The Leader - April 23, 2024 Issue

BY SAMUEL SHULMAN (HE/HIM) AND KEVIN BRASSIL (HE/HIM)

Student Scores

$1,500 Prize

Morgan Wallen Arrested

TAKE ACTION WHERE THERE IS NONE: STUDENTS AND PARENTS STAND UP AGAINST ABUSE AT FENTON HIGH SCHOOL

Samuel Shulman (he/him) and Kevin Brassil (he/him) Staff Writers

On March 11, students at Fenton High School, located only a few miles from Elmhurst University’s campus in Bensenville, Illinois held a protest to see a staff member removed from the high school.

Senior Hannah Ceaser, who graduated from Fenton in 2020, stated that she heard rumors about a teacher abusing a student, but she only knew the student who had come forward.

“Her name was never officially released; however, the rumors were proven to be true due to her last name not being hidden in a part of the police report,” Ceaser said.

That 42-page police report was leaked online, which caused tensions to boil over in March, exposing the staff member’s abuse. This led to students and parents calling for this staffer to be removed.

Parents and current and former students spoke up about their disgust and lack of trust in the school board.

“I was a little surprised, as I would assume everyone would be,” Ceaser said. “However, the more I read the police report, the more I remembered the rumors about the student involved, and I became more frustrated due to how long this has been an issue and no action has been taken in regards to this situation.”

Senior Nathan Fonseca, another Fenton alumni, stated that he was “fully aware of the allegations at the time they were happening” and that students of his grade were aware. “It was all anyone would talk about,” said Fonseca.

Reports of sexual misconduct from this former staff member, who was a teacher and track coach, go back as far as 2011. The first complaint made in 2011 was due to the staff member sending inappropriate text messages to a female student. It was reported, and the staff member was issued a disciplinary letter. More reports were made in 2012 and 2016,

with the Department of Child and Family Services becoming involved. However, their investigations each time ended with findings of “insufficient evidence,” until this current investigation began in September 2023.

A former student reached out to a teacher at Fenton, which led to another report being made. This time, the accused staff member was immediately placed on administrative leave. In October of the same year, the student filed a police report.

“REPORTS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT FROM THIS FORMER STAFF MEMBER, WHO WAS A TEACHER AND TRACK COACH, GO BACK AS FAR AS 2011”

“Every K-12 and higher education institution nationwide implements a tailor-made process to serve their campuses in compliance with the Title IX federal regulations,” said EU Title IX Coordinator, Natalie Brouwer-Potts.

Parents and students were disappointed at a school board meeting held on March 20, and were again disappointed at the March 27 meeting with the Bensenville Board of Trustees. Comments were made condemning the inaction by the board. Others also called for outside investigators to become involved, as they no longer trust the school board or DCFS.

Village President Frank DeSimone wrote a letter on March 20 calling for the removal of District 100 Superintendent James Ongtengco. This followed the school board meeting, where a former student came forward about her experiences. Xochitl Quinones told the school board, “You failed to support me and other young girls who were assaulted.” Quinones refers to the fact that after these initial allegations, this staff member was

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promoted to administration, rather than fired.

Ceaser, as well as many other students and parents, were “really angry to hear that [the school board] still decided he should be promoted to administrator.”

Fonseca stated that students at Fenton “all had the same reaction,” in that they were “appalled by how the school board tried to handle it.”

Ceaser informed The Leader that the position this staff member was promoted to “is the one that oversees diversity, equity, and inclusion,

which is a very sensitive topic where students could be very vulnerable.”

Many Fenton High School students feel unsafe at school. Ceaser, who still has close ties to current Fenton students, stated that some feel unsafe, while others are “unphased by what’s going on.”

As of March 29, Ongtengco was put on leave. The staff member “should not have been promoted to a position like that, let alone still be employed in a school with these allegations,” said Ceaser.

The staff member involved with the abuse has since been fired but has not been charged

with any crime as of April 1. There is another school board meeting slated to be held on April 24.

