Film screening is most popular Student Activities events so far this year
By Christina Moran '07
A total of about 900 students attended the CPB showing of "Superbad" on Nov. 3 and 4 in the Buckley Center Auditorium, marking the largest turnout for a Student Activities-affiliated event so far this school year.
Jeromy Koffler, the director of Student Activities, said he and the rest of the Student Activities staff were surprised by the relatively high attendance.
"To me, that's pretty incredible because Buckley Center (Auditorium) holds only 420 people," he said.
CPB-sponsored film screenings draw in an average of 150 students between the Friday and Saturday night showings, said CPB Director Molly Petschl. But some films, including "Rent," "Jarhead" and "The Departed," have brought in about 800 students, Petschl said.
Petschl said CPB aims to select movies that will appeal to the majority of UP students. CPB manages a Facebook group called "CPB Film Committee" that enables the 90 student members to vote on a list of potential films.
According to Petschl, "Superbad" received overwhelming positive response from both this group and CPB itself.
From a student's perspective, Petschl speculated that "Superbad" appealed to so many people because of its base humor. After spending all week doing schoolwork and participating in extracurricular activities, Petschl thinks most students want to kick back and relax on the weekends.
"Sometimes, especially on the weekends, I just want to not have to think," Petschl said.
Freshman Hayz Grant agreed with Petschl, saying that, on the weekends, students are more inclined to see light comedies than films from another genre, such as thriller.
"I guess it's just one of those movies where you don't have to think too hard," Grant said.
Freshman Megan Osborn thinks "Superbad" attracted a relatively high number of students because the movie, along with flicks like "Napoleon Dynamite," focuses on relatable characters.
"Nerd is cool now," Osborn said.
Koffler is pleased with the "Superbad" turnout, saying the high attendance indicates CPB was successful at its mission to offer an event that appeals to students. On the other hand, however, Koffler said it is sometimes frustrating that the education-oriented campus events don't receive as high a turnout.
Between 11 and 15 students attended Student Activities' Oct. 30 immigration panel discussion - an event that Koffler said was very well organized and intellectually stimulating. About 35 people went to see "Camelot," a musical that was performed downtown and sponsored by Student Activities and ASUP. Student Activities' Day of the Dead celebration drew between 250 and 300 students.
Koffler acknowledged that most students sometimes need a chance to relax in a social setting, and thinks this type of atmosphere can be incorporated into educational-based events.
"The art here is crafting co-curricular activities that are both social and enhance what's going on in the learning environment," he said.
CPB will show the movie "Transformers" tomorrow and Saturday at 10 p.m. in the Buckley Center Auditorium.
