Shippensburg University administrators donned plastic aprons and gloves, grabbed spoons and tongs, and began serving breakfast at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22.

It was Breakfast Bingo at Reisner Dining Hall, where administrators — including the SU president, vice presidents and provost — asked student after student if they wanted eggs, bacon and French toast.

“I think it’s a really cool thing that [faculty] come late at night to serve everybody,” Barry McClanahan, director of housing and residence life, said.

President George “Jody” Harpster called bingo winners for the first hour of the night and then switched over to the breakfast line when it opened.

Harpster said that he wants to get to know students — he told them so during new student convocation on Aug. 20 — where he encouraged students to approach him and say, “hello.”

“The more comfortable people are approaching me, the more likely they will tell me what they really think,” Harpster said.

Walking into Reisner for bingo, Harpster said that several students came up to him and introduced themselves.

“There’s one of me and a thousand of them,” Harpster said.

As the residence director for Stoneridge Commons, Chris Ossont said that he gets to interact with students every day and is glad that administrators get to do the same.

“I feel it’s important because it helps students get a sense of trust with faculty,” Ossont said.

“It gives students a chance to interact with faculty in a different way other than sitting in a classroom,” Ossont said.

The students — lining up to the breakfast buffet in droves — did not always realize who was dishing up their eggs and bacon.

Associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, David Lovett, served eggs at Breakfast Bingo and asked freshman Darlene Ruiz questions as she stood in line. Leaving with her plate full of food, Ruiz said she did not realize that faculty members were serving breakfast.

“I just thought [Lovett] was really nice,” Ruiz said.

Breakfast Bingo, which has been a SU tradition for the past 18 or 20 years, has grown in terms of attendance, faculty and staff participation, and prizes, said Donna Gross, director of new student orientation.

The three big-ticket prizes included an Xbox One, a $300 gift card to the SU bookstore and a party gift basket. Other prizes included a 24-inch TV, T-shirts, gift cards to the bookstore and baskets filled with items ranging from residence hall supplies to board games.

“I think the transfers and freshmen think it’s a chance for them to meet other people,” Stephanie Erdice, director of the Women’s Center, said. “For the upperclassmen students, it’s a tradition for them.”

In addition to the Women’s Center, several campus organizations helped organize the event, which was sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs. These groups included: the Connection Alcohol and Other Drug Program, Orientation Team, Residence Life, ShipRec, Activities Program Board, Greek Life and the Dean of Students Office.

The Breakfast Bingo gives students a chance to be a part of SU’s community and also gives them an alternative to parties, Gross said.

“We’re trying to get [students] to enjoy campus life,” Gross said.

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