On the Thursday preceding winter break, all upperclassmen were invited to participate in Student Government’s inaugural Flex Bingo, held in Hanes Theatre.
With only 400 spots available, students were encouraged to sign up early in the week to secure a place due to high demand. To register, students logged into their Edficiency accounts and selected the session hosted by math teacher and Student Government advisor Keith Cooper.
The event featured an array of prizes for the winners, including Owala water bottles, NeeDoh squish toys, candy and more. School treasurer and junior Silas Munday explained that the primary motivation for organizing the event was to provide an enjoyable experience for students.
“We just thought it was something the students would have fun with,” Munday said. He also highlighted the practicality of hosting bingo, as it can accommodate a large number of participants simultaneously.
“Bingo is pretty easy to do,” Munday noted. “It’s a game that a lot of students would be able to play at the same time.”
Munday expressed hope that this event would mark the beginning of a new tradition. “If it goes well, then I think it should be a yearly thing,” he said.
Excitement was palpable on the day of the event as students filed into the auditorium during flex period. On stage, Munday and other Student Government members set up tables displaying the prizes.
Following a brief delay, the event began. The initial rounds adhered to classic Bingo rules: Student Government members called out letters and numbers, and any student who completed a row or column shouted “Bingo!” and approached the stage to claim a prize. Among the prizes, the Owala water bottle was the most coveted, reserved for the winner of the final round.
As the game progressed, the rules changed to increase the challenge. In later rounds, participants had to complete the entire outer grid of their Bingo card, requiring 16 numbers instead of just five.
Junior Representative Henry Ghitleman entertained the crowd between rounds with light-hearted jokes. “Why can’t you play Bingo in the jungle?” Ghitleman asked. “Because there are too many cheetahs.”
Eight rounds were played in total. Junior Gabe Grandis claimed victory in the penultimate round, winning a tie-dye shirt. “I can’t believe it,” Grandis exclaimed. “I won!”
Another winner, Ben Kaplan, shared his enthusiasm. “It was really fun, especially because I won,” Kaplan said.
After the event, students expressed their enjoyment. Junior Esteban Lopez remarked, “[Bingo is] the most fun I’ve had all year.”
Given the success of the inaugural Flex Bingo, Student Government is optimistic about making it an annual tradition that all students can look forward to.