Brouwer-Potts reminds students that, “The University’s Counseling Center provides a safe space for these discussions and is an excellent resource for any student in crisis, as is the U-Will online platform.”

If you or anyone you know is experiencing sexual abuse, contact EU Title IX coordinator, Natalie Brouwer-Potts at natalie.brouwer-potts@elmhurst.edu or (630)-617-3341 or the DuPage County YWCA Sexual Violence Support Service at (630)-790-660.

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt

EU MASTERS OF NURSING STUDENT PASSES AWAY

Adriana Briscoe (she/her) Editor-in-Chief

To some, it may sound cliché to say that someone’s smile lit up a room, but for those who knew Courtney Schoolcraft, her smile genuinely made a positive impact.

Elizabeth Lucas, Schoolcraft’s fellow Masters of Nursing student, said Schoolcraft’s smile was her favorite thing about her.

“Her smile truly lit up a room, and it was just so big and it was so bright, and when she smiled she always kind of giggled a little bit, and I don’t know why but it was just so infectious,” Lucas said.

Schoolcraft, a student who was enrolled in Elmhurst University’s Masters of Nursing program, died on April 3 after a long battle with cancer.

Schoolcraft was a 2018 graduate of Lockport Township High School, where she excelled academically and earned four varsity letters for the softball team. She then attended the University of Southern Indiana on a softball and academic scholarship and earned her bachelor’s degree.

She was working on her Masters of Nursing at EU and would have graduated this May.

Ruth Schumacher, assistant professor of nursing, said Schoolcraft had wanted to be a nurse since she went to high school and had worked as a certified nursing assistant in high school and college.

“She was definitely very passionate about becoming a nurse,” Schumacher said.

Lucas recalled that Schoolcraft was the type of person to listen more than she spoke, and this strength was an asset in her nursing studies.

“She was always very attentive to different little

“SCHOOLCRAFT WAS THE TYPE OF PERSON TO LISTEN MORE THAN SHE SPOKE , AND THIS STRENGTH WAS AN ASSET IN HER NURSING STUDIES”

minor details, especially in the different classes that we had…” Lucas said. “I had a psych class with her, and they would give us these little examples of the patients, and she would just pick up on all these things that I think most people would overlook.”

Additionally, Lucas noted that Schoolcraft never had any bias when she shared her clinical experiences.

“There were many times where I remember specifically we talked about pain — pain with patients — and I think it’s common for many of us to question whether patients are in pain or not, but I think with Courtney it was never really a question,” Lucas said. “I don’t know if that was because of her experience with pain

herself in the past, or if she just truly was that empathetic, she was just a really good advocate for these patients. She didn’t question, she didn’t have anything negative.”

Lucas also mentioned that while it’s unfortunate that Schoolcraft struggled with pediatric cancer, the experience gave her a unique perspective on healthcare and life.

“You could tell that she was impacted by healthcare at a very young age, and I think it gave her a lot of wisdom and just a completely different perspective, and it made her so much stronger, and she would have made such an incredible nurse because of it,” Lucas said.

In addition to being passionate about nursing, Schoolcraft valued spending time with her family. Lucas recalled a time when she was in a Zoom class with Schoolcraft, and Schoolcraft’s father walked in and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“She was just so flustered and kind of embarrassed, but it was such a sweet little gesture, and I feel like it kind of showed their relationship… ” Lucas said. “She was always so smiley and close with family, she would talk about family whenever she talked. Not often, but when she did it was just the sweetest little things.”

Furthermore, Schumacher commented on how she loved dogs, cats, and baseball.

She wishes Schoolcraft could have realized her dream.

“I just wish she had had the opportunity to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse,” Schumacher said. “I think she was way too young to be lost so soon.”

Lucas shared a similar sentiment, noting Schoolcraft’s potential.

“It doesn’t seem fair that of all the people in the world she was the one taken away because she would have done so much good,” Lucas said.

Schumacher will miss Schoolcraft’s optimism.

