Macao Running Man
To promote the overall development of students, strengthen students’ communication skills and enhance their team spirit, train them to be brave to bear challenges and learn to appreciate themselves, on 26th October 2019 Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) organised an interesting and challenging outdoor event – “Macao Running Man”.
Led by the Running Man tutor, MPI students in various groups competed in the city centre of Macao and finished the multiple missions that they were given. After the event, the tutor reflected and discussed the results of the event with the students and they stated that they had learned a lot.
Through the combination of city tracking and mission, the Macao Running Man allowed students to travel through the historic Macao city. With the theme of Chinese temples and Western churches, it highlighted the characteristics of the fusion of Chinese and Western culture in Macao, strengthened students’ communication skills and team spirit, created a common experience of living in Macao, and let them become a support group for each other. The activity let students experience the “addictive” alternative learning outside of the classroom, and encouraged students to strengthen themselves and improve their weaknesses.
To encourage students from different majors, cultures and backgrounds to participate and get to know each other, Macao Running Man was conducted in Chinese, Portuguese and English. Students of different nationalities were divided into groups of four or five. Each group had to go to designated locations in the Central District of Macao to perform tasks, including being a salesperson, singing publicly, playing sports with strangers, taking photos, hugging, proposing marriages and dancing. Successfully completing the activity task not only challenged the students’ physical fitness, but they also had to overcome the psychological obstacles of facing strangers, break their inherent thinking framework, and rediscover themselves outside of their comfort zone.
Vanessa Mendes, a third-year student from Cape Verde majoring in Public Administration, shared that she has an introverted personality and does not understand Cantonese and English. She finally found the courage to participate in this year’s event. When the activity started, she felt embarrassed and worried how to communicate with other classmates, but with the support and encouragement of her team members, she gradually adapted to the environment, dropped the yoke of ideology, successfully completed the task, and deepened her knowledge of Macao. Liu Yuchen, a first-year student majoring in Medical Laboratory Technology, said his team was formed with international students from Brazil and Portugal. The event let him know some new landmarks in Macao. The two team members played their unique enthusiasm and melted the indifference of passers-by. By working together to complete the tasks, they broke the language barrier, gained sincere friendship, and deeply felt the power of unity.
The organiser of the event, the Student Affairs Office, stated that MPI continues to develop “holistic education”, providing various student activities, cultivating students to realise their potential, establishing a correct outlook on life and values, encouraging hard work, promoting a practical and progressive outlook, and hoping that students will join the Macao society in the future. This spirit contributes to the overall development and progress of Macao’s society.
Group photo
Students drawing to form each team
Students buying products at the traditional market
Students complete activity tasks
Students carefully study the activity task instructions
Students perform tasks at designated locations