Wednesday, June 21, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Chuck Berg, professor of theater and film, lectures during his class, American Popular Culture of the 1980s. The class watched the movie Brazil yesterday to help them examine terrorism in the '80s. Photo by Craig Bousman / KANEAN
Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
'80s film class focuses on culture
By Karen Lucas
by Karen Lucas
writer@kansan.com
Kanson staff writer
Fatal Attraction, Desperately Seeking Susan and other pop culture films are the centerpiece of a summer course.
Chuck Berg, professor of theater and film, is using film to shed light on U.S. culture and society during the '80s.
"The bulk of the students in the class did a good part of their growing up in the decade of the '80s, Berg said. "This is an opportunity for them to more systematically explore the time they grew up in."
The course, American Popular Culture in the 1980s, is the latest in a series of film classes focusing on individual decades, beginning with the
1920s. Although Berg has taught all the others in the series, this is his first time teaching the '80s class. Courses in the series meet a principal course requirement for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The class began with study of Vietnam and its aftermath in films such as Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Birdy. Berg said that most Vietnam films emerged in the '60s.
"Vietnam was such a traumatic experience for the country that we weren't really able to carefully examine the experience of the war until 10 or 15 years after it actually was over," Bery said.
Justin Hamann, Tribune senior, said he enjoyed studying Full Metal Jacket.
"I think it captured all aspects of Vietnam from training to combat and the psychological impact on soldiers after the war," he said.
Even the adventure film Die Hard is on the syllabus.
"Something like Die Hard at the surface is a typical Hollywood entertainment." Berg said. "There are thrills, laughes and suspense. But beneath that entertaining surface there are themes that plug directly into pressing societal concerns."
Among those concerns are terrorism, gender roles and racial integration. he said.
Berg also said the class would explore the themes of feminism, family values and the U.S. farm crisis in selected films.
The class, which meets for three hours, four days a week this month, consists of lectures, film screenings and discussion.
"The discussion has been more animated than in most large classes I've been involved with," said John Ahearm, graduate teaching assistant for the course.
Ahearn also said that an interest in the '80s was becoming increasingly popular in contemporary American culture.
“It’s a fun decade and it’s coming back,” he said. “The '80s are going to be bigger than ever now. You’re seeing this nostalgia for the '80s in all aspects of culture.”
- Edited by BriAnne Hess
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Fining parents, eradication lice and mentoring students were among many possible solutions to truancy that education officials and social workers listed to legislators.
The one thing everyone agreed on was the score of the problem.
"Truancy is the No. 1 indicator that a kid's going down the wrong phrase," said Sen. Rich Becker, R-Lenexa, chairman of the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight.
Many of those at yesterday's hearing said some parents didn't care whether their children were in school.
we have too many parents in Kansas who do not care," said Pat Baker, deputy executive director of the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Baker said that fines for such parents might prompt them to be more responsible.
Jim Glass, a grant specialist for the Topeka school district, said health problems, particularly head lice, were the biggest contributors to truancy for students younger than 13 in that district.
Glass said students may be excused from school for two days if they had lice. However, they can get into trouble if they are out longer.
Glass said part of the lice problem was that many parents in the Topeka district couldn't read, which made it difficult to treat their children.
considered truant after an unexcused absence of three consecutive school days, five days in a semester or seven days in a school year.
According to state law, a child is
"They get medication, but they can't read the prescriptions on the medication." Glass said.
Christie also said truancy decreased for a few years when the school district tried a program designed to prevent younger students from starting the habit.
Glass also said a mentoring program for students had helped curtrancy. Tom Christie, executive director of instruction and curriculum for the Lawrence school district, said a similar program had worked there.
He also said it was relatively inexpensive. The district paid a staffer about $17,000 a year to monitor students and notify parents of students who skip school.
However, Sen. Lana Oleen said it was difficult for the Legislature to find money for new programs, especially those designed to prevent future problems rather than addressing current ones.
"We've got a lot of other bills that we pay first," said Oleen, R-Manhattan.
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