Katelyn Benschoter-

Well, it is that time of year again… back-to-school season. Whether you are a new Gustie on campus or an eager student returning to school, there still remains one common goal: enjoying quality time with friends on campus. In my first year at Gustavus, I found that an excellent, low-stakes way to make new friends was by having movie nights. These movie nights allowed for discourse between new friends and also space to just sit back and relax without it being too awkward. The next step here is finding the perfect movie, but what is the art of finding the right film for this new season of life? The key to having the perfect back-to-school movie nights with new or old friends is to find a film that is fun, lighthearted, and teaches an excellent lesson along the way.

A personal favorite film of mine that holds these traits is the 2012 hit film Pitch Perfect. If you have somehow managed to avoid seeing this movie, it follows college freshman Becca as she unwillingly joins the on-campus female a cappella group. I find this film to be very re-watchable and just plain funny. The film demonstrates the initial awkwardness that many new college students feel, yet it teaches the only way to get past that is to put yourself out there. Becca soon finds that the girls in this a cappella group are like a second family to her. Pitch Perfect encapsulates what a perfect back-to-school watch should be. It’s hilarious, relatable, and teaches so many lessons; all while having some top-notch musical numbers.

The next good movie is throwing it back to a classic from many college students’ childhood: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The film is an adaptation of the J.K Rowling book series and follows a young Harry Potter who discovers he possesses magical traits. He then attends a new school called Hogwarts, which is a boarding school for wizards. There, he meets new friends and finds out who he truly is. While Potter is only a young boy in the film, many of his struggles and newfound friendships parallel the college experience. College can feel like a whole new world for many incoming students who have only known their life at home. While it may only be a few hours from home for some, Gustavus could feel like a boarding school filled with magical and fantastical creatures. Yet, like Harry Potter, we manage and all find our very own Rons and Hermiones who help us along the way. By the end of the year, what seemed like something out of a fantasy novel can become our second home.

For the third and final pick of the best back-to-school films, I have to go to a classic and very pink film fit for girls’ night. The only option here would be Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon. Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods, the stereotypical blonde sorority girl as she decides to pursue a law degree at Harvard Law. Woods does this all out of spite for her ex-boyfriend who undermined her. Viewers watch as she learns so many valuable lessons for a young woman to learn. To name the big two: never underestimate yourself and never change for anyone. While the film’s plot may at first seem shallow as it appears to be humorous that a stereotypical sorority prom queen would pursue a degree of such rigor, the film dives much deeper than this. If you have not taken the time to watch this film, please use the back-to-school season as an opportunity to. It is not only very funny and aesthetically pleasing but takes a stab at a wondrous lesson of self-exploration and the expectations of being an educated woman.

‘Tis the season of moving in, making friends, and waking up for eight a.m. classes again. Make sure to take some time from the busyness and excitement of it all and try to make some friends. So reunite with those you have missed over the summer or maybe find some new friends, and have a memorable movie night. You may just find yourself saying, “That girl I decided to watch Pitch Perfect with during our first year is still one of my best friends.”