Issuu

USF

College Monthly

Story by Adria Botella

100 Years of Music

Hailey Schmidt

Taking a Stand

Jessica Justin

Godspell

ElliE Herman

April 2017 Volume 4 Issue 7 | usfcollegeweek.com

Story by Ellie Herman

The University of Sioux Falls Theatre Department has hit the ground running on their upcoming production, Godspell. Joe Obermueller, director of theatre here at USF, officially announced at the end of last spring semester that the theatre department would be performing the musical. Obermueller says that Godspell is very interesting because it does not have a story line or plot. “It’s a collection of parables that Jesus taught his disciples,” Obermueller says. “In the second act we have more parables, but it leads toward the passion, the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s interesting in that way because you are hearing lessons instead of a traditional story line.” Godspell is heavily Biblical. Every lyric or line you hear has reference to the Bible, specifically the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. JohnMichael Tebelak, the scriptwriter for Godspell, first came up with the idea in a dry and dull Episcopal Easter service when he was in college. “He thought, man, why isn’t this a celebration? So that inspired him to write these songs and stories in a way that’s a little less formal,” Obermueller says. “The songs were primarily taken from the Episcopal Hymnal. They were 2 | COLLEGE MONTHLY

reworked and rewritten and they are sung and performed in contemporary ways.” Godspell’s music is composed by Stephan Schwartz, who also composed music for Pippin, Wicked, and the movie The Prince of Egypt. The music is described as contemporary or modern, with a rock n’ roll feel. There have been many revivals of Godspell due to the original Broadway production gaining much popularity. There are 13 people in the cast of Godspell. The main character is Jesus, who is played by sophomore Austin VanDiepen in his first collegiate performance. VanDiepen says he’s very excited and nervous about playing one of the most iconic figures of all time. He also says he is very glad that he got a part that he feels he can easily emulate. “When you do a show you want to do a little bit of research on your character and try to figure out where you’re going,” VanDiepen says. “ But they’re obviously huge shoes to fill. To say, ‘Wow, I’m playing Jesus,’ it’s a little nerve-wracking.” Freshman Drew Veurink will be playing the combined role, John the Baptist and Judas, while the rest of the cast

will be playing themselves. “Three characters play such Biblical roles and then the other characters are named after themselves, because we’re all disciples,” Obermueller says. The original Broadway cast all played themselves and those are the names that are in the script. When any other cast performs Godspell, they will use their real names as well. There are also descriptions of the characters in the script so the director gets the right variety of characters while casting the show. “I know for some they’ve really been enjoying doing that because there’ll able to have their own personality and not have to emulate something they are not,” VanDiepen says. Sophomore Elizabeth Enalls will be playing herself in the show along with 10 other cast members. “Its kind of weird because our character is supposed to be us, but it’s also supposed to be a character,” Enalls says. “My character is supposed to be comical and have a big personality, so it’s basically me.” While most of the cast figures out their characters, they also have to work through the music and lines. For the

first couple weeks of rehearsal the cast had private 30-minute vocal lessons four times a week to dig into the music. Enalls says the music can get very difficult at times. “It’s fun, but it is hard,” Enalls says. “I really need to know my part, otherwise it messes up the person who is next to me. So it’s very collaborative, which I like.” “The music in Godspell is music you will never forget. It’s moving, it’s raw, and it’s contemporary. We are not going to hear these songs on K-Love, but the sound is contemporary,” Obermueller says. Even with the difficult musical numbers and finding their characters, the collegiate cast has much confidence in the show. “I think it’s going to be a great show,” VanDiepen says. “Once you have this much talent and dedication, the show always ends up being great.”

Godspell I was like, are they going to represent Jesus well? But this is actually like a worship service. It goes through the scriptures and gives life to them in a way that you might not necessarily get in a church setting.” Obermueller says he agrees that the musical is like a worship service. “I think people need to come in with an expectation that everyone is going to see something a bit different. As soon as I thought about Godspell as a church service and how a church service is organized, it made a lot more sense to me,” Obermueller says. “We do not go into church expecting to sit down and hear a story from beginning to end. We are not accustomed to [church] in a theatrical setting.” “It’s really energized and big. But in the bare bones of it, every single song has deep meaning to it that points to Jesus,” Enalls says.

