Eastern President David Glassman got a chance to loosen his tie and have fun with the student body at “Prowlin’ with the Prez” Thursday.

There was a group of tables with “Minute to Win It” and other simple games.

In one game, participants tried to stack pennies on their elbows. In another, contestants sucked on a straw and moved M&M’s onto a Prowlin’ with the Prez flyer. People attempted to knock cups over with a beanbag during a different game.

There was also a game of Bags set up and Spikeball, which involves a ball and a small trampoline. Players were set up into teams and hit the ball with their hands onto a trampoline with the goal of making other team miss the ball.

Contestants won tickets with every game they would play. At the end of the festivities, there was a raffle with prizes, such as a $20 gift card to the bookstore in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union, a tea maker and a Google Chromecast, which sends movies and music from the user’s phone onto a TV it is plugged into.

Prowlin’ with the Prez organizers encouraged passersby to compete against the president.

Glassman said it is important for students to interact with the president and each other in an informal and fun setting so they will not be afraid to ask him questions.

He said these events are all about friendliness and building a fun environment for everyone to come into.

Glassman said he had fun at the Prowlin’ event and enjoyed stacking pennies on his elbow, a game he won twice.

Jasmine Martinez, a sophomore psychology major, heard of Prowlin’ with the Prez through an executive board meeting of the Latin American Student Organization.

Martinez had her eye on the gift card to the Union Bookstore.

“I like some of the stuff that is there like the shirts,” Martinez said.

She said her favorite game was the one with the cups.

Claire Boarman, a student senator, said she liked the game where she blew M&M’s on to the flyer, as she went undefeated.

“I want to do the M&M game, but I want to do the cup game. The penny game is hard,” Boarman said.

She said she was just there to have fun, as members of the senate did not get to win the prizes.

In the end, the prizes were raffled away and the person with the most tickets received a medal from Glassman.

Luke Young, student vice president of academic affairs, said it took some effort to get this Prowlin’ event to come together.

Young said this is the first of three scheduled Prowlin’ with the Prez events.

The next one is called “Pumpkins with the Prez.” It will consist of hay bales and pumpkins, including another chance to compete with a possible jack-o’-lantern carving contest.

It will also include local vendors bringing food with them to show off what Charleston has to offer.

“It is going to be getting people ready for fall,” Young said.

Samuel Nusbaum can be reached at 581-2812 or at scnusbaum@eiu.edu.