The Plank - Opinions

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.

The University of Oregon (UO) is a top public university located in Eugene, Oregon, that offers more than 300 undergraduate programs and 120 graduate programs to its 29,000 students. UO gives students the ability to continue their education surrounded by, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful campuses in the country and many engaging student events that you are able to attend.

In my opinion, one of the best parts of the UO is the beautiful campus. Situated on 296 acres of land, you can walk across it in 15 minutes, under shade the whole way. Because the school was built in 1876, the campus has many renovated historic buildings, which have been mixed in with newer buildings as the university has grown. 

105-98 was the score when the final buzzer sounded. Just 8 points separated the Sacramento Kings from a Playoff berth, just 8 points away from an entirely different narrative, just 8 points that could decide the future of Sacramento’s crown jewel.

With the release of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” (Part Two), audiences across the world sighed a collective breath of relief. Somehow, the sequel to the 2021 film has managed to meet and surpass the near insurmountable weight of expectations it carried before its release. The sci-fi epic changed the world of film forever, and it will be talked about favorably for years to come.