New club inspires thought

The new club on the block, the Philosophical Movie Club, has made its debut with an energetic professor to back it up. The club hopes the semester will render loyal philosophy-inspired students.

Getting its start after a number of students enrolled in a passionate and involved professor's summer Critical Thinking class, they were interested in what more professor Roberta "Robbie" Kunkel had to teach them.

"This is a very exciting time for me and the students," Kunkel said. "After teaching a summer class, I saw students who had an interest for critical thinking." Kunkel said she had to think of a way that students could get more involved beyond the classroom and apply the critical thinking process outside of the classroom.

"I wanted to give students a (deeper) outlook on ideas that would come up in class," Kunkel said. "I did not just want to leave the students with wandering thoughts. I wanted to help them think more about those thoughts and ideas,"

Because the club is still fairly new, Kunkel is still working out the details with students. As of this time, the club has not elected officers, but has students who are interested in holding positions. One student, Noah Coolger, shows a great passion in the continuation of the club, Kunkel said.

"After Noah took one of my classes, I could see that he had a love for philosophy and was interested in joining the club." Kunkel said.

Coolger said Kunkel's spirit and love for philosophy were "contagious" and the way she taught the class  inspired his enthusiasm to participate in the club.

He said the club will be watching a lot of documentaries, and will be taking ethical situations and conflicts from those movies to analyze and discuss what could have been different.

He said they will also be looking at the ethical and moral conflicts the characters face, and the solutions they came up with.

"We are really going to analyze and breakdown the film to see if the ethical and moral lessons are presented in a clear and logical way," Coolger said.

According to Coolger, Kunkel has a unique way of teaching, and he likes how she applied philosophy to realistic situations that people may face.

"She helped me to understand philosophy, and helped me to understand the subject was more than just fancy quotes no one really understood," he said.

Kunkel hopes that what she teaches the students will help them become better people and explore new trains of thought.

Coolger said, "Many people just watch movies on the screen and don't realize there is a moral and ethical lesson to them. From everyday movies to dynamic documentaries that explore societal issues, all have a philosophical plot to them."

Student Gillian Groszkiewicz said she is very excited to be a part of the club. She is hoping to hold an elected position, as she is a very active participant in the club. She too has taken one of Kunkel's classes and enjoyed it.

"I was coming from a science background, but after taking Ms. Kunkel's class, I gained a respect and love for philosophy," Groskiewicz said. "Her class really made me want to learn philosophy and encouraged me to participate and further the learning process."

Philosophy is an everyday thing for her now, and she wants to continue to be able to apply things she has learned to life. "(Kunkel) really makes you eager to learn, and keeps the students wanting more," she said.

For those that find it hard to make social connections at school, this club will provide opportunities to do so.

"This will be the club to come to to have snacks, watch movies, and meet new friends," Groszkiewicz said. "This is the same thing I do on the weekends, so it should be fun."

Contact Lamar James at ljames.advocate@gmail.com.