Mr. Schick is the TV Production teacher and the biggest movie fanatic at our school. Prior to his career at JC, he worked on the sets of various movies and TV shows, so it’s only appropriate to ask about his previous career.

Q: Where did you go to high school?

A: I actually went to two different schools. When I was a freshman, I wanted to be a priest so I went to St. Augustine Seminary in Holland, Michigan. Then I transferred to Oaklawn High and graduated from there.

Q: What were you like in high school?

A: I got pretty good grades. I was smart and I was the smart aleck. I was a little bit of trouble, but I enjoyed school. I played basketball and ran cross country.

Q: What movies/TV shows have you worked on?

A: Well, if I sat here and told you all of them, we would be here forever. So I’m going to give you something really modern. Check out www.imdb.com and look me up.

Q: Which was your favorite and why?

A: I have two favorites. One is “The River Wild” because it was shot in a really beautiful part of Montana and you would see eagles flying by all the time. The second one the “Severed Ties;” it’s a slasher/monster movie and it was so awesome going to work every day because you never knew what was going to happen next.

Q: What famous actors/actresses have you worked with? What was it like?

A: Again, if I sat here and told you all of them we’d be here forever, so I’ll give you a few names: Keanu Reeves, Meryl Streep, John Candy, Harrison Ford, and Tommy Lee Jones. Harrison Ford was a lot of fun to work with because he is such a great actor, but he’s so normal.

Q: Why do you like film so much? What sparked your interest?

A: I majored in Telecommunications and Film in college and film is something that I’ve always wanted to do because it’s so creative.

Q: Why did you decide to start teaching?

A: Every time I left to go shoot a movie, it meant being away from home anywhere from two to four months, and it was awful. I didn’t want to be the dad who’s never there to see their child grow up. Teaching is something that I’ve always wanted to do; it’s a great vocation. I can make a difference and make the world a better place.

Q: What is your favorite class to teach and why?

A: I only teach two classes and I really like them both because each is fun in its own way. TV is my favorite because it’s what I used to do. It is really loose and creative. On the other hand, World History is also my favorite class to teach because I get to teach all freshmen.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do and why?

A: I love watching movies. I love watching thought-provoking movies. My favorite one is “Brazil.” It is an odd, unique film. I think I’ve watched it ten times and still every time I watch it I see something new, something different.

Q: Who is your all-time favorite actor or actress and why?

A: There are two: David Strathairn [whom] I’m sure no one has heard of, but he was nominated for an Oscar for “Thank You and Goodnight.” He was so much fun to work with and he was really cool. Then John Candy also has to be on this list because he loved films. He was fun, cool, and generous.