Midnight Uno

By Tammy Chan (Queens, NY) and Jonathan Wigfall (Camden, NJ)

"Two for a mistake! You didn’t say Uno! Draw two!"

After a long day of workshops and guest speakers, there’s really nothing better than stepping into a hot, steamy shower, slipping into comfortable PJs and then finally being able to enjoy a brisk air-conditioned dorm rooms where the bed becomes our ‘bestest’ of friends. We are all sleep-deprived, and simply EXHAUSTED.

Nonetheless, we still make our plans to meet up in the common room to play a couple of games of Uno.

While most of us sleep, others make it through the night by playing our favorite card game.

Slowly but surely, the game builds its momentum as the night carries on. Sometimes it gets a little too heated; arguments start, then laughter becomes endless.

The game of Uno usually goes into the early mornings, but we still manage to wake up as early as five in the morning to get started on the day's activities.

Originally, only a few of us stayed up to play Uno, but as our group became closer, more and more people joined the program’s late-night craze.

“It’s cool,” Antonio Regulier said. “You get to communicate … and get to know each other.”

What was intended to be a short game to relax with other young journalists became a social activity among the SJPers that only strengthened our bonds during the limited ten days.