UF is catching up in the race to have “Catching Fire” screened in advance on campus.
With about 4,600 votes, UF is ranked fifth, trailing behind Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University and University of Wisconsin.
Still, Ferzan Uddin, who arranged the Facebook event to organize Gators to vote, said he feels confident that if the school doesn’t win, it will finish in the polls as one of the leading schools.
“I feel if we’re not No. 1, we will be high,” said the 19-year-old UF biochemistry sophomore and member of the films group in Reitz Union Board Entertainment, the organization trying to get the movie on campus.
Uddin said it’s usually difficult to get big blockbuster movies on campus, so RUB Entertainment looks for contests to get the movies to come to the school. “Catching Fire” comes out Nov. 22.
Ryan Pearson, a director of films for RUB Entertainment, wrote in an email the showing would be a collaboration with Cross Culture Marketing, a contact in organizing the screenings. Pearson, a 21-year-old UF economics and political science junior, said UF was automatically entered into the contest, which he said is likely because of the school’s large size and participation in past advanced screenings.
“I am optimistic about our chances of winning the screening,” he said.
Pearson said although there are significant gains to make to catch up to Michigan State before the Nov. 15 deadline, it is not a far-reaching goal.
To vote, students can go to http://catchingfirecolleges.com/.