Since Godspell is a show involving Christianity and Jesus’ ministry, Enalls says she was very careful when she first looked at auditioning for the musical.

“It invites you to see this story in a different way and hear the stories in a different way and maybe laugh and have a little fun with it. But the power is still there. It’s so transformational,” Obermueller says.

“There are so many plays that are really controversial and really disrespectful,” Enalls says. “When I heared about

While performing Godspell fulfills USF’s mission and motto Culture for Service, being stewards for Christ, Godspell

fulfills another commission. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (ESV). “God calls us to be in community. That’s what Jesus did here when He was on earth. He was teaching people how to live their lives with each other and how to serve God and how to love one another. That’s what this musical is all about,” Obermueller says. Godspell will be shown in the Meredith Auditorium, May 4-6 at 7:30pm with a matinée on May 7th at 2:00pm. Tickets are available online for purchase at www.usiouxfalls.edu/tickets.

Scan the QR code to purchase your tickets online and reserve your seat!

The cast of Godspell. Photo courtesy of Alecia Martinez.

APRIL 2017 | 3

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Looking Back

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Interview completed by Joee Taylor. Story written by Jessica Perez.

While most students remember their time at USF being spent celebrating homecoming, watching Netflix, and cheering on the Coo at football games, one former student has very different memories. Mary-Jeanne Amacher remembers rollerskating and having only three male classmates. This is because she graduated from USF (then known as Sioux Falls College) in 1947. During the Second World War, the 200 students enrolled at Sioux Falls College were mainly women. Amacher’s experiences in her small, predominantly female, class still remain clear in her memory. At the time, there were only three men going to Sioux Falls College. “One was pre-med, one was pre-

minister, and I think the other one was too short to go in the army,” Amacher says. She says she chose to pursue education, despite not having any encouragement to get a degree. “Nobody encouraged me to go to college, but I wanted to. One of the recruiters was somebody from my high school that I went to, a couple years older than I was. And she came to see me and encouraged me to come to Sioux Falls College, and I was given a small scholarship. So, that’s where I went.” At the time, a two-year degree was enough to get a teaching job. Amacher’s

mother was a teacher for five years before she got married, so she decided to pursue a career in elementary education. As being part of the college community, Amacher was involved in many extracurricular activities. One of her involvements was writing for the school newspaper. “I did write one main article, I dug into the old papers about what college was like in World War I. I compared it to what was going on as soldiers came back after World War II - the similarities and differences, and that the first homecoming parades were roller-skating races downtown,” Amacher says.

The Stylus (Sioux Falls College newspaper), April 1947. Courtesy of Mears Library.

some slumber parties, I think they phased those out. One lady who was a, probably called a patron of the college, I don’t remember her name, but she had a lovely home on the south part of town. So we were all invited to tea one afternoon at her house,” Amacher says. “Once a month there was a dinner in the dining room for everybody that had a birthday that month, and we wore formal dresses. Of course, the men didn’t bother to come, only three of them. Oh, there must have been more than three because we had a basketball team. But the girl’s physical education was basketball but you played half-court - three from each side on one-half of the court. When the ball went to the other half somebody else played that over there,” Amacher says. It has been almost 70 years since Amacher graduated. Her college experience is different than ours today, but one thing that we have in common with her is having regrets. “Well, I wish I would have tried harder; been more serious about it. But I could get by; see I went for a year and a half and then I got engaged to somebody from out of town and quit school.” Amacher did eventually go back and finish another year. Sioux Falls College circa 1930s. Photo courtesy of USF Marketing.

Homecoming traditions are a bigger deal today than they were back then, but that does not mean Sioux Falls College did not celebrate homecoming. They still had a homecoming royalty, a football game, and activities such as teepee days.

