Student Activities Brings Students Together for Discussions on “Avatar: the Last Airbender”

Student Activities is hosting this semester’s Binge and Banter event where students will come together to discuss and react to Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. in the LaHaye Event Space.

“Avatar: The Last Airbender” was a hit cartoon on the children’s network Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008. However, the show has seen a recent spike in popularity since its release on the popular streaming service Netflix earlier in May. Because of this, many college students have watched it again and found that the show is still just as enjoyable as it was during their childhoods. 

As a result, Student Activities has chosen this cartoon to be the subject of their next Binge and Banter event. SA has been putting on these gatherings since the fall of 2019. Throughout the last year, they have found them to be enjoyable not only for the students who attend, but also the staff members who make the events happen.

“Binge and Banter is a fun event for us because our staff get to take lead as hosts,” Clayton Copper, special events coordinator for Student Activities, said. “Typically, two or three staff who are fans of the show create a presentation of sorts in which they briefly talk through the show’s themes, characters and fan theory.

Once the presentation is complete, the floor is opened up to have dialogue between the hosts and guests to hear varying input.”

At this event, students can expect to see an array of theme stickers, snacks and beverages inspired by the cartoon. Additionally, attendees will be in the running to win a $100 Netflix gift card giveaway. Copper also noted that these events are designed to be more intimate with attendance ranging 25 to 50 so students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions on the show being discussed.

Student excitement has already begun for the event.

“I am attending because ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ was a huge part of my childhood,” Aaron Schrock, a freshman, said. 

Copper said that while student activities has always worked hard to bring students a variety of events, due to COVID-19, hosting these gatherings comes with a set of new challenges. To keep everyone in attendance safe, SA provides sanitizing stations while enforcing masks and social distancing. 

“One of the aspects that we love most about SA is its ability to foster culture,” Copper said. “One of the ways in which we get to do this is through active engagement in relevant activities and culture like television, music and movies. We wanted to create an environment in which students can consume culture, but also engage with it through conversation.”

While this will be the only Binge and Banter event until the spring, SA still has many more fun gatherings planned this semester, including Trivia Night: Blockbuster Series, student concerts and, a Liberty favorite, Coffeehouse.

Allen Moro is a News Reporter.