On Nov. 22, the second installment of the Hunger Games trilogy will play in theaters. Now that Twilight and Harry Potter have finished their hit movie series, all attention is on the Hunger Games. Many students look for any excuse to stay up till midnight. The Catching Fire midnight premiere is a perfect opportunity.

“It makes it more special when it’s something you don’t normally do,” Junior Katy Hansen said.

Hansen’s opinion is shared by many. Students of all grade levels are anxiously waiting for Catching Fire to finally hit theaters.

“I read the whole trilogy and I love the books; they’re amazing,” sophomore Kayla Wade said. “I’m really excited to see the second one!”

Why are so many students picking the midnight showings instead of the traditional Friday night premieres? When you’re a fan like senior Alyson Morse, it’s as if you have a right to see the movie before others.

“It’s the first time it’s showing, so it’s one of those things where you can say ‘Yeah, I was the first one to go,’” Morse said.

Morse knows that she’s sacrificing sleep in order to see the movie before others, but she believes it’s worth it. But as worthy as the cause may seem, lack of sleep can seriously impact a student’s ability to learn. Students often have trouble staying awake in class as it is. Staying up until 3 a.m. could worsen this problem. But Freshman Alex Codie has a solution.

“I went to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part I. In the morning, as soon as I woke up, I downed three red bulls–so I was good,” Codie said.

For some students, the need for sleep is too much to ignore. Staying up till midnight can mess with a sleeping schedule, let alone staying up till three or four.

“Oh heck yeah, I didn’t get to bed till like six in the morning,” Morse said.

It’s tempting to just stay home and take the day off. The idea of students coming to school tired and unprepared, or not coming at all, can be unappealing to teachers.

“Nope, not on school nights, you guys have one job and that’s go to school,” Pam Kemper said.

Not all staff members are totally opposed, school counselor Linda Martin, prefers that students be mentally prepared before deciding to stay out past their curfew.

“Get a plan, pre-arrange, get your homework done, know what’s going on and then take the day off,” Martin said.

According to Martin, students shouldn’t feel forced to go to school the following day. In between studying, sports, and clubs, it tends be difficult to find room for fun. Students want to spend Saturday night at their friends house, but then they are left to finish all of their homework on Sunday. This is a concept Patrick Gillis understands.

“As long as it’s something that happens once in a blue moon, I think it’s fun. You need to balance life a little bit, it’s okay to have fun, as long as your parents agree with it and it doesn’t get in the way of school,” Gillis said.

As long as homework isn’t an issue, a midnight showing can be something fun to look forward too with friends.