On Friday, Jan. 31, guests of McGlinn Hall’s annual Casino Night tried their luck at the tables while raising money for a local Catholic school.
The event took place from 8-11 p.m. in Duncan Student Center’s Dahnke Ballroom. Students played blackjack, roulette, poker and the chance to win a variety of prizes at the end of the night, ranging from a JBL speaker to a group dinner with Fr. Pete McCormick.
Attendees purchased tickets for $5 at the event’s entrance. The tickets could be immediately cashed into the lottery for prizes, or participants could try their luck at the card tables.
“Casino night is the McGlinn signature event that we’ve done for a while … We have three divergent games: blackjack, roulette and poker. We also have a drink station and raffle tables,” sophomore Josie Deye said.
The proceeds from the event benefited St. Adalbert’s Catholic School. St. Adalbert’s is a traditionally underserved school where almost 100% of the school’s 220 students qualify for reduced lunch. The total raised from the event will be announced Monday.
Deye was in charge of organizing this year’s event. Her role included communicating with the Student Activities Office, working with the University to get the venue approved, coordinating staff and setting up the event.
“There’s also getting all the McGlinn girls involved, which is the most important, exciting part,” Deye said.
Each McGlinn resident was encouraged to get involved, and many worked different jobs over the duration of the event including selling tickets, dealing at card tables and staffing the food and beverage stations.
“They encourage everyone to sign up and have a part in the event,” freshman McGlinn resident Ellie Gieselman said.
Gieselman said she enjoyed working the raffle booth as a way to participate in the McGlinn residence hall community.
“My job is to sell raffle tickets … I worked for an hour, but I played before [my shift], and I’m going to try and play after. I really like our signature events,” Gieselman said.
The event takes place every year, but attendance hit a record high this year. Sophomore Tom Cherico attended both this year and last year’s event and was impressed by the turnout and participation this year.
“There’s a lot more people here compared to last year,” Cherico said.
Whether they had good luck gambling or not, several students said they enjoyed the event.
“I’ve loved it. A lot of my friends are here. I lost all my money, but at least it’s for charity,” Cherico said.
