To kick off the semester, Dickinson’s LGBTQ Services hosted back to school bingo with Harrisburg drag queen Felicia O’Toole as the caller. With six gift cards to DoorDash, music and a few performances by Felicia herself, students had a blast and filled the Allison Community Room with laughter and smiles. 

When asked why he chose bingo as the launch event for the semester, Todd Nordgren, Director of LGBTQ Services said, “Bingo is more interactive than [drag] shows, which gives people a chance to talk, get to know each other and build a community. It’s a different kind of engagement.” Deon Rosado ’24, who helped put on the event, said “Being able to do this for my community on behalf of LGBTQ Services… means the world. As a little boy growing up in Baltimore, I never had the chance to be authentically me, and to be able to push the needle forward towards true change is gratifying in ways I cannot express.” 

Nordgren also explained that there is a long history of drag queens hosting bingo, starting in the 1990s. Felicia has been calling bingo at Dickinson since 2020, and she comes back each year because she claims the college students are a “breath of fresh air.” After the games, jokes and performances, Felicia told the students “You can do anything you want to do. If you stay in school and get good grades, you can do whatever you want with your life.” If you missed bingo or want more fun, LGBTQ Services are hosting a drag show on March 25. The second annual Dickinson Pride Week will take place the first week of April, which will include a ballroom event, a resource fair and a pride fest.