“Even though her cancer came back, she was very optimistic she was going to return and complete her education and become the best nurse she could be,” Schumacher said. “And she did not lose that optimism until she passed away.”

PHOTO BY Herald-News

FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION FACES SCRUTINY AT CAPITOL HILL

Lily Morgan (she/her) News Editor

After a few months of uncertainty from students and schools alike, the new FAFSA Simplification Act came under fire from lawmakers and student financial aid experts at a congressional hearing early last week.

The rollout of this new process has been plagued with technical errors, prompting delays in student financial aid offices across the country. The House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development gathered financial experts and administration from some of the institutions affected to hear how this process has impacted students firsthand. Notably, however, this testimony included no actual student accounts.

Those who did testify before the subcommittee included Kim Cook, chief executive officer of the National College Attainment Network, Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and Rachelle Feldman, who serves as vice provost of enrollment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“About 30% fewer FAFSA forms have been submitted by high school seniors this year. Exacerbated in low-income communities by 7% and 6% in schools with diverse student bodies,” said Kim Cook, chief executive officer of the NCAN.

Experts answered questions fielded by Republican and Democrat lawmakers alike, who expressed their frustrations with these

difficulties, promising there would be more hearings in the future – however with seemingly different agendas in mind.

When asked about how the Department of Education should be held accountable for these shortcomings, Draeger said, “I have yet to hear any sort of apologies from the Department of Education, not even to schools, but to students and their families. We are 6 months delayed from where the FAFSA should have been released, there have been entire swaths of students who have not been able to complete that.”

In his concluding statement, Republican chair of the Higher Education Subcommittee, Representative Burgess Owens called the existence of the Department of Education into question entirely.

“Over the last three years, leaders in the Department of Education have brought pure chaos to students seeking an education and to institutions whose mandate it is to provide an education,” Burgess expressed. “Leadership in the department has been distracted, undisciplined and arrogant.”

When asked to give the Biden Administration and the Department of Education a grade on this rollout, Draeger gave it an F, Cook gave it a C, and Feldman gave it a D, for ‘disappointing.’

In a new statement released by the Department of Education, they said, “To date, as many as 16% of FAFSA applications require a student correction,” and that “Approximately 30% of FAFSA forms are potentially affected by known processing or data errors.”

The Education Department said they are currently in the process of reprocessing applications that have either been affected by data errors or require student correction but that the majority of applications affected by incorrect tax data from the IRS will take longer and be sent to schools by May 1. However, the statement says they will keep everyone updated on the process, indicating this could be delayed.

Looking towards the future, the issue of next year’s FAFSA form was raised, as usually the first draft of the form is issued by now for review in time for it to be released on the normal October schedule.

“I lack confidence that they aren’t going to have to delay the FAFSA,” said financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Elmhurst University students who are already worried about the outcomes of this year’s FAFSA haven’t even taken time to consider the implications this could have for the years to come.

Junior Jade Villalobos works giving tours to incoming EU students and commented on parents’ worries.

“I already had parents express concerns about committing on May 1st,” Villalobos said. “They don’t even know if they can afford their kid’s college because of FAFSA’s fiasco.”

Only time will tell how these issues are resolved, but for now, everyone affected has no choice but to rely on the Department of Education to fulfill their promises by May 1.

ELMHURST UNIVERSITY JUNIOR SCORES $1,500 PRIZE WITH “FASHION FORECAST” PITCH AT BLUEJAY TANK

Tyler Ptaszkowski (he/him) Staff Writer

The Elmhurst University E-celerator program hosted its Spring 2024 Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition at Innovation DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois on April 15.

A total of four contestants, all EU students, each delivered a 10-minute elevator pitch to a panel of five judges with a wide variety of entrepreneurial experience, hoping to receive funding for their entrepreneurial aspirations. This year, each contestant was also required to incorporate a “digital element,” such as a compatible app or website for their product or service.

In the end, Jade Villalobos, from the southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, earned the first-place prize of $1,500.

