The Plank - Opinions

Over the summer, we had the privilege to visit the Br. Darst Center in Chicago. The organization seeks to raise awareness for social issues through spiritual retreats. When we visited, our group was exposed firsthand to the many societal injustices that plague the area. 

One of these issues is food insecurity–essentially when people in an area cannot access healthy foods. Whilst working at the Saint James Food Pantry, we saw how many people were unable to feed themselves and their families. 

This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Del Norte, California, to work with the Sierra Service Project, an organization that provides home repair and building services for underserved communities. This immersion trip was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had during my time at Jesuit. Throughout the trip, I worked on a variety of service projects that directly impacted the local community and environment. 

This summer, we spent time volunteering at L’Arche Tahoma Hope in Tacoma, Washington, a community where people with disabilities live and work together. This experience changed the way we view language, learning that sometimes, facial expressions, posture, and body language say more than any words spoken. 

The University of Utah is a public college located in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the past year or so, I’ve been fortunate enough to tour many campuses on the West Coast, and this was one of my favorites. With its beautiful campus, great city environment, and great academics, the university is a great choice for Jesuit students applying.

As you may have heard or seen, the newest rendition of the classic gothic horror story “Frankenstein” has hit Netflix, directed by none other than Guillermo Del Toro. The verdict? It’s fine. 

To be fair, it’s a fun watch and especially easy to become engrossed in. But artistically? It lacked depth in its attempt to recreate Shelley’s masterpiece. Del Toro did a good job with what he knows. The stunning costumes, look of the creature, and consistency with the narrative devices of the book were all done quite well. The incredible performances from the actors stood out. But put it next to the book, and it looks like a comic strip.

Since when has ordering food become so out of control?

Before COVID-19, tipping was a luxury afforded to waiters in order to supplement their wages. I never had to worry about staring a cashier dead in the eyes as I selected “no tip” and feeling bad afterwards for not giving 20% more to the price I was already being gouged. Yet it seems that in the aftermath of COVID, having a tablet flipped around is the norm for every financial encounter.

“The Monkey” is a horror-comedy film based on the 1980s short story by Stephen King. Directed by Oz Perkins, the movie was released in theaters on Feb. 21, 2025, almost forty-five years after the story’s initial publication.

On Friday, April 4, the highly anticipated and advertised “A Minecraft Movie” premiered, and it did not disappoint. While critics have rather mixed reviews over the movie, it is safe to say that watching this movie on opening day will be a moment remembered by everyone who attended. 

With critics rating the movie at 48% Rotten Tomatoes a few days after release, the movie appears to be unpolished and unappealing to some. When looking at the audience rating of the movie however, it sits at a high 87%. In my opinion, this disparity can be attributed to the fact that watching this movie in a room by yourself is a drastically different experience than watching this movie at your local theatre on opening day. While the movie may not have had the best character arcs or plot, the true entertainment came from crowd interactions, the nostalgia value, and the numerous funny moments from Jack Black and Jason Momoa.