“This is the first time I’ve seen the ice get that far, so it’s pretty impressive,” Long said. “It’s the most frozen I’ve seen the river in the past 10 years.”

Long and his class used to sample by the Hannah Administration Building where the ducks are, just before the rapids. Long said he guesses the extent of ice cover this year relates to thicker ice, both of which caused by long-lasting cold.

“This is the longest period of time that I can remember that we’ve been sub-freezing,” Long said. “It’s just a long time of being really cold.”

A frozen Red Cedar River often means passage and play for students. Some students walk to class on the river and some other students play hockey.

Kinesiology junior Robbie Goldi has played hockey on the river twice, and he said the experience is distinct from any indoor game.

“It’s a whole different experience,” Goldi said. “When you get the boys out on the pond, it’s a different mindset. You don’t want to come off the pond after a long cold day with a loss. You’re playing for keeps.”

Goldi, who is a member of the club hockey team, played on the river behind Cedar Village several weeks ago. He said most onlooking students are fascinated by it.

On the river, players bring out trash cans, laundry bins or buckets to use as goals. Playing without ceilings overhead and walls on all sides is reminiscent of hockey’s roots, Goldi said.

“It brings a new appreciation for hockey,” he said. “You get to appreciate where the game came from.”

The freedom of playing on the ice does not come without danger. It’s legal, but MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said she stresses common sense.

“Our main concern is that the students remain safe,” McGlothian-Taylor said. “We like individuals to make common sense decisions. They’re doing it at their own risk when they go out there.”