Villalobos, a junior majoring in digital marketing communication, outlined her vision for a “Fashion Forecast” app, which she described as a “personal meteorologist” that would rival similar services like Brella and Weather Fit by utilizing artificial intelligence to provide a “personalized experience” for every user.

Villalobos envisions YouTuber sponsorships, a partnership with Amazon, and even hiring EU students majoring in computer science to help her bring her vision to life.

One of the judges particularly praised Villalobos’s “amazing” presentation, as well as her ability to demonstrate passion for her company and dress the part.

Villalobos thanked her friends, family, and professors, many of whom were in attendance, for their support and encouragement and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

Olamiposi Ogunbiyi, a sophomore majoring in cybersecurity, walked away with the second-place prize of $1,000.

Ogunbiyi, an international student from Nigeria, impressed the judges with his pitch for “EasyJay,” an app that would essentially eliminate the “hassle” of lost or misplaced ID cards and serve as an alternative to a Jaypass.

Moreover, the app would employ geolocation technology to make transactions easier and campus life “smoother” for students, staff, and faculty alike.

Brady Lucas, a recent graduate of EU who is currently pursuing an MBA, took home the third-place prize of $500.

Lucas, who hails from Lindenhurst, Illinois, expressed to the judges his idea for “LITM,” a clothing brand with a focus on mental health apparel, noting that one in every three adults between the ages of 18 and 25 suffers from a mental health illness.

According to Lucas, he opted to focus on a “growing sector in a mature industry” to achieve his goal of inspiring people “to live in the moment, embrace positivity, and find fulfillment in the world around them.”

Patrick Yanahan, EU’s Executive in Residence and the event’s emcee, noted that there was only a two-point difference between second and third place this year.

The judges also heard from Tina Imanlihen, a sophomore majoring in physics and civil engineering, who pitched her idea for “Thrillfinder,” a travel agency that recommends travel destinations for users based on “personal preference,” rather than relying on AI.

Imanlihen was inspired by her own travel experiences; specifically, the time she enjoyed at an immersive, albeit lesser-known, location in Italy. Likewise, Imanlihen wants users to resonate with the “unsung” places of the world.

Yanahan concluded the event by thanking everyone involved, from the diverse panel of experienced judges to Sarpino’s Pizzeria for providing complimentary food and drinks for the occasion.

With the judges’ feedback and $3,000 divided among the contestants, only time will tell where these hopeful entrepreneurs take their ideas next.

PHOTO BY Elmhurst E-celerator

Bluejay Tank Pitch Competition winners

EUDC’S “COLORFUL” REPRESENTS TEAM MISSION

Eve Hvarre (she/her) Chief Copy Editor

Elmhurst University Dance Company’s annual spring showcase was held on April 13-14 in the Hammerschmidt Chapel.

This year’s performance was called “Colorful,” and Head Captain Emerson Azcoitia commented on how the showcase got its name. “This year was focused on the joy and creation of dancing,” said Azcoitia. “Our goal was to fill the studio with fun and laughter and watch the dances be inspired and come together. We used the song ‘Colorful’ by Jukebox the Ghost for our senior football game and the team fell in love with it. ‘Colorful just seemed a perfect fit.’”

Part of EUDC’s mission as a dance team is to provide an open, safe space for everyone, no matter whether one has dance experience or not. Currently, the team has people with experience not only in dance but also in color guard, figure skating, and other backgrounds. Azcoitia is committed to making dance inclusive and accessible.

“I have been an advocate for bridging the gap of access to dance,” said Azcoitia. “I am honored that people who have been hurt by the dance industry or people who do not feel welcomed in it want to come dance and trust us as a team to support them.”

Freshman Jasmine Simone expressed that she was nervous at first but is grateful that she joined.

“I was a bit nervous, since I auditioned my first semester of college, but everyone has been so kind and supportive,” Simone said. “I’m so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone to join this team.”

