Most people consider a trip to the movies enjoyable, hopefully entertaining-definitely not exasperating.
But poor sound quality and continual projector breakdowns have been frustrating many students who attend Freewater films in Griffith Film Theater. The technical meltdowns have sent Freewater Film Presentations, a committee of the University Union, hunting for money to purchase a new and improved projector and sound system.
Although Freewater currently owns two projectors-both of which are nearly 10 years old-neither is reliable. One of the projectors has been out of service since September; technical services officials have deemed it useless. The second projector frequently causes the picture to skip, forcing Freewater representatives to stop the film for adjustments.
The continuous problems have rendered several films unwatchable, and more than three showings have been canceled this year.
Ahmet Suner, a fifth-year graduate student in civil engineering, went to see a Bosnian film called "Underground" popular in his native Turkey only to sit through more than 10 interruptions.
"Duke is supposed to be the third-best school in the country, an educational institution," he said. "That a university this rich cannot show a film is a scandal."
Freewater chair and Trinity senior Garrad Bradley said the organization is pursuing several different avenues to fund a new projector and sound system. Last semester, a petition about the matter collected more than 1,000 signatures from filmgoers expressing their desire for a new projector.
Freewater representatives presented the petition to Vice President for Student Affairs Janet Dickerson, who has met twice with them to discuss funding.
Because student affairs' regular budget does not include extra money for the new equipment, the office is currently making an effort to locate a donor among the University's friends. Dean of University Life Susan Coon said she hopes the funding will be secured by next year.
Freewater also plans to solicit aid from academic department heads-possibly a fruitful endeavor considering that Freewater is the only local venue that shows certain films related to different areas of study. "We think it'd be a good idea for academic heads to come to the forefront in this endeavor," Bradley said.
Bradley said the cost of an improved theater equipped with a new sound system and projector would be about $60,000; the projector alone would cost $25,000.
The Union allocates a $22,000-per-semester subsidy to Freewater. But the money covers the costs of film rental-between $400 and $800 per film-and publicity, leaving Freewater without enough money to fund the cost of the projector.
If funding is procured, Freewater will buy a 35-millimeter projector to replace its current 16-mm projector, said engineering junior Ana Barbir, next year's Freewater chair.
"The film quality [of the 35mm projector] would be better," she explained, "and since many foreign films only come in 35mm, we would have a wider selection of films to show."
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