Ahoy there, ye rascals and scoundrels! There will be pirates on campus, and though they be scallywags, they know how to throw one of the swashbucklingish barbecues that ever be seen. So watch yer step, mateys, because there be squalls ahead, and these may be the last friendly words ye hear…
Bt Kirsten Wyatt
Staff Writer
Avast, ye scurvy scum! The wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main commandeered Alumni Park Friday night seeking adventure and booty.
The Student Government Association and the newly-founded Swashbuckler Society held a free barbecue and showing of the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” Friday night for an enormous crew of buccaneers and scallywags.
The crowd gathered early to maraud space for their blankets in prime viewing locations in front of the enormous screen set up at one side of the park.
Senior Janet Pomeroy arrived nearly two hours before the movie was set to begin so she could be sure to have the best seat in the park.
A dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers was also served, and it did not take long for the line of pirates and their mates to extend across Alumni Park. The size of the crowd grew steadily as the sky darkened, the fog thickened and the food continued to be served.
Before the start of the feature presentation, an episode of Nickelodeon’s popular cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants” entertained the gathering crowd, as the crews of friends began to settle into their places aboard the lawn. At 8 p.m., “Pirates of the Caribbean” took over the big screen.
Sophomore Roksana Zeinapur — dressed head-to-toe as a pirate, including an eye patch — said she came to the Pirate Barbecue and movie because “it was an opportunity to dress as a pirate. I’ve been picking out outfits for weeks.”
Zeinapur even dressed her friends in pirate garb, and noted that she was “disappointed to see some people not dressed up.” She also said her entire pirate ensemble was “all stuff she wears on a normal basis.”
The biggest gripe Zeinapur had about the barbecue was that she wanted “more barbecue stands because pirates don’t stand in lines.” However, she said she was pleased with the event overall: “I think it’s a brilliant idea and whoever came up with it was a genius.”
Zeinapur was not the only person dressed as a pirate, however. Pomeroy put on her favorite pirate ensemble, consisting of a green bandanna, black boots and a three-quarter-length black coat.
“I just really like it,” Pomeroy said of her outfit. “I would enjoy (the movie) more if I wore this.”
In addition to the fun of dressing up, Pomeroy said she was excited to see the film.
“‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ is one of the most fabulous movies of all time,” she said. “Johnny Depp is an amazing actor — and he wears eyeliner!”
Senior Lindsay Elmore was also excited about the movie, despite never having seen it.
“I’m like the last person on Earth who hasn’t, and I felt the need to rectify that,” Elmore said.
She, too, came dressed in her eye patch, bandana and pirate garb.
“I just owned the clothes, so I thought I’d wear them,” she said.
Commodore Armand Scurfield and his crew of miscreants were out in full force promoting the Swashbuckler Society, one of the newest clubs at Pepperdine, dedicated to promoting pirate movie-watching campus-wide.
The Pirate Barbecue served as the Society’s first meeting, having held their second yesterday. The crew greeted their members — approximately 30 buccaneers had already joined prior to the start of the barbeque — and taking new memberships.
They were also handing out Swashbuckler Society T-shirts to members who paid the $10 dues and selling Swashbuckler bandanas.
When asked about why he founded the Swashbuckler Society, Scurfield said, “Because I love pirates and a lot of other people do, too.”
He explained that the Society will gather on Wednesdays to watch pirate movies and eat rum cake, a pirate’s favorite treat. Scurfield’s favorite pirate film is “Princess Bride,” so expect the film to be shown at an upcoming meeting. The Swashbucklers will be taking memberships throughout the year. Ten dollars in dues will get members a T-shirt and rum cake.
Another important aspect of the Swashbuckler Society is their contribution to a charity that the founders feel should be close to the hearts of all worthy pirates. All money raised from the sale of the bandanas and any money collected in dues that is not used to cover operating costs will be donated to the Society of Military Widows. Scurfield noted that the club’s decision to donate to charity is definitely “a bonus.”
October 30, 2003
