Western students have to save more of their pennies if they want to catch the latest movie.

Great Escape 12, the newest theater to come to Bowling Green, discontinued its student discount.

Just two months ago, Western students paid a dollar less than the regular evening ticket price when they showed their Big Red Card.

Ann Ragains, president of Great Escape Theaters, said that the theater has to keep up with the competition in town.

“We had incorrect information about what the other theaters had. It is standard that we go along with competitors. They do not do discounts,” she said.

Ragains said that Great Escape’s stadium seating and digital sound are superior to that of other theaters in the area and may help to draw students despite the loss of the discount.

Moviegoers are also drawn to the showings of popular films, such as Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, Ragains said.

Franklin sophomore Wesley Jones said he goes to Great Escape several times a month.

“The reason I went there was because they had discounts and none of the others had it. It’s only a dollar, but that goes a long way with college students,” he said.

The elimination of a student discount has not caused a noticeable decrease in students’ movie attendance.

Bowling Green senior Stacey Edge, a Great Escape employee, said that a few students have complained about the loss of the discount, but it did not stop them from coming into the theater.

“A couple of people asked why, and I don’t know. A lot of people didn’t know about the discount,” she said. “Whenever I tell people, they might say something. But if they want to see the movie, they go ahead and pay.”

Ragains said other theaters in the Great Escape movie chain usually offer a discount when they are located in college towns. But unless other theaters in Bowling Green start to offer a discount, Great Escape’s student discount will not return.

Plaza 6 Theater, a local competitor, has never offered a discount for students, manager Carrie Neal said.

“Most movie theaters can’t afford to. Our movie company is so small. If we could afford it, we would,” she said.

Reach Kandace C. Sebastian at [email protected].