This year’s team was made up of almost entirely new members, but they quickly came together like they had been teammates for years. “New people bring their diverse perspectives and push a team to new levels,” Azcoitia said of the team. “This team has made it extremely easy to lead. They are kind, they are compassionate, they support each other, and they show up in their authentic, beautiful selves.”

Simone continued her thoughts on being a part of the team.

“Being able to continue my dancing career is amazing, especially alongside such wonderful friends,” Simone said. “These past two semesters with EUDC have been formative in a dancer and personal perspective.”

She further stated that she would not trade being on the team for anything and that she is excited to see what the next season has in store.

On top of the apparent closeness and friendships of the team, the showcase had a variety of dances that featured different levels of technique and style to highlight and represent everyone on the team. From lyrical and contemporary, to musical theater, to tap, the showcase had a little bit of many styles.

One of the two tap pieces in the show was choreographed by Simone, having been a vision she had for years.

“Finally being able to apply this vision physically and see other dancers perform it was really rewarding,” said Simone.

The showcase also featured a “seniors only”

dance to celebrate the graduating seniors of the team: Samuel Shulman, Adriana Briscoe, and Tara Folino.

Folino joined the team in the fall of 2023 and expressed her gratitude for the team.

“I feel like this was the safest environment I’ve ever been in in terms of a team,” Folino said. “I am so thankful to have met, danced with, and grown closer to all of the lovely people that make up our team.”

Folino continued that she has felt included and that she feels her presence was valued as a member of EUDC.

“I felt a little silly hesitating to join a school organization as a senior, but it honestly could not have worked out for the better,” said Folino. “Colorful” was fun and filled with many jokes between some of the numbers, giving the audience a further insight into the team and what it’s about. The bond between the team members was evident and made the showcase stand out as they danced.

Many of the members are excited to see what next year’s showcase will look like.

PHOTO BY Eve Hvarre EUDC team after their last performance

FAMOUS COUNTRY MUSIC STAR MORGAN WALLEN ARRESTED LAST WEEKEND AFTER BAR INCIDENT

Brynn Rubacky (she/her) Staff Writer

Country music star Morgan Wallen, 30, was arrested last weekend after throwing a chair off the rooftop of a Nashville bar.

Wallen is facing three felony counts of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief’s Bar and right in front of two MNPD officers. His court date is scheduled for May 3 – which is the same day as one of his concerts in Nashville at Nissan Stadium.

He was released on a $15,250 bond a few hours after his arrest. His legal representation states that he has been cooperating with officers.

According to Tennessee’s sentencing guidelines, Wallen could face up to six years in prison and a fine up to $3,000 for throwing the chair off the roof.

Rumors have sparked about what led to the singer’s public incident. It was said his ex-fiancé, KT Smith, who recently announced marriage to Luke Scornavacco, was the reason behind Wallen throwing the chair off the Nashville Bar. Their relationship began in 2016, and they got engaged months later with their relationship ending in 2019. Smith and Wallen broke up shortly before welcoming their son, Indigo,

who they now co-parent. Smith denied these rumors about the correlation between her marriage announcement and his arrest. “Although it may seem like it correlates because of the timeline, I have no evidence to believe the incident had anything to do with the recent marriage announcement,” she said to the Daily Beast.

It is currently still unspecified why Wallen threw the chair, however, he was said to appear intoxicated by people at the scene. Wallen was previously arrested in 2020 for public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. There was also previous speculation that Wallen canceled one of his concerts in 2023 because he was “too drunk” to perform one of his concerts, but his label denied this rumor was true.

This arrest happened as Wallen announced his 6-story bar coming to Broadway Street this past February. He also recently kicked off the beginning of his “One Night at A Time” Tour 2024.

Wallen’s music is well recognized in the country music community and his arrest has been publicized on major news outlets and social media. It is unknown the future of Wallen’s career in country music, but one Elmhurst University student believes this will not affect

his career.

EU Junior, Emma Siegfried, said she is not a very avid listener of Wallen’s music, but she has heard a lot about him and his music career.

