By Blair Thomas

The Grand Ballroom Lounge was filled with hushed voices as everyone waited for the next number to be called, hoping it would give them a chance to shout “Bingo!”

Graduate students gathered alongside undergraduates on Oct. 1 at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union to take a break from academic stress, make new friends and win groceries.

The Office of Student Engagement hosted a game of “Grocery Bingo” to help students offset the cost of living, offering prizes such as household supplies and canned and dry goods. The event attracted graduate and undergraduate students alike.

Cybersecurity graduate students Sahith Gorantla and Nirmit Dudhat came to bingo together. They said they wanted to take time off from the stress of coursework and applying for jobs.

“We just completed a career fair. It was very hectic,” Dudhat said.

Gorantla and Dudhat, both from India, have made their connections through their apartment complex, part-time jobs and outside opportunities, Gorantla said.

“It’s in the community that we live in,”Gorantla said. “We live in Graduate Hills, and it’s pretty much all graduates there. So we got to interact with them a lot, and then we got to learn about each other.”

Gorantla and Dudhat also participate in the cybersecurity and strength training clubs, giving them another opportunity to connect on campus.

“It’s just to keep your .. brain off from the hectic stuff,” Gorantla said, “you just want to, you know, relax for a bit, and then interact with the new students.”

Graduate students are also making connections through on-campus leadership. Animal science doctoral candidate Bereket Girma said he spends his time as a counselor for the Animal Science Graduate Student Association, advising students who are interested in pre-veterinary tracks.

“If you’re working continuously, it’s just going to be a lot of work,” Girma said. “But when you go out to events, … it kind of helps you kind of relax your mind. I even just met someone over here [at bingo], and another person [outside the event hall]. It was a really good experience.”

Sometimes, graduate students can struggle with the transition from undergraduate to graduate student life. While student organizations can offer opportunities to connect, graduate students can also face challenges balancing academic responsibility with their social lives. The independence and diligence graduate school requires can feel isolating if your priority is staying focused, Girma said.

Students like Girma look to participate in similar events to feel more connected to the greater campus community. Events like Grocery Bingo provide graduate students with a safe space to meet other graduate students while also discovering campus resources, Girma said.

“UMD brings together people from different backgrounds, cultures and academic disciplines, and I value the opportunity to learn from them,” Girma said. “Beyond earning a degree, I appreciate the experiences, friendships and connections that make graduate school memorable.”

Featured Image: Students play “Grocery Bingo” at Grand Ballroom Lounge at Adele H. Stamp Student Union. Photo by Blair Thomas.