A picnic dinner on a summer evening. An outdoor movie under the stars. An exciting date night in South Bend? Not quite.
But Saint Mary's will host its annual Twilight Tailgate tonight on Saint Mary's Library Green. A picnic dinner will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Made of Honor, starring Patrick Dempsey, will begin at 9 p.m. While the dinner is only for Saint Mary's students, the movie is open to all Saint Mary's, Notre Dame and Holy Cross students. Both dinner and the movie are free (the Saint Mary's dining hall will be closed).
The Student Activities Board (SAB) has been planning this event since students returned to campus. SAB President junior Michele Peterson worked with the Traditional Committee to discuss ideas for this year's tailgate. Peterson has attended past tailgates and promises an evening of camaraderie and fun.
"Due to the popularity of last year's dinner and a movie on the [Library] Green, we decided to bring it back," Peterson said.
Student body president Mickey Gruscinski has always cherished events like this at Saint Mary's.
"When else can you get together with your friends and peers on a quad at your school and see a movie outside for free? I'm sad that this will be my last Twilight Tailgate," Gruscinski said.
Student body vice president Sarah Falvey added:
"I've gone every year I have been on campus. It's a fun picnic with delicious food and a nice change of pace, especially this year as we head into the SMC-hosted pep rally and the first game."
During dinner, there will be a raffle for students. There will also be free popcorn, candy apples, and cotton candy during the movie. Peterson and the members of SAB decided "Made of Honor" would be a crowd- pleaser.
"Romantic comedies almost always go over well with the students," Peterson said.
In the past, movies like "License to Wed" were shown, and concert acts like Blessid Union of Souls performed for students.
"Twilight Tailgate is a great Saint Mary's tradition - it's good food and a great time with your friends. Twilight is a fun way to unwind after the first few weeks of class and kick off the weekend," Falvey said.
