Cyclone Cinema’s first movie shown on campus was “Bridesmaids” on Aug. 25, 2011, when enrollment was 29,887.

Since then, Cyclone Cinema has shown movies for free each weekend on campus, every Thursday through Sunday at 7 and 10 p.m. Most of these movies are out of theaters, yet haven’t come out on DVD. Iowa State’s enrollment has increased by nearly 17 percent and therefore, there is an increased need for more entertainment options on campus.

Cyclone Cinema provides a fun, college-budget approved option for a weekend activity. The program now takes place only at Carver 101, but a new Inter-Residence Hall Association bill could change that by adding a location to show the movies. The association discussed the bill at its last couple meetings and will revisit the bill at its next meeting Thursday. 

Adding another location to Cyclone Cinema is necessary to accommodate for the number of students enrolled at Iowa State and the increased number of students wanting to live on or near campus.

Cyclone Cinema is funded by Student Government and co-sponsored by the Inter-Residence Hall Association. The program costs about $30,000 and, according IRHA parliament meeting minutes, the organization gives $10,000 to Cyclone Cinema.

Carver 101 sits 205 students, and Cyclone Cinema is shown twice a night for four nights. If each showing was full of students each time, that serves about 1,640 students, which is only 4.5 percent of the student population. While not every showing is at full capacity, theoretically, an on-campus free activity that covers a broad interest and wide audience would be able to serve more than 4.5 percent of the student population.

By adding a second location, Cyclone Cinema can better serve more students. Adding a second location would be another way the university and its organizations can provide students with safe, fun activities on campus on the weekends. And students are not the only ones to use the program. Families and others from the area attend Cyclone Cinema for certain movies.

Granted, we understand adding a location may also add to the costs needed to run the program.

Each movie shown at Cyclone Cinema costs approximately $1,000 for the club to rent from companies Swank and Criterion. Student Government has consistently funded Cyclone Cinema, and because of an unexpected increase in renovation at Carver Hall and operational costs, the Senate unanimously voted to increase funding by $6,683 to meet the higher demand the cinema is receiving, according to an earlier Iowa State Daily article. 

If adding another location each week is too expensive, SUB could possibly plan out at the beginning of the semester which movies are projected to be more popular and use a second location for those showings.

Because if Cyclone Cinema decides to show “Frozen” again, we all know there will definitely need to be another showing location.