Club & Greek

The Panhellenic Conference Plays Bingo with Greeks

The Panhellenic Conference hosted “Monmouth University Women Go Greek Bingo,” an event welcoming all sororities and those interested in joining Greek life to play bingo, win prizes, and indulge in snacks on Friday, Nov. 15 from 7 – 8:30 pm in the Rebecca Stafford Student Center (RSSC).

The purpose of Friday night’s event was to inform potential members about the registration process for recruitment during the spring 2014 semester. The official registration process began on Nov. 19. The event also took place to provide potential members with contacts for each sorority and to learn more about each organization.

The Panhellenic Conference sought to make the potential members feel comfortable and also encourage them to start their recruitment process in the spring. In between each round of bingo, 10 members of each sorority gave a short presentation informing the audience about their sorority’s philanthropy, activities, and the pride they each have for their organization.

The Panhellenic Conference set up a popcorn station, a cotton candy station and handed out snacks during each round of bingo. They also put together numerous prizes and gift bags for the winners of each round of bingo.

The first prize consisted of a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card along with AMC Cinema tickets. The second was a $30 gift card to Alex and Ani. The third prize was a $50 gift card to Target. Other prizes included a $50 gift card to Victoria’s Secret, a Lola by Marc Jacobs perfume set, a  $75 gift card to Sunglasses Hut,  and a $100 gift card to the University Bookstore along with University apparel. Bagel Guys Deli also donated 10 $5 gift cards for the lightening round of bingo.

Ariana Tepedino, a junior English major, is a member of the Panhellenic Conference and aided in the preparation for “Monmouth University Women Go Greek Bingo.” Tepedino said, “I became a part of [Greek life] due to both selfish and selfless reasons. I know that I wanted to have a college experience which allowed me to create lasting friendships and to find like-minded individuals who shared my passion for service and involvement. I also joined to network myself and add philanthropic services to my résumé.”

Tepedino continued, “It was the University’s first time hosting the event and there was a decent number of people in attendance. Overall, there were about 60 chapter members and about 40 potential members.”

While the event was mainly geared toward freshmen girls, there were also a large number of sophomores in attendance, according to Tepedino.

There was advertising and publicity for the event, however, Tepedino feels for the future more should be done. “We advertised the event at the information session hosted on Nov. 12 and on the ‘Monmouth University Women Go Greek’ Facebook page, as well as on the Activities Board in the Student Center.”

Andrea Hurni, a sophomore political science major, is a member of the Panhellenic Conference as well. She, alongside the help of Tepedino and numerous others, aided in Friday night’s bingo. While Tepedino hosted the event and called the numbers for each round of bingo, Hurni answered any questions or concerns potential members had in regards to the recruitment process.

Hurni said, “Friday’s event was a great way to learn about all six sororities on campus. I am a member of a sorority here at the University and since joining, I am so much more involved and outgoing and have met so many people that I have become close too. My sorority means so much to me. I joined my freshmen year as a commuter with not many friends. I am glad we share in the same values and I felt most comfortable around such a genuine group of girls.”

Deanna Puglio, a junior psychology major and sister of Phi Sigma Sigma, attended Friday night’s bingo event. Puglio claimed that although there were not as many potential members as she had hoped for, it was a good experience and she would attend the event again in the future. “There was a decent amount of people at bingo and I went because all of my friends were there and we thought it would be a good time. My favorite part was sitting next to girls that I did not know, it gave us the opportunity to meet new people and encourage them to join a sorority. There were a ton of really nice prizes and I also loved the popcorn,” she said.

Puglio joined Phi Sigma Sigma in the spring 2012 semester. “I am proud to be a part of Greek life and there are many positive aspects involved in joining a sorority. Phi Sigma Sigma means so much because it was something I decided to commit to as a freshman. I loved hanging out with all of the girls that were already in it. They were so welcoming and I am happy to share a bond of sisterhood with such a strong, intelligent, and fun group of girls.”

Hurni concluded, “Because ‘Monmouth University Women Go Greek Bingo’ was so successful this year, I believe we will be hosting it in the years to come. Next year we would hope to advertise even more and continue to have a growing crowd of interested potential members.”

PHOTO TAKEN from http://www.st-clarence.org/Bingo.html