Everyone’s a winner at Vegas Night

Entering Poetter Hall for Residence Life’s annual Vegas Night was uniquely different than last year’s, yet nostalgic. While previous year’s brought to mind the retro-glam of the ‘20s, this year’s Vegas Night was less roaring more subdued; a homage to the Las Vegas of the past.

For starters, the music was a mash-up of many different styles; from Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina,” but there were no complaints there. Students took full use of the dance floor after burning through their poker chips.

There was plenty of time to gain or lose one’s chips. The event lasted from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and despite the fact that some games like Texas Hold’em were a blue chip to play (worth five at Vegas Night instead of 10), few played it safe, preferring higher stakes just for the fun of it.

“I came here to learn how to gamble a little,” said Nicci Aguiar, a first-year sequential arts major from Nantucket, Mass. “Plus, it’s kind of nice to get out.”

The setting was whimsical, especially the gigantic bulb chandelier that sat in the center of the room. Some of the university’s residential assistants came early to help make the event memorable. Robert Harrison, a second-year motion media major from Washington, D.C. came to help as early as 5 p.m. However, the volunteers working Vegas Night had been planning the event for two to three months, time well paid off due to the volume of people who attended the evening.

“Some 150 cups were given away,” said Matt Higgins, a third-year graphic design and performing arts major from Westford, Mass. Higgins is also a community assistant.

Many players (and a few dealers) thought that they were just playing for fun and possible bragging rights, but the goal of the night was to get the greatest number of chips in order to win the grand prize: tickets to the upcoming Savannah Stopover Festival.

Vegas Night was not like the one that you’ve seen in the movies, or even at previous Vegas Nights before. It was more casual and contemporary, but it struck a chord with the crowd.

Even the losers of the night had a reason to dance and forget finals, if only for a few hours.