ZPN Hosts Successful First Drive-In Movie Event
{Graphic Courtesy of Zips Programming Network)
Drive-In movies are making a resurgence during the pandemic and ZPN brought the trend to UA.
November 16, 2020
Zips Programming Network (ZPN) hosted a successful first drive-in movie event on Oct. 16, with several socially-distanced people in attendance, in Lot 70.
ZPN showed the hit Disney Channel Original Movie, Halloweentown, only a day before the movie’s 22nd anniversary. With Halloween around the corner, this movie was the perfect choice in the eyes of many students for the first ZPN drive-in movie event.
The movie began at 8 p.m., but guests were asked to arrive at 7 p.m. due to the limited spaces and refreshments that were available. ZPN provided popcorn and drinks while the Alumni Association provided candy.
“Attendance [was] on a first-come, first-serve basis, and [was] limited to the number of cars we can safely fit in Lot 70,” stated ZPN’s Fine Arts Chair, Taylor Marino prior to the event. “Cars [were] spaced out in order to ensure we are maintaining proper social distancing practices.”
Students could bring as many friends and family as they could safely fit in their vehicle. Each vehicle was required to show only one Zip card to gain entry to the drive-in event.
To ensure UA safety guidelines were followed, guests were required to stay in their vehicles to watch the movie and practice social distancing throughout the event. ZPN asked for the names and student ID number of every guest to ensure contact tracing was possible after the event.
“With campus activities being so limited right now due to the pandemic, ZPN’s drive-in event provided a unique opportunity to connect with friends in a safe and fun environment. The ZPN amazingly created a drive-in that was a fun and authentic experience for students, ” Madison Britton, a third-year electrical engineering major, said.
Marino said that there is a lot of interest in planning another drive-in movie event for the upcoming spring semester.
Mckenzie Uhrig is currently majoring in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Marketing at The University of Akron. After graduating from UA, Mckenzie hopes to work her way up to an Editor’s position at an established fashion magazine.
An Interesting Fact about Mckenzie:
Mckenzie has a pet rabbit named Nestor (Nessy), while her younger sister, Jasey, has a pet rabbit named Lola (Nestor's sister). The rabbit duo can often be seen cuddling and racing each other during their walks.
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