“Well that was our homecoming because we were the Sioux Falls Braves, I think it was.” Amacher says she remembers the Homecoming king being a tall, slender man with a beautiful voice. “He had on his buckskins and he sang Pale Moon and there was a big moon shining at that time.” One thing that has not changed is the rivalry with our neighbors to the south. USF currently battles Augustana for the Key to the City and other victories

throughout the year: the competitive landscape has been years in the making. Amacher says that when she was a student during the Second World War, the rivalry was alive even then. “Well, of course, they were much bigger than we were at the time, but you had to have some kind of a rival,” she says. One major difference from today’s students and those 70 years ago is the type of campus activities and how students spent their free time. Today, we crawl to our rooms and put on Netflix or spend time on our phones. During Amacher’s college experience, they had to make their own kind of fun. “Well, we would go roller skating in the gym [and] there were watermelon feeds,” Amacher says. “There were

She also says she looks back fondly on some of the friendships she made during her time at Sioux Falls College. “Well, I suppose I would kind of like to keep up with some of the ones that I went to school with; some of the girls that were in the dorms.” Lastly, Amacher advises current students to pay attention to what we are learning. “You’re not just there to find a mate. Take good use of your college; you’re there to learn how to make the world a better place, not just to fill out a resume.” Seventy years later, USF has a new name, new traditions, and new students and staff. But despite the differences from the Sioux Falls College Amacher knew, we are all able to learn from her experience and still take her good advice.

In the Political Arena: South Dakota Legislation {Passed & Vetoed}

Story by Whitney Fryer

South Dakota lawmakers have passed (and vetoed) a large variety of proposed bills since the legislative session began on Tuesday, January 10th. Some of the most recent legislation has also caused quite the controversy, including Senate Bill 149; the Religious Protection Bill, which has received backlash nationwide. S.B. 149 was signed into law on March 10th by Governor Dennis Daugaard. The bill aimed at providing religious protections to faith-based or religious child-placement (adoption) agencies. The law is set to protect private adoption agencies that deny child placement to unmarried or same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs from lawsuits. Opponents argue the bill could deter or even prevent samesex couples from adopting or fostering children. In response to S.B. 149 San Francisco barred travel to South Dakota for all city employees. This decision was based on legislation passed by California lawmakers in 2015 stating that, “California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.” In November 2016, fifty-one percent of residents voted for Initiated Measure 22. This law would have created an 6 | COLLEGE MONTHLY

independent ethics commission, limited lobbyist gifts to lawmakers, banned officials from joining lobbying firms for two years after leaving office, and given registered voters vouchers to steer towards their preferred candidate, which could have helped to limit campaign spending. However, Republican lawmakers, including Daugaard, claimed that the general public had been “hoodwinked by scam artists who grossly misrepresented theses proposed measures.” Lawmakers have since repealed and replaced the measure with eight bills that created lobbyist restrictions, allowed for investigation of wrongdoing in state government, as well as require more disclosure regarding campaign finance. For a majority of voters, these reforms feel short, as they did not include a public campaign finance program, nor did they set to lower campaign finance limits. Most recently, Daugaard signed into law a proposal to establish penalties for protesters who trespass into restricted zones. The commissioner of school and public lands, the sheriff, and the governor are now allowed to prohibit groups of twenty or more people from gathering on land that is under state supervision. It also authorized for additional penalties against protesters

who trespass into areas set aside as safety zones. Since the bill contained an emergency clause, it went into effect immediately after being signed. This bill was created in order to help the state prepare for possible protests regarding the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Lawmakers have also approved a minor raise for teachers and health care providers, as well as additional health insurance coverage for all state employees. Both the S.D. Senate and House approved a 0.3 percent boost in funding for those groups. A follow up to “The Right to Conceal and Carry,” as discussed in the March issue of College Monthly, House Bill 1072 did not pass. H.B. 1072 would have allowed South Dakota residents to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Also, House Bill 1156 would have allowed retired law enforcement officers and anyone with an enhanced concealed carry permit to carry handguns in the State Capitol, but it did not receive the needed votes to pass. These bills are just a handful of the recent legislation either passed or vetoed by S.D. lawmakers. For more information about South Dakota politics and new laws, visit: argusleader.com/ news/politics or sdlegislature.gov

