W E D N E S D A Y
March 21, 2018 Vol. 36, No. 20 ONE DOLLAR
@oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Election results online
Pages 17-20
An Oak Parker in Wakanda Mark Willis plays a Jabari warrior in $1 billion blockbuster By MICHAEL ROMAIN
M
Staff Reporter
ark Willis, a 27-year-old Oak Park native, has been to Wakanda, and at least part of it is in Atlanta – or more precisely, in some woods just outside of the southern metropolis. He knows, because he was in “Black Panther,” the $1 billion box office smash film that features the mythical African country. Willis plays a Jabari warrior in the Marvel blockbuster, but when he first decided to audition for the role he didn’t know the phenomenon the movie would become.
“There was a posting online for a project called ‘Motherland,’” Willis said in a recent phone interview, referencing the film’s working title. “They said that they were looking for a black male who is tall, athletic, with a muscular build and handsome. I thought I was at least one of those.” Willis, who played football on scholarship at the University of Wyoming, had been acting for roughly three years in productions like “Chicago Fire,” “Empire” and “Chicago P.D.” before landing the role. When he arrived on set, Willis recalled, he was stunned by how many black actors, actresses and off-camera personnel were employed. “I was so amazed, because I’m not used to seeing that on every set,” he said. The film’s main stars — such as Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o — in addition to its director and See MARK WILLIS on page 21
Citing costs, D97 weighs axing elementary school buses Cost savings could total more than $200K, officials say By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
Submitted photo
WAKANDA FOREVER: Mark Willis, an Oak Park native, said he worked 12- to 14-hour days trying to learn the film’s various fight sequences.
In an attempt to control spending, the District 97 Board of Education is considering significant changes to its bus service, including the possibility of eliminating bus transportation for elementary school students or making families pay for the service. The changes would not apply to special education bus routes.
During a March 13 regular meeting, board members took up a staff recommendation to consider a series of options that district officials estimate could result in more than $200,000 a year in cost savings. That’s money, district officials argue, that could be redirected to better uses or added to the fund balance. Currently, the district transports 535 elementary and 493 middle school students each day on 14 buses, although the daily count varies depending on the weather, according to officials. The students qualify for the service because they either live near any of 14 crossings See BUS on page 12