Porn at Holy Cross?

Movie rentals are coming soon to a store near you, and that store is as close as Hogan 2 Room 234. No longer will you have absolutely nothing to do on Friday night. As you read this, your Student Government Association is stocking and installing the new movie rental store. Holy Cross students will soon be able to rent from a wide-ranging collection of 500-plus movies. For the nominal fee of $2 a night or $3 for two nights, students can go to their very own "Blockbuster" on campus, Monday through Saturday evenings from 5pm until 10pm. The movie selection will be "eclectic and entertaining, yet interesting and classic, with weekly updates of the latest releases," Director of SGA Services Joe Campbell '04 excitedly assured. Students need not fear a hodgepodge movie store with a random or obsolete collection.

Some are hoping the store carries porn. Much to the reassurance of the faculty and administration, however, the store will not be renting nudie flicks.

With an emphasis on DVDs and new selections, the initial collection includes comedies such as Zoolander, Austin Powers, Animal House, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Office Space; foreign films such as Y Tu Mama TambiÈn, and new releases such as Brown Sugar, Undercover Brother, Basic, and Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers. And for those who cannot decide between Legally Blonde, Chicago, Old School, or a Beautiful Mind, choose a classic, like Casablanca.

With the electronic scanning equipment, newly mounted movie racks, and orders for freshly popped popcorn, the movie store rental launch is less than a week away. The store is located on the second floor of Hogan down the hall from the SPLD office. Students can expect to walk into the store and select from 450-plus DVDs and around 50 VHS's.

Students who do not remember the fine points of last spring's SGA election will be pleasantly surprised that Nicole Mortorano '04 and Kevin Gallaghar '05, the 2003-2004 student government elected Co-Chairs, have kept their promise. The project began last year under Joe Campbell's capacity as Director of SGA Services. Now almost complete, the SGA Services team of Joe Campbell '04, Roberto Isch '06, and Sarah Liang '05, has collaborated to bring this project to fruition.

Mortorano is very pleased with the store's rapid progress, attributing its success to Isch, Campbell, and Liang who have been hard at work since early June. "They've done everything to get the store stocked and installed, and it blows my mind the store will be up and running right across from the [SGA office]."

The SGA would still like to encourage everyone to check out the store. Mortorono believes people will be pleasantly surprised at the variety. Pulp Fiction, Ararat, and Tomb Raider are some flicks she has been eyeing.

Although it was hard for Isch to turn down cheap offers for the "Girls Gone Wild" series (the company was willing to "strike a deal, " but the responsible director politely declined), Campbell mentioned a series that will make most girls happy. Three seasons of Sex and the City and Friends made the cut. Other series include The Simpsons, Queer as Folk, and The Sopranos.

Many people have walked by the store to peek in and check out the 450-plus DVD's stacked in boxes, about to be placed on the newly installed movie racks. Joe Campbell has already reported students' desire to work the store, which would not be a work-study job but instead an employment opportunity available through SGA.

Co-Chair Kevin Gallagher '05 is thrilled about the store's progress. He is proud to "promote, sponsor, and provide this service to the student body." Get ready for popcorn and an exciting new store on campus. Those "Coming Soon" posters are no hoax.