Moderator: Shant Shahoian

Los Angeles Cinematic Transgressions – East/West Settings in Popular Film (Ron Waddy, Hartnell College)

Ron Waddy’s energetic presentation demonstrated “how geographically changing borders and the presence of fictional subjects are altered by shifting boundaries.” With humor and wit, Waddy effectively related the history of Los Angeles – both private and public – to scenes from two movies: L.A. Confidential and Crash. While his discussion of basic Los Angeles history was clear and focused, he managed to demonstrate how to help students navigate the complex nature and mercurial functions of permeable borders in both texts.

The Use of Film in the College Classroom (Stephen Blades, Evergreen Valley College)

This may have been one of the most information-packed sessions of the conference. Blades demonstrated how the use of film and film clips could be used for composition courses of all levels, from ESL to advanced composition, to teach various concepts: imagery/tone, transition sentences, archetypes, motivation, grammar review, outlines, and more. The strategies he shared at this session would be ideal for students from diverse backgrounds.