Film Appreciation Club Presents Spirited Away

Jessica Buettner

Staff Writer

Every Wednesday night, the Film Appreciation Club presents a different film for the students to enjoy. Since its start last year, the club has shown a variety of films from timeless classics like Jaws and Indiana Jones to films with cult followings such as Mad Max: Fury Road and Pulp Fiction. This week, the film appreciation club decided to do something a little bit different as they got the chance to watch the film, Spirited Away.

Spirited Away is a film made by Studio Ghibli, which is the same production company that produced films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service and a few other classic Japanese films. This film is about a young girl who moves to a new town with her parents and they somehow get stuck in the spirit world. The parents get turned into pigs as punishment for eating the food meant for the spirits, while the girl has to work with the spirits in order to get back to the human world.

Sophomore Brendan Ouimet, had the chance to see this movie for his east Asian history course.

“I was told to write an essay about the film because it discussed a lot about the Shinto religious aspects that are expressed throughout it all,” stated Ouimet.

While there were those who were unfamiliar with the film, there were also people who chose to see it again because they thought it was at timeless tale.

“I have seen various films before that have been made by this studio, but this is my all-time favorite Studio Ghibli film,” commented Senior Haniah Jasso. It has been around for a really long time and people do enjoy it as the years go by more and more.

When movie-goers first watch the film, they think it’s going to be weird because of the many introductions of the characters that they get to meet throughout the film. In retrospect, there are parts of the film that really show symbolism about our world today.

“I really liked how one of the settings of the film is a bathhouse and that is a place where the spirits can go to replenish themselves,” stated Ouimet on his view on the symbolism that is expressed in the film.

Even though the characters and plot throughout the film don’t really make a lot of sense in the beginning of the movie, it starts to get clearer as the film goes on. For example, there are parts of the film where a strange character may show up, but that character actually holds some symbolistic matter.

“My favorite part of the film of the film was when the river spirit came to take a bath and it was completely filthy due to pollution caused by man,” said Jasso.

There may be those people out there who think the film will turn out to be weird because the film comes from a different culture that exists on the other side of the world.

“Spirited Away is totally different because it comes from a different culture, but it really does have beautiful animation and meaningful themes,” Jasso states about the film. “The fact that it’s unpredictable can make someone want to keep watching the film.”

The Film Appreciation Club here at Benedictine really does show a variety of films that are enjoyable for all audiences. The next film showing will be The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and it will be held in Birck Hall room 112 on Wednesday, September 27th at 7:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball Falls in NACC/IACC Invitational

Logan Hanson

Sports Editor

The Women’s Volleyball team plays in the NACC/IACC Crossover Invitational on Friday at the Rice Center.

The Benedictine Women’s Volleyball team lost two consecutive matches during the first day of the NACC/IACC Crossover Invitational on Friday at the Rice Center. The Eagles lost their first match against Dubuque University 3-2 and their second match against Central College 3-1.

“We did some good things today,” Head Coach Jennifer Wildes said, “We battled hard out there against some good opponents now we have to take those good things and get ourselves ready for the games tomorrow.”

The Eagles first match against Dubuque started off strong for the home team. The Eagles came out very aggressive offensively, pushing through a small deficit early in set one to win the set 25-20. The Eagles started slowly in their second set trailing as much by five points, but came within a point at 23-22 before ultimately dropping the set to the Spartans. In the third and fourth sets, both teams showed dominance over their opponents as Benedictine coasted to a 25-14 win in set three and Dubuque leading throughout set four to win 25-19. In the final set, the Eagles found themselves behind early but rallied to tie the set at five a piece, but Dubuque made a strong final push to win the set and the match 15-9.

In the second against Central College, the Eagles did not execute as well as they did in the first match of the day. In the first set the Eagles fell behind early to Central, but worked hard to stay in the game but could not recover from their early struggles losing the set 25-21. In the second set, the Eagles came back with a statement victory winning the set 26-24. The rest of the match was all Central however as the Eagles dropped the next two games, 25-22 in set three and 25-14 in the fourth set, including a dominant 8-1 stretch by Central in the final set.