100 Years of Music Story by Hailey Schmidt Photos courtesy of USF Choir

The USF campus is celebrating 100 years of singing on campus in three unique ways this year. First, Dr. David DeHoogh-Kliewer, director of choral activities, worked with composer Deanna Wehrspann and lyricist Ivan Fuller to commission a piece entitled “God’s Marvel.” Next, the Concert Chorale, Collegiate Choir, and an alumni choir of over 100 voices joined together for the world debut of the commissioned piece at USF’s annual homecoming variety show, Cougaret III. The final way in which the choir celebrated was by emulating the 1982 choir tour to Washington D.C. and New York City over spring break.

Cover Photo: Elizabeth Enalls and Emma Snow at the African American Museum of History and Culture in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of Ellie Herman.

“I was so excited when we found out where we were going! “Senior Jessica Giannantonio says. “I had never been to D.C. and although I’ve been to New York, I had never performed there with a choir before.” This is Giannantonio’s fourth and final choir tour. The tour began on the first Monday of spring break. That day, the 70-member choir along with four chaperones headed first by bus to Omaha Nebraska and then by plane to Washington D.C. The first activity was an illuminated tour of the memorials. Junior Travis Balt says there was a particular moment that night that will stay with him forever. “One of my favorite memories from this tour was singing ‘I Will Life Mine Eyes’ in the Jefferson Memorial because it started with just one person and soon the whole choir joined in a beautiful song,” Balt says. “I always love the bonding and making of memories that take place on tour and that moment in the Jefferson Memorial was a pinnacle point.”

The next morning, the choir had a chance to tour the brand new Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum for African American History and Culture. It opened in September of 2016 and currently, group registration is backlogged by 30,000 requests and therefore suspended so it was truly a unique and special opportunity for the choir to get to experience the museum. Sophomore Elizabeth Enalls says this was one of her favorite parts of the trip. “The realities in that museum were overwhelming and inescapable. At the end, there was never really a sense of a happy ending,” Enalls says. “I’m grateful for the room they made called the Contemplation Court where water fell from the ceiling and created a sense of peace and rest.” Enalls says that she was really struggling with what she had just seen and that that room provided an excellent space to process and understand everything. In that time, she was asking God questions like, “Why did this happen? Why did this go on for so long? What did you think about this?” In that moment, she was reminded of the song It Is Well and she knew that

because God heard her in that moment, He has heard every cry during slavery and afterwards. She has faith that one day, all of these injustices will be brought to light and healed. That night, students were given the chance to explore the Washington Harbour in Georgetown. There, students grabbed coffee, shopped, ate dinner, and enjoyed each other’s company. Some students took the opportunity to try one of the famous Georgetown Cupcakes featured on the TLC hit show DC Cupcakes. Needless to say, they were delicious. It was a relaxing night, set aside for bonding with one another. Wednesday morning, students explored the other museums that Washington DC has to offer including the Natural History Museum, National Air and Space Museum, American History Museum, and the Holocaust Museum. Each museum offered a unique experience and students had the chance to choose the ones that were the most interesting to them. Junior Kendall Ward spent the morning at the Holocaust Museum. “It was powerful and overwhelming,” she says. “It was cool because it’s something that you normally only read about but here you get to see the artifacts. It reminds you that it was happening in real life, not just as a history lesson.” At the Natural History Museum, Junior Hans Lundquist took the opportunity to have a hissing cockroach from Madagascar crawl across his face. “Originally, I just wanted to hold the creature in my hand. It crawled up my

