Ten years after actor Mackinlee Waddell first set foot on UT’s campus, she found herself sitting in Jester Plaza. The scene mirrored nights from her college experience, as she told ridiculous party stories and comforted a friend. Waddell, an acting alumna, shot a scene for the indie film “American Spirit” in Jester Plaza in June 2023.Premiering Oct. 27 at the Austin Film Festival and directed by radio-television-film alumnus Christopher Yates, the movie revolves around UT juniors Melody (Yasmeen Fletcher) and Jonathan (Cooper Roth). The movie follows the pair, who dated for a month in high school and bump into each other late one night on campus. Waddell plays Riley, Melody’s roommate who comforts her at an emotional low. The role gave Waddell a unique opportunity to revisit some college memories.