Keene State College alumni are still finding ways to connect with each other during the pandemic. One way is by joining each other online to play virtual “Bingo.”
Keene State’s alumni staff hosted an hour of virtual bingo on Tuesday, September 15. KSC alumni with graduating classes ranging as high as decades apart joined each other over Zoom to try to get five in a row.
Director of Alumni Relations and leader of the event Bethany Morin said the Alumni Association has been hosting virtual “Bingo” nights once a month since May of 2020.
“It gives alumni a new opportunity to connect with each other while maintaining safety,” Morin said.
According to Morin, the purpose of these virtual alumni events is to come up with fun activities that play to the traditions of the college. “‘Bingo’ has been popular at Keene State for years,” Morin said. “We played it when I was a student and even before me.”
Morin, a Keene State alumna herself having graduated with the class of 2012, said these events are a great way to sit back and relax during the pandemic.
“It’s just a fun way to meet alumni and win some swag,” Morin said. “Bingo” prizes include mugs, notebooks and t-shirts.
According to Morin, putting these online events together has not been hard. “I work with an incredible team,” Morin said. “The alumni board helps plan and come up with unique ways to get people involved.”
Senior Manager of Scheduling and Events Mark Gempler said hosting virtual events like “Bingo” let people know the college is still trying to maintain normalcy even during a pandemic.
“Virtual events send a signal to our KSC community that we are attempting to conduct business as usual, just in a different way,” Gempler said. “I think that is important.”
The Alumni Center’s Administrative Coordinator Stacy King said she thinks these virtual events hold increased importance during a time when physical contact is limited.
“I feel that the virtual presence with “Bingo” has been extremely important during the pandemic to stay connected to our alums and give them an opportunity to be involved from afar.”
On top of maintaining the safety of alumni participants, these virtual events allow alumni who do not regularly participate in these events to attend. According to Morin, KSC alumni from Washington D.C. and even California have taken part in virtual “Bingo” when previously they would have been unable to.
“The whole point is to get them re-engaged in the college,” Morin said.
King added that there are several alumni who will always come back for reunions and remain connected to the college, but the alumni office is also working on ways to stay connected to all alumni of Keene State. According to King, the alumni office has launched a new online newsletter called “The Hoot” to increase communication with alumni and keep them connected. “We have received positive reviews on this and will continue to work on new and exciting ways to connect with our alumni,” King said.
For alumni who are hoping to win some swag while also remaining socially distanced, the alumni office will be hosting more virtual “Bingo” events. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20.
Hunter Oberst can be contacted at
news@kscequinox.com
