David Paletz was not just the professor who taught me about film and politics, but his caring, wit, and wisdom literally changed the trajectory of my life. The final project I did for Paletz’s PS153 “Politics and the Media” class with its 35-page syllabus led to me getting a Duke University/MCA-Universal Studios Scholar Award, and two years later, we were filming my first screenplay, 'St. Elmo's Fire" when I was thrilled to see Professor Paletz with Susannah and Gabriel arriving on the set to observe. It all feels like something out of a Hollywood movie, one whose plot he himself might critique. But as Paletz himself often reminded us, "it all fits."