Walk through your average college dorm hallway and there are a few things you tend to expect – the sound of loud music, the mixed smell of old beer cans, pot smoke and pizza and students studying, working on computers, watching television or playing Playstation.

What you don’t expect to find is a group of students banding together and starting a grassroots benefit project to aid the victims of Katrina.

This, however, is exactly what a group of students from Kohl Hall is doing.

Put in motion by Zach Meincke, sophomore, less than a month ago, the group is now putting the final touches on their first box office business venture.

With some of the members share nothing more than the same dorm, the same love of movies or the same need to help, the group has organized a weekend movie event at the recently closed down Cla-Zel Theatre, with all proceeds benefiting the Katrina relief effort.

“The hurricane was all over the news and it was really horrible and we wanted to do something,” said Sean Mika, sophomore. “Also Zach and I both are really into movies and we were really disappointed when the Cla-Zel closed, and we thought it would be great to see movies again at the Cla-Zel and take all the proceeds and put it towards the Red Cross.”

Meincke, a film major who used to frequent the Cla-Zel, believed having the charity event at the historic theatre was a win-win situation.

“We know a couple people in our hall who were affected by Katrina, but I can’t say that’s our reasoning for doing it,” Meincke said. “I think our reasoning for doing it is just hearing about the disaster. Plus we wanted to help with the disaster and then we wanted to help the Cla-Zel on our own parts, and we thought ‘hey why don’t we put these together.'”

Transforming the idea into a reality, however, wasn’t an easy task. The group spent countless sorting through the red tape with motion picture companies, donors and the theatre company in order for this event to take place.

Terry Streetman, Meincke’s roommate, a sophomore, has dedicated much of his time to the effort, but was happy to help.

“Sure this was stressful, but it was more than worth it if I can help,” Streetman said. “As one of the greatest countries in the world, as you hear all the time, are you just going to sit there and watch it? No. It’s a responsibility of the people who have it to give to the people who need it. If I can help that happen, absolutely, there’s no reason not to help.”

The group from Kohl, however, is not the only people who have helped in the effort. Generous donations from on-campus groups, coupled with discounted prices on the rights for the movies from Criterion Film and the Cla-Zel Theatre, have made this weekend event possible and Meincke is very grateful.

With all their planning and hard work nearly complete, the group is hopeful that their nostalgic charity movie event will be successful and are hopeful for the event.

“There is no way this is not going to be fun. We’re going to have fun,” said Meincke. “I just want to see great things come from this. I want a huge audience to come, and it would honestly make this one of the greatest weekends of my life.”

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