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. Several times a month (typically weekly) we gather at a local establishment, or a member's house, to talk about a philosophical topic or paper we have chosen to read (distributed electronically), or watch a movie, 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 Frisbee golf.

When/Where: This semester, we decided to schedule meetings on most Thursdays. The idea is to pick a topic, reading, or movie that club members are interested in, distribute relevant materials beforehand, and then meet to discuss. Meetings will typically be held at The Whiskey Attic (upstairs at the Freakin' Frog, on Maryland across the street from the Bank of America).