Do you enjoy going to the movies? Are you looking for an enthusiastic group of students to hang out with? Join the MBU Cinemates, and show your love of watching new releases and old favorites together as a community. “It’s just another Tuesday.”
Photos by Haley Sandvoss
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Joey Link, a junior business administration major from New Baden Illinois, who is president of the Cinemates, started the group after the first movie night of a group of friends back in mid-August. The group gained MBU sponsorship shortly after, on Oct. 4, and since then has grown to roughly 60-70 members. The idea formed from just a group of friends going to the movies regularly for the cheap Tuesday night tickets. “We thought about shortly after making it an official group, since it was so popular,” said Link. “Student Government Association helped out and then we were a group, we were a hit.” Displaying themselves through their sage green long sleeve shirts around campus, the group even wears the shirts to movie nights. Macy Evans, a sophomore currently working toward her bachelor of science in nursing, is vice president over the Cinemates. “My favorite part of our organization is that we open doors to new friendships. Getting to know someone and figuring out what to say first can be hard sometimes,” said Evans. “However, when you create common ground together, like watching a movie, that door is opened for all new paths of conversation.” As president, Link is the one who makes the executive decision on what movie is being seen, as well as making sure everyone going has a ride to and from the movie theater. Link also assists students with getting their free popcorn as well as checking in on everyone to ensure they are doing OK. Evans runs the Instagram page, which means she generates the post pictures every week to update everyone on the Tuesday night show, as well making posts to help boost events around campus and show their support. MBU Cinemates is trending throughout the campus. “You can see this through our numbers, one of the biggest groups on campus,” said Link. Movie night is always on Tuesday night at the Des Peres Cinema on Manchester Road. Tuesday night at the theater, if you get a ticket to see a movie you also get a free small popcorn complimentary of MBU. Evans has been to so many shows this semester she knows all the pre-movie advertisements. Emmaline Jones, Macy Evans and Joey Link, the three leaders of the MBU Cinemates. “We know all of the advertisements by heart, we love to say hi to Greg Marcus when his bit comes on right before the show starts,” said Evans. The night before Halloween was one of the biggest turnouts for the MBU Cinemates, as students all met in North Hall and some even came in their costumes, before heading out to see, the movie, “Halloween.” “We had some really creative students come up with the coolest costumes,” said Evans. “When everyone was showing up for the movie we were all in North Hall lobby talking and having a great time and complimenting one another on costumes and it was so nice being able to bring people together like that.” Emmaline Jones, a sophomore pre-nursing major and officer for the MBU Cinemates, helps Link with the weekly meetings of discussing the movie choice. “The fact that everyone can collectively get together off campus and have fun, as well as it’s just a way for us students to get to know each other,” said Jones. “Also getting to sit down in the recliners and relax is a luxury us students get to do together.” This is the first group on campus that watches movies, as well as one of the most successful groups on campus. “I’m excited to start a good trend of fun events on campus, it’s easy to get involved at MBU,” said Link. “I feel like a pioneer, the first ones to make a fun club on this campus.” The MBU Cinemates always welcomes new members to come to their Tuesday night movie sessions. Follow the MBU Cinemates Instagram page to get the latest updates on what movie is coming up next. Give this group a try, it may be just an ordinary Tuesday, but these events bring the community together with cheap movie tickets and free popcorn. Plus, the recliners are a nice touch too.
Alexa Tippett 
Jack Gienke 
Emma Tihen