Drag Bingo
Drag Bingo, a Bentley favorite, went on last week in the EDR! The event was fun and all sorts of fabulous. If you missed out on this cherished event or want to hear what your fellow peers thought, read below!
Frank Elenio (‘19), who had a larger role in last year’s Drag Bingo shares about his past experiences:
“Putting the event on is super exciting but also really nerve wracking. Is all this work gonna pay off? Will people come? Are the queens okay? The E-Board has so many questions to answer and I could not be prouder of them for how awesome it went!”
Jennifer Calnan of PRIDE also shares, “The preparation for this event started for us during the summer, working on finalizing our talent for the event. It was months long of planning and coordinating, but it was 100% worth it once everything was finished. Looking out over the audience and seeing them laughing and enjoying themselves was very rewarding, especially for those students that this was their first drag show.
Favorite Moments from Drag Bingo:
Frank shares, “Owen Busser (‘22) winning the runway contest, easily the best moment of it. Owen is a freshman teammate of mine on Bentley Swimming and Diving, and he's quickly become a very close friend. We are both big fans of drag shows and Drag Race (the reality-competition TV show) and we've been really excited for Drag Bingo for awhile. I knew there would be a runway contest and knowing Owen, I thought he'd love it. When a friend saw Owen walking up, I even got a text saying "he's going to win, no doubt". And long and behold he did, and his walk was amazing! I was so proud to see my friends putting up such fierce performances too and it really showed how enthused the crowd was, too!”
Ashley Wright, President of PRIDE, shares, “I have to say the most special experience for me was when Andrew Glanton (Shenita D) was our opening performer. Over the past 3 years he has really honed is drag skills and has come such a far way not only with his performances, but with his confidence as well. I was blown away by his performance, and even more pleased to see Bentley students just as excited to see one of their peers perform. It takes a lot of confidence and bravery to perform in front of your peers.”
What do you want to share with fellow Bentley students about PRIDE and going to an event like Drag Bingo?
“Drag is a form of self-expression and it's all about individuality, being yourself, and fun! The group PRIDE itself and events like Drag Bingo are really just places on campus students, regardless of any identity or any background, can enjoy being with a fun group of students or at an awesome event. PRIDE is a place for everyone and it's a place where everyone is respected and accepted for who they are.” -Frank
“PRIDE is not a group just for LGBTQ+ students, and we are always looking for more allies to join the group and support our club! All of us are very friendly and welcoming and love to see new faces at our meetings Thursday night at 9:15 in the Equity Center.” -Jennifer
“Drag Bingo, much like PRIDE as a campus organization, was an event open to all members of the campus community, and, as we saw, this yielded a fantastic night which brought people of different orientations, backgrounds, and experiences together, and brought them together in a way that was celebratory, inherently educational regarding drag subculture, and perhaps most importantly, fun!” -Ashley
Stay tuned on bentleyspeak.com and SP&E’s Instagram for more news on PRIDE events this semester!
