2008 Woodie Awards
Lounge Night Brings the Fun to Students
Jonathan Bedder
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A gang of guys and a gaggle of girls filtered into the Max Stern Athletic Center gym on Thursday night, February 3, for a night of casino-style games, Jazz music from Tzemach, and Chinese food. At three separate tables, granite-faced veterans played high-pressure games of Texas Hold'em, while five Blackjack tables, a craps table, and two Roulette stations kept the rest of the arrivals busy.
The premise for Lounge Night '05 was simple yet appealing. For five dollars of real money, participants received $500 worth of fake cash. Tokens, ranging in denomination from $25 to $5000 dollars, could be purchased at the tables. At the end of the night, successful speculators could bring their winnings back to the entrance stand, where every three hundred dollars could be cashed in for a raffle ticket. While the nature of the prizes seemed unclear, the organizers indicated the possibly of an Apple I-Pod, or something of similar caliber.
The night got off to a slow start, with only a few guests trying their luck. After about an hour, though, the place began to fill up as people trickled in to the rubber-floored gym. The ratio of girls to guys, however, remained low throughout the evening.
The students who attended thought positively of the experience. "It's a great event.... The band, food and poker all together," said David Wildman, Sy Syms School of Business '05. But Oren Litwin, Yeshiva College '06, hit the nail on the head. "The idea is sort of kind of cool. Certainly gambling is popular on this campus."
Patterned after the Chanukah Casino success of three years ago, Lounge Night was a particularly noteworthy event, coming as it did at a time when some students are going through a bit of a gambling bonanza. As one undergraduate bluntly put it, "I came because I like gambling. It's been a good time here [at Lounge Night]."
Some students, though, were quick to distinguish between harmful and harmless fun. One Stern College for Woman student remarked, "It's cute. The guys who are hard-core gamblers have a harmless venue and for the others, it won't make them hard-core gamblers."
Yeshiva Student Union President Ayal Frist agreed that the evening put a very positive spin on a very serious issue. "It was a nice relaxing evening, and a good, safe venue for students to explore their gaming curiosities," he said. "There's nothing wrong with having fun, as long as it's all clean and kosher.
I think the event was well-planned and executed, and the more experienced players even added to the atmosphere."
The premise for Lounge Night '05 was simple yet appealing. For five dollars of real money, participants received $500 worth of fake cash. Tokens, ranging in denomination from $25 to $5000 dollars, could be purchased at the tables. At the end of the night, successful speculators could bring their winnings back to the entrance stand, where every three hundred dollars could be cashed in for a raffle ticket. While the nature of the prizes seemed unclear, the organizers indicated the possibly of an Apple I-Pod, or something of similar caliber.
The night got off to a slow start, with only a few guests trying their luck. After about an hour, though, the place began to fill up as people trickled in to the rubber-floored gym. The ratio of girls to guys, however, remained low throughout the evening.
The students who attended thought positively of the experience. "It's a great event.... The band, food and poker all together," said David Wildman, Sy Syms School of Business '05. But Oren Litwin, Yeshiva College '06, hit the nail on the head. "The idea is sort of kind of cool. Certainly gambling is popular on this campus."
Patterned after the Chanukah Casino success of three years ago, Lounge Night was a particularly noteworthy event, coming as it did at a time when some students are going through a bit of a gambling bonanza. As one undergraduate bluntly put it, "I came because I like gambling. It's been a good time here [at Lounge Night]."
Some students, though, were quick to distinguish between harmful and harmless fun. One Stern College for Woman student remarked, "It's cute. The guys who are hard-core gamblers have a harmless venue and for the others, it won't make them hard-core gamblers."
Yeshiva Student Union President Ayal Frist agreed that the evening put a very positive spin on a very serious issue. "It was a nice relaxing evening, and a good, safe venue for students to explore their gaming curiosities," he said. "There's nothing wrong with having fun, as long as it's all clean and kosher.
I think the event was well-planned and executed, and the more experienced players even added to the atmosphere."