Hundreds of rain-soaked UCLA students stood in a line that went around the block to watch the “Game of Thrones” season five premiere as part of Bruins Night Out on Tuesday.
About 50 restaurants, retail shops and service businesses in Westwood Village offered deals and discounts as a part of Bruins Night Out, said Steve Sann, chair of the Westwood Community Council.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council Campus Events Commission, Westwood Community Council, General Representative 1 office and HBO organized the event. USAC office members have been working with the Westwood Community Council to carry out marketing, logistics and coordination with HBO for about two months, said Greg Kalfayan, Campus Events commissioner.
Several businesses, including Ike’s Place, Koala Tapioca, Helen’s Cycles, Westwood Sporting Goods, GNC and Boba Loca also offered discounts to students for the first time.
This is the second year that Bruins Night Out has presented the season premiere of “Game of Thrones” to student attendees. About 700 students got wristbands to watch the season five premiere, said Stone Frankle, a third-year sociology student and director of films for the Campus Events Commission.
Students started lining up at 1 p.m. outside the doors of the historic Regency Bruin Theatre.
Third-year biochemistry students Melody Yuan and Stacey Lee, who were first in line for the event, said they wanted to come early to ensure they got into the event.
“I think watching ‘Game of Thrones’ is worth the six-hour wait,” Yuan said.
Sann said his inspiration to start the event in fall 2011 came when he was talking to a third-year UCLA student who did not know where Broxton Avenue was.
“I was shocked that someone who has been going to UCLA for three years didn’t know where the Bruin Theatre was located,” Sann said.
He added that the conversation served as an eye-opener for him to form an event that allows students to explore Westwood Village.
California Pizza Kitchen, which offered a 20 percent discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks, has participated since the event started. Michelle Rhine, general manager of California Pizza Kitchen, said she thinks the event allows students who are on a tight budget to explore many more options for places to eat in the village.
Some students said they were disappointed it started raining Tuesday.
“It sounded like a great opportunity, but I wish it didn’t rain,” said Matt Canale, general manager of Helen’s Cycles.
Emily Parker, a second-year chemistry student who was among the first in line, said she didn’t mind waiting for four hours to watch the premiere.
“The rain couldn’t have stopped me from coming to see Jon Snow,” she added, laughing.
David Carvalho, a second-year undeclared student, said the rain did not stop him for a second from attending the premiere.
“I told my friends that I didn’t care if it snowed outside; we had to go for the premiere,” he said.