Students compete in bingo for spring break prizes

Ben Jordan

More than 800 students packed into the Student Center Ballroom Monday in hopes of winning a trip to Walt Disney World and other prizes.

Kent Student Center Programming hosted its first bingo event of the year, where students played to win items for spring break. Students played 10 rounds of bingo, with more valuable prizes up for grabs toward the end. Items like a car travel kit, beach bag and digital picture frame were given out first. Participants then played for a Kindle Fire, Xbox 360 and passes to Cedar Point. The grand prize was two three-day tickets to Walt Disney World.

Senior biology major Colton Masters won the grand prize but said he doesn’t plan on taking the vacation during spring break.

“I’m going to wait until the first couple of weeks in summer to do it,” Masters said. “I thought it was a lot of fun. I was pretty disappointed when the Cedar Point passes got taken up but this is much better.”

Kasai Carter, a member of the event staff for Kent Student Center Programming, organized and ran the event. She said this was the most successful bingo event they’ve ever had.

“I was really happy with the turnout,” Carter said. “This year we allotted for more seats than we ever have. I’m really happy people came out.”

Jennifer Gunnoe, assistant director for Kent Student Center Programming, said bingo has grown by leaps and bounds since it first started.

“We had talked about a trip and we talked about other destinations,” Gunnoe said. “A lot of people in the office who are students helping plan this said a unique thing to give away would be a Walt Disney World trip. We thought it would be something kind of different and fun.”

Sophomore nutrition major Shannon Walsh won an Xbox at the event. She said she will probably sell it, though.

“I love bingo and I’m very happy I came tonight,” Walsh said. “I dragged my roommate out; she didn’t want to come but I’m glad she decided to come with me.”

Masters said he thought the event was a lot of fun and was surprised he was a winner.

“I didn’t come anticipating to win this,” Masters said. “But I’m very excited about it. I’m going to take my girlfriend, Desaree Foster.”

Contact Ben Jordan at [email protected].