“Netflix and Chill?” just got a whole new meaning. Behold, Penn State’s first-ever Netflix Club. Now you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Well I sit in my bedroom and binge watch Gilmore Girls for hours on end. Aren’t I in a Netflix club, per se?” Well, hold your horses. This new group of television fans does more than simply lay around and watch reruns of old sitcoms.

Lizzy Dinnella is the president and one of the founders of the Netflix Club. Just like tons of college students and television lovers everywhere, Lizzy and her friends enjoyed streaming quality TV shows. It’s true, there’s nothing quite like getting wrapped up and truly submerged in a good episode. An engaging and suspenseful show can truly make you want to discuss and passionately vent everything to a friend. And voila, that is precisely the inspiration that built the foundation of this club.

“The idea sprung from a conversation my friends and I were having last spring about how frustrating it is to be in the middle of an amazing show and have no one to talk to about it. Since most of the TV college kids watch is on Netflix at their own pace, even if you and your friends are watching the same show, it is rare that you’re ever going to be at the same spot.” Dinnella explained.

Dinnella then shared how her and her roommate were trying to watch One Tree Hill together last spring. “With our busy schedules we could never actually sit down and watch at the same time. We were never at the same place and never got to discuss anything without one of us accidentally spoiling something.”

While Lizzy and a few of her best friends were discussing this problem, one of her friends and current vice president, Ashley Kohley, said, “There should be a Netflix Club!” From then on, things picked up quickly. Everyone in Dinnella’s friend group was interested in taking leadership positions right off the bat.

“The next thing I knew we had a constitution and were talking about the Involvement Fair.” said Dinnella.

The Netflix Club is still new to campus, but they are ready to hit the ground running. The style of this club will be similar to a typical book club. A survey will be sent out to all members to gauge what shows spark the most interest. After selecting which shows are the most popular within the club, the members will begin meeting up for individual discussions about each show.

For example, if the members are interested in watching The Office, those students will watch three, 22 minute episodes per week. On Tuesdays each week, the club will meet based on the designated show.

From what we can tell, this club could be a huge hit with the student body. With over 180 students signed up for their email list already, there are certainly students here who are eager to share their favorite shows with each other. The group predicts a range of shows from comedies and sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother to more intense dramas like Orange Is The New Black will be the most popular for this club.

“I think I’m definitely the most excited about being able to discuss the same TV show with people,” shared Kohley. “Whenever I am watching Netflix shows, my friends aren’t or they haven’t watched it yet.”

If the Netflix Club sounds like a group for you, be sure to follow the Netflix Club’s Twitter, or reach out to a board member here.