Bingo keeps money in students' wallets

By Michelle Sprehe

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Any money-saving alternative sounds more appealing than clipping coupons or making a budget. On Tuesday night, 169 students discovered they could keep money in their pocketbooks by shouting, “BINGO!”

Student Union Activities hosted Grocery and Gas Bingo at the Kansas Union Ballroom where students competed for the chance to win groceries or gas cards worth $20, $25 and $30.

Eric Jury, Lake Quivira senior and games coordinator for SUA, helped organize the event.

photo

By Rachael Gray

Bowe Neuenschwander, Hoxie senior, and Jon Huffmaster, St. Louis senior, wait for the next number to be read at SUA's Grocery Bingo night. Huffmaster needed one more space filled to win the round. SUA holds Bingo night each semester and entertained a record crowd of 175 on Tuesday night.

“With the economy, people realized they could save a few bucks on groceries so they came out,” Jury said.

About $500 worth of groceries and gas cards were purchased from Checkers Food, 2300 Louisiana St., and local Conoco gas stations for students to win.

“We’re trying to help people out at the pump as well as food,” Jury said.

In the past, winners of the event could take a bag full of groceries. But on Tuesday, winners could only choose two grocery items to take home.

“With the rising cost of food right now, we want to give students an option to win so we give out more items now and less bags of groceries,” Jury said.

To attract more students, gas cards were randomly given to winners for the first time. Esterenia Armanto, Jarkarta, Indonesia, sophomore, was the committee head for the event.

“We are trying to make something new every year so it’s not boring,” Armanto said.

Megan Do, Wichita sophomore, won by forming a “U” shape on her bingo card.

“I have horrible luck,” Do said. “It was the first time I’d ever won at bingo.”

Do won a box of macaroni and cheese and a box of cereal, which she gave to a friend.

Jury said between 30 and 40 students walked away with prizes. A full bag of groceries and a $50 gas card were also given away.

“My favorite part of the night was to see how excited people got,” Do said. “At times people were getting a little intense.”

SUA will host Grocery and Gas Bingo again on March 27 at 8 p.m. in the Union Ballroom.

— Edited by Andrew Wiebe

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