The Mole: Michigan 2010 is now accepting applications from college-age and older family members. Comment on this post, leave your email, or email Joe White (tallboyballer@yahoo.com) to enter your name for consideration. There might not be enough people who want to play, or there might be enough room for everyone who wants to play, but then again, there might not, so the sooner the quicker.
Forward this information to whoever might want it, and send any questions you might have to Joe.
The game is called “The Mole: Michigan,” and is similar to the Mole T.V. show I’m sure some of you have seen.
The basic idea is simple: a team of multiple players works together through various activities and competitions, usually racing against the clock. These competitions may range from treasure hunts to trivia contests to running through Michago in your underwear (you are allowed to decline, but it always raises suspicion). Each game has a specified monetary value, and if the game is completed successfully, that money is added to ‘the pot’. This money will eventually become the winner’s prize.
One of the team members, however, is working against the rest of the team, attempting to sabotage the games and prevent as much money as possible from being added to the pot. This person is the Mole. His identity is known only to a few of The Mole: Michigan’s overseers, who will also remain anonymous to ensure the secret’s safety.
At regular intervals, quizzes are administered to all the contestants. The questions on the quizzes deal in one way or another with the identity of the Mole. The person with the worst score on a quiz is eliminated from the game. (If two or more players are tied with the lowest score, the contestant who took the longest amount of time to complete his quiz is eliminated.) Neither the answers to the quiz questions nor any numerical results will be divulged to the contestants; they will simply be notified of who has been eliminated.
Competing contestants must do their best to add money to the pot, while simultaneously working to discover the Mole, in order to do well on the quizzes and remain in the game. The last quiz will be given to three players, one of whom, of course, is the Mole. The winner, who is the player last left standing with the Mole, receives all the money that has been stored in the pot through all the rounds.
The setup of The Mole creates a fascinating dynamic, always seeming to present some new truth. Let me give an example: since all eliminations are comparative, it is to every player’s advantage to mislead teammates whenever possible regarding the identity of the Mole. This means, surprisingly, that to convince other players that you are the Mole (usually the easiest and most convincing way to deceive them) is helpful to you. Players must be sure, however, to maintain a proper balance between this strategy and the need to put money in the pot. In other words, if you have to sabotage every game in order to fool people completely, and win, you will have earned no money, and your efforts are hardly worthwhile.
Alliances are often beneficial (if you are sure they are genuine), and many players will rely on them in varying degrees of formality. Some may consider them illegal, unethical or unfair, like deliberate deception in itself, but the game builds on deception at a very basic level, and a player who is unwilling to deceive is at a distinct disadvantage. I hope no feelings are hurt; it’s all part of the game. I know that may sound like a rude rationalization most appropriate in the defense of mean-spirited players, but it really is a game. ‘Murder in the Dark,’ as you may know, is based on the same idea, that the best deceiver wins, and I’ve never heard ‘Murder in the Dark’ called a dishonest or nasty game. It is likely that someone will lie straight to your face, and if you plan to make it very far, you are likely to do the same to someone else. Please don’t resent this. Don’t get the idea, either, that this is all the game is about; in fact, it usually turns out to be only a small part of it. I’m only trying to preclude the complaints and bitterness that may result from the basic premise here.
There is another thing I must assure you not to worry about. We all realize that this game is by no means the most important event at the reunion: in fact, it’s not even close, so do not fear that you will be constantly called in or out for another competition or quiz. On the other hand, it is a complex game that requires a substantial amount of time. The games will always be limited to about an hour at most, and the quizzes are only ten minutes apiece. The more games there are, the more money can be added to the pot. (I would expect, therefore, that most people will want more games rather than less—to a limit, of course.) At this point, about one game per day is planned, at various times of day, ranging from 10:00am to 10:00pm. The number of eliminations will of course be the number of contestants minus two. If all the college-age-and-over family members (of my generation) play, we would have thirty-two people, but fourteen of these are married (I expect only a few married players, at best… I hope I can be proved wrong), and of the eighteen singles, I expect only ten or twelve (again I would be happy to be proved wrong) An average of two eliminations per quiz (the actual number decreasing throughout the week) would make just more than one quiz per day (Sunday through Friday). If there are any more than eight people, the first quiz or two (or more) will have multiple eliminations attached to it. The exact number of eliminations depends on the number of contestants, and so the sooner we can form a roster, the sooner we can have definite plans with definite times to work around.
All of the activities, and especially the quizzes, will be rearranged for the contestants’ convenience if possible. (If there is a party at Michago, a quiz that might have been planned for the Cottage will be moved there, or postponed until later.)
Due to the time involvement, it is strongly suggested that married contestants consult with their spouses before agreeing to compete. Single persons should also evaluate their time commitments carefully: if you miss so much as one quiz, you are eliminated (the games are more flexible). Besides, it would be a shame to throw a wrench in the works by dropping out ‘mid-Mole’.
I know it all sounds a little vague right now, but if I told you more, I’d have to kill you (many of the games, in fact, are based on surprise). Depending on how many games are completed, and assuming an average of between $5 and $10 per game, I estimate that the pot will be between $30 and $50.
I look forward to seeing you all in Michigan.
- Joe
