“Meet the Dining Directors” on Wednesday in Thomas Hall was full of trivia, laughter and students seeing how many times they could shake their heads in a minute.

Jody Horn, director of University Dining, said she got the idea for Meet the Dining Directors from another school and decided Eastern should do it, too.

“I hope students at least get to know our faces,” Horn said. “If they have any issues, comments or complaints, we want them to feel free to contact us.”

Horn said the trivia questions were important things for new students, like learning where to eat on campus and to give them a positive attitude about dining.

The dining directors walked around in pairs asking random students trivia questions and handing out small prizes, like color-changing spoons, magnets, key chains and pot holders.

The questions were basic Eastern trivia, like knowing the four dining halls on campus or the name of Eastern’s mascot.

As it was held in Thomas Hall on their “Down Home Cookin'” night, Horn said she expected many students to be there.

“People will want to play when they see people winning prizes,” Horn said.

As they asked questions, the directors also collected contestants for short, humorous challenges.

“Kleenex Box Pull” was one of the challenges, in which contestants have one hand on a tissue box and another pulling out tissues as fast as possible, the winner being the person who empties his or her box first.

Next, “I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt” played while students put on as many t-shirts as they could in 90 seconds, a challenge called “Bundle Up.”

Britteny Alspach, a first year graduate student of college student affairs, was the winner of “Bundle Up” with 16 t-shirts.

“I’m shaking right now,” Alspach said. “Peer pressure egged me on and gave me confidence.”

The grand prize choices for challenge winners were computer speakers, a watch and a cookie jar.

Students wore a pedometer attached to a sweatband in “Bobble Head.” The objective was for contestants to shake their heads as much as possible, the winner being the one with the highest number on his or her pedometer.

The highest number was 218 head bobbles.

Kevin Hanrahan, a freshman undecided major, found the challenges to be crazy and funny.

Matt Gagnier, a freshman English major, agreed with Hanrahan.

“I got a chuckle out of it,” he said.

Jody Horn said that if students enjoy it, they are likely to repeat Meet the Dining Directors in the future.

“We like to do little things to break the monotony,” Horn said.

alholstrom@eiu.edu.