Student newspaper of the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1928

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OPINION 2
CAMPUS 3-6
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SLIPSTICK 9
SPORTS 10-11

 

Smooth sailing for annual RHA Boat Cruise

Kyle Stanevich
STAFF WRITER

Where could you eat, dance, and
gamble all night (excluding Vegas)? At the
annual Boat Cruise organized by the Residence
Hall Association (RHA)!

Boat Cruise was held last Friday at
Navy Pier once more on the most luxurious
of floating vessels, The Odyssey. In the dead
of night Navy Pier is quite spooky, lacking the
sea of tourists, sounds, smells, and lights that
usually are almost overbearing. Departing on
one of three buses from Illinois Tech to the Pier,
after a short walk down the deserted pier, the
grand lights of the boat in the distance could be
seen, beckoning partygoers for a night of fun.

Towering above us and the other
boats of the pier, the magnificence of The
Odyssey is truly a sight worth seeing. Its four
stories featured all the entertainment you could
need for an evening on the lake; the casino on

,“‘,““A ,

 

the bottom, two floors above for dancing and
food, and a top outside deck offered something
for everyone to enjoy. That night you could
be sure that you were at the best part in all of
Chicago.

After everyone was aboard, the party
officially started. The food was brought out,
the music started, and the casino opened up.
The tantalizing bites available were some of the
best meatballs, mini hamburgers, and pulled
pork sliders around with no one being left out.
Plus there were tables piled to the ceiling with
any sort of desert imaginable. The music was
pretty good, playing many recognizable songs,
but this would not be important until later on
in the night.

After grabbing a quick snack, most
people congregated in the casino, where each
person was treated with 500 chips to play to
their hearts content. The goal was, just as all
casinos, to make more than you came in with,
but unlike regular, these chips could not be

exchanged for cash. Instead, the chips could
have been turned in for raffle tickets, which gave
everyone a chance to win one of many fabulous
prizes, including a laptop, 40 inch television,
wireless headphones, a bike, and more.

Many students did not know how
to play the casino games offered. For example,
there were quite a number crowding around
the craps table trying to figure out how to play.
There was no reason to worry about losing all
the chips though, because the dealers went easy
on them and explained the game as they played.
The casino was a huge aspect of the night, where
it seemed most people spent their time.

After closing the casino down,
everyone cashed their chips in for raffle tickets,
and headed up to the two dancing decks to
boogie down while waiting for the winners
to be pulled. The winners of the raffle were
called, their prizes claimed and then the boat
was exited. The sleepy HT students returned to
campus at four in the morning, ready to hit the

hay and sleep in the next day.

There were many other activities on
the boat. Photographs wearing a mask of the
Queen of England and other famous Europeans
were taken by a cutout phone booth. Although
it was a chilly night, those who wanted to relax
were able to do so outside the top deck of the
boat where the view of the Chicago skyline was
spectacular, better than any place in the city
without the need for a helicopter.

This amazing night could not have
been possible without the funds provided
by SAP and the hard work of all of the RHA
members. They put in countless hours preparing
the schedule for the night, communicating
with the Odyssey staff and bus companies, and
preparing decorations. If you see any one of
them, be sure to say thanks. Each year their boat
cruise keeps getting bigger and better. Make sure
to come to this event next year, where once again
you can gamble, win prizes, and party all night
long.

 

Photos by Travon Cooman