“We showed a lot of flashes of greatness and potential to be where we want to be,” Senior Right Side Kara Epping said, “We also learned what we need to improve on and bring over to upcoming conference play. It will be exciting to see what we can do!”

The Eagles will look to gain footing in the tournament with two more tournament games tomorrow. The first will be against Simpson College at 10:00 AM and the second against Luther College at 2:00 PM in the Rice Center Sunday afternoon.

Men’s Soccer Victorious over Edgewood

Logan Hanson

Sports Editor

The Benedictine Men’s Soccer team defeated Edgewood College 4-2 on the road Saturday night. The win gave the Eagles their first NACC Conference victory of the season.

“It was a good win for our team,” Head Coach Attilia Schmidt said, “It was the way we wanted to start our conference our play and credit to Edgewood they fought hard and gave us good looks. I am proud of our guys and we are excited for the rest of conference play.”

The high scoring affair started off with action from the beginning of the game. After an opportunity by Senior Midfielder Alex Unzueta that missed wide right, the Eagles were given a penalty kick opportunity. Junior Defender Drew Schmucker converted the goal giving the Eagles the only goal of the first half as the Eagles went into the break up 1-0.

The second half was more action packed as the Eagles capitalized right away with a long run and kick by Schmucker to extend the Eagles lead 2-0. Ten minutes into the half, Junior Midfielder Nick Kapetanos converted another penalty kick to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead. The goal also allowed Kapetanos to pass the 100-point mark for his career. A couple of goals by the home team closed the gap, but the Eagles connected on another late goal to seal the victory 4-2.

“We started the match on a slow note, but as the game went on, we started to find our rhythm,” Kapetanos said, “Even with our long bus ride to Wisconsin, our team knew what we had to do and secured the win. We now look forward to competing against Aurora at home with a first win under or belts in conference.”

The Eagles next game will be at home against fellow NACC Conference member Aurora University Wednesday night at the Lisle Sports Complex at 7:00 PM.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Split

Jacqueline Gorr

Scene Editor

There are many questions about their divorce.

It was announced on September 20^th, 2016 that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were filing for divorce. This has already been one of the biggest celebrity divorces of the decade. According to E! Online, “In Angelina’s divorce filing, she requested sole physical custody of the children with only visitation rights for Brad.”  No one is sure why this wish was granted, but Brad and Angelina always have put their six children first. It is also not clear that this wish will be acted upon. When you put Brad and Angelina together, they are a very wealthy couple. People are wondering how their money will be distributed. They own homes in France and Los Angeles and, according to Forbes, Brad and Angelina have about $555 million combined. Most likely their pre-nup or post- nup with be the explanation on how their money is distributed, but no one is sure if they have one. There is no clear reason on why Pitt and Jolie are getting a divorce but it can be a difference in parenting skills. Pitt admits that he is tougher with the children than Jolie. Geyer Kosinski, manager for Jolie said, “she appreciates everyone’s understand for their privacy at this time.”

A Review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Warning Spoilers

Elana Garay

Staff Writer

WARNING SPOILERS

This past summer the 8th Harry Potter book was released into the world on July 21, 2016. After many years thinking that no more would be added into the magical world of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling adds in more. Also, with three more books to come and a movie to be released on November 18, 2016. The book comes as a rehearsal script of the play in London and was also written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. I highly recommend this book for all Harry Potter fans. It’s got a great twist and it has adventure. Also, some emotional parts. Spoilers coming ahead.

This book takes place 19 years later after the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry is a father and husband, and is the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. Albus Severus Potter is sorted into Slytherin and becomes best friends with Scorpius, the son of Draco, who is also placed into Slytherin. I think it’s interesting Albus is put into the slytherin house instead of Gryffindor because his parents are from Gryffindor and so are his grandparents. But there is a similarity of how he meets his best friend is also the same way his father met his best friend. The only difference is the different house at Hogwarts. Harry was influenced in his decision not to want to be in Slytherin because of the new friend he had made, Ron. Albus is placed in Slytherin for both his friend he chose to become friends with and his personality.

