Each student at ISU has come to college with a certain expectation of what he or she will get out of it. A high paying job, a chance to party before entering the real world – the expectations are, perhaps, as varied as we are.
But perhaps the greatest purpose college ultimately serves is to encourage exploration of the world around us. Prior to university, we’re exposed to a broad understanding of the world around us in our schooling but college is the process of putting a microscope to what we’ve learned in our last twelve years of school. The time we spend seeking higher education is ultimately a time to question what we’ve always believed, and to experience lives and realities that we’ve never seen before.
A good goal, of course, but to some the classroom may seem to lack the pull necessary to make this exploration a fully interesting one. After all, there are different methods of learning and different ways of processing information. While the classroom is a necessary part of college, it doesn’t work as well for some as for others.
Fortunately for those individuals, Idaho State and Pocatello in general offer many ways to experience the world outside of classroom. From culturally-themed nights to restaurants boasting food from far-off countries, there are a multitude of ways to explore experiences outside of our daily ones. But one means of discovery that is perhaps less known to ISU students is through the Pocatello Film Society.
Self-described as an aid in discovering “the power of movies to inspire and provoke thought,” the Pocatello Film Society brings independent and alternative movies to the Idaho State campus that many students would never have an opportunity to see.
And it’s this vaguely elusive nature of the films that make them so worthwhile. Hollywood movies are undoubtedly entertaining but they’re designed to appeal to the broadest cultural group possible, and by so doing lose much of their ability to show the unusual or unknown. By watching movies made not for the general public but for a more specific group, students are able to experience a facet of life that applies to less people, and is therefore a more definite view of individual experience.
So the next time you’re searching for an evening activity, consider choosing something a little different. Upcoming films include “The Magic of Belle Isle” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Check out the website at isucinema.com for specific dates and show times.
Prices vary from free to $2; affordable concessions.