Scream Screen; a night of ‘Sinners’ and saints

By Morgan Dickens and Jenna Munswami

FADING sunlight signaling dusk was the perfect backdrop for 107.7 The Bronc’s 10th annual Scream Screen on Oct. 17, as students and members of the community gathered in the Visitor’s Lot for the Halloween festivities and a surprise viewing of “Sinners.”

Every year students, faculty and Lawrenceville locals are welcome to come and enjoy the Halloween-themed activities and food, while wearing costumes to show off their holiday spirit and go trunk-or-treating — Rider’s version of trick-or-treating that utilizes car trunks to give out candy.

Scream Screen X, presented by Advanced Auto Parts, brought 30 trunk-or-treat stations and eight food trucks and vendors: DeLorenzo’s The Burg Pizza, Thai Cha Chak, Yooo Cuz, Bronc Bites, Lawrenceville Sandwich Company, Saxbys, B2 Bistro + Bar and Monster Energy drinks delivered by Coca-Cola. 

Activities like pumpkin painting with the Tanning Zone and the Office of Admissions’ transfer students made their return this year. Guests could test their skills with inflatable axe throwing, ring toss and an obstacle course, thanks to Party Perfect Rental. 

Despite the brisk fall weather, a mass of guests arrived for the frightening festivities and were welcomed with a free Sky Zone Halloween bag to collect various treats. Adults and children alike dressed in their finest costumes as they weaved in and out of view to trunk-or-treat stations hosted by various organizations, including Rider clubs, Greek life and local organizations. Others waited in line to grab a bite while enjoying popular tunes provided by 107.7 The Bronc.

Costumes from across all genres could be admired. From “Howl’s Moving Castle” to “Super Mario Bros.,” guests made sure to make an impression that night with their creative and spooky attire. Fun conversations and enthusiastic compliments echoed throughout the parking lot as anticipation grew for the highly anticipated drive-in movie.

For many vendors, this was a recurring visit to Rider, while for some it was their first time. Krishna Patel, owner of Lawrenceville Sandwich Co., made their first appearance at Scream Screen. Patel served portions of chicken caesar wraps and grilled chicken avocado wraps to eager patrons. Being close to Rider, Patel saw tabling at Scream Screen as a great opportunity to make their sandwich shop known. 

“We want to get all of our information out especially for Rider students,” Patel said. “Us just being four minutes away, not many people know about that. It’s nice to put ourselves out there and let you guys know we’re there, we give discounts to students, and it’s all year round!”  

Lawrenceville Sandwich Co. was not the only first-timer, as Rider Esports Club also made an appearance. Dressed as Toad from the “Super Mario Bros.” franchise, club president and junior English major Julian Geibel shared, “We thought it would be interesting because in a way we can support Rider and our fellow organization.” 

Each group and organization tabling for trunk-or-treat featured a display of candy and other           freebies for those visiting the table. 

While Scream Screen welcomed many newcomers, recurring organizations made sure to come out for the 10th annual drive-in. Junior psychology major Oliver Merino tabled for Lambda Theta Phi Fraternity, Inc. and shared that a big aspect for coming out to events was “the social aspect” and “giving back to the community.” Merino said that it was his second time tabling for Scream Screen and he enjoyed “seeing different kinds of costumes” people showed off for Halloween.

Senior radio and podcasting major Alli Burton from 107.7 The Bronc was part of the group that made Scream Screen happen. She emphasized how fun it is to see so many people exploring the different stations instead of staying in their dorm on a Friday night. Burton said 107.7 The Bronc wants to extend the invitation to more than just Rider community members. 

“So the goal for this is really to get the campus all together as a big community,”  Burton said. “Even the outside communities are more than welcome to join us here.”

Children from the community could be seen playing in the inflatable obstacle course while the radio station hyped up the crowd of students at the front. Crowds were breaking out into dance as 107.7 The Bronc played songs like “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan and “Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of…)”  by Lou Bega.

“I don’t want to be cliche and say ‘everyone comes together’ but it’s true,” Burton said. “It’s really cool to see people you don’t typically see around campus, you see a bunch of people and it’s great!”

More people flooded in as the night went on and cars continued to drive through in anticipation for the promised horror movie. Everyone was left in suspense, eager to know if the movie would be “Sinners,” “Five Nights at Freddie’s,” “IT,” “The Substance,” or “Final Destination: Bloodlines.” 

For Halloween fans of all ages, a viewing of the short film “Scared Shrekless” premiered first at 8 p.m. Afterwards, it was time for the secret to be unveiled. Those who were not in cars made their way to the grass next to the screen to see which film was chosen for the evening. A few minutes later, the title card for “Sinners” lit up the lot, having won the most votes. 

The man behind it all, John Mozes, general manager of 107.7 The Bronc, said that the planning for Scream Screen started right after last year’s event. As soon as the following Monday hits, preparation begins and he said there were high hopes for this year’s Scream Screen. 

“As far as expectations go, this year’s event exceeded all expectations,” Mozes said. “Lawrence Township Police Department was here tonight. [They] told me well over 2,000 people in attendance, probably 2,400. That is by far our biggest event ever of any event we’ve ever done.”

While Mozes was proud of the turnout, he was most proud of the students. He shared that an important part of this event was to teach his students valuable skills and lessons that they can take with them to the future. From learning marketing and branding to handling social media accounts, Mozes said planning a big event such as Scream Screen prepares students for their future jobs.

As the night began to wrap up, guests were settled into their vehicles to enjoy the drive-in movie. Successfully wrapping up the 10th annual Scream Screen, members of 107.7 the Bronc walked away from the event with their heads held high, proud of their hard work and creating a memorable night for students and locals alike. 

“When we started this 10 years ago, we were hoping 50 people came up. Now it’s become part of the fabric of Rider’s community,” Mozes said. “Students, faculty, staff … the Lawrence Township Community, I think people come out from the community as a whole to enjoy the event.”