MOST OUTSTANDING Cultural Program NOMINEE
Loyola Asian Student Organization (LASO)
BOBA BINGO
Describe the cultural program and how it meets the mission and goals of the organization. Details MUST include: Date of event, number of participants, program purpose (i.e. goals and objectives), member involvement, use of resources, and marketing techniques.
Boba BINGO is always a great event to begin each semester! It introduces new students to our organization and allows new and old members to meet each other. As students begin arriving, LASO provides an assortment of Asian snacks like pocky and guava candy for attendees to enjoy while they socialize. LASO E-Board begins with an interactive icebreaker to get everyone more comfortable with each other. During this event, we gave the attendees 3 minutes to line up in the front of the room in chronological order of their birthday (without talking). They were allowed to use hand gestures and any creative form of communication. After the icebreaker, LASO E-Board gave a short presentation introducing each board member, briefly discussing LASO's mission, showing our past events (and asking what events students would like to attend this year), reviewing membership perks/dues, and outlining the number/types of BINGO games that will be played. Boba BINGO took place on February 6, 2025. We had an attendance of 26 people! All attendees were welcome to any snacks and drinks, but winners would have the chance to chose a prize (a squishmallow or boba drink from Sharetea). We hosting a variety a games consisting of five-in-a-row, four corners, and black out. Throughout the event, students would get more and more competitive with each other. LASO's graphic designer, Maxine Olson, designed an amazing graphic to advertise our first event of the year! We printed flyers and posted it all around campus and posted on our social media to encourage students and other VSA students to join us!
How did this cultural program serve the campus and/or community?
Boba BINGO encourages new students and community members to try new things like meeting new people at an event or trying boba for the first time! Something as simple as a common theme (like one's love for boba) can bring people together and may lead to many new friendships and opportunities. This event is one of our favorites to host because of its special sense of community, with new faces arriving and people bringing their friends. Boba BINGO is the perfect event to entice students from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, etc., to learn more about Asian culture!
Did the organization overcome any challenges that arose while planning and implementing the cultural program/event? How?
We ran into the problem of two people getting BINGO at the same time. We did not account for this issue while planning this event. LASO E-Board quickly discussed and assessed the problem. The two winners would continue the BINGO game until one has the next number called.
