The Office of Student Development is introducing a new program to North Park University: pre-release movie screenings that will be held on campus, starting this month, to help build community.

The project is the brainchild of the Office of Student Development. “As dean there are things that keep me up at night regarding North Park and our students,” said Andrea Nevels, the dean of Student Development. She is no stranger to the complaint that while there’s plenty to do downtown, there’s not much to do on campus. “[The screenings] would give students something fun to do, they don’t have to travel far, there would be a minimal charge and who doesn’t like to go to the movies?” she said.

The first movie, The Informant, will be screened on February 19. A total of four pre-rental release films will be shown throughout the semester, and Nevels hopes that the program will be a permanent one. A lot of that depends on student feedback.

The purpose of this program is to build community, and so far, student response to the program seems favorable. Nevels sent out a survey to students on January 28 to gauge interest level. Nevels said that over 500 students responded, 300 of those on the first day of the survey.

Commuter Jackie Wente, a junior, is open to the idea of connecting with other students on campus. “If it was a movie that I really wanted to see, and if it was reasonable, I would probably come,” she said. “Since I’m a college student, I don’t have money to go to the theater all the time.”

Fellow junior Mitch Winn is also excited about the program. “I enjoy watching movies with everyone, and I think colleges in general are good places to host movie screenings because it interests the younger generation,” he said. “There’s not much to do on campus, and I like the idea of watching movies before they’re out on DVD.”

Kaitlyn Lehman, a junior, thinks the movie screenings could help build community, especially if the screenings are held late at night. “It’s different from anything that North Park has done in the past,” she said. “It’s good to start trying things to build community.”

Dean Nevels is still working on the details. Students have indicated a willingness to pay two dollars for each movie, but times and locations for the screenings are yet to be determined.

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