“I am not a listener of Morgan Wallen, but I don’t believe that his career will be affected very much because of his arrest,” Siegfried said. “His fanbase seems like they won’t really care, and business will go on as usual.”

Siegfried also mentioned her brother, Mason, is a listener of Wallen’s music and wanted to see what he would have to say. Mason agreed with his sister’s comments that his career will not be affected.

“It might delay his albums and his concerts,” he said. “But honestly nobody cares that he got arrested. It is becoming a bigger deal than it is.”

Personally, I think that Wallen’s career will remain the same as well. Any musical artist that I have seen be arrested, such as Justin Bieber or Wiz Khalifa, have experienced some backlash, but loyal fans have kept on listening regardless.

Wallen has 11 chart-toppers on country radio. He just wrapped up his 2022/2023 tour that appeared in five countries and three different continents. His song “Last Night” has gone 6x platinum and has been streamed 1.5 billion times on Apple Music and Spotify.

GRAPHIC BY Rachel Fratt

WAR THROUGH THE EYES OF A LENS

Sarah Glees (she/her) Multimedia Editor

The shaking blast of a gunshot, the silence of a scream, and the snap of a shutter as a black and white photograph overtakes the screen make A24’s latest endeavor, “Civil War” a truly unique and poignant film.

Set in a near future, “Civil War” follows a group of journalists, Lee (Kirsten Dunst), Joel (Wagner Moura), Jesse (Cailee Spaeny), and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) as they embark on a journey to reach Washington D.C. to document a monumental turn in the civil war that’s broken out across the nation.

Spoilers Ahead.

“Civil War” truly shocked me with how much I ended up appreciating it, especially with the film director Alex Garland’s history of films like “Annihilation” – which I personally couldn’t take an interest in. However, while the ambiguity drove me crazy in “Annihilation,” it works beautifully in this film.

A purposefully apolitical position is taken in “Civil War,” which easily could’ve been seen as a cop-out or trying to cater to multiple sides. This film makes it clear, though, that politics isn’t the focus. Instead, the focus is on putting the audience in the shoes of a journalist by only sharing basic details about the war that’s broken out. The audience watching is simply to observe as an unbiased outsider, just as the journalists are. With journalism being at the centerfold of this film, there are a lot of powerful scenes surrounding this group; however, one that sticks in my mind is when Lee is walking, scenes of war around her, and she, with an impactful delivery, states how she’s been around the world photographing war as a warning to keep it from happening here. This moment early on in the film shows the true heart of the message, which is the importance of this journalism. It’s one that’s then paired simultaneously with the toll and detachment from this calling that can cause a person to feel. Another standout in this film was how tortuously impactful the sound was. Throughout this film, I was jumping in my seat and covering my ears as each gunshot blasted. I truly felt brought into the world of this violence. Rather than a typical action piece that glorifies and makes the fighting the most enjoyable part

of the film, this movie is honest and shows war and violence as the horrific beast that it is. The movie was also so tactful in being able to shift between these tense action sequences to music playing over beautifully shot sequences of the characters’ reactions and the devastation they’re experiencing. Doing this forces the audience to sit with the violence that’s just occurred, just as the characters have to.

On the note of the characters, the performances in this film were some of the best I’ve seen in a while. Their expressions and delivery of what I did feel was underdeveloped dialogue were somehow still stunning. There’s one scene in particular, after they’ve all experienced the death of not one but three colleagues, where the audience has no choice but to be completely consumed by the anguish and anger portrayed in the characters’ performances. It’s a testament to how talented each of these individuals are and to how different this film may have been had their performances not been so compelling. By the end of this film, it circles all back to that original statement I made of ambiguity. As a whole, this film is ambiguous in nature, something I typically can respect but usually dislike. However, in this instance, it works so well because this is the most honest way to portray the life of a journalist, especially a war journalist whose whole purpose is to observe and, as the film makes a point to mention, let the world decide the meaning of each photo.

