Show Utah Sunday December 28 2003 C8 — The Herald JoumalLogah a ' r Tabii a chic dub that bills itself as ltra lounge’- With European house music blaring in the background ' the girls empty a bottle pf vodka and dance oh the tabie(it's ' " r encouraged) has every vice LAS VEGAS AP — Hud- died ihside the Luxor hotel-- : casino a trio of newly minted' ’ r dreams but short on know- - how The girls wimt to play blackjack but where do they ! V- - 8CSSh: a juhiorit ' v PunlaM hatSK the club's r shragv 'Carrell Vanderbilt University : i! ' general off their inexperience and throws her arms around her — ‘ — 100-de- ep some'' — — L V Standing in line the girls three-stor- : to “I LoveRockN Roll ifL i yjgm blaring ——— from nearby speakers The line inches ahead moving one step closer to the promise of lost inhibitions ' At Studio 54 the bouncers automatically ask the girls for their ID Benin who turned 21 two weeks before flying to a a ticket to freedom ’‘We're gambling virgins! And so tlie odyssey begins for the barely legal in this city of megajackpot dreams and sinful excesses the destina- ‘ (ipn for those seeking their first legal drink and roll of the dice After all what better place to celebrate! turning 21 than the town that turns on ! ‘ ' - There's something magical and surreal about doing some- thing you were never sup- posed to "Africano says “And when you put the'two ' of them together it's awer bst friends!:' 'J 'I ically delicious entertainer i too much for most to V ignore On this night the club is T packed and those lined up are drawn to the staccato rhythms emanating y club from the “There's lOfflfithlllS nU and surreal about Las Vegas : manager Jhe girl are ready for their next adventure to they head to the club of all nightclubs — Studio 54 where everyone dares to be decadent Recreated in all its sinful glory Studio 54 is one of the AlrlMt flf flli bendy dub on the Strip Its promise of “efot : : '" " '21? Whether itls that last party before getting hitched or actu- ally doing the deed in one of the area's dozens of wedding chapels Sin City is a riteof ' passage for tens of thousands ' each year And for many of those cele-- " grating their 2 1st birthday this desert Oasis has become ' : America's must-se- e party ' VY ground :in Las Vegas every night is a Saturday night" says Jenn- ' i Michaels vice president of " V public relations for MGM Mirage "It's always a party” ' For the visitors from Van- derhilt it truly ivu Saturday night in Vegas Sashaying the crowd in skirts through ' that Would make a cheerleader blush they enjoy the moment- “I've been waiting for this ' ! day mv w hole life" says v Elien Africiind a 1 student who turned 21 the day before Spotting ( nearly empty ' blackjack fable the young V women sil Xliiwn and ners)us- Iv pulj out a few twenties' gig V I : '' - f v'f -- V' I V I ' - ' ’ mmmymwsm -- ig 8: yt'Ufft jEff ' v g’ling : "I' m scared they’ftgoing to laugh at us” African ' V : wliispers'the money to Holding out ' the dealer which j a itiindr V V ' ' J O - ‘lt'ji the skirt’- - Berlin says me luk 1 2 V ilealer inolfons for them Hie their money on the to place table and casts a wary eye at the little plastic cards AnaJI-'- ’ access pass in Sin City IDs guarantee' a seal at the'tuhle of 'it makes ' ’ 'j V ' : t ! v “ Yoh i 4 j ifi t R 6 WOnflHF' ! EXPERIENCE senior' J ' 'T v ' ' I The heidv x ’ riislvf a spinJ Xt ! '‘ : rum and coke' ihe ease oigetting into a‘ club with a ‘ legiitiiiiite 11) 'll v i '8 l!:'s''lt'tKehaidgsifihehilo::f v’' 'gel in Ifs the Indy grail f ' IK Nothing but ihe foal thing vjj'0'! I : 1 "' re2fi says Sarah I’aehtmaMyii Vanderbilt ‘ ! can't get in anywjiere uiiless you EXPERIENCE ' ! ’ ! I! r they are- casino fju pas ' quickly asked for tlreir lDs ! ' -: fjyQ g'OITTG Of :: RlOSt OTTX ( ' v surgeons m : t: ‘ v:: ' ' iff1? ? niiikes for- fill EXPERIENCE ? f uui tieiuits ac cyuippcu ' laSCT VVitll’ tll0 latCSt I'll ' " v v- - ' V- V' j-' ' ' v: '''v'' ' : ’ as Vegas those Crash- udiiltiuMiU although inginto the city hasseen a boost in'-years diiinksto JfoJIy- - v ' Curtis says - ' ' ' l ! always-hasdraV- ' ’ '"r ' V-- : v V s V v ' ' j reni WEtlCOMEJ WtHld: There wiis thu'i salacious 'season Real ' : World V in which a griiupiof ’ lwenfys)mehi ngs I i Ved it up ' at the Palms hotel-casinThen there was “Ocean?- Eleven' in which George' ' CliKihey and Brad Pjttevbked the ofyintage S V Vegas Andiost recently NBC's-shii“Uis Vegas ' y’ captured audiences with ifs sexy plot linys and even sexier 'V ' I I I FREE CONSULTATION - o' v WUhAMSIK Counselor V V ! eil old-sch(- I ' 1 '" CiistL-'- V '' ' llLoanw ' irrum svcisp' r i i u&ift&''ni' ii - !7Y:'''' "When siiniehody tiirns'2J :'V-- - they feel like all the )undj‘ V "'Varies are broken They're V V' 'going to drink and party arid start tlkir adult life and what better place to do that than in ’’ V-Vegas?” Curtis says': the be V’York city ’ New may that never sleeps but the tick- lock of the Vegas party clock 'is unrelenting The girls from V Vanderbilt leave gambling behind as they head to the and MGM Grand hotel-casin- o 1- 1 :f ’ CDSSa (?CDQG!I)S9 m lv1 L- |