Six Flags Over Georgia was buzzing 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 highly anticipated events of the Fall semester, GT Night at Six Flags is an after-hours event in which the entire Six Flags Over Georgia park closes regular admission to the general public and opens up for Tech students, faculty and family until midnight.
The shortened lines, low ticket costs, and freedom to roam around the park with friends and mingle with other Tech students make this a popular yearly occurrence. The Technique spoke with Saran Kannan, fourth-year BUIS, and the Atlanta Life Committee Chair in the SCPC.
The Atlanta Life Committee is in charge of the planning and logistics of the event. Although it occurs annually, the planning process starts in July with communication with Six Flags, creation of promotional material and finding bus charter companies all on the to-do list until the day of the event in mid to late September.
“I lead a committee of 10 people. We mainly plan the off-campus events for SCPC. So this semester, the big event is Six Flags, but we also have smaller events planned for later [throughout the year]. Our main mission is to be able to connect students to different parts of Atlanta and be able to make an environment for them to just have a good time, destress, and meet other people,” Kannan said.
Like in years past, the GT Night at Six Flags event coincided with Six Flags’ Fright Fest program held in the months surrounding Halloween, featuring haunted houses, horror-themed decor and attractions and costumed actors dressed up with ghoulish makeup and props that jump-scare unsuspecting guests at designated Scare Zones.
Last year, the Fright Fest was an unexpected surprise for many students; however, not everyone was excited about the spooky welcome into the park. “So last year, we actually weren’t aware it was happening; Six Flags didn’t mention anything to us. This year we were aware of it so we put it on our ticketing website, in the description and in our captions [for promotional material],” Kannan said.
The ubiquitous theming became even more fitting after sunset, with smoke machines, fire shows and spooky Halloween-y music inciting the adrenaline-filled atmosphere. Some students, like Yashila Ramesh, first-year CS, seemed to particularly enjoy Fright Fest’s spooky effects.
“I like horror so I like that vibe. I like dramatic events. And everyone was really in character so it was fun to see,” Ramesh said.
She and her friends, like many other students, were here as a temporary escape from school obligations and as a celebratory ending to a week of midterm exams. Eric Pattison, first-year PhD ChBE, said, “Because we are dying with classes, we needed a bit of an outlet, and honestly it was a little respite from the day-to-day.”
This sentiment was echoed throughout the night. Samantha Nyazema, second-year CS, shared similar reasons for the Friday night outing, saying, “This week was very stressful, it was my hell week, and I just wanted to let off some steam so I thought ‘Let me ride a rollercoaster and release all my stress and scream!’”
One of the key purposes that SCPC serves on Tech’s campus is exactly this: to give students a chance to let loose and have fun with friends as a mental break from classes. It also gives Tech students the opportunity to visit different places around the local Atlanta area with special discounts and amenities.
“Before I joined SCPC, I wasn’t really sure what was available on campus. I was able to go to a few of these SCPC events, and it was a great way for me to decompress and just have a great time and not worry about academics. I guess it was when I joined, I learned that was the goal of the org: to provide students with an outlet just to have a good time. And I enjoy giving back to the Georgia Tech community and it really gives me fulfillment being able to plan these events for everyone,” Kannan said.
GT Night at Six Flags in particular has been extremely popular in the past, and this does not seem to have diminished in 2024. By Friday, all bus tickets to the park had been completely sold out, and even more students and faculty drove or carpooled to the park when it opened. Especially at the beginning, the waiting line for security to get admittance stretched far back into the parking lot.
Some students even waited over half an hour near the opening time at 6. Will Krisko, first-year PhD ChBE, shared his thoughts on the organization of it all, saying, “I thought the organization was pretty good, and it was easy to find out about…The fact that the lines are so long just means a lot of people want to go.”
The SCPC has even more planned for the Tech student body throughout the upcoming school year, both on and off campus. As the planning process becomes finalized, events and their respective ticketing options will show up on the SCPC and campus calendar. To learn more information about upcoming SCPC events on campus or to get involved with the behind-the-scenes of planning such events, visit 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 connect with Georgia Tech in a different way where you can meet other people and just have a blast, I would say go to these events! They’re good for your mental health,” Nyazema said.