The last image of the film is a perfect example of this as it develops over rolling credits. The longer it’s on screen, the clearer the smiling faces of soldiers become as they stand over the body of the president they’ve just killed. It’s a haunting image of celebration. There’s the element of relief or hope that comes from it when the photograph is looked through the lens of the president being a horrible and dangerous person. There’s also a very prominent feeling of fear and uneasiness that sinks in the more I look at the pure, unfiltered joy in each of the soldier’s eyes after having just murdered someone. “Civil War” is, to say the least, a complex and multifaceted film that deserves a watch.

HONDROS (2017)

Sarah Glees (she/her) Multimedia Editor

“Hondros” is a documentary film about the American war photographer Chris Hondros. The feature tackles themes similar to those of “Civil War,” especially the level of involvement that photojournalists should or shouldn’t have. It’s a tough watch; however, it shows war as the horrific and violent act that it is without glorifying it, just as the “Civil War” accomplished.

5/5 stars

“GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE” AND THE DUALITY OF GODZILLA’S MOVIE PERSONA

Gabriel E. Galindo (he/him) Arts and Culture Editor

The King of the Monsters and the 8th Wonder of the World are back in the latest installment to Warner Bros. Monsterverse, their kaiju cinematic universe. “The New Empire” continues where “Godzilla vs Kong” ended. With Godzilla dominating the surface world and Kong inside “Hollow Earth”, the homeland of all the earth’s monsters, a new threat appears in the form of a giant Orangutan named Skar King, who rules a hidden tribe of giant apes like Kong. This orange ape is a brute who holds a giant ice lizard named Shimo, who has the power to send earth back to the ice age. Not being able to defeat them on his own, Kong will need the help of Monarch, the organization that worked behind the scenes in all the Monsterverse films since 2014, and Godzilla himself.

Spoilers Ahead:

While the movie is about Godzilla and Kong, like the previous film, it focuses more on Kong than it does on Godzilla. The King of the Monsters only appears for a certain fraction of a time compared to Kong and divides that with the human subplot that coincides with theirs. Many critics and audiences were quick to compare this with the more successful and acclaimed “Godzilla: Minus One” from last year, which just won an Oscar for “Best Visual Effects.” As a longtime Godzilla fan, it needs to be addressed that these two films portray two sides to the Godzilla franchise as a whole, and why “New Empire” is still an okay movie to watch.

Throughout his 70-year long franchise, there existed two identities for Godzilla.

There’s Godzilla the destroyer, the living metaphor of nuclear warfare and destruction, the kind that Oppenheimer preached about. Films that featured Godzilla in this style (such as Shin Godzilla and Minus One) focus heavily on the human narrative and establish Godzilla as an antagonist. These types of movies are the ones that get cinematically acclaimed both in Japan and the world.

On the other hand, there’s Godzilla the fighter,

the King of the Monsters, the long-time champion that throws punches and kicks at other monsters. This was the type of Godzilla that began the kaiju brawls during the Showa Era, the first generation of Godzilla films that lasted from 1955 to 1975. These were the movies where Godzilla first fought Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Mecha-Godzilla, and countless other strange kaiju. It was also the era where the first King Kong vs Godzilla happened. These were the films that featured stuntmen in rubber suits fighting each other with a large abundance of special effects, miniature sets, and explosions.

Earth, where the plot appears to be like that of the original King Kong, with Bernie filming the whole experience for proof of its existence. Once there, they encounter the surviving members of the Iwi civilization, the tribe that worshipped Kong in “Skull Island” (2017). Jia was thought to be the only survivor, but now it’s revealed she was not. The Iwi play an instrumental role towards the film’s climax, as they help unite Godzilla and Kong. When it comes to monster films, particularly Godzilla’s, the human plot is either 50 or 70 in terms of filler and purpose. The human plot in these films mostly serves towards the defeat of the antagonists and support for the protagonist monster. Other times, it’s there to destroy both monsters.

Aside from our main cast, there’s a variety of side monsters that appear in this film, with Mothra even making a surprise appearance. One new monster worth mentioning was visually promoted in trailers and commercials: Baby Kong, dubbed Zuko by the film’s merchandising. He’s there for the cute factor and does have a few fight scenes. Most fans at this point dubbed the little guy as Kong’s Son.

