College is a time of new beginnings, forging new paths and self-discovery. It is a time of challenges, intense dedication and uncertain identity. It is also a time of responsibilities, accomplishments and failures, and seemingly endless opportunities. Most importantly, however, it is a time of unfocused excitement, as well as a time of unrelenting stress.
Sometimes, you almost wish you were a kid again. Guess what? You’re not alone.
The NC State Disney Film Club’s advertised slogan reads: “You are never too old for a Disney movie.” The club is exactly what it sounds like: students getting together to watch Disney films. The club had its first meeting of the semester on Aug. 31. As the meeting time neared and people bustled in, classic Disney songs played back-to-back on the projector in the background. Club officer introductions went underway, and the club agenda was explained: watch Disney films and attend Disney-themed events when possible.
Students shared stories about painting Disney-themed murals in the NC State Free Expression Tunnel, innocently bantered about trivia and boasted movie memorization. An air of excitement about movies and events to come could be felt throughout the room. The chosen movie of the night was the Pixar-animated “Moana.” The viewing involved copious amounts of singing along, colorful but welcome commentary and a general sense of much-needed ease.
“It’s such a laid back atmosphere,” said club secretary Bren Smith, a fourth-year studying technology engineering design education.
Smith has been with the club since her first year. Smith said the club is an easy and enjoyable way to destress and socialize. There was plenty of evidence supporting this. Here was a college auditorium, on a college campus, filled with college students, all for the purpose of getting together, getting along and unwinding.
Enough can never be said about the appeal of the Disney brand to the masses, especially the animated classics. The likelihood of a Disney movie, or a character, or even a quote or catchphrase having impacted most students’ lives in some way or another is quite high.
There is something about Disney’s interwovenness in our childhood that makes us susceptible, at a moment’s notice, to be transported back to those innocent, wonder-filled days. The Disney Film Club seems to offer the chance to relive it all again, and this time with companions you didn’t know you had.
Everything has been said about the magic of Disney; truly, nothing more to add comes to mind. The difference here is that amidst the hectic social and academic buzz that is NC State, this club exists as a beacon of unanimous familiarity, weaving its way through the tough thoughts and during the tough times, as if to say, “Relax. There’s always Mickey Mouse.”
There is a noticeably healthy mix of members along the fan spectrum, as well as plenty of first-years looking for an easy way to make new friends and kill time.
“I think there’s a lot of community building in it,” said club president Hannah Carraway, a fourth-year in film studies. “When people come in and they’re sharing these movies they all watched as kids, I feel like you really need that in college because everything is [about] growing up and being serious.”
As the meeting wrapped up, members frantically blurted out suggestions for the next movie, culminating in a pretty heated voting battle to determine the right film. They finally settled on “Hercules.” The Disney Film Club meets every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
