Once a month, Sacred Heart University’s Student Events Team (SET) hosts a nightly bingo event at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts for students to come together and win prizes. This month, students experienced a different version of bingo: one that included a special guest.
In partnership with SHU’s Student Engagement and Involvement (SEI) Office, SET welcomed drag queen Silky Nutmeg Ganache to assist with bingo on Oct. 5. Ganache is most recognized from her involvement on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.
Ganache’s appearance made history on campus, as she is the first guest for SET’s bingo and the first of her community to visit SHU.
“Students who are fans of drag and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ were excited to hear Silky Nutmeg Ganache was coming to SHU,” said junior Alanna Wunsch, SET’s Public Relations Chair. “We have never had any guests for our bingo games or a drag queen on campus. I think even students who have never seen the show or been exposed to drag were curious to see what it was about and were excited to come play [bingo] as well.”
SET has been hosting monthly bingo for over a decade, and it has become a widely recognized event at SHU. This month’s event brought in 500 students who waited in line in anticipation of bingo and the opportunity to see Ganache.
The event began at 8 p.m. and ended around 10 p.m. Throughout the two hours, Ganache hosted a lively bingo, engaged with the audience, gave a performance, hosted a Q&A session and took photos with students after the event.
Ganache also gave the school a shoutout on her Instagram, asking students in attendance to comment their favorite type of cookie under her post.
This month’s bingo was inspired by SET’s collaboration with Sacred Heart’s new Sexuality and Gender Equity (SAGE) Center. The two organizations came together to arrange SHU’s first Pride Week from Oct. 4 to Oct. 13. Within Pride Week is the celebration of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 12.
While planning the week, the organizations came up with the idea to bring a drag queen to Sacred Heart.
“This was a huge wish from the Student Events Team after a few members attended the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) conference with me last fall when we saw a management company showcase various drag queens,” said Connie Cuccurese, the advisor of SET. “We then thought, well, it’s time we bring this to SHU.”
Cuccurese was able to acquire contact from the management team representing the queens and start the successful process of bringing the first-ever drag queen to Sacred Heart’s campus.
During the Q&A session, senior Ashley Czermak asked Ganache how it felt to be the first drag queen on Sacred Heart’s campus.
“Being black and part of the queer community, a lot of times, we are the first,” said Ganache. “To be here tonight and to learn that I was the first shows me that the work that I have been doing is not in vain.”
“She really gave students awesome advice on how to be confident, be your true authentic self and how to overcome adversity,” said Cuccurese on Ganache’s Q&A. “I think students learned and felt validated that it is okay to be yourself, have some fun and come together to celebrate one another for who you are.”
SET will host their next bingo events on Nov. 2 and Dec. 7 at the Edgerton Center for Performing Arts.
Photo: Alanna Wunsch
