MSU students gathered for ice skating, free gambling, poker lessons and an opportunity to win free prizes at the annual Dice and Ice event, hosted by UAB, at Munn Ice Arena on Saturday night.
Participants were able to play various games and could enter to win prizes like an iPad mini or a 400-piece poker set.
If students weren’t interested in any of the activities, they could use the event to get free T-shirts, wings from Buffalo Wild Wings or a snack from Insomnia Cookies.
“We came for the free food and free games,” psychology junior Amanda Brown said.
While Dice and Ice is fun for the attendees, it’s also fun for the people working the event. Regine Cherry ran a gaming table the previous year, and was excited to be running a table again at this year’s event.
“People get really into it,” Cherry said.
Even though the gambling was free and winning didn’t guarantee a prize, participants still managed to get invested in whether they won or lost.
The free ice skating seemed to be one of the more popular activities, with students lined up to join the on-rink crowd. However, not all attendees were interested. Kinesiology junior Ashley Schneider chose to stay on the sidelines.
“Skating can get crazy,” Schneider said.
MSU’s Student Health Services was also present at the event to spread the word about safe sex. Representatives passed out free T-shirts featuring the MSU Social Norms ducks.
“It’s a great venue and a great time to get the message out,” Kevin Bator, a health educator with Student Health Services, said.
While it’s possible for some people to view the event as an alternative way for students to spend their Saturday night, keeping them from going out and drinking, Bator argued MSU’s reputation as a party school is a misconception.
“A lot of students don’t drink, and if they do, it’s moderately,” Bator said.
Special education senior Danielle Florey, who helped organize and run the event, said this year’s event brought in about 1,200 people and she viewed it as a success.
“We had an awesome time and hope that everyone else did too,” Florey said. “Our main goal was to make sure people had fun, and from the sounds of it everyone did.”
