MSHS students Brooklyn Oursler (12) and Liam Linster (11) are working with science teacher, Andrew Slama, and principal, Anna Conrad, to create and potentially introduce the Manitou Movie Club.
Slama has wanted to start a movie club for some time. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and it seemed like it started to crystallize with some interest and with the timing,” Slama said.
Oursler and Linster talk about movies with Slama in their anatomy class, and the idea for the club was born there. “Slama mentioned that it’d be cool because we always talk about movies. We just started talking about creating a movie club and then we ran with the idea of making Slama’s dreams come true,” Oursler said.
The club wants to explore all aspects of film and its evolution. “We would like to explore movies from different genres and time periods and cultures to discover how cinema has changed,” Oursler said.
Slama believes film has a lot to offer. “Everything from just learning something really complicated, to having reflective moments, having some fun, and everything in between in film,” Slama said. “Film is an awesome art form, and you get all the varieties of human emotion expressed in film.”
A lot goes into approving a new club. “There’s always a process for us to consider because we have to explore not only the student interest and the staff availability, but also the resources to make a club plausible,” Conrad said.
There are also things to consider from a legal standpoint. “We have a subscription to something called Swank, which is a resource that allows us to show films for educational purposes,” Conrad said. “The licensing works differently because it is specifically designed for schools, whereas showing Netflix, if you have a personal account, the licensing actually doesn’t allow you to show that to a group of students because that is a different type of subscription and therefore different allowances when it comes to copyright.”
Not only are there concerns of legality, the types of film shown need to be taken into consideration. “Usually PG 13 is available, but we do want to make sure that we’re being conscientious about what kind of films and themes we’re showing to promote student and staff safety,” Conrad said.
Oursler and Linster are hoping that sending home permission slips could solve this issue. “We would like to send home a parent permission form to join the club, stating that you may be subject to watching movies above a PG 13 rating or you would need your parents to sign off per movie,” Oursler said.
The club would create more community for movie lovers within the school. “There are a ton of students already interested in the club, and it would be a great place for people who enjoy movies to get together and hang out and be able to openly talk about them,” Linster said.
Movies bring people together and can allow you to get to know other people.“I really appreciate how amazing it can change your mood or if you’re in a down spot, make you think differently, or get to know somebody by watching a movie with them,” Slama said. “There’s been a lot of amazing memories in my life all revolving around film.”
