Although only around 20 or 30 male students attend the biweekly reunion of Boys to Men circle, long time coordinator of the all-male group, Oscar Reed, said the small numbers have created more opportunities for more personal and heartfelt group conversations.

“I have really like seeing the guys develop relationships as they engage more into real conversations about their life, rather than just talk about superficial things that boys their age talk about,” Reed said.

As a former professional football player of the Vikings, Reed said he knows well about the benefits of teamwork and close connections.

“When you are on a team, it is much easier to do your best when you have a close connection with the guy you are playing next to,” Reed said. “I am hoping that from the connections these guys make here, they can do something similar.”

Sophomore member of the group Ja’mine Smith, said although the group does not meet that regularly, he does sense that because of the connections outside of the circle the boys are able to talk about more serious topics inside the group.

“Because a lot of (the members) have started to talk and hangout outside of the circle, it is easier to come back and actually trust them to listen to stuff that is more personal about life,” he said.

Because the majority of the group is underclassmen, Reed said they will still continue to work on skills and group activities to encourage underclassmen participation and upperclassmen leadership.

“I still think that we have a long way to go in terms of everyone being a part of the conversation, and that’s why we will still do our normal activities we normally do, but I am hoping that at some point the group can take control of the conversation rather than me and Chris Weaver running it,” Reed said.