Students stretched across the second floor of the student union with great excitement to partake in Drag Bingo night put together by the Rebel Events Board (REB).
Once inside, every table inside the student union ballroom was filled with students who were interacting with their fellow peers, ready to enjoy a special night of bingo. REB’s Drag Bingo appeared back in-person, after last year’s event was virtual, to a great reception.
“It went really well, we had a really good turnout,” said Tonia Castro, the vice president of REB. “I planned this last year and it was virtual, so I’m glad students had the chance to come out, interact in person, be able to perform, and win their prizes.”
The event was hosted by Monique Heart, who competed on season 10 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race and season four of Ru Paul’s Drag Race: All Stars. Heart was introduced to loud applause as she took the stage to host the night of bingo. She hosted last year’s virtual event and had such rave reviews that REB asked her to come back again this year.
As students enjoyed refreshments, including free Crumble Cookies and a frozen banana stand, they took part in several rounds of bingo with the opportunity to win prizes such as Apple AirPods and an Apple TV.
While last year’s virtual version of Drag Bingo went well, it was difficult to get everyone logged in and to stay on. Along with the huge obstacle of trying to market the event to a student body that had mostly all online classes and were off-campus.
But the students responded greatly to Drag Bingo’s return as there was great interaction between everyone at the event. With students returning to campus, REB understands the importance of these in-person events.
“Very important, it gives the students a chance to engage with campus life,” Castro said. “I missed planning on-campus events. It gives students a break from classes and the stresses, to have fun and win some cool prizes.”
One student who took part in the festivities with her friends was Myla Ramseur, who came out because she is a fan of drag queens.
“I’ve never played bingo before and I love drag queens, so I was really excited for this,” Ramseur said. “It was really fun and I was excited.”
Midway through the bingo night, Heart called for volunteers to take part in a runway competition and sing-off. Ramseur, a theater major who will never pass up an opportunity to get on stage, volunteered to join the sing-off. She performed Selena’s “No Me Queda Mas” to thunderous applause, winning the sing-off and a hydro flask.
Performing on stage was the highlight of the event for Ramseur, but she also enjoyed being able to be out on campus and be involved in these events with her friends.
“I’m trying more now (to go to more events on campus), now that we are back on campus and we are able to do things in person, I’m definitely trying to be out there more,” Ramseur said.
A student organization that was out at the event was UNLV Spectrum, which is an organization for LGBTQ+ students and allies. Drag queens and the LGBTQ+ community have a lot of overlap in supporters and members, and Drag Bingo served as an opportunity for the UNLV LGBTQ+ community to feel more included on campus.
“It’s a really good event to give the students from the LGBTQ+ community a chance to feel more involved on campus,” Castro said. “It’s a very inclusive event and I heard people, when I was setting up the event, saying that they were really excited for it, and that made me more excited to have them here.”
REB will have many more events on campus as the semester goes on. This week they will host an open mic night on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the UNLV amphitheater and there will be movie nights coming up soon.
