2022-23

Inspiration Prompt

For its 2022-23 project, Media Club chose to amplify student voices by posing this prompt: What art and/or artist inspires you and why?

See responses below:

Pics courtesy of Pixabay

Facing Adversity

When first reading the prompt, the song that immediately popped into my mind was “Blackbird” by The Beatles. For almost all my life, I have deeply loved The Beatles and their music. Their music has brought family and me together, and some of my best memories are with their music in the background. This song is special in particular because it is about facing adversity and overcoming challenges. Whenever I was going through a rough point in my life, this song was a source of comfort for me, and it still is to this day. The line that is the most powerful and meaningful to me is:

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly,

All your life,

You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

This is the most powerful section of the song because it is a reminder that even if you feel beaten down or broken, you can learn how to overcome it with time, and when you finally do, the feeling you have will be amazing. I also love why Paul McCartney wrote this song in the first place. If you have the time, I highly recommend giving it a listen and looking into why he wrote this beautiful song.

Cassidy Shaffer

Speech Pathology and Audiology

Freshman

Brave and Kind

Since I was little and to this day, Disney movies have always been the go-to for my family. One that has truly spoken to me over the years is the movie, Tangled. The main character, Rapunzel, is someone whose bravery, kindness, dreams, and hope inspire me.

Tangled tells a story about a girl, Rapunzel, taken from her family and forced to grow up in a secluded tower with a woman who selfishly claimed her. She is kept from her true potential and used by the woman who took her. Rapunzel’s unique magic and healing abilities were something the woman wanted for herself. Even as a girl kept from her potential and her family, Rapunzel’s true beauty and her taste for adventure always shined brightly. She had many talents and a kind heart, and though Rapunzel was contained, she never gave up her beliefs. She maintained her positivity and as she longed to see the floating lights, she used her artistic talents to capture their beauty from afar.

She embraced what she was given even though it wasn’t much. That is something that I hope to follow. I envy her for her inner strength and her ability to see the good and excitement in whatever she sees. When Eugene came across her tower, it was Rapunzel’s first time even seeing another person. What her kidnapper taught her was that “it’s a scary world out there” and you can never be sure what those “monsters” would do.

Though, what Rapunzel saw when Eugene appeared was that he was just a man—a man running from his own problems and who merely wanted to find a safe place to hide. She convinced him to take her to see the lights and, on their journey, he showed her a world she’d never seen before. As the movie continues, it demonstrates a more humorous yet beautiful love story between Rapunzel and Eugene. They find love through jokes, kindness, and their adventures together. Their love and their trust in each other are magic itself, and that magic between them is a wonderful thing that I hope to have.

Tangled inspires me to explore my curiosities and believe that there is something greater in the world beyond my house. Rapunzel’s ability to see the beauty in everything is something that I have and will aspire to do.

Julia Weber Undecided major

High school Senior, CCP student

Inspires Creativity

I’m generally inspired by all media types; movies are my favorite though. My favorite movie is Black Christmas, 1974, a Canadian horror film. It’s the first film to utilize a first-person perspective in movies and has inspired legendary horror movies such as Scream and Halloween, though it is not nearly as highly acclaimed as they are. This movie inspires me creatively, inspiring me to think more deeply behind the plot and characters and to think of how inspiring it is to other directors like John Carpenter.

Elizabeth Arner

English Major

Freshman

Invaluable Lessons

My wife and I recently discovered the children's show Bluey and I cannot overstate how incredible this show is. The Australian show is geared toward preschoolers, yet the lessons that the parents on the show present throughout each episode are invaluable. Bandit (the father) is the most patient and creative father I have ever seen in a television show and daily inspires me to be more engaging when playing with my daughter. Chilli (the mother) is very even-keeled and is always up for playing as well, and the two of them portray my ideal parenting duo.

The children model their parents' creativity, and the other adults in the neighborhood are always in for whatever games the kids are playing. There are so many times when coming home from work, school, or coaching that I want to just flop down onto the couch and "veg out" for the rest of the day, encouraging my daughter to play with her toys on her own. Thinking of Bandit and Chilli inspires me to play whatever she wants to play with any opportunity I get. She is only going to be young for so long, and I don't want to miss any moment I don't have to.

Dylan Burley

Master of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Education (ELA)

Graduate Student

Overcomig Pressure

Howl’s Moving Castle is an animated film created by Hayao Miyazaki based off a book of the same name. Following the story of a young woman named Sophie Hatter, we watch as she catches the eye of a well-known, well feared, wizard named Howl. This attention causes a jealous old woman to curse Sophie for becoming old herself. She appears old, sounds old, and she feels the pain of being old. However, as the film goes on, we quickly see that she is not actually cursed to be an old woman. As she gives a speech about her admiration for Howl, we watch her turn into a middle-aged woman and then again to her eighteen-year-old self. We see her in a peaceful sleeping state and again, she is young. Without being told, we realize that Sophie is not cursed to be an old woman; she is cursed to show how she feels about herself on the outside.

Being the oldest to three sisters, Sophie has felt the weight of responsibility to run a business while looking after her younger sisters. Not once did she feel comfortable in herself; she did not feel pretty and full of life like other girls got to do. This feeling that Sophie had led to her feeling liberated by the curse. While she did not know that it changed depending on how she felt, she took great comfort in being viewed as an elderly woman. No one will judge her for being assertive, hard-working, or on her appearance.

While watching Howl’s Moving Castle, you see a young woman find herself and her strengths once the societal pressures are alleviated. This character development felt real and inspiring and helped me, as a viewer, fall in love with Sophie and the story of Howl’s Moving Castle.

Sierra Graham

English Major

Freshman

Deserving of Fun

My favorite film is The Graduate (1967). This movie follows Benjamin Braddock after his college graduation and his inability to push himself into a successful future, whether a career or graduate school. Even the tagline of the film is “This is Benjamin, he’s a little worried about his future,” which I can relate to. I am a sophomore in college, and I’ve been to two universities and three majors, with no plan for the future.

This movie is an inspiration as Ben is in a similar boat, just surviving without any sort of plan, but he makes it. With his life in a whirlwind, he is left floating around doing nothing, with constant pressure from parents and family friends [Nonetheless,] Benjamin can create a life for himself. Even with the end of the movie still open-ended, he is happy. It is comforting to know that even if I don’t know what is next, I still deserve the liberty of having fun and being spontaneous. Too often, kids like me, who are confused about their future, are forced to work towards a conclusion constantly. I am inspired by this movie to not fall into that trap and let the future find me in its own time.

Melissa Madden

English

Sophomore

Acceptance Of Taboo

It is seldom that I choose one idea and name it my “favorite,” but one movie that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside is Burlesque. Burlesque is about a woman named Ali (Christina Aguilera) who is working in a small-town café, making little money, and suppressing her passion for singing. One day she’s had enough, moves to Los Angeles, and lands a job as a cocktail waitress in a Burlesque lounge. Ali’s dream is to be up on-stage dancing, singing, and being creative; she quickly finds out that the women on stage are strictly allowed to lip sync. Burlesque inspires me because it is about the power of women, the sexual desire they exude, and the magic they can create. Ali, without instruction, uses her beautiful voice to sing on stage and shocks everyone in the room. The burlesque lounge is then completely revamped around her singing on stage every night. As long as someone has passion, there will almost always be power. Passion and power can create the fulfilling life that someone may want to live, it leads to a path of success. I ultimately admire the movie because of her beautiful voice and sexual performance, I believe women displaying their power and desire is liberating and generates acceptance toward something taboo.

Carlina Krajnik

Exploratory

Freshman

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