Staff Ed: Professor’s extracurricular activity on campus

November 5th, 2009 | By Staff | Section: Opinion

If it seems like the S&B’s Arts section is turning into the S&B’s film section, you’re wrong, but it is not just your imagination. This increased focus on the role of films in campus life is not necessarily a result of a general lack of alternative artistic events, or a passionate interest in films on the part of the section editor, but largely because of the committed work of a professor and several of her students.

While we would never say that films events are anything less than the product of intense collaboration—see this week’s article on the integration of silent films with compositions by campus music groups on p. 5—Terri Geller’s, Associate Professor of English, commitment to developing a film culture on campus is extraordinary and should be commended.

In addition to her notoriously rigorous yet undeniably engaging Films Analysis course, Geller’s work with the Cultural Films Committee has brought in challenging and intelligently beautiful films such as “Brazil” on 35 millimeter film and the North American premier of “The Code.” Her roles in a number of film festivals and events such as Better Know a Professor have served not just to develop Grinnell as a center for film, but also to soften the divide between what it means to be a student, staff, community or faculty member and what it means to be intellectually engaged with the cultural life around you.

Geller’s dedication to the broader Grinnell community extends beyond supporting an extracurricular program, which many professors do commendably. Hers is a commitment to developing a culture around these programs by encouraging awareness of collaborative and discussion based events. Geller has shown that any professor has the opportunity to profoundly influence the nature and personality of this institution, far beyond the confines of the classroom.