Ever since I was incredibly young, I’ve been addicted to reading. When I was eight, I read the entire Harry Potter series in two weeks and finished the first two books in a single day; I vividly remember internally dying when I learned I would have to wait to watch the movies until my sister read all the books too. Since then, one of my biggest passions has been reading a book or series and then watching it play out on the screen. Some adaptations are quite good, but, more often than not, a movie simply is incapable of capturing the overarching essence of a novel. A novel simply has more time to convey concepts, craft characters and relationships, and unfold the plot. Condensing sixteen hours of reading time into a two hour film is exceptionally ambitious and immensely challenging to say the least. I would’ve argued that it's nearly impossible for a film adaptation to entirely live up to the glory of its paged predecessor. That was, until I watched Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies, adapted from Frank Herbert’s revolutionary book of the same name. The two-part movie, comprised of 2021’s Dune and 2024’s Dune Part Two, split the book to create what I would consider to be hands down the best interpretation of any book onto the big screen. In every aspect, from cinematography to score, Villleneuve masterfully crafted a two-part cinema masterpiece that exquisitely captures the essence of the space-opera that is Dune. Villeneuve’s movies aren't actually the first time that Dune has tasted the big screen. In 1984, a Dune movie was released, and it was… fairly disappointing. The adaptation felt cheap compared to the richness of the book and to this day is considered historically bad with many flaws. Primarily, it struggled to encapsulate the intricate world and culture of Dune. So, when Villeneuve’s Dune was split into two parts, it was immediately staged for success. Spanning the story between two movies allotted enough time to capture both the substance and fine details. We now truly get to see, in full, Paul’s journey without brushing over key details or skipping moments of beauty and power. The Dune movies beautifully pay homage to the novel, while visually telling the revolutionary story. Furthermore, the cast of the Dune duology is truly stellar, filled to the brim with A-list actors. Every single casting hits the mark, beautifully weaving the characters’ stories together in a way that elevates both the movies and book. Some of my favorite’s include, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladamir Haroknnen, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica. However, the true star of the movie is undoubtedly, Timothée Chalamet. Chalamet portrays the intricate character of Paul Atreides with such vitality and in a way that elevates all aspects of the story. There truly is no other actor who could’ve played the part quite the way he did. Villeneuve even confessed in an interview that he never had anyone besides Chalamet in mind for the role. He sought, “an old soul in the body of a teenager,” someone who could handle as complex a character as Paul, and Chalamet delivers in every category. Having seen Dune and Dune Part II, when looking back at the book, I only appreciate it further. The movies created stunning imagery of Arrakis, Fremen culture, the technology, and, of course, the Sandworms, that all were perfectly transported from page to camera and are now forever preserved in cinema history. Dune is a sparkling demonstration of how a book can be adapted into film without cutting corners.

Community service is a sacrifice. It’s being willing to give up your time, lending your skills and talents towards the betterment of your community. The choice to serve your community is just that, a choice. It isn’t required, isn’t mandated, it isn’t an obligation, it's an individual decision. The decision to put the needs of others above your own. Community service is often perceived as a burden, yet the object of community service is to strengthen and uplift the community. Community service foster's improvement. Furthermore, it’s infectious. The spark of selflessness ignited through an act of true, altruistic goodwill will inspire another. Like a wildfire, community service does two things, it glows brightly, and it spreads. My dream is to pursue the art of theatrical performance and more specifically, the art of Musical Theatre. Now, at first glance, Musical Theatre doesn’t really seem to be a career that inspires community service. In fact, it may even appear somewhat egocentric. And while on a surface level it can be, there is so much opportunity besides just being in the spotlight. Even though I’ve only been doing theater full time for about three years now, I have had so many opportunities to give back. I was privileged enough to write the script for a One-Act play that was actually performed for the Woodland Park Senior Center. Furthermore, through Junior Woodland Players, a 3rd-12th grade month-long, summer theatre camp, I have been able to not only perform in many shows, but also been able to help raise up the next generation of kids. I adore teaching them, playing with them, and I am more than honored that they choose to look up to me as a mentor. Making these kids feel special, seen, and loved is exactly what people, like what my now good friend Jackson, did for me when I was a new actor. Being able to serve in this way is such a blessing and it’s so rewarding. Community service isn't only a service to those around us, but also to ourselves. Serving others, purely out of kindness, may just be one of the most uplifting things one can do. While I have dreams of being on the big stage, I also have dreams of sharing my gifts, and giving back. So many amazing people in my life have helped to put me where I am now, opened doors, patiently taught, and sacrificed their time and effort for me. They are the reason why I can chase my dreams. And now, it's my turn. My turn to uplift others. My turn to inspire, and share joy. My turn to give back to the community that put me in a position to take hold of my future. I want the opportunity to uplift young actors, to challenge them to not only chase their fantasies but make those fantasies into actualities. Most of all though, I want to inspire in them a desire to serve selflessly. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” We all have the opportunity to give back to our communities. However, it is a choice that we alone must make. The choice to put others before ourselves. To be a light in a dark world, and to brighten the lives of others. Each and every person is capable of using their unique talents to give back to their community in their own unique ways. All it takes is one choice. Are you going to make it?