Opinions

The Eastern Echo's 2025 Year in Review

See the top headlines, staff favorites, graduates and more from the 2025 editions of The Eastern Echo, Cellar Roots and the year's debut arts publication, Roots.

The WellNest Watch: Preventing sexual harassment requires awareness and action

The WellNest Watch: When we ignore public health prevention, we pay the price

Public health focuses on preventing emergencies and stopping problems before they turn into crises. Unfortunately, public health does not always get the attention it deserves.

The WellNest Watch: What is public health?

The first installment of The Echo's new column The WellNest Watch. A look into the field of public health.

Review: ‘Quarterback’ is a peek behind the curtain at 3 of the brightest NFL minds

Netflix's documentary-style series "Quarterback" peels back the curtain and offers a captivating behind-the-scenes look at arguably the most difficult position to play in professional sports.

Review: ‘F1’ is an action-packed, visually interesting movie with an all right story

The movie "F1" has both highs and lows, and different types of audience members may experience the film in different ways.

Review: 'You' brings Joe Goldberg to his end in final season

Penn Badgley’s portrayal of Joe is complete; he had a long run as this character—his acting in this role has come a long way and is impressive.

Review: 'Ransom Canyon' is western culture at its finest

Josh Duhamel makes a comeback in this new Western romantic drama as a rancher. He has a compelling performance that incredible.

Review: 'Back in Action' is thrilling and hilarious

In "Back in Action," the fighting stunts portrayed by Diaz were impressive considering she is known for her comedy roles. This shows her skill as an actor as she tackles a mixture of action and comedy. 

Review: 'Summer in the City' is full of banter and big dreams

Alex Aster's novel "Summer in the City" is full of fun, adventure, and love in New York, where Elle discovers her voice as a person and a writer.

Review: In 'The Amateur,' Rami Malek gives a thrilling performance

In "The Amateur," Rami Malek delivers a stunning portrayal of CIA agent and tech genius Charlie Heller. He does not disappoint, and his performance makes for a gripping film.

Review: In 'G20,' Viola Davis puts on an incredible performance

The film, "G20," has a captivating plot that hits every political thriller trope. It is beautifully done. 

Review: queer indie artists Julien Baker, TORRES bring their lyricism to country on ‘Send a Prayer My Way’

“Send a Prayer My Way” is a collaborative country album between queer indie singers Julien Baker and TORRES. The album’s lyricism was excellent and Baker and TORRES’s vocals worked well together. Though it needed some more sonic diversity. 

EMU Theatre’s ‘The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus’ finds childhood whimsy in the rural desert

“The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus” is the latest show from EMU’s Theatre For the Young Tour. Directed by MFA candidate Olivia Allen, the play follows a girl named Sheila and her friends in rural New Mexico. They get roped into conflict with animals and solve it with their ingenuity. The show is lively and funny, with strong messages around environmentalism and conflict resolution.

Review: ‘The White Lotus’ once again combines luxury, misery with its third season

The third season of “The White Lotus” brought its melodrama to Thailand. It was the most thematically rich season so far with beautiful scenery and great acting. Although the pacing of the series was rocky and it wasn’t as entertaining as season two.

Review: EMU Theatre's 'Cause Play' was hilarious

"Cause Play" is for all ages. It is the perfect play for children. It shows that students with imagination have superpowers. 

Review: 'Death of a Unicorn' is a deeply unserious film about deadly unicorns

“Death of the Unicorn” is a horror comedy starring Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd. It follows the fallout of a man hitting a unicorn with his car. It's incredibly funny, especially around a greedy, eccentric rich family who attempts to exploit the dead unicorn. Though a fun romp, its plot is predictable, and Ortega’s talent is underutilized.

Review: 'Sunrise on the Reaping' is the most brutal a 'Hunger Games' novel has ever been

A prequel to “The Hunger Games,“ “Sunrise on the Reaping” follows a teenage Haymitch Abernathy during the second Quarter Quell. The book is a brutal, tragic origin story for Haymitch. Most of the book treads similar ground to the first two “Hunger Games” novels, but it has a shocking end sequence.

Review: 'The Life List' is a journey of following dreams

Carson and Allen’s chemistry is absolute and complete with tension. This slow-burn film made fans wait for the main characters to be together.

Review: Tyler Perry's 'Duplicity' is powerful

This film explores important themes in our society that can be overlooked. Tyler Perry directs beautiful films covering the truth behind the world.