By Deborah Mitchell-Moore
The sensational Barbie (2023) stole our hearts in theaters, and now it has taken over our hearts here at CI! The blockbuster summer hit garnered a lot of attention in the media, and taking place on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on South Quad, the crowd inched towards 150 patrons, most of them in their cutest pink attire. The number of attendees started growing as the sun set, prompting more people to come out with their blankets, food and other movie essentials. People started lining up at the check-in desk at 4:30 p.m., just in time for the fashion show, which took place at 5:30 p.m., and the movie showing at 6:30 p.m.
Throughout the evening, there were various decorations and tiny gifts given by the CI Leadership Committee, including blue and pink paper bags and red blankets. Another awesome perk from the showing was the free blue wristbands, which served as tickets for the food trucks for the first 100 participants. Unfortunately, the free food tickets were all gone when more people started coming, but the Islands Cafe was adjacent to the event, so those who were hungry could use their swipes to get their own food. When food was not on everyone’s minds, their attention was averted to the fashion show, complemented with a “pink carpet” leading out of Bell Tower, showcasing ten to fifteen CI students and local Camarillo residents in their best pink attire. The outfits ranged from pastel pink dresses to lime-green tuxedos, and the amount of support and love radiating from the audience was what made it a successful portion of the afternoon.
As night fell, and the movie began to play, the environment started to feel like a balmy evening under the stars. It was not too hot, nor too cold, which added onto the cozy feeling of an evening soirée. The aerial views complemented the showing exceptionally well; there were twice as many stars as usual, no clouds in the sky, and the darkness didn’t take over the entire field. It was a comfortable feeling, like a warm hug.
Barbie at CI was a major success, and the reception from the movie-goers after the event deemed it one as well. Just like the monumental records the film broke this past summer, the energy brought to CI cannot be topped.
