In early December English Teacher Erika Bromley and her Rhetoric of Cinema class received an unexpected surprise. Arthur Agee, star from the 1994 Hoop Dreams documentary, made an appearance in their classroom after they had spent time studying the film as part of a class unit.
When Agee made an appearance at HEHS, students were beyond thrilled.
“When he walked in, they truly perked up and were so excited. He is such a fantastic, energetic, motivational speaker,” said Bromley. “You could see the lights in their eyes [and they were] thinking, ‘wow, this is real—this is a real person.”
“He’s still living in Chicago. He’s making a difference,” she continued.
Not only did his arrival create buzzing excitement, Agee also provided the class with endearing words of motivation which they can carry with them through life.
“The students all connected so much with him,” said Bromley. “It was so special.”
“Hoops Dreams is a documentary that focuses on two boys who grew up in Chicago and their journey through basketball,” said Olivia Ingraffia, senior and student in Bromley’s class.
However, Hoop Dreams touches on topics greater than just basketball; it also reveals the hardships the boys endure alongside their growth as their dreams gravitate beyond basketball.
“It’s about life, it’s about family, it’s about pursuing any dream,” said Bromley.
After thoroughly analyzing Hoop Dreams in class, many students had developed a connection to its message, being left with a feeling of empowerment and capability.
“Hoop Dreams was very inspiring because even if you’re not really into basketball, if you have dreams of your own that you want to achieve, you can look back on what Arthur has gone through and learn that, even if it doesn’t go the way you planned, you can still become a great person,” said Ace Zarate, senior.
Rhetoric of Cinema is a unique elective class where students are taught to insightfully analyze various films on a deeper level.
“We watch films and study them as texts,” said Bromley. “Instead of reading novels, we’re sort of reading films.”
