On March 31, ETSU’s Student of Finance Association hosted a casino night event from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in D.P. Culp Student Center Ballroom A. The night was full of blackjack and poker games that helped students learn financial literacy.
The event was successful with over 90 attendees, shared SOFA President Yusuf Sulaiman.
“It went phenomenally. Actually, it exceeded all of our expectations,” said Sulaiman. “We projected around 60 to 70 people, and well over 90 showed up.”
Students played poker and blackjack with chips instead of real money. At the end of the night, whoever had the most chips won one of the three prizes. The prizes included a PlayStation 5, an Apple Watch Series 10 and a pair of Beats headphones.
“There were some really surprising bets that were made, like people going all in on blackjack,” Sulaiman said.
The event was a part of the club’s annual Financial Literacy Week. The idea for the event came from the club’s treasurer, Hunter Ináncsi. As students played games, they learned about the results of risky spending.
“I know it’s a little ironic having a poker night for Financial Literacy Week, but it garnered some pretty good lessons,” Sulaiman said.
Financial Literacy Week has been sponsored by the club since the 1990s, shared Sulaiman. The week focuses on educating students on opportunities in the finance industry and connecting them with professionals.
“We try to develop their skill sets and foster a community within the Department of Economics and Finance at ETSU,” said Sulaiman
SOFA also hosted guest speaker Scott King on April 2 at 3 p.m. in Sam Wilson Hall Room 334. King, the former CAO and vice president of finance at Eastman Chemical Company, talked about financial literacy, financial careers and the job market.
Looking forward, SOFA is preparing for its showcase in mid-April and the end-of-year picnic/field day. More information about the club and its events can be found on Instagram @etsusofa.