Like other the other Harry Potter books, adventure occurs when Albus and Scorpius decide to go save Cedric. Albus also takes a liking to an older girl with silver and blue hair, Delphie Diggory which I found a bit weird that there is another Diggory. There was also rumor that Scorpius is Voldemort’s child. I like how even though Voldemort has long since been dead, he is still brought up into the storyline. I also felt bad for Draco who was just trying to cover up the rumor that Voldemort got his wife pregnant. Time-Turners have since been destroyed under Draco’s command so Scorpius won’t be bullied. But a year after that, an old colleague of Draco was caught to have kept an illegal Time-Turner. Anyways, Albus and Scorpius together go back in time to prevent Cedric from winning by using a Time-Turner they stole with Delphie from the Ministry of Magic. Because of this their meddling they change and create an alternate universe which was not a surprise. Their first time the Time-Turner had a 5 minute limit and Albus was injured badly. Harry believes it’s Albus’s best friend wounding him, so he forbids Albus to see Scorpius and will use a Marauder’s Map to make sure of it.

When Albus wakes up, he notices a difference. He isn’t in Slytherin anymore but in Gryffindor. Also, Ron isn’t married to Hermione anymore but to Padma Patel. Hermione became a teacher at Hogwarts. I did not like this alternate universe at all because Ron and Hermione were not together. Albus and Scorpius decide to go back in time to change it. But this just alters it even more to the point that Harry Potter did not survive the Battle of Hogwarts. Scorpius returns to the present day in another alternate universe where Voldemort lives and Umbridge is headmistress of Hogwarts. Scorpius gains help from Severus Snape, Ron, and Hermione to change things back to the way it previously was. I found Severus dying again emotional although glad that Umbridge was killed. The romance between Ron and Hermione was strong when Ron did not leave Hermione’s side as the dementors came for their souls.

Although things seemed to be back to the way it was, Harry had a nightmare of Voldemort taking Albus. This causes Harry and Ginny to rush to Hogwarts. Albus and Scorpius have left their bed by the time they arrived. Albus and Scorpius met Delphie when they were on their way to destroy the Time-Turner that Scorpius had previously lied saying he lost it. They wanted to make sure it was properly destroyed. Albus apologized to Delphie that Cedric could not be saved because of the alternate universe that was created and Cedric became a death eater. Cedric losing the tournament caused to be an angry young man and he also killed Neville Longbottom. It was a shocker for him to kill Neville. Delphie pretends to understand and that they should all destroy it. Albus trusts her and accidently gives her the Time-Turner. This is when I believe is a great twist ever. Delphie reveals who she is which is an orphan to a family of extreme Death Eaters, the Rowles. It is revealed that she is not the niece of Amos which was found out by Harry and Ginny and Ron. Ron appeared when the married couple were trying to figure out where the boys were.

Back to Delphie, Albus, and Scorpius. Delphie wants to rebirth the darkness. I was wondering during this time if she was the daughter of Voldemort. Delphie gets the boys to go back in time with her after she kills a student, Craig. At the maze tournament, Cedric knocks her in the head, which was I loved, and releases the boys. But once she gets back on her feet the three race to get the Time-Turner. Delphie destroys it and flies away. Coincidentally, the place they arrive at the day before Voldemort tries to kill Harry. The parents find out Delphie is Voldemort’s daughter which I had guessed before! McGonagall was furious and Draco defended Hermione and Harry. They figured it was best to see if Delphie succeeded. Albus and Scorpius prevent Delphie from killing baby Harry Potter. Albus sends a message to his father through a blanket that has meaning. Draco uses the Time-Turner he has that was perfected and brings along Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. They reunite with the boys where they explain what Delphie is trying to do. I think the plan they came up was a great plan but it failed because the potion did not last long enough. Harry transfigures himself into Voldemort and finds out Delphie’s mother is Bellatrix Lestrange which was not much of a shocker. A great moment happened when Harry and Albus overpowered Delphie.

