by Ellen Rossow

rossowel@mnstate.edu

It has been said that your college years are the best of your life. Between work and trying to keep your grades up, this idea can get lost.

Thankfully, many organizations on campus work to plan activities and events for students to wind-down, have fun, and enjoy college life. Perhaps one of the most popular on-campus organizations with this intention is Dragon Entertainment Group.

The Group is responsible for various events that happen year-round. This week, they are sponsoring two.

Tonight, award-winning spoken-word poet, Kyla Lacey, will be performing. Lacey’s poetry discusses her story of triumphing over tragedy.

Julie Ashburn, advertising senior and member of The Group, is excited for Lacey’s performance.

“She is an incredible speaker and touches on some important topics that need to be spoken about,” Ashburn said.

This week also marks the second screening in this semester’s three-part movie series.

Screenings of “Maleficent” will take place at 6 and 9 p.m. tomorrow in Langseth 104. The final film of this semester’s series will be “Guardians of the Galaxy” in November.

“Those are always fun to go to,” Ashburn said.

Fellow member and mass comm. junior Leandra Schmidt agreed.

“I am most excited for the movie series,” Schmidt said. “It’s new releases that I haven’t seen yet and we, as students, get to watch them for free.”

Besides this week’s events, The Group also has a variety of events planned for the rest of the semester, like the campus tradition of “Grocery Bag Bingo.”

“We will be having a Halloween-themed grocery bag bingo the week of Halloween and also a Hunger Games grocery bag bingo in November,” Schmidt said.

Ashburn shared Schmidt’s excitement for the Bingo games.

“They are super fun,” Ashburn said. “People who attend have the chance to win free groceries.”

Dragon Entertainment Group is known for their traditional activities, like Grocery Bag Bingo, but this year they also intend to branch out and offer new ones, too.

“We always try to bring new things to campus,” Ashburn said. “We have some traditions, but we try to bring in a wide variety of acts and people.”

No matter what the events are, members of The Group think it is important for students to come out and enjoy them.

“It gets you away from school and work for a chance to socialize and meet new people, while, on top of that, getting a free movie or concert or even winning things,” Ashburn said.

For more information about upcoming events, go to mnstate.edu/entertainment/events.aspx.