On Nov. 2, the University Program Council held a themed screening of "Barbie," the number one movie of the year thus far.
The movie was presented in the Melton Student Center Ballroom, with a running time from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Well over 100 students were in attendance for the event, with many decked out in pink attire to show off their love for the Barbie franchise.
The Barbie movie was released this past summer and was a hit at the box office. It is currently the highest grossing movie of the year, earning roughly $1.4 billion dollars internationally. UPC’s director of films Rachel Robertson, sophomore in biomedical sciences, said she knew it would be a great film for one of their movie nights.
“We kind of just decided in the beginning that "Barbie" was an obvious choice. It was a new release, so we just came up with the idea that it could be a huge event,” Robertson said. “Usually in the past, our films have been a lot smaller, so this movie was really the perfect way for us to expand."
The screening was just one of many parts of the event. Inside, students were welcomed with Chicken Salad Chick croissant platters, special-made Barbie cookies, a Barbie box themed photo booth, a pink balloon arch and carpet and more.
“Most of it was just leadership coming together and deciding on the little fun things that we wanted to add to the event,” Robertson said. “[It was fun] coming up with those fun ideas and details of decorating and food, planning and ordering these things, etc.”
Robertson explained UPC usually has a meeting in the spring to decide on which films they plan to screen and a couple meetings in the fall to narrow down their choices before the events.
“It’s definitely a for-the-girls moment, which I think a lot of people will appreciate," said Melisa Strickland, assistant director of operations for films and junior in psychology, discussing the purpose behind the screening. "I think the message of it paired with Barbie just being so nostalgic and iconic. It’s definitely for the girls."
Robertson agreed, describing the movie as interesting and motivational. She said they were expecting a big crowd, due to both how well the movie has done this year and based on past turnouts with the bigger blockbusters they had showcased.
Strickland said she wanted students to have fun and enjoy the movie but also promote the work of UPC. Events like these help students “see what [UPC] to offer,” according to Strickland. Robertson said the organization has tried to make events more creative and interactive, which the "Barbie" screening demonstrates.
Students Lily Clark, junior in business administration, and Macy Ellison, freshman in pre-nursing, said they would recommend this movie to others. To Clark, "Barbie" can show people what many women feel, which is what drew her to the movie.
“The music [soundtrack] is really good,” Ellison said. “I was personally attracted to the movie because I’ve been a Barbie girl since I was a kid. I liked the old movies, dolls, all of it.”
The movie seemed to be a hit for Auburn students, with people laughing at certain parts of the movie that had been previously trending on social media, as well as a few tears being shed during the more emotional parts toward the end.
Within the next month, UPC will host their annual Winter Wonderland in collaboration with Tiger Nights, which will include a screening of “The Grinch." Robertson said UPC has yet to finalize the specific movies for next semester, but encouraged students to be on the lookout for the list of their spring movie night selections to see more of what they have to offer.
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