Manhattan University students watching “Michael” Friday Aug. 28
SOPHIA FORTUNATO / THE QUADRANGLE
Sophia Fortunato, Contributor
As Manhattan University (MU) moves further into the semester, “movie on the quad” has returned for the past two Fridays.
“Movie on the quad” is open to all MU students and features a pre-selected movie each week. Two weeks ago, students watched “Michael,” followed by “Mean Girls” this past Friday. The event has been a university tradition since 2019.
Attendees are provided with free food, candy and drinks outside Smith Auditorium. According to Nicole Brosnan, director of student engagement, the event is designed for all students to attend, with a particular focus on giving freshmen and new students an opportunity to connect with one another.
“We highlight [the event] to our new students, so they know it happens, but student engagement runs these movies every year and everybody’s welcome to attend,” Brosnan said.
Travis Vega, a freshman psychology major, saw the event as Brosnan described, an engaging way for new students to meet others on campus while being able to enjoy a movie.
“I think [this event is] great,” Vega said. “You have the ability to meet new people while watching great movies. Perfect for new students trying to find their people.”
Vega added that “Michael” was one of the highlights among the films selected for the first few weeks.
“It was pretty chill, you can never say no to some Michael Jackson,” Vega said.
Cecil Marian, a freshman political science major, said he enjoyed the movie, particularly because he liked the music.
“I really enjoyed it,” Marian said. “He’s one of my favorite artists. I do like him a lot, and I thought it [the movie] was very interesting.”
Marian also noted some issues with the event’s setup, particularly the sound quality.
“I thought it was a little quiet though for an on-the-quad movie, and there was pretty dramatic volume differences,” Marian said. “I had a little trouble understanding some parts, but I still enjoyed it.”
Promotion for Friday’s events was posted around campus and on MU student engagement’s social media. However, Marian said the event could have drawn a larger crowd with more promotion.
“I think it’s a cool idea, but I don’t think it gets a lot of popularity because it’s hard to hear about it,” Marian said. “I think if we advertise it a little bit better… more people will attend because it’s something quick and easy to just do with friends on the quad.”
When asked whether students have a say in selecting future movies, Brosnan discussed that orientation leaders help choose the films with input from the incoming freshman class.
“Over the summer, I have a team of 10 orientation leaders who are current MU students who help greet our newest Jaspers and let them pick the movies because they know what students want to see,” Brosnan said. “When we do something that’s not just right at the beginning of the semester, we love to let students vote on it.”
Marian explained that the event also provides students with an opportunity to unwind and spend time with friends.
“Honestly, I think it’s a good way to kind of see your friends again after a long week or weekend, and then gives you a chance to really relax and then start the next week fresh,” Marian said.
For the rest of the semester, movie nights will be held at Van Cortlandt Park. The first event is scheduled for Sept. 11, and all screenings are free and open to everyone.
Students can also follow @mustudentengage on Instagram for updates on upcoming events.