harm and towards my shoulder, but then the man handling the bug took it back,” Lundquist says. “I wanted Dr. DeHoogh-Kliewer to handle the bug, but he immediately declined so instead, I decided to return to the bug man and request to have the cockroach placed on my face.” Lundquist says his goal was to have an interesting Snapchat story, and that indeed was achieved. Following a tour of the Capitol building in the afternoon, the choir traveled to Greenwich Presbyterian in Nokesville, Virginia for the first concert on tour. There, the choir performed their 12song set along with a collaborative performance of “When I Survey” with the Greenwich Presbyterian church choir. In the audience, there were a number of USF alumni including Dennis and Nancy Stuessi, the grandparents of current Concert Chorale member Max Rysdon. Thursday morning, the choir piled on the busses and headed to New York City. After arriving, the busses stopped and immediately the choir filed off and headed to the Food Bank for New York where they performed an abridged concert set for individuals who do not normally have a chance to hear live choral music. Although the audience was not large, the impact the choir had on them was evident. Not only were they engaged with the performance, but they were also were so grateful to the choir for sharing their gift with them. The rest of the afternoon was spent with two local guides touring the Manhattan area on foot. The guides pointed out some of the interesting parts of New York City that someone traveling alone might not normally see like John Lennon’s apartment or places where famous movie scenes were filmed. Also included on the guided tour were stops at Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grand Central Terminal, and the Plaza Hotel. The next morning, the choir continued their tour of New York City stopping

off at places like Greenwich Village, Chinatown, and the 9/11 Memorial. The high point of Friday morning’s tour? Viewing the city from the top floor of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Trade Center. From there, one can see Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey, and the surrounding waters. It is a truly unique view and offered a moment for the choir to slow down and reflect on the tour so far and how impactful it had been on not only them, but also everyone they had encountered so far. After spending an hour in the main observatory, the choir headed to their concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (on St. Patrick’s Day, nonetheless). The church was beautiful and incredibly reverent. In complete awe of the space, the choir performed their 12-song set and truly felt the presence of God at that moment. That night, the choir hit the streets around Times Square grabbing a bite to eat before heading off to see a Broadway show or explore the Museum of Modern Art. Sophomore Paige Sandbulte saw Wicked and says it was definitely the highlight of the tour for her. Broadway was phenomenal! I laughed and cried and cheesed out all within two hours—and it helped I was surrounded by my best friends,” Sandbulte says. Saturday morning, the choir packed up and headed back to Sioux Falls. They finished up the tour with a home concert at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on the following Saturday, March 24. Spring break is a time for students to create memories and this tour is surely one that the choir students won’t soon forget. It was an incredible way to wrap up the celebration of 100 years of choral music on the USF campus.

Creative Cuisine On A meager Budget Recipes and photos courtesy of Whitney Fryer

Creamy Ramen with Bacon Ingredients: • • • • •

1 package ramen noodles (I recommend chicken flavored) 3 slices of bacon 2 tablespoons red onion (finely chopped) 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Chop bacon into small pieces; I find it is easier to use a pair of kitchen shears (scissors). In a small skillet, fry bacon and red onion; cook until bacon is to your liking. While the bacon and onion is frying, cook ramen noodles per package directions then drain water. Once the bacon is done, pour onto a paper towel-lined plate to remove the bacon grease. In a pan, pour the cooked bacon and onions, along with the whipping cream, shredded cheese and half of the ramen flavor packet. Wait for the cheese to melt. Once the cheese has melted, pour the noodles in the pan, stir and enjoy!

Ramen noodles are an incredibly cheap meal that is easy to make. However, there are plenty of things, such as veggies, cheese, bacon, etc. ww can be added to the noodles to make them so much better! Here are two recipes that will help you to improve your ramen noodles.

