Last Friday, the Westmont Activities Council (WAC) put on a bingo night with prizes that totalled up to $2,000, allowing at least 30 chances to win. With over 200 people participating, many students hoped to be the first to fill in their cards in order to win some grand prizes: a GoPro Hero 9, an ENO Hammock, Santa Barbara Zoo tickets, AirPod Pros, or an Apple Watch Series 6. But the fun did not stop with the grand prizes. Between each round, students had the chance to answer trivia questions for $10 Amazon gift cards. WAC is able to provide such great prizes for bingo each year due to dedicating a lot of their budget to this tradition. 

“I was just excited to win something at all,” said Justin Rodriguez, a second year student who won a $20 Amazon gift card. He recalled his initial reaction and celebration with his roommate. “I am surprised I did not blow out anyone’s ear drums or laptop speakers.”

Like all of the previous events this academic year, the bingo event took place over Zoom. Despite Santa Barbara County moving into the red tier, protocols and precautions remain in place to ensure the safety of the Westmont community. The transition away from large in-person events, such as the annual Pickle Tree Lighting and the President’s Ball, has not taken away from the creative virtual and socially distanced events WAC has put on this semester. Prior to bingo, there were events featuring movies and painting.

The paint night was so successful, WAC is planning to do it again. Publicity coordinator Hannah Landrigan commented that it was the perfect event for “safe and relaxing fun.” The inaugural paint night featured an acrylic paint kit, Martinelli’s sparkling cider, and a live tutorial from some of Westmont’s very own art majors. However, the event was only open for the first 40 students to sign up, so WAC hopes to expand the next paint night in order to allow more students to participate. The date is currently not set, but be sure to check your emails. 

As for the remainder of the semester, WAC encourages the community to keep an eye out for events around Earth Day and finals week. Regarding the WAC calendar for next year, they are looking forward to bringing back annual traditions if COVID-19 restrictions allow it. If you have any ideas about events, please contact wac@westmont.edu. If you are looking to get involved in WAC, the Student Leadership applications are due this Thursday.