This past Sunday, Calvin’s CAS student relations committee hosted an Oscars viewing party in the Bytwerk Theater at 8 p.m.

Students and faculty were invited to watch the showing of the 90th Academy Awards. They were provided with candies, popcorn and nachos, and they were encouraged to dress up in order to emulate the real Hollywood awards ceremony.

About 50 students and faculty attended at the peak of the event. Students were also able to fill out a questionnaire to vote for all the categories judged at the real Academy Awards. For each correct guess, participants were able to earn points. The participants from first to fifth place won gift cards to Celebration Cinema.

The event was planned by the CAS student relations committee, which is composed of professors Stacey Wieland, Sam Smartt and Jake Bosmeijer as well as senior Ben Eizenga, junior Olivia Ritsema, senior Laurel Luke and senior Benjamin Henson. Each student represents a different concentration of the communication arts and sciences (CAS) department: Eizinga represents film and media production, Ritsema represents organizational communications, Luke represents strategic communications and Henson represents theater.

“Events like these are an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate our shared passion for the arts through the lens of cinema,” said Henson. “It’s an incredibly valuable way to create a community and a dialogue by sharing our experiences, loves, and dreams with one another in a fun-filled way that is unique to this sort of occasion.

Due to the considerable success of the event, the committee anticipates growing it to become an annual event and encourages all students to come.

“Not only is it important for students that are studying film,” said Ritsema, “but other students in the CAS department can benefit from this by being critical of public speaking and the way that relationships and communication shape the event.”

The CAS student relations committee themselves also enjoyed the night.

“My favorite part was just seeing everyone else have fun and getting work with such an amazing team,” said Henson. “A well-executed event is incredibly rewarding in and of itself. I also was deeply moved by the performance of ‘This Is Me; by Keala Settle.”

Notable wins of the night included “The Shape of Water” for best picture, Frances McDormand for best actress for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and Gary Oldman for best actor for “The Darkest Hour.”

The committee planned a Christmas brunch last semester and is planning a senior celebration towards the end of this semester.