‘ > The benefits of film Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor love the movies, a lot. I think film is the most accessible art medium—who doesn’t watch movies at least once-in- awhile? Movies are universally appreciated by almost everyone. I watch a lot of movies— probably more than most people do. When I’m in the mood (such as October: Horror month), I watch a movie every day. If I had the time and discipline, I probably would watch a movie every day of the year. Movies provide a different way of looking at things. They expose us to stories, performances, and visuals we may never experience otherwise. They provide a getaway; a look at another place, time period, or world that isn’t our own. Film teaches us about the human experience in all of its highs and lows. Most people have a certain style of movie they prefer. Some like intense dramas or action, others enjoy lighter comedic or fantasy elements. There are thousands of movies worth watching, and thousands more that are not. No matter what your taste is, there are still hundreds Why you should watch more movies =. es kh of movies to choose from. You could watch a movie every day and still not see everything worth watching. There are people (film critics, professors) who do just that. There’s so much variety to the movies. Expand your horizon. Watch a black and white movie from a time before colour film existed. Watch a silent movie. Watch a movie in another language with subtitles, or one with an entire cast you've never heard of. Watch lesser- known works from a well- known director or actor. Netflix streams thousands of movies on demand, and adds new ones continuously. Many other movie-on-demand services exist that feature lots of great titles, even if you haven't heard of them. And of course, there’s always the internet to access movies in a less than strictly legal way. Even YouTube has a lot of full- length movies available for free. Movies are made fora lot of different reasons. But they aren't just for profit— they’re an art form. They are made to capture emotion and expression, and explore the reality of life. That may be through a hyper-realistic drama, outlandish cartoon adventure, or arthouse piece with a plot Why ‘Any questions?’ isn't the question teachers should be asking > A look at classroom discussions and two-way interactions Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer essica is in a sociology class that’s three hours long. All she wants to do is go home. That’s not possible, but she’d at least like to get up and move a little bit. She thinks about just standing up for the sake of it, but she knows itll incur some funny looks and personal embarrassment. Although Jessica is paying attention, she’s not doing it with any extra motivation. She just has her notebook out and jots down what might be important. She doesn’t get to interact with the material much, mainly because of the way lectures are generally designed. Professor Kruz’s lecture style is one that is unbroken and constant. She lectures for an hour straight, then calls for a break, and follows it with another hour and a half of lecture. There’s not much room for questions, so she tries to leave some room for them at the end, thinking that if anybody has any questions, they'll come up at the end of class. She poses that same question to students at the end of every class: “Any questions?” No one ever has any. What she doesn’t realize, or maybe she does, is that by the end of class, students are already packed up, waiting with anticipation for the salutation they're used to being dismissed with, so they can move on to the next part of their day. Everybody has felt like Jessica at one point in their lives, and we've probably all had a teacher like Kruz. They speak for long periods of time and save all questions for the end. For most students, one way lectures don't promote their highest learning potential. We like to talk in equal parts. Barring that, we'd at least like to not be collectively silent throughout the class. Teachers have always known this, but it’s not yet a general trend to have a teacher think to themselves: “How can I best inspire my students to ask questions?” There are many ways that will work, and one way that wont: Asking “Any questions?” right before the end of class. To most students, questions at the end of class mean that if anybody does ask one, everyone else has just had their valuable out-of-class time stolen from them. Sometimes a quick question does come out of those end of lecture conversations, but they will rarely start a thought- provoking conversation about the material. It’s simply because that would stop everyone from going home early, which is always a plus. Yet those thought- provoking conversations that dive deeper into the material than the final exam requires is exactly what promotes active Image via thinkstock Screenshot of The Wizard of Oz too nonexistent to understand. But they all have something to offer and teach about our grasp of the world. Movies are a way for humans to learn from each other. They expose us to new ideas, concepts, and even emotions that may never have been realized otherwise. The most viewed and popular movie of all time is The Wizard of Oz. Virtually everyone has seen it. It brings out the best of what makes movies great. Where else could you view flying monkeys, talking lions, and spectacular musical numbers by tiny munchkins? Movies are truly an experience unlike any other. learning, and overall interest. If you look at the way that moderators facilitate question periods, they always ask the first question, because it gets the blood flowing in everyone else’s head. Without that ice- breaker, the room is often silent. Not only do people often shy away from being the first person to ask a question, they generally can’t even think of a question until someone else has already asked one. Hearing other questions gets the pressure off of them and gives them an example to connect with and from which to build their own. Once that first question is asked, questions always keep pouring out. Whether it’s inside or outside the classroom, the principle is the same: Questions inspire a genuine interest in the answer, so teachers need a way to harness them. Right inside the lesson plan, time should be made available for serious questions and conversations. Most importantly, the teacher should never give up on questions until at least the first one has been asked and then there’s silence, simply because that will increase the learning and benefit of the experience for everyone.