Food For Thought at PCT

The Pocono Community Theater and Cultural Center in East Stroudsburg, PA hosted the screening of the documentary film titled, “Fed Up” on Sunday October 18^th. The screening was followed by a Panel Discussion in conjunction with The Northampton Community College (NCC) exploration of The Good Life which is the theme of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) series of programs for the 2015-2016 academic year. A sizable gathering filled the theater as many who were concerned with the film's topic came to learn more about it and how to best respond to the issues it addressed.

The evening began with some welcoming words given by Dr. Elizabeth Bugaighis who is the Dean of Education at NCC which included the expression of appreciation to those who attended. She was followed by Dr. Cara McClintock-Walsh, associate professor of English at NCC and NEH coordinator, who shared her welcoming words as she introduced the film to the gathering. It was at the conclusion of her statement did the film begin.

The Film, “Fed Up” was made in 2014 and is directed, written and produced by Stephanie Soechtig. The film has two executive producers. The first is Katie Couric who is a television journalist who served as a special correspondent for ABC News, the first female solo anchor of a the CBS evening news, co-anchor of NBC’s Today Show, and served as the film's narrator. The second executive producer is Laurie David who produced the Academy Award-winning documentary film titled, “An Inconvenient Truth” and has received a number of awards for her cinematic work. The film focuses on the causes of obesity in the US and presents evidence that large quantities of sugar in processed foods are one of the main causes of the condition. The film also looks at legislative attempts to modify ingredients in foods that are produced and the successful strategies of Food manufacturers engage in to block these endeavors. The film premiered in the US Documentary Competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 19^th, 2014 and was released to the public on May 9^th, 2014. You can learn more about the film and how to respond to the issues it addresses by exploring their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/FedUpMovie or their website at www.fedupmovie.com.

As the film concluded, Dr. McClintock-Walsh took the stage and was greeted by a number of comments from the audience in regards to the film. She then introduced the two panelist who would explore the film and it's implications further. They were Dr. Alberto Cardelle who is the Dean of the East Stroudsburg University (ESU) of Pennsylvania's Health Services Department and Samantha Beebe who is an Associate Professor of Biology/Public Health at NCC. Their insightful commentary on the film and the issues it explores enhanced their impact and the urgency needed to respond to the state of obesity in the US. The evening concluded with some final words shared by Dr. McClintock-Walsh about the film and The Good Life Series while bidding the audience a fond farewell. You’ll be able to find more photographs taken during the screening and panel discussion of the film in the Food For Thought at PCT Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154292246953761.1073741911.91146283760&type=3.

The Good Life Series is the theme of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) series of programs that will be presented at Northampton Community College (NCC) during their 2015-2016 academic year. Through programs related to literature, history, philosophy, and art, the series is designed to engage participants in considering questions about life, the world, and their place in it. Future events in the series include a Student Symposium: The Good Life scheduled to be held on Tuesday November 17^th in the NCC Monroe Campus' Pocono Hall Room 108, a Student Symposium: The Good Life scheduled to be held on Thursday November 19^th in the NCC Bethlehem Campus' CC 220, and Keynote Speaker, Colum McCann who will deliver his address on Thursday April 14^th in the NCC Bethlehem Campus' Arthur L. Scott Spartan Center. You can learn more about the Northampton Community College (NCC) Good Life Series by exploring their website at www.northampton.edu/news-archive/2015/july/the-good-life.htm.

In addition to hosting the screening of the film “Fed Up,” The Pocono Community Theater and Cultural Center presents a variety of films both popularly current as well revivals of those films released in the past such as the film “Batman” on Sunday November 8^th. The Pocono Community Theater also hosts special events such as their Book Club Series which explore novels that have been adapted to the screen and are currently being shown in the theater as well as special events like their 168 Hour Film Race competition showcasing the work of local filmmakers which takes place from Sunday November 1^st until the 8^th and their 7^th Annual Red Carpet Event scheduled for Friday November 6^th. Please Explore The Pocono Community Theater Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PoconoCommunityTheater or their Website at www.poconocommunitytheater.org for more information.

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.