Everyone has been affected by this franchise in some way. We asked members of the Xavier community to share their stories.
Emma Cary, Junior Chemistry Major
I fell in love with Star Wars when my uncle super-fan introduced my brother and me to the franchise when we were kids. Any time we were able to see my uncle, we always played with his lightsabers and watched the movies. Naturally, I became a fan of the most skilled, powerful and all-around best character: Darth Vader. His son, on the other hand…he’s quite whiney.
John Stowell, Newswire adviser
The first Star Wars, which I saw in 1977 in a packed movie theater in Kokomo, Ind., left me and everyone else with our mouths hanging open. I remember being blown away by the special effects, especially the penultimate Rebel attack on the Death Star. No one had ever seen anything like it in a theater before. Now, when I see the movie on cable, it all looks so quaint and old-fashioned. But I still remember that feeling, even now.
Dave Powell, Improv Professor
Actually, I can read because of Star Wars. When my mom was teaching me the alphabet I could not learn it, and she motivated me by telling me that I could not see Star Wars until I learned my alphabet. For some reason I knew how awesome Star Wars was before I had seen it because of my older brother. The first time I had a chance to see it, she did not let me watch it. Second time, apparently I rattled it off just like that, so I know my alphabet because of Star Wars. I think Star Wars is the American Myth. It is pretty much all myths from all cultures wrapped up into one from Joseph Campbell. Star Wars is as old as I am.
Alan Gonzalez, Senior Marketing Major
I was at Sam’s Club with my mom and brother when I was 5 years old, and when we were riding the cart around we noticed a VHS stack of movies. I was shuffling through the movies and found a movie called Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I looked at the back and saw a still shot of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Darth Maul fighting. We bought the movie, and I have been hooked ever since.
Olivia Knestrict, Senior Criminal Justice Major
I actually didn’t see any of the Star Wars movies until I was in college, but the original Star Wars: Battlefront I and II games are where my love for the story and characters began. I remember spending countless hours sitting on a beanbag chair with my older brother and immersing ourselves in the Star Wars universe. There’s a five-year age difference between my brother and me, so our shared love for Star Wars: Battlefront was special because it gave us a unique opportunity to connect and spend time together.
This post was assembled by Arts & Entertainment Editor Riley Head.