As a Mass Communications major, and being inherently tied to the media, I might be biased when I say that I love cinema. I love it casually, I love it intensely, and when asked the right questions about the right movies, I love it passionately. I have seen this love manifest into a hoard of DVDs, thrifted VHS tapes, and posters tacked on my wall. It has given me friends, induced stomach-aching laughter, and left me in tears of heartache. And yet, the most special, I have seen it crocheted into a scarf, left in a birthday card, and handcrafted on a necklace by the people who understand me most. Everyone who knows me knows that I love films, but then again, who does not?
Over my time here at Missouri Southern, I have discovered that this love is inescapable to share. During the first week of this semester alone, I had five separate conversations with other students about films. Now do not get me wrong, there were some takes I questioned, but nevertheless, a movie had once again taught me the name of a stranger. It is this same introduction that I have also experienced in film classes, during campus events, and through attending semester-long film series, such as the current running Comedy Film Festival.
Featuring both a focus on cultural films and movie recommendations from the MSSU staff, the International Film Society has offered many cinematic excursions for students. Every first Tuesday of the month, in Cornell Auditorium, attendees are encouraged to sit down, turn off their phones, and indulge in the big screen. Some nights are packed, some nights are bare, and most nights, the room is full of laughter. With a focus in comedy this semester, many films welcome this rejoice, and as a viewer, I can testify to this promise.
In the darkness of reality and lingering due dates, it is comforting to share these smiles with both peers and professors. A graceful reminder that sometimes, cinematic escape has a magical way to attract the love you are looking for. It is this love that I continue to find, and though I never meant to attend college to find this, by fate, it found me.