Spike Lee visits Penn State Altoona

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 671 hits

Like him or not, Spike Lee is who he is, controversial political views and strong opinions, included. Penn State Altoona students, faculty, staff, and community members were given a small taste during his presentation Tuesday, February 5.

Lee spoke for about forty minutes to a crowd of nearly 350, touching on topics such as the importance of education and, for the students, how their decisions now will affect the rest of their lives. He spoke about how he discovered his love for film-making and how history and the African-American experience in America are visible themes in many of his films. During a question and answer session, Lee engaged in a passionate debate with several students over the importance and necessity of African-American History Month. Students wondered if it would be better to eliminate the month and integrate black history throughout the entire year, while Lee defended the tradition, saying it's a positive way to build up and "celebrate the great people we are."

To close, Lee emphasized that there is no such thing as an overnight success. "There are no shortcuts. You have to do it on your own. You have to be driven and focused and and bust your ass to get what you want."

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