Jacob-Aidan Martinez, student life coordinator, shows movie posters spanning three decades Wednesday in Loftin. Photo by Tress-Marie Landa
The series has been a tradition for decades.
By Matthew Reyna
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The office of student life wraps up its spring movie series with “Mortdecai” May 1 and “Paddington” May 15. Student life has a long tradition of hosting movie nights, so long staffers cannot remember exactly when it started.
“Way before I got here,” said student life coordinator Jacob-Aidan Martinez. “Carrie, how long have we been hosting movie nights?”
The question stumped his office mate, too.
“Oh, wow! We have been doing it for years,” called back student success specialist Carrie Hernandez. “I can’t remember exactly when it started.”
Hernandez said the series dates to at least 1996. “It used to be called the film series. We even did the ‘Selena’ movie,” Hernandez said. “We did ‘G.I. Jane’ way back when and the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (in 1996).”
The movies, shown at 7:30 p.m. in the mall, are free to this college’s students and open to the public for $1 general admission. Popcorn, sodas and candy are $1 each.
The movies this semester were “Big Hero 6,” “I Am Ali,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part I,” “Into the Woods” and “Strange Magic.”
The campus activities board selects the titles. “We try to pick a premiere movie, a movie that is out of theaters, but hasn’t hit DVD yet,” Martinez said. “Premiere movies attract a larger audience.”
The college pays for the rights to show the films through the Swank Film Agency.
“We also try to pick animated movies for non-traditional students with kids,” Martinez said. “If you can’t afford the movie theater, you can watch the movies here for free.”
Martinez said the turnout depends on how well they market the event and what the weather is like. “Fifty is the lowest turnout we have had, and 500 is the highest,” Martinez said. “‘Frozen’” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” had the highest turnout.”
“We expected a huge turnout for The Hunger Games, but nobody came because it rained,” Martinez said.
Hernandez and Martinez differed on their favorite movies.
“Monsters University,” Hernandez said. “That was a cute movie, and we had a huge turnout.”
“I like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’” Martinez said. It was a great way to finish off the festivities of SACtacular.”
The fall SACtacular celebrates all things related to this college.
The board will plan the next series at the beginning of fall 2015.
For more information on the series and upcoming movies, contact Martinez at 210-486-0126.
