sto-a (sto) n.   a portico, as in ancient Greece, having a wall on one side and pillars on the other. A structure from which the advocates of Hellenistic Stoic philosophy would often lecture.

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Neon Stoa: A venue for philosophical discussion in as unlikely a place as Las Vegas, Nevada

Who: We are people who dig philosophy.  We’re sophomores, seniors, male, female, quiet, crazy, long time students of ancient philosophical traditions, and people who can’t even spell "Nietzsche" yet.  Some of us are in the national philosophical honor society (Phi Sigma Tau); some already graduated and can’t resist the conversation.  Oh yeah, sometimes we get the professors to have a few drinks with us to loosen their philosophic tongues.  That can be amusing as well as edifying.  All interested parties, without restriction, are invited.

Why: Our goal is simple: Philosophy as Socrates intended it - outside the confines of the classroom. Twice a month we gather at a local establishment, or a member's house, to talk about a philosophical paper we have chosen to read (distributed electronically), become mildly inebriated (if we are so inclined), and have lots of fun while we discuss, discuss, discuss. We also plan to hold other kinds of outings, such as bowling nights and movie/discussion nights.

When/Where: This semester, we decided to schedule meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month, at 6:30pm. The idea is to pick a reading that club members are interested in, distribute and read it beforehand, and then discuss it. Meetings will often be held at Stephanos Hookah Lounge or at Yayo Taco (on Maryland across the street from the Student Union, behind Einstein Bagels and Rebelbooks, 3 storefronts South of the Post Office for Stephanos, or 5 storefronts South, set back beside Planet Beach, for Yayo). Other meetings will be held at members' houses.