Grand Valley State University students had a wickedly good time on Wednesday, Feb. 5 while watching an on-campus showing of “Wicked.” Attendees gathered in the Holton-Hooker Living and Learning Center to enjoy the movie, along with themed decorations, snacks and mocktails. The showing also brought attention to themes of health, identity and systems of oppression.
A team of GVSU centers and programs partnered to host the event. The hosts included the Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity (CWGE), as well as the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center, Center of Health and Wellbeing (WIT) and Alcohol & Other Drugs Services (AOD).
A common room in Holton-Hooker was decorated with pink and green tinsel, witches and a yellow brick road that led to audience members’ seats. CWGE provided an on-theme spread of pop, lemonade, cookies and savory dips for guests to enjoy. WIT set up a cart in the room full of free mementos, including stickers, pens, “Wicked” coloring pages and other products.
“Honestly, I was really impressed with everything,” said Jenna Jensen, a GVSU student in attendance. “I expected to sit there and just watch a movie, but it was really fun. I loved all the decorations they had and all the fun snacks.”
GVSU student Samantha Makowski agreed, adding that event organizers went above and beyond to put on an inviting and fun experience while promoting educational dialogue.
“I think they’re trying to loop it (educational dialogue) in because there’s a lot of hidden messages in the movie,” Makowski said.
D. Hollowell, the assistant director of the University’s LGBT Resource Center, said they feel it is important to cultivate spaces of joy and create different forms of community engagement, which sparked collaboration with CWGE.
“We (the LGBT Resource Center) would love to engage in more collaborative endeavors for students on our campus,” Hollowell said. “We know that as social justice center leaders, we value opportunities for our students to learn and be educated around systems of oppression, how their identities overlap with those systems, how to be active bystanders, how to transition from ally to accomplice and all those kinds of things.”
Hollowell said the movie’s hidden themes can spark insightful conversations. They also added that lighthearted events can bring individuals a stronger sense of belonging on campus and the opportunity to de-stress during the busy, winter semester.
Lariesha Lee, the assistant director of CWGE, agreed with Hollowell and said the event was an opportunity to reach students in a fun, entertaining way.
“We (CWGE) really want students to engage and have conversations about what they saw (in “Wicked”), how it impacts them and how it impacts the world,” Lee said.
Hollowell added that AOD helped organize the “Wicked” mocktails to encourage students to have a healthy relationship with drinking.
“(AOD) brings awareness about potential risks and hazards of other recreational drugs, while also offering alternatives to drinking,” Hollowell said. “It’s (the movie night) a social environment, and you can still have a fun drink in your hand, but not one that impairs your ability to drive afterwards.”
Lee noted that she hopes to be part of additional events where students can make connections with one another.
“(We’re) trying to get students to be in a community with one another,” Lee said.
