The College Experience Through Film - Original Writing

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The College Experience Through Film - Original Writing It's too early for this, this smell, this man, any of it. I can't deal with any stories of Vietnam glory or any droning on about American history. But this look in my eyes, this total lack of interest is not enough to stop Kirk Slegel. He is, and always has been, a man on a mission. Slegel begins his accustomed pace and I know exactly how things are going. All of us know. We are the seasoned hardened veterans of Kirk Slegel-a veteran in his own right, and his honors history class. We know it begins with the pacing, a steady stagger back and forth in the front of the classroom. We know to cover our noses whenever he passes in order to avoid the rancid combination of cigarette smoke and what appears to be a complete disregard for personal hygiene that seems to radiate off the man. As he methodically paces, he begins today's class. Today we are to be taught about the US's acquisition of the great land that is Alaska. We are to learn about the Alaskan pipeline, about the long hours of Alaskan daylight; perhaps even the roots of the delicious treat baked Alaska. But when, mid-pace, Slegel stops, his eyes glazing over, we all know that we are in for something well beyond what we expected. "This reminds me of a time I spent in the Canadian wilderness," he says. Before any of us have time to question just what our history teacher was doing in the harsh wilderness of our neighbors to the north or what any of this has to do with Alaska, he begins. "It was cold that summer, even for Canada." By now his eyes are manic. By now they are eyes that would strike fear into the h... ... middle of paper ... ...en when I did not want to listen to Slegel's rant, or in that I am writing this a mere twenty minutes before class begins, am not a devoted student. But Slegel's class was different. He mad me laugh. His stories pulled me in. They forced me to know the man and through doing so know the material. This is not to say that insanity is what is needed to make a great teacher. I've had a number of great teachers who were in fact not crazy and quite a deal more crazy teachers who weren't in any ways great. But what a teacher must have is some sort of draw. They must have a way of getting students entirely devoted to the subject matter, whether it is through there own knowledge or insanity. Somehow they must realize the extremity of the power they have and use it, as Slegel does seemingly by luck, to there full advantage.

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