Despite the pressure of end-of-the-year papers, theses, tests and the looming gloom of finals, many Whitman students took a well-deserved break to attend Campus Activities Board’s (CAB) final Drive-In Movie Night on Friday, May 1.  

“There was a huge turnout,” said sophmore and CAB representative Ryan Lum. “I would estimate there were probably around 150 for each movie at least.”

The event played the Oscar-winning and heartfelt movie “Slumdog Millionaire” as well as the original version of “The Italian Job.” The movies, while seemingly an odd match-up, attracted a large demographic of the Whitman student body.

“CAB put forth about 10 movies for the student body to vote on [via listserv e-mail link],” said Lum. “We took the student votes and chose the top choice [‘Slumdog Millionaire’] as well as [another movie] we thought would compliment the top choice [which was ‘The Italian Job’].   Both are excellent movies and hit a wide range of appeal.”

“The Italian Job,” the first showing, is a whacky, slapstick 1960’s British robbery movie starring Michael Caine in one of his first major leading roles. The movie, while less plot-driven than “Slumdog Millionaire,” still offered the audience some hilarious and simple entertainment.  

“I enjoyed ‘Slumdog Millionare’ more than ‘The Italian Job’ because I think the plot is much darker and more complex, which I enjoyed,” said Lum. “This isn’t to say that ‘The Italian Job’ isn’t wonderful, but I hadn’t seen ‘Slumdog [Millionaire]’ before, and I was very impressed by it.”

While the CAB program will become part of the new Programming Board (due in part to lack of funds because of the recession), Lum has high hopes that the Drive-In Movie Nights will continue.

“[Drive-In Movie Night] is continually one of the biggest events that CAB (and ASWC) has for turn-outs,” said Lum. “I personally will try my hardest to keep it alive [and] I don’t believe I’m alone in that opinion.”