A  Veteran Panel Discusses Representation in Film

Hosted by Cinema Studies and the Student Veteran Center

Tuesday, May 29, 2018
11:00 am – 1 pm
Free for students and faculty
Food Available

Warning:  Explicit Content & Language

Q&A with Cinema Studies Major Trent Goodman

Trent Goodman is organizing and leading the panel discussion with veteran students about veteran representation in film.

Q: You're a Cinema Studies major and a veteran. Why is it important to you to bring these two communities together at this event, especially now that you're graduating?

A: Intersectionality is something monumentally important in building stronger relationships and communities anywhere we go. By introducing veterans' experiences in and out of the military, students and faculty have a chance to connect with and understand different struggles.

Q: Is there a popular misconception about student veterans that you have faced in the classroom or on campus?

A: The most common misconception is that mental illness, often PTSD, creates broken individuals that can't function in society. This is absurd of course, but the lack of knowledge folks have about the veteran identity and the amount that PTSD is used in film and television skews perception.

Q: What two skills have you gained—as a Cinema Studies major and a veteran—that will help you navigate your life and career goals after graduation?

A: Two skills that I have gained from Cinema Studies and my military experience is expect things to go awry and be ready to adapt for whatever it may be. Fixating on one perfect idea is less valuable than creating a great result.