More than 600 students can say goodbye to bland bedrooms.
The Reitz Union Rion Ballroom was filled with the smell of popcorn, students chattering and music playing in the background as students decorated everything from mugs and cowboy hats to corkboards and mason jars at the second annual Bling Out Your Bedroom event Thursday.
But with double the amount of students expected to participate, the Reitz Union Board Entertainment-hosted event ran out of materials half an hour before the event was supposed to end.
“This event definitely exceeded our expectations,” said David O’Leary, a 21-year-old business administration senior and co-director of RUB Entertainment. “We anticipated about 300 students and over 600 showed up.”
The organization used student fees to help fund the event. Bling Out Your Bedroom cost about $2,500, O’Leary said.
“Making a treasure chest is not as easy as I thought,” said Vinnie Loos, an 18-year-old psychology freshman. “But having to go around asking people for supplies is a great way to meet people.”
Madison Pello, a 19-year-old health science sophomore and member of RUB Entertainment, said this event was especially popular because the Inter-Residence Hall Association helped promote the event.
“RUB events are a great way for students to get active,” said O’Leary, “and every event RUB hosts is free for students.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 9/3/2013 under the headline "Dorm-decorating event runs out of bling"
