Two hundred and fifty-six students showed up to Casino Night Saturday, Jan. 28. It was the first offering of new signature event planned by Bluffton student organizations as a replacement for the previous winter event, Winter Wonderdam. The event went from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Bluffton Golf Club.
“We were trying to find a new event that we could do for students that would get some more interest,” said Holly Metzger, senior director of residence life and student engagement. “One of the ideas was something off campus that was more of an event to get dressed up for that was maybe more formal, that was kind of how it all started.”
Students on the dance floor at Casino Night. Photo by Courtney Weekley.
This event was a night where students dressed up in formal attire, played casino games, won prizes and danced. There was also a cash bar available for those who were 21 and IDs were checked with each purchase. Even though it was formal attire, students were not required to dress up.
“We don’t have any other event where students come in formal attire,” said Metzger. “It’s a fun outlet for students to dress up and get fancy for one night.”
While Winter Wonderdam used to be a winter-themed event where there was ice skating, Build-A-Beaver, hot chocolate bar and more; Casino Night seems to be a new event that students were excited to attend. There was a photobooth, hors d’oeuvres, casino games, dancing and a cash bar.
“I thought it was something different, we always do the same student engagement events over and over. This was an off campus event and something that can really excite people rather than getting excited over making a mug,” Ella Zabarowski, senior student senate representative, joked.
Table decorations from Casino Night. Photo by Payton Stephens.
There has been plenty of planning and coordinating since last semester for this event to take place. Student committees who have helped envision this event have been MSO, Hall Association, Ministry team and Marbeck Activities Council.
Vendors who made this event a success include: UltraSound providing casino tables and DJ, Bluffton Golf Club to make the event space ready, Sodexo for catering and shuttles, Delphos Tent & Awaiting providing outdoor heating and a photobooth rented in Mansfield, Ohio.
“We’re trying to see if this is something we can do annually if people enjoy it enough,” said Zaborowski. “It was better than I expected the turn out to be. It gave students a chance to get out for a night and to be in town.”
Even though the event took place off campus at the Bluffton Golf Club, there were two shuttles that picked students up from each residence hall and the apartments, to shuttle them to the event starting at 7:45 p.m. The shuttles were able to then return students to campus when the event closed at 11 p.m.
“We’re always looking for new signature events to do on campus,” said Metzger. “Some of them are traditions like finals breakfast. It was time to create something with a little more life to it.”
