For some, this evening will pass by like any other dull and uneventful weekday night — a sad truth at Allegheny.  For others, tonight could be much more.  Instead of working, students can lose themselves in a masquerade of poker faces at the Model United Nations (MUN) Poker Tournament in the Schultz East Alcove, taking place at 7 p.m. tonight.

The tournament will raise money for MUN’s annual trip to Montreal. It costs $7 to enter and $5 to buy back in.

“This buy–in gets you a seat and chips for the tournament and makes you eligible for the prizes for the 1st through 3rd place winners of the tournament,” said MUN President Corey Shears, ’12.

This fundraiser follows last semester’s MUN poker tournament.  MUN participants hope that tonight’s tournament will have a greater turn–out. MUN member Clay Moran, ’13, looks forward to a fair number of participants.
“I feel that this tournament has had more effort and preparation; as a result, I expect a higher turnout and a more successful fundraiser,” Moran said.

“I think more people will know about it now,” said another MUN member, Kevin Brazda, ’12.

“There is a good base of guys who just like to play poker.”

Tabling for this event took place in the Campus Center, but student and poker–lover Gregory Eyer, ’12, was still surprised by the prospect of a poker tournament.

“Wow, a poker tournament!” Eyer exclaimed. “That sounds swell. I’ll definitely be going. Thursday nights are boring anyway.”

Whether or not this tournament elicits skepticism or enthusiasm is unclear, but it does promise a break from the norm.

“Many students seem interested in trying something a little different, and I know there are a lot of students around campus who enjoy nothing better than taking a break from school with a poker tournament,” Shears said.

MUN doesn’t plan on stopping at poker to propel them to Montreal.

“We are looking into hosting or co–hosting a dinner event at some point in the semester,” Shears said. “If the poker tournament is a success, we’d be interested in holding another one in a few months. We are also trying to plan events that involve the Meadville community.”  Students who don’t win one of tonight’s prizes may therefore have another opportunity to don their poker faces to help fund MUN’s 2011 Montreal trip.

Although Allegheny received no awards in Montreal this year, the trip was still a success, having allowed 14 members to compete.

“The UN, an international body, is inherently complicated to understand,” Moran said. “MUN allows students to see how a UN committee does — or does not — work, practice and articulate public speaking skills and most of all connect with other students from schools across the country.”

Tonight, if students do decide to take part in the fun radiating from the Schultz East Alcove at 7 p.m., hopefully Lady Luck shows up as their date.