American Medical Student Association

The films were screened Tuesday through Friday night at 5 pm. The turnout for the films was less that we had hoped (despite promises of popcorn, ice cream, and cake). Ten people came the first night, five the second night, two the third night, and twelve the fourth night. This is likely because many students don't want to stay on campus that late, or would rather be studying, or have already seen the films. “A Closer Walk” was the one film that was shown during one of the slots reserved for lunch meetings and about 45 people showed up. Almost none of them returned in the evening to watch the films conclusion. For the amount of effort required to put this together, it probably was not worth it.

*However, several grad students showed up for the screenings (maybe they’d be more interested than medical students). Also, “Pandemic: Facing AIDS” was really, really good. It was poignant, powerful, all without being preachy. If there’s any film that should be screened for a group of people that doesn’t have time, I think this should be it.

So, my suggestion is to maybe cut down on the number of films, and maybe find a time slot where more people can attend such as a two-hour lunch break, or right after a class.