Sadly, Harry had to go through witnessing the death of his parents and he couldn’t stop it from happening. Delphie is to be imprisoned in Azkaban. I think the ending was a great ending. Harry admits his fears and promises to be a better father to his son. I guess the lesson here is don’t meddle with time if there were ever a chance to change it. Our past is what defines us in the present.

Matte liquid lipsticks at all price points

Jacqueline Gorr

Scene Editor

Some matte lipstick brands are better than others.

Since the beginning of the year, matte liquid lipstick has become a trend. The trend was started by Kylie Jenner when she started her matte liquid lipstick line. Her lipstick retails for $29 and you get a lip liner and a tube of liquid lipstick.  Matte lipstick applies as a liquid and then dries to a chalky matte finish. Other makeup brands have created their version of a matte lipstick and they retail at all different price points. Some are better than others but, if you are on a budget and want that perfect matte look then there are plenty of options for you. People who are willing to spend on a high end brand then the Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick would be a good option. The formula is not creamy and with one swipe you automatically get that matte look. It dried instantly and lasts about 4 hours. This lipstick is available in 22 shades.

 

The next brand that is popular for a liquid lipstick brand is Mac. The applicator helps the lipstick go on real smooth. This is a creamier formula that has a scent with vanilla undertones.  This brand specializes in more vibrant shades, but it stayed on a solid four hours. This brand is available in 15 shades. One that compares to Mac is one that you can get at the drug store. This one is from NYX and it is creamy and opaque, with a vanilla scent.  This color lasted about three hours and doesn’t make your lips feel dry. It comes off gradually when you eat something, but you can re-apply.  It retails for $7.99 and it’s available in 34 shades.

The last liquid lipstick became the internet’s favorite affordable brand. This brand is called colourpop and it appears watery when it first applies, but then dries instantly. This one lasts about 2 hours which isn’t as long as the others but colourpop is also cheaper than others. This one retails for six dollars. This brand comes in 43 beautiful shades.

The Curious Case of Jay Cutler

By Daniel Dalenberg

Staff Writer

Jay Cutler
From Businessinsider.com

Ever since arriving in Chicago, Jay Cutler has been one of the most polarizing figures in Chicago sports, and rightfully so.  Jay is a tremendously talented Quarterback, who has made a lot of great plays as a Bear, but many fans only seem to remember his late game interceptions and un-enthusiastic demeanor.  When in doubt, numbers never lie.  I am going to focus on the past three seasons for Cutler, which are more applicable to projection of his future seasons than his early seasons in Chicago.  Over the past three seasons Cutler has posted a completion percentage of 64.6%, which would give him the 12^th best completion percentage in comparison to 2015 season QB stats.  Similarly, Jay Cutler’s QBR over the past three seasons is 63.77, putting him at 16^th for the 2015 season.  I could go on and on with Jay Cutler performance related stats and most of them will lead you to the same conclusion, and that is Jay Cutler being an average NFL Quarterback.  So what does this mean for the Bears?  Average Quarterbacks usually do not win championships.  Just look at the past Quarterbacks of the past 8 Super bowl winners: Russel Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco, and Ben Roethlisberger.  (In all fairness Peyton Manning was below average when he won the Super Bowl with the Broncos last year, but still it’s Peyton Manning.)  Therefore, unless the Bears acquire the whole Broncos defense, the Bears probably will not be in the playoffs or Super Bowl anytime soon.  So as long as Cutler keeps up his statistical mediocrity, it will be hard for the Bears to get rid of him considering his massive contract.  Until the Bears can draft a top tier QB prospect, it seems Jay is here to stay, at least for a little while.