Eve of the Eve for Highsights

Yes, the HighSight Eve of the Eve party is still going strong. In the proud tradition of CNN’s «Cross-​Fire», ESPN’s «First Take», or Al Jazeera’s «Righteous Warriors vs. Cursed Infidels (Death to America)» I will give a balanced, point-​counterpoint breakdown of the event.
Pro: The event is held at the majestic Union Station Great Hall, whose Corinthian columns, terra-​cotta walls, and Tennessee marble floors appear exactly as they were when created back in 1925.
Con: The same can be said about Union Station track infrastructure, Amtrak train speeds, and staff wages.
Pro: Proceeds benefit the charity HighSight. They provide Chicago high school students with academic and social support, support which most of us take for granted. I never thought my parents liked me, but I distinctly remember the times when they encouraged me to go to school and don’t drop out no matter what.
Con: Those times immediately followed headlines about school shootings.
Pro: With a wide array of appetizers and deserts, I was guaranteed ample nourishment for myself as well as nourishment I could take back later for my young.
Con: Forgot to change out of my formal-​wear when regurgitating said nourishment.
Pro: Silent auction features items like sports tickets and resort trips. I was initially bitter about the fact winning bids went into hundreds or even thousands of dollars, but as one friend explained to me, «It’s for a good cause.»
Con: That argument fell flat when my friend discovered I had written his name in the winning bid slot.
Pro: You can write off part of your ticket ($ 125 in advance, $ 140 at the door) on your taxes.
Con: Submitting a photo of you in your tux passed out face down on a Union Station bench the morning after with stray dogs pulling at your pant leg and teenagers dipping your hand in warm water does not constitute proof of having attended the event.
Con: The cover band plays so loud, you can’t hear people talk.
Pro: We can’t hear you talk.
Pro: This event is frequented by hundreds of Chicago’s eligible singles, giving you the opportunity to meet and score with dozens!
Con: Still, comes no where close to the amount of action you get as an Über-​X driver.
Pro: Despite the fact this is a big singles event, there are plenty of couples there. Most people won’t look at you strangely if you bring a casual date or your high school sweet-​heart.
Con: Untrue if she’s still in high school.
Con: With multiple open bars and no waits, getting drunk is a little too easy. With your buzz, comes your desire to send that drunk text to your ex, who then invites you over after the party. After consummating the union, you get a call 9 months later saying you are a father. Unable to deal with the responsibilities of fatherhood, you abandon your ex, leaving her to raise the child alone. As an unwed single mother, she is unable to afford a good education for your child, who, without academic or social support. considers dropping out of school.
Pro: Highsight steps in to keep your bastard kid in school. (cue Elton John’s «Circle of Life»)

Okay, so I will admit that I only stayed for an hour. I had to check out an event at Union Station — and even though the ticket was a little pricey ($ 125), I knew that it was going to a good cause.
The food was no good. For this type of fancy-​pants event, there should have been strolling waiters with appetizers, drinks, etc. Instead, there was one crappy buffet with two different salads, two different pastas, and A TON of desserts. Bizarre.
I did, however, love the photographer and some friends and I got some really great pics!
Union Station is a great venue for this type of event, but I won’t be going back next year. :(

The beautifully decorated Great Hall of Union Station: A Chicago landmark loaded for one night with glam and glitz galore.
Soft lighting glinting off the crisp white shirts and shimmery cocktail dresses of a fun but respectful crowd.
Upscale appetizers: creamy «adult mac and cheese», tender strips of flank steak, melt-​in-​your-​mouth cheesecake lollipops.
A plenitude of bars with well stocked and well poured libations of your choosing. Nice try marketing your bubblegum vodka, Three Olives.
Live music putting already happy people in a euphoric mood.
Giving to a worthwhile charity.
Not having to contend with the insanity that is the night of New Year’s Eve.
Bliss.
Only irk sprung from the bathroom situation: the great hall ladies’ room took about 35 minutes to get through during peak times, the other option was a 20-​minute wait in the hustle and bustle of union station. Plan trips accordingly. Bring your drink. And a friend.
The Eve of the Eve 2010 was a spectacular event for a spectacular cause for the singled and coupled alike. I cannot wait to go next year.

My friends and I attended the much talked about Eve of the Eve that takes place every year at Union Station. Not knowing what to expect, we were very excited about the event. We had not heard specific details just that it is a huge event and «a place to see and be seen» The entrance was a bit confusing, people were directed to the wrong entrance and had to go outside, through the parking garage to a side entrance. The line at will call went very quickly, I didn’t wait in line more than 5 minutes or so then could start the fun! Coat check lines also were also efficient and went quickly. The bar was well stocked and had lots of options. Vodka being a favorite of mine, they were serving Three Olives in a variety of flavors, regular, bubble and grape. Bubble gum vodka sounds odd, but it is very good especially mixed with red bull. I opted for the diet sprite mixer which is unusual and a welcome surprise, serveral other ladies were happy to see it too. The food was limited, somore salad and pasta along with a bunch of desserts. A bigger variety would have been nice for the large price tag of the event. The music was a bit odd, an accoustic guitar with the guy singing. It was a bit small for such a large venue and the music a bit too mellow. People were just standing around because the music was a bit of a downer. Later, they brought out the dance music making it more of a party. They should do the lively music much sooner because it added so much to the atmosphere and made things more fun. Bar service was great, also hardly any wait due to the large number of bars. My friends and I are hesitant to attend this event again, the slow pace starting the party made the fun slow in getting started. We resorted to rating all the womens’ dresses and made a worst dressed list and best shoes list. I would recommend to the organizers to ramp things up from the start instead of waiting for the last couple hours to get the party going.