While some new Boston University freshmen headed West to basement parties to meet new people, thousands of others plopped down on Nickerson Field late Friday night to watch two movies in one of the most largely attended campus events.

Many resident assistants took advantage of the annual Fall Drive-In Movie as a floor event. School of Hospitality freshman Doug Shube attended with his hallmates from Claflin Hall.

“I’ve never seen the movie before, so it’s a great opportunity to do that and to get to know more people from my floor,” he said.

Despite a change in the usual location from the BU Beach, a record number of more than 7,000 students put aside other Friday night plans to watch Knocked Up and the Boston-based Boondock Saints.

The Student Activities Office hosted the free screening with Programming Council as part of their Weeks of Welcome. Nickerson Field proved to be an impressive alternative to the Beach because it boosted attendance, said PC member Sharon DiPrinzio.

“We’ve never gotten more than 5,000 students at the BU Beach,” the College of Arts and Sciences junior said. “The turnout here was amazing.”

PC members said they had been working since April to organize the screening.

“It’s one of our biggest events and really a great tradition,” said PC co-president Joe Rogers, a CAS junior. “[Nickerson] is definitely a more ideal setting. People can lie on the grass or go to the other end and play Frisbee.”

To prepare for the event, PC members set up the screen, speakers and projector, but they also had to coordinate with the athletic teams that regularly use Nickerson Field.

“The field was perfect,” said College of General Studies freshman David Blauvelt. “It’s like a firm Tempur-Pedic bed.”

DiPrinzio said PC chose the two movies because “they were both big hits.”

“Boondock Saints is a good Boston movie,” DiPrinzio said. “It takes place right here in the city.”

School of Education freshman Evelyn Manning said the new location did not matter to her because she would have gone anywhere to see the movies.

“It seemed like it was going to be really fun because it was a movie I’ve never seen and it involved the whole school and my friends,” she said.