SPLC... and Robert Redford

I absolutely loved Frank LaMonte's presentation about the law this morning! Wait... did I really just say that I loved a presentation about law? But who didn't love that session? Frank's humor had me laughing out loud so many times, and I greatly enjoyed all of his references to "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings"! Even better was his vast knowledge about copyright law, fair use, public domain, etc. Is there anything he doesn't know about these topics? I enjoyed this session so much because my students are coming up to me all the time to ask, "Can we use this?" Now I know the answer, and in times when I don't, I know have the resources I can point them to where they can find the answer to their questions.

Ever since I got the syllabus for the institute, I've been looking forward to today for one very special reason. His name is Robert Redford. I've always been a fan of Mr. Redford and his hair (especially his hair), but not until tonight did I realize that he could pull off perfect hair, steely blue eyes, a horrible suit AND great acting all at the same time! This was the first time I've ever seen "All the President's Men," and I have to admit that for the most part, I loved it. The acting skills of Redford and Dustin Hoffman elevated what could have been a mediocre film to a great one. The story was so gripping, made all the more so by the fact that it's a true story. My only gripe was with the ending, which I thought came about very abruptly. I would have liked getting to see Woodward and Bernstein actually discover the conspiracy going all the way up to the presidency. Thanks to someone who knows much more about this historical event than I do, I found out that the movie came out so quickly after the real event that very little explanation was needed at the end because it was so fresh in everyone's minds. That definitely helps explain the decision at the time to end the movie where it does, although I think it might hold up better as time goes on if it did more to tie up the historical loose ends (take a cue from Redford's hair - no loose ends there).

All in all, it was another wonderful day at the institute, and the movie was worth every moment of anticipation I had while waiting for it!

Bridget Freiler

Pottsville Area High School

Pottsville, Pa.