Donna Summerlin addresses film viewers after the showing
Local students and teachers gather with Lee students for a group photo
Students discuss the film in small groups
Dr. Donna Summerlin’s Young Adult Literature class at Lee University hosted two showings and discussions of the film “The Maze Runner” for the community. Students from Tennessee Christian Preparatory School, Cleveland High School, and other area schools were in attendance.
“The screening of ‘The Maze Runner’ was an amazing theater experience coupled with an enthusiastic follow-up session led by well-prepared and professional undergraduates,” said CHS teacher Anita Adkins.
The movie was shown in Lee’s Communication Arts building’s new film screening room to an audience of over 130 between the two nights. Afterwards, Lee students joined local students in a guided discussion of themes, symbols, and other topics in “The Maze Runner.”
“A service learning activity like this illustrates how service can be an integral part of course content,” said Dr. Summerlin. “‘The Maze Runner’ is one of our assigned YA novels, and film criticism (as it is used in the secondary classroom) is an objective of this class, a required course for middle grades and English education majors. This film event allowed future teachers to plan a small-group discussion activity and to interact with middle and high school students, putting their plan into action.”
This project was organized by the 25 students in the YA Literature class this semester. Lee students, in groups of two or three, read the novel and previewed the film. They then wrote film scene analyses and prepared discussion questions for small groups of local students. During the event, these Lee students led the group discussions after the movie. YA Lit students also organized the promotion and advertising of the event, as well as preparing food for the event.
“This was a fun way to reach out to young adults in the community,” said Kayla Fitzgerald, a Lee student in the YA Lit class. “As a future teacher, it was a great experience leading a discussion about the film and how it relates to the novel.”
“Even though we are high school students, we were treated with respect by the college students,” said James Vecchio, a CHS student. “I enjoyed the film and discussion.”
For more information about Lee’s Department of Language and Literature, call 614-8210.