Blue Key Statue Chair Brynn Santi said that she was thrilled with the return to high energy for the Carnival.”I think it’s so much better than last year,” she said. “The atmosphere is even better. And there’s so many more people this year than I’ve seen in prior years, and people are so excited to finally have like a normal carnival after COVID.”

The Carnival was able to restore some activities like the C4 Fat Tire Bike Track.

The all-nighter at 4 p.m. with the dismissal of classes until Monday. It was also the starting point of the one night statue competition. As the afternoon became evening there were more and more opportunities for visitors to participate or watch and enjoy a variety of foods and drinks from student organizations and commercial vendors.

Mexican hot chocolate, deep fried Oreos, biscuits and gravy, coffee and soft drinks were for sale at multiple stands, but the largest provider of the night’s refreshments was the Air Force ROTC’s pancakes. For seven dollars carnival goers had all-night access to an endless supply of pancakes, sausage and punch. This is one of Air Force ROTC’s fundraisers used to assist in training expenses.

Michigan Tech’s renown Pep Band makes a grand entrance during the Winter Carnival all-nighter Wednesday on the Michigan Tech campus. (Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette)

“We do an airsoft exercise every semester,” said ROTC’s Travis Crigger. “And that typically costs a lot of money, and a lot of that money comes from this fundraiser that we do. It’s things like getting airsoft rifles, ammunition and, if we want any simulated grenades, renting venues, and various things like that.”

The university also offered free mocktails for those who were looking to party sober through the Center of Student Mental Health and Advisory Council on Well Being. There was a few different options mixing juices, fruit and carbonated beverages.

Broomball was one of the main spectating events for the night, with both a skills competition and All Star games. The broomball events were able to return outside with this year’s weather being more favorable to ice. Last year the broomball events took place in the SDC and many participants said that it did not feel the same playing indoors.

“It might be a little colder, but you get the boards and you get everything,” head of the broomball events Andrew Maiers. “You have people surrounding you and it’s a good environment to be [in].”

Those who wanted a reprieve from the cold went inside the Memorial Union Building. The Undergraduate Student Government hosted its first ever mini golf event in the Alumni Lounge. There were six wooden golf tracks which encouraged trick shots and provided more craft to lining shots than simple straight puts. “We’ve had this mini golf set for about 15 years now,” USG Events Committee Chair Konraad VanDyke said. “We thought this is a great time for people to come inside, warm up from the outside festivities and then play some golf.”

Prizes for the game included Hot Wheels, rubber ducks and candy.

The laser light show that started after 11 p.m. began with a few technical difficulties, but once the show was reconfigured Laser Encore provided the Carnival with an array of visual spectacles projected onto the Walker building and also shot out across nearly the entirety of the campus.

Most of the visuals were winter themed with snowflakes, though Laser Encore also projected the Michigan Tech logo along with other sights such as a flying car, robot and train. The show was one of the highest energy events of the night with a crowd gathering to dance to the music and enjoy the moving imagery on the Walker building.