Top 10 of 2015: National Recognition in the Arts (10)
As 2015 draws to a close, Oakton Community College is counting down its top stories of the year. Oakton is well known for outstanding musical performances, art exhibitions and dramatic performances. Two Oakton community members received national recognition for their achievements this year, earning them the No. 10 spot on the countdown.
Oakton student Jesus Lark of Chicago won first place in poetry slam at the 33rd Annual Novice National Forensics Speech and Debate Tournament hosted by Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., March 13 – 15. The contest is an introductory competitive event advancing forensic education for first or second year competitors.
Twenty-five schools from across the nation participated in the tournament, including Eastern Michigan University, Ball State University, Ithaca College and Northern Illinois University. Oakton was one of only six community colleges to compete.
Lark contended against approximately 50 other students in the poetry slam division that consisted of elimination rounds until only six competitors remained. A panel of judges voted Lark’s performance about fatherhood as the best of the final six.
A graduate of Steinmetz High School, Lark appeared in the 2010 documentary Louder than a Bomb that focused on poetry slam in Chicago.
“Jesus really gave it his all,” said David Nadolski, director of Oakton’s forensics speech and debate team. “His performance was brilliant and extremely powerful. I’m so proud of him because this was only the third time he has participated in a competition like this.”
Other Oakton speech and debate team members also had a good showing in Indianapolis. Daniel Radovanic (Maine East High School) of Niles captured sixth in the same category as Lark. Samantha Halston (Maine South High School) of Park Ridge received fourth place in the program oral interpretation category and Victor Balan (Glenbrook South High School) of Glenview finished sixth in the poetry division.
Oakton Community College humanities lecturer Michael Glover Smith won the Best Dramatic Feature award at the 2015 Illinois International Film Festival and Best Director award at the 2015 South Carolina Film Festival for a film he directed and wrote, Cool Apocalypse, which was also showcased at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago.
Filmed in Chicago, Cool Apocalypse is a comedy/drama that tells the story of two very different relationships, one of which is about to begin and the other of which has just ended.
“It is a poignant commentary on changing gender roles in the 21st century,” said Smith at the time. “The Siskel Film Center showcases the best movie programming in the Chicago area, and I consider it the highlight of my career that the facility is presenting the Chicago premiere of my film.”
Smith is an independent filmmaker, author and film studies instructor based in Chicago who has been teaching at Oakton since 2009. He is the co-author of Flickering Empire: How Chicago Invented the U.S. Film Industry (Columbia University Press), a nonfiction account of early film production in the Windy City. His film writing has appeared in Cine-File Chicago, La Furia Umana, Isis Magazine, and on Nobudge.com. He also is the creator and sole author of whitecitycinema.com. Cool Apocalypse was also shown in December at Oakton’s Pop Up Film Festival organized by Smith.
