Quacks, presidents, parables, and school spirit gone wild

Kitsch or culture? You make the call!

In the “A/V Geeks at the Hunt Library” event series, A/V Geeks founder and NC State alumnus Skip Elsheimer joins forces with NC State faculty members to present and discuss unusual and exemplary classroom instructional films, newsreels, and documentaries spanning the last 80 years. Playing upon its value as both kitsch and cultural documentation, Elsheimer screens this neglected wonderment of film on Friday nights throughout the semester. All screenings are free and open to the public.

The spring 2018 “A/V Geeks at the Hunt Library” schedule is:

“Being Presidential”
Friday, Feb. 9, 6-7 p.m., Teaching and Visualization Lab, Hunt Library
Dr. Matthew Booker of NC State's Department of History talks about the notion of being a president as portrayed in educational films throughout the 20th century.

“One Weird Trick to Better Health”
Friday, Feb. 23 (rescheduled from Jan. 19), 6-7 p.m., Teaching and Visualization Lab, Hunt Library
Michaela DeSoucey of NC State's Department of Sociology and Anthropology discusses educational films about medical quackery and nutritional fads in an homage to the annual making and breaking of New Year's resolutions.

“School Spirit—Friend or Enemy?”
Friday, March 16, 6-7 p.m., Teaching and Visualization Lab, Hunt Library
Dr. K.C. Busch of NC State's Department of STEM Education discusses educational films about school spirit and when it goes too far.

“A Story about ‘A Parable’”
Friday, April 6, 6-7 p.m., Teaching and Visualization Lab, Hunt Library
Dr. Anna Bigelow of NC State's Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies helps present and discuss the religious short film "A Parable” (1964). When first released at the 1964 World's Fair, it caused controversy but ended up being added to the National Film Registry.