Freshmen had the opportunity to see the campus porn free two weekends ago. As part of a new program to encourage freshmen to see UR Cinema Group movies, the 2005 Class Council began giving away free tickets to certain movies ? including Friday’s “Royal Tenenbaums” and Saturday’s porn, “Thighs Wide Open.”
“The program is an opportunity for the council and the class to have a good time and learn more about the Cinema Group,” 2005 Class Council President Jesse Bailey said.
The 2005 Class Council gave away 100 free tickets to both movies, spending $200 for the tickets. “A lot of people were excited,” Bailey said. “Some didn’t know we were doing the program so they just smiled and said thank you.”
Dean of Freshmen Deborah Rossen-Knill thought the idea behind the movie night was good but she questioned the council’s idea to premiere the idea when the porn was one of the movies.
The porn was “a bad idea. I find pornography offensive and counter to creating a safe campus community,” she said. “An educational institution should not sponsor this kind of activity.”
Bailey said the council gave away tickets to the porn because it wanted to encourage freshmen to embrace the tradition and because administration had okayed the event. He agreed, however, the decision might not have been the best one for the council to make.
“We didn’t think about some of the negative ramifications of what it would mean to give tickets away to the porn,” he said. “If we would have had more time to think about those issues we may have rethought our decision.”
Cinema Group Chairman and junior Anthony DiMatta applauded the council’s idea to program toward the Cinema Group.
“I think the program was a good one. It got some freshmen out to our films, so now some of them may decide to start coming to other movies,” he said.
“I think working with the freshman council is a good idea to promote any group on campus. Since the freshmen are somewhat separated from the upperclassmen, this is a way to get them involved in campus programming they may not have really been aware of or cared about,” he continued.
DiMattia said the program “definitely” increased viewership at the Royal Tennebaums. The porn, however, would have been a success with or without the freshman program. It sold over 600 tickets, bringing in just about double any other good cinema group show.
Complaints
Others complained about the idea of the program. Campus Activities Board member and junior Santo Marciano called it a “lame excuse for programming.”
“You just don’t program for 10 percent of the class,” he continued. “By anyone’s standards, that’s not a program.”
Bailey disagreed. “I stick by the program, people enjoyed it and it was a success,” he said.
He hopes to continue encouraging freshmen to become more involved in various SA groups by cosponsoring programs with them.
Last Friday, the council had the Spanish and Latino Students’ Association teach Latin dancing in the Gilbert Community Room from 9 p.m. to midnight. The council will work with the Cinema Group by giving away free tickets to “The Fellowship of the Rings” on April 12 and April 13.
Hildebrandt can be reached at thildebrandt@campustimes.org.
