The game show was the first event planned for Marco's Night Out by the Student Activities Programming Board. 

“It was the board members’ idea to do the game show,” Dennis Hicks, graduate adviser for the programming board, said. “We discussed the idea at a brainstorming meeting.”

To warm up the contestants, free pop and popcorn were offered as the actual "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" aired on the television. 

About 30 students received tickets as they entered Marco's. The contestants were chosen at random through a raffle. 

The questions were taken from various trivia sources. 

Some questions were even about Marshall, J.S. Bragg, host and SAPB member, said. 

During the game, when the contestants reached levels three and six, they got to keep everything up to that point. 

The prizes given were sponsored by local businesses.

“We received donations from over 100 businesses,” Hicks said. “We had prizes such as free food, candles, T-shirts, tool sets and scuba gear.”

The contestants also had two lifeline options, 50/50 and ask a friend. When the contestants asked a friend, the friend also won a prize if their answer was correct. 

Eric C. Near, sophomore music composition and theory major from Ironton, Ohio, got the chance to test his knowledge. 

"When they called my number," Near said. "I hoped that I wouldn't completely embarrass myself." 

The questions were average, but not too hard, he said. 

"I thought this was more realistic than the game show," Near said, "because on the game show, everyone is too melodramatic." 

Angela Lattimore, undecided freshman from Hurricane, also got the opportunity to win. 
"I felt cool," Lattimore said. "I wasn't nervous until I sat down." 

Lattimore thought the contestants should have won money. 

"I won, so I thought it was cool," she said. "It was realistic, you just didn't have Regis in your face the whole time. I think we should have won cash." 

Lattimore thought the questions were difficult.

"Some of them were easy," Lattimore said, "but most of the first round questions were way too hard."

“We tried to plan the game show like the one on television,” Hicks said. “The set was like the real one with only two chairs and a table in between.”

By having events like “Who Wants to be a Marshall Millionaire,” SAPB is attempting to create tradition in programming that the students can look forward to attending each week.

Story by Courtney Ross