Hi everyone, Emily, here!!

As anyone who reads my blog knows, (does any read my blog?!?!) I am a huge supporter of community college (why would I be here, sitting at work, typing a blog if I wasnt?). It may be hard to be a college kid sometimes, but hey, you all know that a good education at a great price is a deal that a smart student just cant pass up. You don’t have to be in Math 091 to understand that.

So, I am going to take this opportunity to review my favorite class of this semester, in an effort to get other people excited about community college as well.

My favorite class (drum roll, please!!) is HUM 240-52, AKA, Horror in Film!!!

Now, you must understand something, I LOVE horror movies. Love them to pieces. So when I heard that there was a film class based entirely on horror films, I was psyched. This class, taught by Professor Adamson, is a unique experience that not a lot of students get to experience during their college careers.

Fear creates an interesting dynamic among peers. The first class in which we watched a movie, (Insidious was the film of choice. A disturbing film with a surprise ending that is sure to leave you scratching your head and gathering up your resolve so as to watch the movie a second time.) We all pretended to be big, bad, nothin scares us college kids who could handle anything. We sat up straight in our desks and scoffed at the fog rolling onto the screen. We were to mature for the creepy music, to in touch with ourselves to care about the foreshadowed plotline…and then came the screams.

Immediately following that scream, (I cant remember who it was, but we were all thinking it…she just ended up saying it) the mood and the attitudes of I and my fellow classmates changed for good. We no longer lied about thinking the movie was cheesy and “not scary at all.” We shifted our desks so as make it easier for others to see and be closer to friends (safety in numbers) at the same time. When someone gasped we didnt laugh, we nodded our heads. Girls unabashedly shielded their eyes from particularly disturbing bits and the boys held their heads high; bravery for the girls. It was then that we ceased to be a group of peers, thrown together and cold; and have since become a group of friends, facing fictional trials together, proud to emerge from the carnage unscathed.

I dont think that there is any other class out there that can create a feeling of camaraderie quite like ours. It is evident in the way our class discussions go after “the end” has been read and we blink into the bright, artificial light of D309. It happens the same way every time. Professor Adamson faces us and asks “Well, what did you think?” and we sit there in silence. It takes us coaxing each other into speaking and then our thoughts pour out.

We always have great discussions in that class about themes of films, characters and what they mean all jumbled together. We hardly ever disagree with what the other person says. I always end up learning something new about  a film, or director, or actor that I didnt know before.

If you get the chance, I would highly recommend taking HUM 240-52 with Professor Adamson. It is a fantastic class and I am sure that you will come out of it feeling more connected to your classmates; just as I do.

Until next time,

Emily