Pause to talk: Kekke inspires deep-thinkers through film

Manteca High English teacher Marissa Kekke takes part in a discussion with her class. Along with English, Kekke teaches Popular Media and Film Composition. (Hanna Palacio/The Tower)

By RUBYANNE NOONKESTER 
The Tower 

Manteca High’s Marissa Kekke is an inspirational teacher who encourages students to appreciate film and the English language. 

Kekke teaches English, Popular Media, and her favorite course, Film Composition. Kekke has loved film since she was a little girl. She said she really got into movies when she and her best friend started looking at them the way one might look at a book. They stopped watching as many entertainment films and watched more intellectual films, and they would then discuss those films.  

Kekke encourages the same analytical approach in her students. She wants them to think for themselves and to fully grasp concepts. 

Manteca High English teacher Marissa Kekke takes notes on the whiteboard in her classroom. (Hanna Palacio/The Tower)

Dawn Coyan, who teaches theatre at Manteca High, believes that Kekke is a teacher who “really likes to engage her students in analytical thinking, like thinking about stuff that would really affect them.”  

Kekke also enjoys learning about the things that go on in the world. She doesn’t follow current news as much as she would like, because of a demanding teaching schedule, but when her Popular Media students present their trending news PowerPoints, she can pick up on what’s happening in the world. 

Although Kekke is often busy during the school year, she still tries to listen to a 10-minute podcast every morning on her way to work to stay updated and informed.   

The Tower caught up with Kekke to discuss her interest in film and popular media and her experiences travelling the globe.  

THE TOWER: What got you into film and seeing all like different kind of aspects into it? 

MARISSA KEKKE: Honestly, I've always liked reading and movies. As I’ve gotten older, I started really watching movies with the way that you look at books. I realize you could have so much discussion and there are multiple layers to the stories. So, I got into watching more intellectual films than just entertainment films and a lot of that comes from my best friend. We watch a lot together and discuss a lot of the films together and that was part of it and then also just teaching it having to look at a film and now you have to teach kids about the meaning of it really makes you look at a deep dive into it, so it made me really appreciate film probably my favorite to teach you guys about.  

TT: Do you watch and read media often or do you just teach it? 

MK: I don't probably follow current news as much as I should during the school year. I get a lot from my students when they present the Trending News assignments, because they're picking out what's happening in the world. It's hard when you're busy, so I listen to a 10-minute news recap to get what's going on in the world. During the school year you’re just so busy.  

TT: Where’s the strangest place you ever gone for vacation or just in general? 

MK:  I think the strangest place I've ever was was Hanoi, Vietnam. It wasn't necessarily the strangest, but it was the most intense and food wise, you'll be walking down the street and there's raw chicken. ... Some of the smells were a hard adjustment. You cross the street with a million scooters just going around you; you're just part of the traffic. It was intense and very hot.