen
Description: In order to divide people into tribe groups, prepare small slips of paper for each person. Depending on the number of groups that people will divide into, choose the names of that many animals. Examples: horse, cow, chicken, pig, sheep, donkey. Write the names of the animals on the slips so that the number of people you want in the “horse” tribe all have a slip labeled “horse” and so on. If you are designating specific people for membership in each tribe, write their names on the outside of their respective slips. Before distributing the slips, tell everyone that they are not to tell anyone else what their slip says. When all are ready, have the community circulate around with eyes closed, making the noise of their animal until they find all the other same animals. After all, have found their groups, have them sit together and discuss the experience.
Suggested Processing Questions: How did you feel wandering around seeking your animal friends? What was it like finding the first one? How did your group stay together? Look at each other now, How do you feel?
Purpose: To get the participants to see that they all can do something cooperatively.
Materials needed: None.
Description: Get in a circle shoulder-to-shoulder. Instruct group to turn to the right and then move one or two steps toward the inside of the circle. Then on the count of three you will sit on the person’s knees behind you. (Entire circle should be supporting each other on their laps.)
Purpose: To get a group working together.
Materials needed: Beach Balls
Description: Have some of the group sit inside another group who are standing. Start at least two balls in the air. Instruct them that they must keep the balls in the air, and that seated people must stay seated. See how long the group can keep the balls in the air.
Purpose: To get a group working together.
Materials needed: A plastic Bucket
Description: Sit in a circle. Start bucket on one person’s foot. It must be passed around the circle by using only your feet. If it is dropped then you start all over again.
Purpose: To help personal relations through a struggle.
Materials needed: None
Description: Split group into pairs. Have the pairs sit on the ground, back to back, with your knees bent and elbows linked. Now stand up together with out unlinking your elbows.
Purpose: To interact with a partner to work out a problem. This is a very good exercise to do with roommates.
Materials needed: None
Description: Two people sit face to face. First, grab each other’s hands across the opening in between the tow of you. Next, still with grasped hands, you want to sit on your partner’s feet, and they want to sit on yours. The object is to try to get from one end of the room to another without letting go of the hands or without removing the feet. (Hint: It is a lot easier if you and your partner rock back and forth)
Purpose: To get a group working together.
Materials needed: A few oranges
Description: Everyone in the group forms a circle. The starting person holds the orange with his or her chin and neck. He or she then passes the orange neck to neck until it goes all the way around the circle. The goal is to not allow the orange to fail.
Purpose: To establish trust within a group.
Materials needed: Enough blindfolds for half of the group
Description: Have everyone find a partner and give one person a blindfold. The other person not wearing the blindfold will direct the “blinded” person around verbally. You are not allowed to touch the person with the blindfold. Remind the person directing to be kind, because in the end, partners switch places.
Purpose: To get a group to have fun, and challenge their listening skills.
Materials needed: None
Description: A classic stand by when you cannot think of anything else. One person is Simon and the group must do what he or she says if Simon says “Simon Says” before the command. If a command is just issued with out saying “Simon Says” and someone in the group dies it then that person is out. The remaining person can become Simon.
Purpose: To test group members dexterity, and patience.
Materials needed: None
Description: The group kneels in a circle on their hands and knees with each person’s hand crossing over the hand of the person next to them. One person thumps his or her hand on the ground. The person with their hand to the left of the hand initially thumped, must thump their hand. Then the next person, and the next, and so on. If someone thumps his or her hand twice, the direction of the thump is reversed. If someone messes up, his or her hand is removed from the game.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group.
Materials needed: None
Description: Have everyone remove his or her shoes. The object is, while staying on your knees, de-sock everyone else before they de-sock you. Play on a nice surface that will not ruin anyone’s knees.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: Blindfolds for everyone
Description: Blindfold everyone, and have them take off their shoes. Place the shoes in a pile and let the participants find their shoes. This could be done as two sets of teams trying to get all of their shoes on first.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: Several Blindfolds
Description: Use a group of people to be obstacles with their bodies for another group to traverse.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: None
Description: Pair up. The leader calls out commands such as Head to Head, Elbow to Knee, etc. The partners must then perform the commands until the leader says, “people to people”, and then everyone must find a new partner.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: None
Description: The leader will call out something like, “Touch someone on the forehead that is wearing an ear ring”. Everyone must follow the command. Now while holding this position, the leader will call out something like, “touch the knee of someone wearing shorts”. You must continue following commands by touching that stated person with any part of your body. When you cannot complete a command, you are out.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: None
Description: Group forms a circle with partners. One person is chosen to be chased, while another is chosen to be the chaser. The chasee must run around the outside of the circle. If he or she hooks onto the arm of one of the pairs, then the person on the opposite side of that pair becomes the new chasee. If the chaser tags the chasee, they switch roles. No one who is liked to another can be tagged, and only two people can be linked together.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: None
Description: Choose one person to be the murderer. Have the group mill around. The murderer then kills people by winking, trying not to be detected by the other people walking around.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: Blindfolds for half the group
Description: The “Jamma Quack” group starts inside the circle of another group. The outside circle holds hands but leaves one break in the circle. The Jamma Quack’s, while blindfolded, must hold their own ankles, and jump backwards trying to find the exit. Once one of the Jamma Quacks finds the exit, they give a predetermined mating call to help their fellow Jamma Quacks to exit as well.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and relax with the group
Materials needed: String, scissors, blindfolds for all.
Description: Blindfold everyone, and have them sit in a circle. Tie a loop of string that is big enough for everyone in the group to hold. Place the loop around the group and have them work together to form shapes. Start with a square, then a triangle, and then a star, and just keep them going.
Purpose: To get members to trust each other.
Materials needed: Blindfolds for half of the group
Description: It is recommended that only an experienced person lead this activity. Make sure group is in a serious mood. Have one person stand on a table or equivalent small ledge. This person has their back faced towards the group, and their arms crossed. The rest of the group must have two rows lined up directly behind the person. These two rows link arms. When ready, the person falling will give a signal, and fall backwards, staying as stiff as possible. Make sure you catch them.
Purpose: To get members to trust the group
Materials needed: Blindfolds for everyone
Description: Blindfold everyone, and have them line up. Have them place their hands on the person in front of them, forming a train. Leader leads them over desired course. (Leader should not be blindfolded). There are many variations, such as pairing them up and have one person lead another.
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and to trust the group
Materials needed: None
Description: The group is told of how they are escaping a sinking ship, and how they all must fit on a single lifeboat. Rescue should arrive in five minutes, but during that time, no body parts are allowed to touch the shark-infested waters. The whole group must balance on the “lifeboat” (a couch, chair, or small log can all be used, depending on the size of the group).
Purpose: To get members to just have fun and to trust the group
Materials needed: Rope / String
Description: Tell the group of how they are a team of Army Rangers, trapped in a prisoner of war camp, and that the only way they can escape is to cross this electric fence. They must get everyone over the fence without touching it. Use a rope about four feet high. Be careful. For a twist, make all experienced members blind, or unable to speak.
Purpose: To build trust within the group
Materials needed: None
Description: A simple trust exercise with the potential of being a powerful experience. Eight to ten people get into a circle facing inward with one person inside the circle. The people on the perimeter should stand as close together as possible. The person in the center stands right in the middle of the circle and is told to make his or her body stiff, and to lean backwards. This person will be caught by the person in whose direction the fall is directed, and in turn will be gently pushed towards another person, perhaps across the circle. The key is gentleness and quiet. Pass the person around the circle and across it. Alter the speed and the depths to which you allow the person to fall before catching them.