Broccoli Peanut Butter Ingredients:

• 1 package of oriental flavored ramen noodles • 1.5 cups broccoli slaw • 1 tablespoon peanut butter • 1/2 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a small pan, cook ramen noodles per package directions. 2. Mix broccoli slaw into the ramen , cook for about one minute. Drain; leave 1/3 cup water. 3. Mix in entire ramen flavor packet, peanut butter, and sriracha. 4. Top with broccoli slaw (optional) and enjoy! APRIL 2017 | 10

The Fight to End Human Trafficking Story by Jessica Justin | Layout designed by Jessica Perez

12 | COLLEGE MONTHLY

tudents at the University of Sioux Falls are taking a stand against human trafficking. They are raising awareness and getting involved in local organizations to make this issue a thing of the past. Every 30 seconds there is a new victim of human trafficking. From California to South Dakota, human trafficking is present and affecting communities without many people knowing. Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings. This can be for forced labor or for sex trafficking according to Call to Freedom, an anti-trafficking organization located in Sioux Falls, SD. In this industry, people are being treated like goods because he or she does not have the resources to get help. In February, USF took part in spreading awareness about human trafficking through the End It Movement and Call to Freedom, both local organizations. Students volunteered their time in Java City educating other students about human trafficking. In the three hours that the booth was active, 360 people were sold into slavery. To show their support, students marked their hands with red x’s, the symbol of the End It Movement. That booth was hosted by USF Service Core, a campus group that aims to provide service opportunities to students. In a place that is often known for its sprawling fields of corn, it can be hard to believe that human trafficking is an issue here. Big cities like Los Angeles and Miami are often thought about when talking human trafficking. However, four of the country’s poorest counties are located in South Dakota. This leaves the population of the state, especially those on reservations like Rosebud and Pine Ridge, at risk. USF student Correena Spangler has spent time on the Pine Ridge reservation over the past four years working with groups like Tapestry International. Tapestry International is a local organization dedicated to ending human trafficking and modern day slavery. During her time there she has experienced first-hand what human trafficking entails and the effects it has on its victims. This summer Spangler will be interning with Call to Freedom which will allow her to bring needed

resources to Pine Ridge. “I will be able to get into the schools and talk to preteen and teen girls about: What is trafficking? How do you know if you are being trafficked? What to do if you are being trafficked? Where can you go to get help,” Spangler says. In 2016, South Dakota had 19 human trafficking cases reported. That is up from the previous year’s 14 cases. A majority of the victims were Native American women from the reservations in Western South Dakota.

“South Dakota has seen cases of both labor and sex trafficking. In fact, South Dakota has seen more trafficking convictions than any other state,” Spangler says. The average age of a trafficking victim globally is 12 years-old, and across the globe nearly 27 million people are in bondage. According to the National Human Trafficking Hot-line, in 2016 there were about 7,500 reported cases nationally. Of those reported cases, about 5,500 involved sex trafficking, about 1,000 involved labor trafficking, and the remainder were either not specified or a combination of the two. Both males and females can be victims of human trafficking, even though males are in the minority. The victims of human trafficking usually share some common characteristics. They are all vulnerable in some way according to Spangler. Those who are runaways, in poverty, or homeless are often targeted. Other individuals targeted include those who have suffered abuse, are chemically dependent or may become dependent, and persons who work in the adult entertainment industry. These persons lack a stable home life and look to promises from strangers for a better life. Vulnerable people looking for income to survive on are often swindled into the human trafficking ring without a way out.

“I will be able to get into the schools and talk to preteen and teen girls about: What is trafficking? How do you know if you are being trafficked? What to do if you are being trafficked? Where can you go to get help,” Spangler says. The task of finding help for those affected by human trafficking can seem like a difficult task. However, there are some local organizations dedicated to providing support to victims of human trafficking. Tapestry International helps women by going out onto the street and meeting them where they are at. They have phases of abolition such as awareness, rescue and empowerment to provide these women structure to transition back into normal life. The New Colossus focuses on educating people about human trafficking. Education itself might be one of the most important steps to end trafficking. The more people know about the topic, the easier it will be for them to spot the warning signs. According to their website, their goal is to educate first responders, educators, and students among others about human trafficking in the Midwest. The New Colossus is also based out of Sioux Falls and serves the surrounding community. Also, Call to Freedom offers different services to victims. These services include mental health counseling, medical assistance, housing resources, and so many more. Again, this group aims to help victims transition back into normal life, and to live better than how they lived before. There are many ways to get involved with these local organizations. Call to Freedom has Marissa’s Project, which is transitional housing for women affected by sex trafficking. This project has lists online of goods that are needed and can be donated for the residents. Many of these outreach groups also have volunteer opportunities as well as careers listed on their websites. Donating money or time are not the only ways that you can be a part of the change. The most basic way to help is to be aware and to report any suspected human trafficking. You can call The National Human Trafficking Hot-line at 1-888-373-7888 and or call 911.

