Activities

Activities are held at all sites. They are structured, non-class events that students can sign up for. Although some activities occur at nearly every site, every site has their own traditional activities too.

What, When, Where

Activities are held in the afternoon, between the after-lunch class session and dinner. There are two per weekday, one right after the other. At most sites, one is a weekly activity, whereas the other is a daily. Some also call the first activity the "A.M." activity; the second, logically, is known as the "P.M." activity, although this is rare, seeing as both occur in the afternoon.

Activities last either 45 minutes or an entire hour, depending on the site. There are usually many choices for activities, and for the most part, you sign up during hall meeting on the day before. The activities are led by one or two RAs or other staff members, and can range from doing absolutely nothing, to traditional games like Silent Football and Mafia, and even to extremely active, physical sports on the campus's sports fields.

Other non-Activity activities include Mandatory Fun and Quad Time, which is known at some sites as Meet Market.

Standard Activities

These are standards at most sites, and occur fairly commonly.

• Music Practice - Students go with an RA to a free building on campus to practice assorted musical instruments. It is usually cramped, noisy, and/or un-airconditioned, and there are only ever a few pianos, if any. It's probably better to just practice in your own room Sunday morning. This is a morning activity in Saratoga (aka you wake up extra early in order to go practice your instrument)
• Book Discussion - VERY common when a new Harry Potter book has come out.
• Movie Watching - Harry Potter movies, Musicals, Monty Python...basically anything rated PG-13 or lower. LAN has none of these.
• Quiet Reading / Generic Free Time - These activities usually go by different names, and can occur indoors or outdoors, depending on site. Basically, you can do anything.
• Dinner Alternatives - Usually in the Activity period just before dinner, this activity can range from anything from a BBQ to a vegan party to Jewish Cooking (Carlisle). Limited sign-ups, and happen very rarely (2-3 times a session). This is also not found at LAN, or in Los Angeles, or in Saratoga.
• Mafia - The classic game.
• Sports - Assorted organized sports on campus.
• Swimming / Tennis - Only if the campus has facilities.
• Pilates or Yoga - not offered at Saratoga. Meditations is, though.

Traditions

Each site has there own traditional activities. Feel free to add yours onto the lists.

Lancaster

• Acting Improv (AI) - Funniest. Activity. Ever. You can participate or just watch the madness.
• "Chillaxin'," "Reading Under the Trees," "Cloudwatching," "Naptime," "Invisible Fireworks," "Daytime Stargazing" (new in 2006) - Assorted names for free time; usually held outside on the Quad.
• Assorted Tournaments (Quiz Bowl, Ultimate Frisbee, Agreedball, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, etc.; Poker Tournament is always held on a weekend.)
• Talent Show Practice
• Sports on Hartman Green - Less competitive
• Sports in Mayser Gym - More competitive
• Card Games
• Board Games, which offered some games, but many students preferred to bring thier own due to the inevitable shortages.
• Discussion Group (DG) - CTY Traditions, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Harry Potter, World Domination, etc. No other book discussion groups.
• Silent Football
• Fun With Duct Tape - It's DUCT TAPE! Of course there's an activity for it!
• Music Sing-Alongs - Disney, Wicked, Rent, Canon, etc.
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Non-Ultimate Frisbee
• Sudoku
• Extemporaneous Debate
• Competitive Number Counting
• Courting and Wooing- RAs take it very seriously; handouts sometimes included. Can be absolutely hilarious.
• Follow the Hager- Follow RA Brain Hager around for an hour, chanting his name. Helps some sqirrles get to learn the layout of the campus (on the last day of activities). Some just think it's fun. (There was also a variation of "Follow the Wang/Frank")
• Agreedball
• Movie Trailers - but no movies.
• The Couch Game
• CTY Jeopardy
• Mural Painting- on South Ben to 'give back to F&M College', or some such. It looks nice.
• LARTH (Languages of Antiquity Research for Thrill and Honor)- these consist of one-hour introductions to some obscure language. In LAN 06.1, Etruscan and Cuneiform (mostly of the Sumerian variety) were offered.
• World Cup Soccer- The World Cup took place during LAN 06.1, and so one or two people from each hall were allowed to attend. This necessarily took up multiple days worth of activities slots.

