Marist’s Student Programming Council Hosts Bingo to Foster Connection through a Cold Winter
Students get ready to play the first Bingo game of the semester. Photo by Lilian DeFilippis '26
The cold winter weather can feel freezing, isolating and stressful, but the Student Programming Council (SPC) flipped that around by creating a warm and inviting bingo room filled with excitement, music and prizes.
When students walked into the bingo room, they were greeted by friendly faces and flavorful foods. Upbeat music by Charli XCX and Doja Cat captured the energy of the room. Prizes like the giant dinosaur squishmallow caught the attention of many students and made them feel excited and ready for a fun game of bingo.
Once the game began, the room switched to silence as the students listened and hoped that their numbers would be called. Whenever someone got bingo, they were told to stand up and yell “bingo!” for a prize. The first person to stand up when they got bingo got to choose from the first-place prizes. Some of the prizes included a Wicked mini fridge, a camera and of course the dinosaur squishmallow. When someone won, they received their prize and a loud cheer from other students at their table.
“Events like this kind of take the pressure off of school or anything else going on, jobs, anything and just enjoy time with friends,” said Gavin Gilooly ‘26, president of SPC. Gilooly believes that with the cold weather, academic pressure and the general stress of student life, students should be able to enjoy a little break. He says that events like these allow students to meet new people and feel less stressed.
“You can meet new people or hang out with people that you've met [at SPC events]. So I really hope people get a sense of community through our events, said Gilooly. “I think that's like the biggest goal.” Gilooly expressed how important it is for college students to find their people, especially for underclassmen. Gilooly hopes that events like this allow students to meet new people or unwind with some close friends.
Nina Oricchio ‘29 said that during this time of year, “...it's really easy to stay cooped up and isolated in your dorm, so events like these really get people out and keep them active.”
Oricchio expressed her excitement with the event’s setup, crowd, food and prizes. Another student, Molly Martin ‘29, said that events like these are a great way to lower the stress levels of students and that they give students something to do other than homework. Both students voiced a similar interest in the squishmallow prize.
Events such as these take the SPC a couple of hours per week to plan and prepare for. Gilooly said that the hardest part about preparing for these events is getting the word out. He and the rest of the SPC post about their events online and try to put up posters wherever they can. They are always trying to find new ways to spread the word for their events.
On a cold Wednesday night, when students would commonly be found alone in their rooms doing schoolwork, the event gave a comforting alternative, bringing students together for a night of warmth, happiness and bingo.