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I saw Logan in a nearly sold out theater on its opening night, well, not the listed opening night, the legit opening night. You know, the Thursday before a movie technically comes out because that’s what almost all movies do anymore, at least here in Sioux Falls. Let me just say, it was the perfect way for Hugh Jackman to go out as Wolverine, a.k.a. – Logan.

“It takes the time to develop the characters and make you feel for them”

I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. Beauty and the Beast, the live action version, is a good movie. It looked beautiful from start to finish. Most of the casting choices were nearly spot on. The biggest one I took issue with was Emma Watson. This is only because for the middle of the film, she didn’t really seem amazed and awed with what was happening, I even had some friends call her “the Kristen Stewart version of Belle.” I kind of see where they are coming from, but I think this was more due to the director, Bill Condon, who directed both of the Twilight: Breaking Dawn movies.

a Botell

by Adri

Logan is a superhero movie. It is a rated R superhero movie. It feels more like an independent film than a bigger budget superhero film. That is not a bad thing in this situation. This movie is story and character driven more than anything. It does not just rest on its laurels as a superhero movie or an X-men movie or Hugh Jackman’s last movie as Wolverine. It takes the time to develop characters and make you feel for them, while still leaving enough mystery throughout to keep you guessing and intrigued during the entirety of the film, right up until the end. The film is also a gorgeous work of art. The cinematography is some of the best I’ve ever seen in a superhero flick. Every actor brings it, too, there was not one that felt uncomfortable in their role or out of place. There were no bad casting choices.

“The live action version, is a good movie. It looked beautiful from start to finish” There were some subplots added that were not in the original movie, along with changing the tempo of some songs and the motivation or story of some characters, but I thought this added to the movie and made it its own thing, apart from the animated version. To me, I felt for the characters in this movie more than I did in the animated version.

With those being the positives, what are the negatives? Well, for one, there is a part in a limo where a woman flashes Wolverine and it feels thrown in there simply because it’s an R-rated film. There is also some confusion left at the end, as to an event that is alluded to but not shown and I wish it would have been fully cleared up. Other than that, though, there is hardly any things wrong with the film outside of some nit-picky stuff. Because of the aforementioned reasons, I give Logan a score of 9.3 out of 10. Just be warned, there is A LOT of blood and gore (but they do mention South Dakota!).

9.3/10

Now, I do wish the colors were more “poppy,” or brighter, in this movie than they were. I also think that there was a pacing issue in that some of the subplots dragged on for too long. This knocks it down a peg, but I would still rate it a little higher than the original. To me, even though I know it’s not this good to a lot of people, it is an 8.5 out of 10.

8.5/10

Online S t o rie s

Layout designed by Kelsey Carlson

The Rhythm Behind the Stars – Jessica Perez talks about USF’s Dancing with the Stars. We Can Talk About This – an article discussing Megan Hansen’s open discussion group “Meg Talks” USF Sports Thrive in Spring Semester – All you need to know about USF sports. Get Out Movie Review – Casey Kelderman discusses the latest horror film. “Political Talk” is hosted by College Daily Reporter Jill Langland; each week the show features a new guest to discuss controversial political topics.

Sports Line is here to bring you the latest sports information and news, hosted by Tucker Stout and Jeffrey Harmen. Scan the QR code and watch their show every week to stay up-todate on USF athletics.

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