ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT The Signal Sleuth Crossword John Wick returns to movie screens

BY WYATT ASHLOCK Guest Writer

In 2012, a retired hitman, known as the Baba Yaga, saw his puppy murdered in front of him, and this brought him out of retirement back into the limelight of the life he left behind. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is excommunicado from The High Table, hiding in the underground of New York with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). With an ever-increasing bounty on his head, Mr. Wick must go against The High Table by reaching out to old allies. The High Table has sent Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) to do whatever it takes to stop Mr. Wick, including placing a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head. Mr. Wick challenges the Marquis to a duel, a form of settling things in the way of The High Table, to take place at sunrise the next morning in front of Sacré-Coeur. The Marquis raises the bounty, sending every hitman in Europe after Mr. Wick. With 12 hours till sunrise, Mr. Wick must survive and make it to Sacré-Coeur or forfeit his life to The High Table.

The saga’s director, Chad Stahelski, has raised the bar in every installment to the “John Wick” franchise, and “John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)” is no exception. Stahelski creates an action-packed film with epic fight scenes, including many one-shot fight scenes. He uses the landmarks in France, including the stairs of Sacré-Coeur and the Arc de Triomphe, to masterfully choreograph fight scenes in a way that creates an intense rollercoaster of a movie.

Something unique that Stahelski does with this film is that he matches the style of the film to the style of the fight scene, from action to Japanese-style to western, creating a masterpiece. A fascinating thing that the “John Wick” franchise has done is being inclusive such as writing a character to be mute in “John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)” who communicates only using sign language and writing a visually impaired character for “John Wick: Chapter 4.”

Reeves has portrayed the Baba Yaga since 2012, doing a fantastic job at portraying his character and even doing most of his stunts to bring a deeper sense of realism to the role, which is impressive as Reeves is 58 years old. He does a great job portraying a man who has lost everything, trying to find himself in an unforgiving world.

Some of the stand-out actors in this film include the late Lance Reddick (Charon), the concierge and Ian McShane (Winston), the manager, who have both been a part of the franchise since the beginning. They are some of the best parts of the franchise. Donnie Yen (Caine) and Shamier Anderson (Mr. Nobody) both make their John Wick debut in the new installment. Yen and Anderson help elevate the acting in the film to a new level, yet to be seen in the “John Wick” universe.

It is rare to see a series survive the third film curse, but John Wick’s third film was better than both the first and second movies, which left many fans, including me, worried about if chapter 4 could live up to the expectations. After seeing the film, it did not only live up to the hype but exceeded the hype in every way possible. From beginning to end, “John Wick: Chapter 4” brought the Wick world to a new level. I am very excited to see where the “John Wick” universe is going next. I loved every second of it. I highly recommend people to go see “John Wick: Chapter 4”, exclusively in theaters, earning it a 5 out of 5 tiger paws.

Complete the puzzle using clues found in this week’s edition of the Signal!

Down:

1. Artist who is currently on tour featured in this week’s edition (no spaces)

2. Crew featured in our cover story

3. Country where an OBU mission team held medical clinics

4. Famous ongoing basketball tournament

Across:

5. Name of the event that happened Saturday, April 1 (no spaces)

6. Last name of the OBU student featured in this edition with a recent song release

7. Women’s sport covered in this edition

8. Keeping the _____ Conference

9. Country where an OBU missions team built two houses

BY KATIE BAYER Staff Writer

Dear You,

Four years sure go by in a hurry, don’t they? Spring break has come and gone, and now the race to graduation begins. By now, you are probably wringing your hands with nerves and are feeling all kinds of emotions that come with being a “senti senior.” Believe me, I’m right there with you. This final semester has brought much to our attention about our lives ahead and can cause all kinds of fear.

For many, finding a job may have been harder than anticipated. The working world is competitive, which means more applications, phone calls and rejections than you might like. You may also be struggling to decide what to do with the rest of your life, which can make job hunting no easier.

Finding a place to live comes with its own set of challenges and trials. As young adults, we are finally beginning to truly understand and appreciate how expensive the cost of living can get. There are countless variables to consider.

Do I find an apartment of my own, or stay with my parents until I’ve amassed more funds? What area or state do I want to live in? Will I be close enough to work and family?

But before all of this, you must acknowledge the elephant in the room with the rest of your peers. The looming graduation date less than a month away. For some, this brings nothing but excitement and joy. Others may feel the opposite, and more still may be feeling a flurry of emotions stir inside as they try to soak up every last moment they can.

For struggling seniors, the last month of college is brutal. We’re scrambling to finish projects, make good grades and fulfill what arts engagement credits we have yet to complete. But for Ouachita seniors, one of the worst things of all is watching the clock count down until we are no longer students together. We had no idea what a blessing this campus was going to be on our lives, and now it seems like we have to say goodbye all too soon. We will finally come to know what it’s like to live outside of the innermost Ouachita Bubble. As alumni, we won’t get to engage with much of the amazing Tiger culture that comes after school hours. We will slowly drift farther and farther apart and away from it all. Not getting to experience this special group of people as we once did can feel overwhelmingly sad.

In stressful times like these, take a few moments to look away from where you’re going, and instead look back at where you’ve been.

Senior year is not the only time you’ve struggled, and it won’t be the last, either. Our lives are full of struggles and unknowns, but that’s OK. These things are a part of what makes life so wonderful and worthwhile. Our struggles help us to grow and overcome, to rise above and achieve that which seemed so impossible before.

Freshman You would be proud of where you are today. And four more years from now, Struggling Senior You will be even prouder of all the awe-inspiring things you are sure to do.

Being a senior is hard work, but you’re almost there! It’s OK to feel nervous, and it’s OK to be scared. Maybe when we’re old and gray, we will look back on all the risks we took, all the friends we made, all the fears we faced, and realize, at last, that life is worth every struggle.

Congratulations, Katie (another struggling senior)