Sarah Shelton
Contributor
University Programming Board creates events designed for the enjoyment of all students passing through this campus. On March 31, the UPB hosted a watch party in Shawnee Theater for the popular television series, “The Walking Dead,” where they played the season three finale, followed by the season three premiere of “Game of Thrones.”
Tanner Sanders, a freshman in sociology and low budget/no budget chairman of UPB, oversees the watch events that take place. He and other board members decided on airing “The Walking Dead” for the common interest of the show growing within the campus.
“It has zombies and guns. It’s like the American dream,” Sanders said. “And there’s free popcorn.”
The Walking Dead first aired in October of 2010 and has now reached over 16 million viewers. Based on the comic-book series of the same name, “The Walking Dead” is a horror series about a post-zombie apocalyptic world sharing the stories of survivors from the Atlanta area. The survivors struggle to find humanity left in their world while facing risks of attacks from not only zombies, but other survivors as well.
Bailey Hess, a senior in criminal justice and sociology and a UPB member, said, “It’s just a freaking awesome show and we all got really excited when we heard that the third season was going to show while school was in session. It’s something a lot of people have an interest in and it gives other students a chance to try something new without being intimidated.”
Because of the success of the show and the scheduling of the latest season, the UPB has been able to host watch parties throughout the season for students, always for free with door prizes for premiers and finales.
“There are so many different groups of people. Honestly, not everybody is into watching sports or being in Greek life. It’s important to have a variety of things that reach out to everyone on campus and have nobody feeling left out,” Hess said.
Shows like “The Walking Dead” allow for group commenting and sharing of ideas. It provides people who share the same attractions and pastimes the opportunity to watch together for a greater reaction. When somebody dies, there’s a chorus of emotion. It’s the same effect of what someone would get if they were at the movie theater with a group of friends.
Brad Morris, a graduate student in history who attended the watch party, said, “I like the character dynamics and I think a lot of people enjoy the social aspects of the show. In this show they challenge the characters. It’s the kind of thing where you don’t know who is going to die next. They’re not afraid to kill off a character, and that creates a good atmosphere for people to talk about it. You get to observe the shock-and-awe factor when something goes down.”
All events hosted by the UPB are free of charge and offered to every student.
“It gives you something to do. Students pay all these fees and they don’t realize that part of that goes to the UPB budget. We host these fun little activities for people to do as our way to give back to the students,” Sanders said.