The Plank - Opinions

The Norsemen fought for entry to Valhalla; the Greeks sought to earn the favor of the gods for Elysium; Buddhists tried to achieve Nirvana. There’s always been status to achieve – a way to make it big. Now, success isn’t dictated by a glorious sacrifice of life in war but by the quiet, often unseen, sacrifice of happiness and mental health in the pursuit of college.

Many people see college as the only way to succeed in life, and they’re not totally wrong. College is definitely a good path to follow – it opens up so many opportunities for success while doing something that you love. However, despite the prevailing sentiment, it isn’t the only path to a fulfilling life. There are plenty of opportunities outside of a college education that also lead to fulfillment, such as trade jobs, or the military.

The college basketball season may start in November, but for the majority of the country College basketball does really start until March. With its upsets, incredible finishes, and the births of basketball legends, March Madness is the greatest sporting event in America.

One of March Madness’ greatest traits is the amount of upsets, as smaller colleges get matched up with basketball powerhouses. Over the years, there have been many teams that have gone on incredible runs such as Saint Peters, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and Loyola Chicago. Before their runs through the tournament, these colleges were mostly unknown.

Released on Nov. 15, “Red One” is an action-packed Christmas movie directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan. Critics’ reviews on the film have been generally negative, logging a 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the “Popcornmeter” (the audience reviews) displays a whopping 90%. 

Is the movie as bad as the critics say? Or is the audience review more accurate?

The internet is arguably the best invention since the wheel. It allows us to connect with other people and share our ideas. Many people have harnessed this ability and shaped it into various online communities.

However, in the words of the late Ben Parker: “With great power comes great responsibility.” While these communities are often used for good purposes – advocacy, education, or even plain and simple entertainment – the power granted by the internet is very easily used to promote hateful ideology, whether intentionally or not.

“Gladiator II” is a historical fiction action film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film released on Oct. 30 2024, with a Tomatometer score of 72% and an 82% score on the “popcornmeter.” Generally speaking, the movie has garnered positive views and generated a whopping $369.7 million worldwide.

The plot focuses around Hanno (Paul Mescal), a disgraced Numidian soldier who was forced into slavery as a gladiator after being captured by the Roman army. The twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hichinger) have both corrupted Rome’s ideals, and launched an invasion into Northern Africa, where Hanno was living. The movie focuses on spectacular fights, grand visuals, and Hanno’s quest for vengeance against those who have ruined the “Roman dream.”

The original “Beetlejuice,” Tim Burton’s eccentric and oftentimes disturbing 1988 film, released to good – if not stellar – reviews. Despite some gruesome elements, the movie established itself as a classic family movie.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which was released on Sept. 6, 2024, a sequel 36 years in the making, had big shoes to fill, and it largely fails to live up to the accolades of the original.

When many people think of Kansas City, Missouri, they think of Arrowhead Stadium, Royals baseball, and flavorful barbecue. This past summer, however, a group of Jesuit students learned that there is much more to Kansas City than they previously thought. As a part of a special immersion trip, they spent a week living and serving at the Jerusalem Farm (JF), a nonprofit organization based in Kansas City. 

The group departed from Jesuit on June 2, 2024. Upon arrival, they were greeted warmly by members of the JF community serving and living there. The community members had varying levels of history with the program’s four cornerstones: community, prayer, simplicity, and service. The Marauders lived and grew in these values through daily life on the farm.

Before my trip to Jerusalem Farm, the only thing on my mind was that I wouldn’t have my phone all week and would have to eat vegan. I spent the week with some of my classmates, Director of Campus Ministry Mr. Paul LeBoeuf, and Science teacher Ms. Amy Becker. On arrival, we took a tour of the place and got to meet the all-girls school from Chicago alongside whom we were working. 

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Oregon to tour colleges – one of which was Oregon State University (OSU). Upon arriving, I noticed the expansive size of the campus. At 420 acres, it is roughly eight times the size of Jesuit, but with over 30 times the number of undergraduate students. While the campus is nowhere near the largest for a college, it is dense and large enough to host over 200 undergraduate programs and 16 great sports programs.