Drive-In Movies Come To Hudson Valley Community College

By Nolan cleary, Managing Editor

It’s a staple of every generation. Going to the movies is a tradition audiences have held for decades. For over 100 years, Americans young and old have lined up year after year to see the biggest motion picture there is to offer. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic however that tradition has been largely threatened. Since March, movie theaters have been closed in most states. Theaters have since reopened in 48 states, and New York will be the 49th state to allow theaters to reopen this Friday. However, many are still worried about the potential risks of contracting the coronavirus.

Many big-name movies, like No Time To Die (the new James Bond movie), The Batman, and Spider-Man have had to delay months, and in some cases, years. Other big-name movies, like Trolls: World Tour, Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, Pixar’s Soul have chosen to skip theaters for streaming instead.

 Films that have hit theaters, like Marvel’s The New Mutants, Russel Crowe’s new thriller Unhinged and the highly anticipated Tenet have all gone belly under at the box office. Adding insult to injury, Regal has closed all theaters nationally. 

At Hudson Valley Community College however, the Student Senate is introducing a way for students to experience the movies safely and easily: by bringing the drive-ins to campus. 

Savannah Shulkin is the Vice President of the Student Senate at Hudson Valley Community College, and the brains behind the initiative to bring the movies to college. 

“I brought up the initial idea to the Senate. All summer I had been attending a local drive-in theater in Catskill and having a fantastic time. I love the old-timey feeling of the drive-in and the aspect that it was something fun that you could do during COVID.” Shulkin said. 

Previously, the Student Senate hosted a free movie night at the college for students. However, with the pandemic keeping everyone indoors, Senators had to come up with a different solution. 

According to Shulkin, there are differences between going to a drive-in and going to a movie theater, but the experience is just as rewarding. “The main difference is the fact that you are viewing the movie from the comfort of your vehicle.” Shulkin said. 

Due to health concerns, more restrictions have been implemented to protect students as well. “It is an activity that you can attend that aligns with social distancing guidelines while at the same time you don’t need to wear a mask because you are in your own car. Plus you can bring your own refreshments.” Shulkin said. 

While new movies are scarce, students can expect old classics instead. On the first night of movies, The Mask, a 1994 classic starring Jim Carrey kicked off the movie initiative. 

Student Senate President Reece Harrison elaborated on the project during an episode of The Hudsonian’s official podcast, The Hud. 

“We contracted with a company that brings in a big screen on campus, and then everybody drives in, you get dinner and then you sit in your car and tune in your radio to the right station.” Harrison said. 

Harrison said that he hopes the project can match the traditional movie experience. “It’s a fun experience, especially when not all movie theaters are up and operating.”

According to Shulkin, turnout for the first showing of The Mask was decent, but they’re hoping to increase their numbers. 

“The turnout was ok, we were hoping for a bigger crowd, but I think that the fact that we hosted it the first week had a big impact on the number of people who attended.” Shulkin said. 

Shulkin says she hopes the event gives students the opportunity to leave the house while also staying safe. “I hope that the student body enjoys an event that gets them out of their houses. Due to COVID, we all spend a lot of time home and it’s fun to safely go out once in a while to a drive-in or other socially distanced event!”