Carlisle

• Kline- Activity #1 for every activity period. (Double-Kline: to do Kline both activity periods)
• Musical Theatre Sing-alongs - Out of tune pianos (with pieces falling off) Oberlin RAs, and piles of sheet music.
• Ballet 101 - To get in touch with your inner Rina.
• Swing Dancing - Usually run by Chris White. The main goal of swing dancing is to, "Look cool."
• 80's Dance Party/Sing-along
• Meditation
• Bizarro CTY
• How to survive a Zombie Attack - Run by RA Drew. Learn handy phrases and ways to survive Zombie atacks. Such as how to say "Are you being eaten by a Zombie?" in sign language.
• Kill Murray/Save Murray
• Sock Puppet Super Fun Time
• Chalk Graffitti in the Super Quad Arch
• Craps in the Super Quad Arch
• Colonization - Because Rich is british and Chris is insane (and likes to wear capes). BURN THE PAGENS!!!!!!!!
• Fun With Duct Tape
• Pirates vs. Ninjas
• Poetry Circles
• Places You Can't Go
• Discussion Group: East Coast vs. West Coast Rap
• Slackjaw
• Fun With Fluff That Marshmallow Stuff
• Feet Painting
• Guitar Circles
• Silent Football
• "Chillaxin'," "Cloudwatching," "Naptime," "Staring blankly at the ceiling with your mouth hanging open" (new in 2006) - Assorted names for free time.
• Music Appreciation - diffrent Eras, Groups, and Genres.
• And most importantly...Starcrash
• The Game

Los Angeles

• Disney Movie Appreciation
• Backstreet Boys Appreciation
• Yearbook
• Kemps
• Wah!
• More Active Than Sleep (But You Won't Break a Sweat)
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Protest (Down With the Man)
• Robot Wars
• Duct Tape Jason and Brian to a Tree
• Color Book Brian
• Talent Show
• The Worst Activity Ever (seriously) (actually also a Mt. Holyoke College baby-CTY tradition)
• Cavemen
• Make Bil' a merman
• Sudoku
• How to be a Central American Dictator
• Trench
• The Worst Movies Ever (over 100 kids signed up for this weekly)
• Braveheart
• Swing Dance

Easton

Many of these did not occur in 2006.

• SNAKES!!!
• FLAAR- a card game developed by the RAs
• Easton Science Theater 300(0) - based off the show Mystery Science Theater 3000 often times showed the Rambo animated series episode "Battlefield Bronx"
• Star Wars Galatic Senate - sit and talk about Star Wars

Saratoga Springs

• R.A.S.K. (random acts of senseless kindness)
• Chillaxin'
• Cloud Watching
• Ninjas vs. Pirates vs. Cavemen
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Fun with Duct Tape
• Got Game? - learn how to pimp out the ladies (and gents)
• DOOM
• Do Not Sign Up For This Activity!
• Pet Rocks
• Noodle Bashing!

JHU

• Acting Improv (of course)
• Silent Reading
• Talent Show Rehearsal
• Do You Want TO Buy A Duck?...with waterguns and RAs holding you hostage
• The Worst Activity EVER
• Friends Watching
• Friends Trivia
• Real Men Wear Pink...inspired by the RA Ben walking around in very, very, very pink shorts
• Downhill Rolling
• Cloud Watching
• Music Practice
• Kindergarten Games...which, incidentally, was the "most wrong" activity of JHU 06.1 (Involved inappropriate phrases during Whisper Down the Lane)
• Starburst Flowers (They were yummy)
• Ridiculous Dancing
• Spelling Bee...in which not one person spelled a word correctly in the first round
• Sports: Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, etc.
• Swimming
• Hula Hoop Contest
• World Cup Watching (06.1)
• Manga Appreciation
• Some activity which led to "Dinosaur Noises" with RA Brian in 06.1