SEE hosts free annual "Spring Movie Series"
Students wait for the showing of The Green Knight in the Hoff Theater hosted by SEE. (DeAnna Giles/The Black Explosion)
This spring, more events are opening for in-person attendance including the annual Spring Movie Series located in the Stamp Student Union’s Hoff Theater.
The Student Entertainment Events (SEE) continues to provide spring events available for University of Maryland students.
Serving as the student programming board on campus, SEE organizes events such as concerts, lectures, cinema screenings and more.
Many of their events had to be hosted virtually due to the pandemic.
Reines Maliksi, SEE’s president and a senior information science and journalism major, said that one of her biggest goals for the year is to rebuild the organization’s presence and reputation on campus.
UMD students attend The Green Knight showing on March 2nd in the Hoff Theater. Hosted by SEE as part of their Spring Movie Series. (DeAnna Giles/The Black Explosion)
As a result of hosting events virtually, “Our executive board is working super hard to actively and creatively program events that will reach as many different communities as possible,” said Maliksi.
After getting the plan approved with the board, SEE’s Cinema Director Nathan Steighner, a sophomore sociology major, began planning the series in the summer of 2021.
The movies are based on what’s coming out and students have the chance to voice their opinions through polls put out on social media. All types of movies are given consideration in order to provide a wide variety.
“My first [goal] is to reach as many people as possible and entertain them. Having the option for programming where people can sit back and relax,” Steighner said. “I want to make sure that students are feeling represented in the media that they're consuming.”
Each week, the Hoff Theater’s doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 8 p.m.
SEE hosts Spring Movie Series in the Stamp Student Union Hoff Theater. The Green Knight showed on March 2 and 3. (DeAnna Giles/The Black Explosion)
The series includes a range of genres with a mystery movie set for April 1st. Students may be able to guess the movie through clues released on social media, according to Steighner.
“I think it’s going to be something that surprises students and makes some students laugh,” Steighner said.
Steighner says the number of students attending the screenings depends on the movie being shown. Many students attend because it is their first time seeing it.
“It’s nice to just be in a community [and] to watch a free movie together,” said Mia Garcia, a senior information science major.
Now that the campus has lifted the mask mandate outside of classrooms, students can enjoy a dinner inside the theater while watching the movie.
Students brought popcorn and snacks to the latest movie screening of The Green Knight on Wednesday and Thursday.
Benjamine Sarpong, a sophomore communications major, attended the screening. He said it was the second movie hosted by SEE that he attended.
“I heard about [the movie] when it came out and didn’t really have a way [of seeing the movie] and I wasn’t gonna pay to watch it online,” Sarpong said.
Sarpong also stated he attends other events hosted by SEE. In early February, SEE hosted a “Feeling Myself” event to celebrate Valentines Day which included two queer sexologists speakers. Other events include a karaoke night and their spring comedy show.
SEE hosts the fifth movie in the Spring Movie Series lineup on March 2nd. Located in the William Hoff Theater in the Stamp Student Union. (DeAnna Giles/The Black Explosion)
SEE’s cinema director shared that they will continue to provide seats for organizations interested in doing social gatherings. The series will run through the end of April.
“It's just something that I look forward to at night. Just to relax and have something to think about afterward,” Garcia said.
In the coming weeks, SEE will host their spring lecture and the return of Art Attack, an arts festival tradition hosted by SEE that was canceled during the pandemic.
The event is a combination of various activities including DIY crafts, carnival-like activities, and performances from the campus community. At the end, students enjoy a concert featuring a notable talent.
“Art Attack unites our campus community and provides several opportunities to celebrate and enjoy the past school year at Maryland,” Maliksi said.