“It’s a bird, it’s a plane…. It’s the Monroe Honors class!”
When he opened his shirt after the comic book lecture to reveal his true identity, the transformation was complete. Professor Cliff Brozo had taken his class of honors students from Milavec Hall on the New Rochelle campus to the planet Krypton, to Gotham City, to Archie in Riverdale, to the X-men in Bedford Hills, to Aquaman below the oceans, and to super heroes and the funnies in places beyond.
They also went to see the Spiderman play on Broadway and have plans to attend Comic Con in the fall.
The experience is part of a special enhancement feature of the Monroe College Honors Program to, as Professor Brozo says, “give them something extra.”
When the students came to him in the fall asking if as a class they could attend the world renowned Comic Con, the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention, little did they know they would unleash the little boy in Professor Brozo that saw him as a comic book fanatic while growing up.
“This was really a labor of love,” he said after his special lecture in that was attended, not only by 20 students who wanted to learn more about the history of their favorite heroes and ‘sheroes’, but also by a handful of his colleagues who also have a little childhood imagination left in them.
“The idea is to give our honors students perspective on the real world that you don’t always find in college classrooms,” he said. “While they work very hard on their more traditional academics at Monroe, this broadens their understanding of writing, history, art, creativity, and yes, popular culture.”
Their June trip to see Spiderman was so captivating, it was all they could do to escape from the web of thrilling battles, amazing (what else?) scenery, and a heart-wrenching tale of a nerd turned superhero. The Students ‘oohed and aahed’ and came away with an appreciation for what the most expensive production in Broadway history can deliver. In fact, Spiderman flew through the rarified air of the balcony, landing mere feet from their seats.
Students are now looking forward to attending Comic Con in the fall. Professor Brozo expects to have a few surprises for them at a preparation lecture. Batman, perhaps?
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