A super night of nostalgia and leisure
By Nicole Calacal
Armed with blankets, pillows and popcorn, students huddled in close groups around the campus mall in preparation for a movie under the stars on Sept. 15.
Incredibles 2 provided to be ideal entertainment for the pleasantly cool evening, and students, wearing sweatpants, hoodies or pajamas, quieted down once the Pixar Animation Studios’ lamp leaped onto the screen.
Students and staff were given an exclusive treat, as the action sequences and heartfelt family moments of the Parr Family played out in front of the mesmerized audience.
Assistant Director of Campus Life for Activities and Student Engagement Nick Barbati said the decision to play the Incredibles 2 was because “it was such a big hit this summer, and it is not yet available for home viewing, so it seemed like a perfect fit time-wise to offer our students a unique event that they could not recreate in their own rooms.”
The choice of movie resonated with the students because the franchise had been well-known for most of their lives.
Freshman elementary education major Andrea Arellano said, “I loved it. I saw the first movie when I was a toddler. Now seeing [the sequel] as a freshman in college — I thought it was really neat.”
Creating an inclusive and comfortable environment was what inspired Barbati to create this end-of-summer event.
“We have really been focusing on getting students out of their rooms on the weekend and bringing everyone together to enjoy the outside while the weather allows us,” Barbati said. “There is just a different energy and feeling of community to these types of programs. We also know that our students love movies and thought this would be a great fit.”
Although this was not the first outdoor movie screening that Rider had hosted, for those who were new to the campus, such as Arellano, this was a relaxing welcome.
Arellano said that she enjoyed the experience and that watching a movie with other students felt “homey” and allowed for a “close connection with everybody.”
Additional reporting by Megan Lupo
Video created by the Rider News video editors Gerard Blandina, Drew Jacabacci and Ben Ross
