Place all your bets on Casino Night
On Saturday, the Centennial Student Union Ballroom was transformed into the Las Vegas Strip, for a one-night-only event allowing students to come and play their favorite casino games.
In charge of the event was Hayley Whipps, Special Events chair of the Student Events Team and one of the people in charge of many of campus’s past events, such as the Raptor Center Bird Show in February.
According to Whipps, the success of the show couldn’t have been accomplished without A Sure Bet Casino Parties, the company working at the event hosting all the card games for students.
“The ballroom was pretty crowded, it was great. I started planning it a few months out, so I’m really happy with how it turned out. I think all the guests really enjoyed it,” Whipps said.
Some of the games offered included blackjack, bingo and Texas hold’em, along with other poker card games. The event boasted a wide variety of prizes, including an air fryer, Twins tickets, and a light-up Stomper sign.
Other amenities at the event included a food and mocktail bar and a craft area where attendees could decorate a picture frame for any photos they may have taken during the event.
The prizes amassed over $800 in value, and 27 students ended up bringing home a prize.
“I wanted to get a good variety, so that there was something that anybody could enjoy. That’s why I chose to do more prizes, versus splitting up the money into just a few larger ones,” Whipps said.
Whipps wanted a self proclaimed “Las Vegas vibe” for the event, which led her to eventual decision to host an event with a casino theme. Putting on an event as large-scale as the Vegas Strip was a sure-fire way to improve student interactivity, according to Whipps.
“I knew that I wanted to do something like a larger, more interactive event this semester. I thought a Casino Night would be a great way to put on a fun event and get a lot of students involved at once,” Whipps said.
Casino Night is just one of the many events put on by the Student Events Team. The team’s main goal is to cater to the entire student body, rather than just one portion, in an effort to make everyone feel included.
Some of the upcoming events hosted by the Student Events Team include the Masked Maverick, a local spinoff of the hit TV show “The Masked Singer,” a public talk by Nickelodeon child star Josh Peck, and a spring concert by pop singer Iyaz.
“The whole team puts a lot of thought and effort into all of the event details, and in finding events that we think students would really enjoy. We try to provide a good variety, so there’s something good for everybody,” Whipps said.
Header Photo: The Casino Night event, hosted in the CSU Ballroom, was home to major big winnings for a select few students. Some prizes included an air fryer, tickets to a Twins game, and a light-up Stompers sign. (Lilly Anderson/The Reporter)
Write to Joey Erickson at joseph.erickson.2@mnsu.edu