SCPC hosts GT Night at Six Flags: Fright Fest

Six Flags Over Georgia was full of jackets last Friday night at the annual GT Night at Six Flags event hosted by the Student Center Programs Council (SCPC). One of the most anticipated events of the fall semester, GT Night at Six Flags is an after-hours event where the entire Six Flags Over Georgia park closes regular admission to the general public and is open until then to technology students, faculty, and Family members open midnight.

The shortened lines, low ticket cost, and freedom to stroll through the park with friends and socialize with other Tech students make this a popular annual event. The Technology spoke with Saran Kannan, fourth year BUIS, and chair of the Atlanta Life Committee in SCPC.

The Atlanta Life Committee is responsible for the planning and logistics of the event. Although it is held annually, the planning process begins in July with communicating with Six Flags, creating promotional materials and finding bus charter companies – all on the to-do list leading up to the day of the event in mid- to late September.

“I lead a committee of 10 people. We primarily plan the off-campus events for SCPC. This semester, Six Flags is the big event, but we also have smaller events planned for later [throughout the year]. Our main mission is to connect students to different parts of Atlanta and create an environment where they can just have a good time, relax and meet other people,” Kannan said.

As in previous years, the GT Night at Six Flags event coincided with Six Flags' Fright Fest program, held in the months surrounding Halloween and featuring haunted houses, horror-themed decorations and attractions, and costumed actors with spooky make-up. up and jumping props included. scare unsuspecting guests in designated fear zones.

Last year, Fright Fest was an unexpected surprise for many students; However, not everyone was thrilled with the spooky welcome to the park. “Last year we actually didn’t know it was happening; Six Flags didn't mention anything to us. This year we knew about it, so we put it on our ticketing website, in the description and in our photo captions [for promotional material]said Kannan.

The ever-present theme became even more appropriate after sunset: fog machines, fire shows and spooky Halloween music created an adrenaline-charged atmosphere. Some students, like Yashila Ramesh, CS freshman, seemed to particularly enjoy the spooky effects of Fright Fest.

“I like horror, so I like that atmosphere. I like dramatic events. And everyone really had their character, so that was fun to see,” Ramesh said.

Like many other students, she and her friends were here to temporarily escape their school obligations and ceremoniously conclude a week full of midterm exams. Eric Pattison, a first-year ChBE doctoral student, said: “As we are dying with classes, we needed a little change of pace and to be honest it was a little respite from everyday life.”

This feeling echoed throughout the night. Samantha Nyazema, CS sophomore, gave similar reasons for Friday night's trip, saying, “This week has been very stressful, it's been my hell week and I just wanted to blow off some steam so I thought, 'Let me ride the roller coaster.' and let go of all my stress and scream!'”

One of the main goals of SCPC on the Tech campus is exactly this: to give students the opportunity to relax and have fun with friends as a mental break from classes. It also gives engineering students the opportunity to visit various locations around Atlanta with special discounts and amenities.

“Before coming to SCPC, I wasn’t really sure what was available on campus. I was able to attend some of these SCPC events and it was a great way for me to unwind and just have a great time without worrying about academics. I think when I joined I learned that that was the goal of the organization: to give students a way to just have a good time. And I enjoy giving back to the Georgia Tech community and it's really fulfilling to be able to plan these events for everyone,” Kannan said.

GT Night at Six Flags in particular has been very popular in the past, and that trend doesn't appear to be slowing down in 2024. By Friday, all bus tickets to the park were completely sold out, and even more students and faculty drove or carpooled to the park when it opened. Especially at the beginning, the queue for the security check stretched far into the parking lot.

Some students even waited for over half an hour shortly before opening time at 6 p.m. ChBE first-year PhD student Will Krisko shared his thoughts on how the whole thing was organized, saying: “I thought it was pretty well organized and it was easy to learn more about… The fact that the queues are so long just means that a lot of people want to go.”

SCPC has even more planned for the upcoming school year for the Tech student body, both on and off campus. Once the planning process is complete, events and their respective ticket options will appear on the SCPC and campus calendar. TFor more information about upcoming SCPC events on campus or for a behind-the-scenes look at the planning of such events, visit us studentcenter.gatech.edu/scpc or follow SCPC on Instagram at @gtscpc.

“If you want to have a good time, if you want to do something outside of school and just engage with Georgia Tech in a different way where you meet other people and just have fun, I would say go to these events! They are good for your mental health,” Nyazema said.