The movie entitled With Honors teaches us the true essence of education. It is the story of Monty (running for Summa Cum Laude), and his dealings with Simon (the Harvard Bum). In this movie, you could also observe the manifest and the latent functions of what an educational institution is.

One of the manifest functions of an educational institution would be the transmission of knowledge under the direction of specially trained professors. It was clearly observed from one scene where Mr. Picannon was giving a lecture to his students. It could also be observed when Monty was asking the opinion of his adviser regarding his thesis. In that scene, there was the transmission of knowledge, and that is from Monty’s thesis adviser to himself. Another manifest function would be the stimulation of intellectual inquiry and critical thinking. This was observed from the scene where Mr. Picannon was asking something about the constitution to his students. It was also observed that some of the students readily participate in answering the question just like Monty did. Even the Harvard bum, Simon readily answered the question. The next manifest function would be sparking the development of new ideas. This could readily be observed by the thesis that Monty is doing. It could also be observed when Monty changed his whole thesis. In addition to that, his thesis adviser even said that his idea is quite naïve and that many would oppose to his idea. Another manifest function would be socialization. One concrete example from the film would be the scene where the professor interacts with his students through delivering the lecture as I have said earlier. Likewise, another manifest function would be the social placement. Nowadays, people equate one’s prestige if that someone has achieved a lot. So, how does an educational institution do that? It is done by giving exams and other aptitude tests and then, evaluating them in terms of their performance. Thus, an educational institution enhances meritocracy by making personal merit a foundation of future position. It could readily be observed from Monty, doing his best in order to become a Summa Cum Laude.

Aside from the manifest functions, latent functions of an educational institution were observed. The first one would be the establishment of relationships. As I have observed from the movies, friendship was developed among Monty, Courtney, Everett and Jeffrey. Also, I have observed from the start the intimate relationship between Courtney and his boyfriend when Courtney asks Everett for some condoms. In addition to that would be the romantic relationship of Courtney and Monty as seen in the last part of the film. Another latent function would be being independent. In the movie, the students (Monty and the rest of his dorm mates) rent a house and they have no guardian with them. They need to rent such for their families live in New York. Since they must go to school, they had no choice but to practice independence, and that is being away from their parents. They cook food on their own, and they have no curfews as well as shown in one scene where they went to a party and Courtney’s late night date with her boyfriend. The last latent function that I have observed is the establishing of networks. In the first part of the movie, Courtney is chums with the security guard of Harvard. She used that connection in order to help her friend Monty to get inside the building.

I love the wits of Simon Wilder (also known as Harvard Bum) in this film. Let me quote Simon Wilder. "Harvard, you’d be surprised at how different the view is on the way out that on the way in". I have put the thought of these words into my mind and heart even before I entered college. I have always remembered what our Physics teacher way back in High School kept on telling us. His stories would often relate to what Simon Wilder said. Likewise, my father once told me, "Hindi lahat ng bagay ay puro pag-aaral lang". I have not forgotten what my father has said. Going back to the film, Monty would care so much for his studies that he did not even went home just to finish his thesis. Likewise, at first, he only cares about graduating with honors. But when Simon Wilder told Monty the quote that I have mentioned, things have changed. The day Simon was about to die, he did not even care if he passed his thesis a whole lot later for it was a life and death situation.

I would like to add one of the striking words that Simon Wilder said. "Our founding parents were pompous middle-aged white farmers, but they were also great men, because they knew one thing that all great men should know: that they didn't know everything. They knew they were going to make mistakes, but they made sure to leave a way to correct them." His words had made a lot of impact on the Harvard students most especially to Monty. These words also tell us that not all people are perfect and that we all make mistakes and that we should make sure that we would correct our mistakes.

This movie has made a lot of impact on me, I see myself in Monty sometimes especially when I am too busy with my studies doing my best in order to graduate with honors. I have learned that graduating with honors is not the true essence of education. It does not matter how many times you lose your luck but the one that matters most is the values that you have instilled in yourself and the good deeds that you put into practice. Likewise, quoting from Mark Twain, "I have never let schooling interfere with my education." As a La Sallian student, I am doing my best in putting the words of Mark Twain into action.