Student Union Holds A Soothing Jazz Night with Fun and Games

Despite ideas about hosting a jazz night emerging earlier in the fall, the Student Union (SU) and Stuyvesant Music Outreach League (SMOL) hosted a relaxing and fun-filled Board Game Jazz Night on the afternoon of Thursday, April 10. They turned the Senior Atrium into a space where students could take a break from their busy schedules and enjoy board games and music; no RSVP was required and students were able to come and go as they pleased. The event provided a much-needed opportunity to de-stress, offering a laid back atmosphere with the added incentive of prizes. Furthermore, SMOL performed soothing, live music to add to the ambience.

Alongside the music and board games, fun card games were also available, and friendly competition was introduced. “There were a bunch of card games played, like poker or spit, and there were also games like Gomoku,” junior and SMOL leader-in-training David Son said in an email interview.

 The planners were heavily inspired by the atmosphere of Sip & Play cafe, which gives customers an opportunity to drink and play board games. “I wanted to emulate that experience at Stuyvesant and bring the experience and vibe of those cafes that I personally have had to the school community,” SU Events Director Malka Lubelski said.

Planning for the event took place gradually over the weeks leading up to it; different members of the SU took on various responsibilities. While Lubelski primarily handled communication with administrators like Assistant Principal of Security Brian Moran, junior and SU Events Deputy Director Estella Yee coordinated with SMOL and helped organize the event with the rest of the SU events department. However, the planning had been scattered across a long period of time. “It’s hard to say how long it took to plan the event, since it was more sparse planning over a few weeks,” Yee said.

Spring was a good time to hold such an event, since the SU has a very busy schedule during the fall. “In the fall, SU Events focused a lot on holiday events for Halloween and Winter season. Once we brainstormed and decided we really wanted to host this event, SING! Season was upon us so we decided to postpone the event until later in the year,” Lubelski said.

The primary goal of the event was to offer its participants a relief from the stressful Stuyvesant environment right before spring break. “Especially after this seven-week long stretch of straight academics, we thought an event like this would be nice. I often find games are a huge stress reliever,” Yee said.

In addition, the choral concert also took place on the same day, giving the event another purpose. “We also wanted to give chorus student performers a place to hang out before their concert, which was later that same evening. The overall goal was the same as all school events that our department plans are: to bring the school community closer together through engaging and exciting events,” Lubelski said.

Unlike the SU, who prepared extensively, SMOL’s performers treated the event more casually than a formal show. “There wasn’t much planning involved; the group that represented SMOL was a group of musicians who were pretty used to playing gigs, and we were basically just having a jam session that people could listen to. We picked songs that were chill yet would fit the game-day vibe and played them, but there wasn’t any extensive rehearsing or practicing involved,” Son said.

The combination of friendly competition and a relaxed environment allowed students to step away from their academic pressures, leading to a successful turnout. By blending music, games, and community involvement, the event created a space where students could enjoy, de-stress, and connect with their peers. “‘I’m guessing around 20-25 people attended the event,” Son said. “I think that the inspiration behind this event was to give students a day to be able to relax and have fun with their friends at school before Spring Break started.”

Despite graduating this year, Lubelski hopes that next year there will be more promotion for the event. “Although I'm graduating, it’s my hope that the rest of the events department can advertise this event and build up more hype prior to it. The people who went had a great time, but I definitely hope for more attendance [in the future],” Lubelski said.