Maria Glotfelter
Features Editor
Recent, abnormally warm weather aside, with winter in full-swing, students have started getting their seasonal flu shots. Many places offer free flu shots, encouraging people to get vaccinated early in order to prevent spread of disease. This flu season, Millersville University offered another incentive for students to get their flu shots: a free movie ticket.
Students who went to get a free flu shot at the SMC Atrium on Monday, Jan. 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. would also get a free ticket to see a screening of “Hilleman – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children” on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the Ware Center in downtown Lancaster. The film is about Dr. Maurice Hilleman, who developed the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and invented the first-ever vaccine against cancer. Dr. Hilleman dedicated much of his time and research to diseases that affected children. Directed by Donald Rayne Mitchell, “Hilleman – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children” won the Scinema 2016 Best Documentary.
MU received a grant from the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation to fund the On Screen/In Person film series. This film is one of several movies in this series that emphasizes timely topics (such as vaccinations). Similar to other screenings in this series, “Hilleman – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children” was preceded by a pre-show community panel at 6:15PM and followed by a Q&A session with the film’s director. This discussion-friendly set-up invites discussion and encourages viewers to think critically about these relevant issues.
“[The series] brings not only important new films to the community but the directors along with them,” says Barry Kornhauser, assistant director of campus and community engagement. “We’re excited to be planning all of these activities; engaging both the community and the campus.”
“Hilleman – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children” highlights the current debate on vaccinations (i.e. people choosing not to vaccinate their children versus people advocating for herd immunity) and also provides an incentive for MU students to get flu shots of their own. If you missed this event, keep your eyes peeled for the On Screen/In Person screening at the Ware Center.
For those who did not get the free ticket with their flu shot, tickets cost $7 for adults and $5 for senior citizens. For students interested in this series or other screenings, please visit http://www.artsmu.com/ for future screenings and ticket prices.