Preparation:
1. Buy a number of cool prizes that you think your residents would like. Select prizes around the season. For example:
◦ For Back to School buy school and dorm room supplies so they can decorate
◦ For End of The Year buy cleaning supplies so they can clean up
◦ Or buy general things like CD’s, DVD’s, posters, etc.
2. Come up with a number of questions for your residents (base amount of questions on the number of prizes that you have). I used 25 questions. Questions could be about university facts to see if they were paying attention during orientation, the student handbook, first floor meeting discussions, etc.
3. Fold multicolored construction paper in 4 then cut along lines. There should be 4 squares
4. Glue or tape shapes onto Popsicle sticks (the end product will be used by residents as a bidding marker)
5. Number each marker
You can skip the Bidding Marker process all together and have them use their hands, but it might be harder to see who raised their hand first, especially if you haven’t memorized their names yet.
To Play
1.Show the prize to be auctioned
2. Ask the question (start out with easy questions and match them with less valuable prizes)
3. Bidders will raise their markers
4. First hand up gets to answer question (they are allowed 2 tries)
5. Second hand up tries his luck…the process continues
6. Person who answers correctly wins the prize
7. Move on to next prize/question…repeat until all prizes are gone. Everyone should walk out with something
Target
I think this program will work great with freshmen.
Submitted by Shamair Todman, University of New Haven