Casino Night goes ‘Under the Sea’ at Lowry

Features Editors

On Saturday, Jan. 31, Wooster Activities Crew (WAC) transformed Lowry Center into an underwater escape for the much-anticipated annual Casino Night. From 8-11 p.m., students gathered to enjoy casino games such as poker, blackjack and roulette as well as live music, themed décor and food, all while competing for prizes and spending a Saturday night with fellow students.

Joe Russo ’26 explained that he was excited for the games, saying, “I love gambling, and this gives me an opportunity to partake in a fun tradition at The College of Wooster that lets me get together with my friends and test my math knowledge.”

As students entered Lowry, they were greeted by a blown-up shark and bright blue balloons spelling out “Casino Night.” A coat rack sat  in the corner under the stairs, allowing students to hang up their coats and show off their outfits for the evening. “Getting to see everyone’s outfits is really fun,” said Moira Miller ’27 “Almost everyone dresses up.”

The “Under the Sea” theme throughout the building transformed Lowry from its usual layout. “[Casino Night] this year is aesthetically gorgeous,” said attendee Jayden Sloan ’28.

Upon arrival, students were directed to the front desk, where they showed their COW cards in exchange for a cup containing one raffle ticket and a $100 chip voucher. The voucher could then be exchanged for chips to be used at the casino tables. For every $100 worth of chips earned, students received an additional raffle ticket, increasing their chances of winning a prize. This year’s prizes included a 60-inch TV, an iPad, Sony headphones, two tickets to the Cleveland Aquarium, a record player and many more small prizes. Attendees excitedly entered the raffle including Eleanor Fleming ’27, who was “hoping to win at least one of the prizes.” Another student, Ben Witt ’26, put his tickets in for a Lego set, “It’s a recreation of this Japanese woodblock print, ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.’”

Preparations for Casino Night began the evening before the big event on Friday, Jan. 30, when volunteers signed up to help WAC members set up from 8 p.m. to midnight. “We started pretty late on Friday and went until about 12 in the morning,” said WAC member Dustee Wagner ’29. “We were back here at 9 a.m. to continue prepping.” Volunteers worked to decorate the space, organize tables and prepare Lowry for the night ahead. 

WAC president, Mariah McKenzie ’26, spoke about the preparations for the evening, “It’s always super cool to see [Casino Night] all come together from the boxes on boxes of decorations.” WAC vice president, Anakha Shah ’27, spoke about the history of Casino Night, “It’s a lot of work but we had a lot of help from volunteers, so it went by really smoothly… Casino Night has been, I think, for the past five years. It used to be the Snow Ball, and then around the time Lowry got renovated they changed the theme of the event … I think this is more fun because it has a lot more students involved.” On choosing the theme for the night, Wagner explained, “We came up with a bunch of ideas in our meeting, and then we just voted on it from there. Eventually we settled on ‘Under the Sea’ because it was the highest voted.”

In addition to the casino games, the event featured a live steel pan band that brought a tropical energy to the sea-themed night. Located upstairs in Lowry, the band’s music filled the room and encouraged students to dance and mingle. Sloan emphasized that “the band is killing it,” adding that he “loves the percussion.” Fleming echoed this sentiment, saying she was “very much enjoying the band.” The live music helped tie the theme together, blending sound with the bubbly atmosphere of the event.

One of the steel pan band members, Scott Volardo, explained that the group, “Island Steel,” had been playing together for years. “It’s kind of a reunion concert in a way. We haven’t played together in a while. We all met at the University of Akron, and we’ve done a lot of these things in different configurations ever since. We were all, except one of us, percussion majors at the University. It’s turned out to be one of the most useful parts of our education.”

Food was another highlight of the evening. Creative Dining catered Casino Night, providing tables of food both upstairs at the “Fishes’ Feast” and downstairs in Lowry. Options included finger sandwiches, dips and chips and a variety of desserts. “I haven’t gotten any food yet because the line was so long,” said Fleming amidst the buzz of the event, “but I am liking what is going on and all of the options there are.” Creative Dining also offered themed drinks, including the “Hurricane Mocktail” and “Tidal Wave Punch.”

Beyond the games and entertainment, Casino Night offered students an opportunity to relax and connect with one another. Events like this are especially appreciated during the colder months, when opportunities to gather on campus can be more limited. “There is a big community aspect,” said Miller. “Being able to experience a fun, relaxed environment with my friends and the community is the best part.”

Grayson Pettit-Miller ’29 spoke about the event from his perspective as a first-year student. “This is my second or third WAC event that I’ve gone to… It’s a pretty awesome turnout, I’m really pleased with the steel drum band upstairs. The food is great, I’m having a good time… I reckon I’ll attend another WAC event in the future.”

As the night came to a close, students traded in their chips for raffle tickets and slowly filtered out of Lowry with hope that they would hear back from WAC with the news that they won a prize. Whether students left with a full stomach, empty pockets or a photo booth snapshot, Casino Night left many with lasting memories. Miller shared that she makes sure to keep her calendar clear for Casino Night each year.

Once again, Casino Night proved to be a hit for The College of Wooster community, successfully bringing a sense of excitement and togetherness to campus from the ocean floor.

For more information about WAC and their upcoming events, check out their Instagram @wacwooster.