CCSC hosts ‘Glee’-ful screening for College Days event

Airing at the odd time of 9:28 p.m. last night on Fox, Glee premiered its first spring episode, titled “Hell-O.” CCSC screened the episode on Low Steps in conjunction with College Days.

“Glee is such a popular show on campus,” said Beezly Kiernan, CC ’11 and treasurer of the Campus Life Committee on CCSC, “and it coincided with College Days perfectly.”

Kiernan and other CCSC members manned a table at the event, handing out popcorn, water, and t-shirts.

The event opened with a performance by Columbia’s own Glee Club, who performed a rendition of the school fight song “Roar, Lion, Roar.” The rest of the performance was overall enjoyable and included a notable homage to local landmark Tom’s with the Suzanne Vega song “Tom’s Diner.” They decided to end the evening with the same version of Journey’s famous song “Don’t Stop Believin’” that the actors of Glee performed in the television show in a previous episode. However, the club’s closing song was off-key and off-beat, a disappointing end to an otherwise entertaining act.

Fortunately, the students in attendance didn’t seem to mind—the crowd was huge and cheered loudly at the end of the club’s performance. “I think this is a great turnout considering how chilly it is,” Kiernan said.

Although Glee takes place in small-town Ohio, CCSC chose to include the episode in New York-themed College Days. “We needed something to do for Tuesday night, and we thought ‘Well, Glee is showing.’ We were just going to show a movie instead,” Kiernan said. The show’s immense popularity on campus and role as a source of inspiration for Columbia’s own Glee Club gave the event some relevance to College Days, however forced.

“I think it’s great taking a pop culture phenomenon like Glee and including Columbia’s own Glee Club at this event because it’s another one of the myriad ways that Columbia connects to the outside world,” said Frank Redner, CC ’13.

Once the show’s opening shots aired on screen, the excitement in the air was palpable. Students cheered, jeered, and laughed together at the crazy antics of the students, teachers, and administrators of fictional William McKinley High School.

The show opens with the Glee club high off their win at sectionals, but the audience is quickly reminded that they haven’t left the Glee they came to love in the fall when the club’s members are pelted with slushies by the “popular” students.

The episode primarily focuses on the relationships between teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) and guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays) and between New Directions glee club stars Finn Hudson (Corey Monteith) and Rachel Berry (Lea Michele). Broadway alums Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff guest star as the director and star of Vocal Adrenaline, New Directions’ main rival.

The event’s attendees were visibly enjoying the episode, even students who were viewing the show for the first time. “I’ve never seen Glee, and this is a great way to be introduced to it,” said Maddie Scott, BC ’13. “I’m really enjoying this episode.”