Kael Matias
Staff Writer
The Campus Activities Board, in a two-part event, hosted Pride Bingo on Tuesday evening at the Quay Davis Executive Board Room.
Participants played rounds of bingo based around music artists that are well-known queer artists, allies, and icons to the LGBTQ+ community. Songs from Mariah Carey and RuPaul were among the roster.
To play, the host played songs and participants were to guess who the artist was and mark them on their card. Many songs were recognizable, but songs by Cher and the musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” stumped the audience.
“It was a lot of fun, I got angry that I didn’t win,” Corrina Matamala, a senior biology major, said.
At times, the tension in the room could be felt by many. When asked if anyone was close to bingo, many claimed to be just a few spots away from winning. When someone did win, a mix of celebrations and complaints could be heard.
The prizes made contestants hungry to win. They included a black crewneck, a neon rainbow LED light stand, a Nintendo Switch, a 24-inch Vizio TV, and an iPad Mini.
To win, participants had to match patterns like the center square, four corners, and an “X”. The audience also had the chance to win prizes by participating in games like a “dance audition”, where they dance it out until one remains.
“It’s fun, I didn’t expect to dance,” Grace Boress, a senior biology major, said. “I think bingo is a really good thing for pride.”
Students battled it out, dancing to “Gangnam Style” by PSY and the “Chicken Dance.” As the rounds went on, students were eliminated.
When three remained, they danced to “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” by Silentó, and the winner was chosen by the audience.
Participants also had the chance to perform a song from one of the artists on their card at the beginning of each round. This gave everyone a free space for anyone who had the artist on their card.
“I danced YMCA in front of everyone, and got a free point,” Jair Moreira, a junior music major, said. “I wished I won though.”
Listening to songs from prominent queer artists and allies gave people a chance to come together and learn more about queer pop culture.
“It brings everyone together and teaches more about pop culture,” Chrystal Olazabal, a senior biology major, said. “I want to see more events with drag, because I like ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and drag in general.”
Drag events have been hosted at the University before. In 2017, former “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant Shangela performed in Dailey Theatre.
As the evening rolled on, the event had a change of pace. Instead of pride bingo, participants played hip-hop and R&B bingo.
Same rules applied, people still had the chance to win crewnecks or a light stand. Songs from Aaliyah and Lauryn Hill filled the room as participants continued to compete.
At this point, everyone thought all the prizes had been given away, but a second Nintendo Switch was brought out, and the competitive spirit was as strong as ever.
It was the final prize of the night. The tension in the room was intense as songs from different artists played.
At last, the last bingo was called and the Nintendo Switch was given away. Remaining participants received a crewneck and a light stand.
Pride bingo is part one of the two-part ULV Pride event hosted by CAB. Part two was a live performance by Maiah Wynne on Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Citrus Lawn, where tie-dye shirts along with a tie-dye kit were given away.
Kael Matias can be reached at kael.matias@laverne.edu.
Kael Matias is a staff writer for the Campus Times.
