Annual 'Dice and Ice' brings casino night to Munn

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As Elvis walked the main floor of Munn Ice Arena strumming his guitar, students ice skated and gambled through the night. The University Activities Board hosted its annual Dice and Ice event at 8 p.m. Saturday to a crowd of more than 1,000 people.

The event welcomed MSU students and East Lansing residents to a night of fake gambling, ice skating and prize giveaways. Ashley Patterson, Courtney Loughman and Dayna Hoopes, members of UAB, worked together in coordinating the event, which has been planned since November, said Patterson, an advertising junior.

Hoopes, a human biology senior, said she was happy with the number of participants to come out and show support for the event.

“It’s hard to compare (last year’s event with this year’s) because they’re so different,” Hoopes said. “As far as turnout, they were very comparable.”

Hoopes said she noticed a larger number of ice skaters this year than in the past, despite event directors thinking attendance would be lower because of poor weather and other activities happening on campus.

“Normally, there are 1,000 people,” psychology junior Loughman said. “Obviously, it depends on the basketball game going on. It depends on little things.”

Many students enjoyed the various activities offered for entertainment. Early in the night, most of the tables were crowded with gamblers, and the ice rink below was full of skaters. Students spent their night playing poker, blackjack and bingo while participating in many free giveaways from sponsors of the event.

For some students, including psychology freshman Jennifer Thach, a volunteer at the event, the night was a good mix of two popular activities.

“I think it’s a cool concept,” Thach said. “It’s a good title (and) it goes well together.”

Prenursing freshman and UAB member Jenni Hoerauf, said she expected a large crowd, and given the attendance, thought it went well.

“We have really awesome prizes,” she said. “People like it because it’s not really what they expect.”

Other students agreed, saying casino games and ice skating mixed well together to result in a fun night.

“It never would have crossed my mind, but it works,” said professional writing junior Brianna Ritivoy, who attended the event.

Hoopes said students who gambled were given 10 chips and one raffle ticket to start the night, and for every additional 10 chips players won, they would receive another raffle ticket, which they could then enter to win prizes such as an Amazon Kindle, or the grand prize of an Acer notebook computer.

“We had people walking out with 10 or 15 raffle tickets,” Hoopes said.

She said because the event was free it helped participants learn the games without worrying about losing money.

“Since we don’t use real money, it’s a safe way for students to learn how to gamble,” Hoopes said.

Graduate student Ashish Patil said he likes to ice skate and gamble and enjoyed being able to play games without thinning his wallet.

“It’s good to be here without risking money,” Patil said.

Participants and coordinators of the event agreed it was a successful and enjoyable night all around.

“It’s well-organized and there’s a lot to do,” said Ritivoy. “I’d recommend it to my friends.”

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