This is what “New Empire” and the Monsterverse is basing itself off. It’s essentially creating a “Second Showa Era.” Instead of rubber suits, we have computer generated motion capture to create these monsters.

Like the first generation of Godzilla films, the humans are side characters. In “New Empire”, we have Jia (Kaylee Hottle) and her adoptive mother, Dr. Irene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), returning from the previous film; alongside conspiracy theorist/podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tee Henry) and a new character named Trapper (played by Dan Stevens). Jia has had disturbing dreams that lead towards Hollow

Overall, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” was a decent continuation of their shared universe. It’s a 3 out of 5, and audiences who saw both “Minus One” and this film need to understand that they cannot be compared to one another. Both films offer different takes on the characters. Japan will continue to make stand alone takes on the King of the Monsters while in Hollywood, and it looks like the Monsterverse will start to revive the monster brawls of the ‘60s and ‘70s, which is essentially what most of western filmmakers remember from Godzilla. The action monster in the rubber suit, the one who fought alien invaders, the monster who got cut, burned, and thrown down to the ground. This is the Godzilla many western fans and audiences grew up with, including myself.

The film was released internationally on March 27 and in the United States on March 29. It is scheduled to be released in Japan by Toho on April 26.

“KUNG FU PANDA 4” - SERIES INSTALLMENT A DISAPPOINTMENT, BUT FAR FROM A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME

Michael Nicholson (he/him) Staff Writer

I really hold the “Kung Fu Panda” film series in high esteem and personally see them as up there with the likes of “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” etc, and I love Jack Black in general. So this is one of those movies that, despite hearing mixed opinions about it, I was still excited to see. The story sees Po being told he will no longer be the dragon warrior and must find a successor as he’s being elevated to a spiritual leader of some sort. But, Tai Lung is back. This is a nitpick I have with the movie. I really wish they could explain how characters can come back from the spirit world. Instead of just doing it, there should have been an explanation of some sort.

Po decides to challenge Tai Lung to have one last adventure as dragon warrior before his retirement. He teams up with a sly fox played by Awkwafina, who tells him that Tai Lung may be in fact the Chameleon, a shapeshifter who has a diabolical plot to harness the energy of all the previous villains from the spirit world

to make her unstoppable in her kung fu. One element in particular, which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen it, really drew me into the film. I wish that one element could have been delved into a lot more, along with another certain element. That made it a bit disappointing for me. As a whole, though, I still had a pretty good time.

Without spoiling anything, this is where it gets a bit too predictable. I really thought I knew who the Chameleon was, and it turned out that I was sort of right… sort of. The Chameleon is a great villain, by the way. The two things that were a bit disappointing were, again, those two particular elements I really wish could have been delved into a lot more, and the story being pretty predictable. I guess there’s nothing wrong with predictability.

A lot of other animated movies I can think of are predictable and do have stories that have been done to death, but do something new and unique with them, such as “Coco”, “Luca”, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”, to name a few. This one honestly doesn’t. You know what’s gonna happen by the end, you know the lesson, it’s pretty repetitive. That being said,

the movie does have its fair share of hilarious moments indeed.

Jack Black is as funny as ever, and this group of thugs that the fox belongs to is a knockout with how they misunderstand Po’s attempts at proverbs, which are also very funny. There’s also this one fish who lives in another character’s mouth, and he just cracks me up as well. The villain is great, and Awkwafina’s character is great. I just think this could have been something a lot more, which is what I was expecting.

Of course, compared to other films that disappointed me in the last few years, I would definitely much rather watch this one again. I really do wish those elements were explored a lot more to make this something really special. As is, though if you’re a die hard fan of this series like I am, it’s still worth it in my view. It has just enough hilarious moments and fun action sequences that one would expect from this series to outweigh the disappointing aspect of it. Not the best, but definitely good enough for me.