As day turned to night on Friday, Oct. 25, Elizabethtown College students made their way across campus in the bitter fall air towards Gibble Auditorium. Once inside, they were greeted with warmth and the aromas of buttery popcorn and sweet candy, the perfect snacks when settling in to watch a movie. Once the students were all settled and cozied up into their seats, the lights dimmed and the movies began.
At the end of a busy week of classes, this event allowed students to unwind and de-stress. The event could not have happened without the hosts of this festive movie night, the Office of Student Activities (OSA), who provided the essential movie snacks and created an overall inviting and relaxing atmosphere. Students were welcome to take as many snacks as they wanted, had the freedom to come and go when they pleased and overall enjoyed each other’s company. Etown students came together and shared a night full of laughter and suspense watching the classic Halloween films, “Ghostbusters” (1984), followed by “Scream” (1996).
For some viewers, watching these films brought nostalgia, as they resemble some of the most iconic Halloween elements and get played year after year for the suspenseful, and sometimes comedic aspects, but for some, it had been their first time seeing either film.
One freshman said their favorite movie was “Scream,” and this event marked the first time that they had ever watched the film. Another “Scream” fan, a sophomore, answered that they had seen the film before but never “Ghostbusters.” They simply enjoyed the suspense and thrilling events of “Scream” much more. And by the overall reactions from all in attendance, both movies received positive reactions. This has to do with the fact that the OSA also allows students to choose the movies that are shown.
When talking to an OSA event staff member, they explained how students got to vote for the films they want to see on an Instagram poll, which displayed the options members of the OSA had come up with. They went on to say that this is one of their favorite parts of planning the event each year and enjoy getting to see which films the students will pick. Another OSA staff member who works as one of the marketing staff, who create advertisements for the OSA, explained their favorite part of preparing for this event is getting to create the banner. While each staff member had their own favorite aspect of planning for the event, they both agreed that when it came to the event itself, seeing everyone’s reaction to the movies was one of their most favorite parts. Likewise, the students who shared their movie preferences of the two being shown also expressed that their favorite part of the event was being able to watch and react to the movies with others.
Overall, the films shown at this event offered contrasting moods to appeal to a wider audience, because while “Ghostbusters” includes more intentional comedic aspects and focuses on supernatural events, “Scream” primarily focuses more on gore and horror. The contrasting moods made it more entertaining when hearing others’ reactions.
Whether it was sharing laughter to a funny scene or feeling the suspense just before a jump scare, and even expressing similar disbelief to some of the movie characters ridiculousness, students came together and enjoyed each other’s company regardless of whether or not they knew each other well. This event allowed students to connect with one another and overall, provided them with a great memory to look back on when reflecting on their college days.
