Daily Bruin – Page 16

NWWNC councilmembers reflect on council’s achievements in its first term

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council accomplished many of its goals, but members faced challenges from a lack of experience and a shorter-than-usual term.

The members of the NWWNC collectively sought to address topics ranging from housing development to promoting businesses and entertainment in Westwood Village, said NWWNC President Michael Skiles. However, the NWWNC dealt with setbacks that impacted its success during its first term, which ended in May.

Amir Tarighat, NWWNC treasurer, said the council began its first term in November, which gave its members less than half of a full term, which is normally two years, to achieve their goals. Council members did not anticipate the additional workload of establishing the new council, which inhibited their progress.

“A lot of the stuff we did was housekeeping and really building the base of what our procedures are,” Tarighat said.

Some of the council’s early efforts included establishing a website to disseminate information to the public efficiently and contracting a company to construct that site, Tarighat said.

The council’s funding requests required time for the city to process and approve, which delayed the council from accomplishing its goals, Tarighat said.

Tarighat added most of the council members in the past term lacked formal experience with neighborhood council procedures and requests for funding, which hindered some of the council’s progress.

Despite these setbacks, the council met many of its goals, endorsing several projects and events and completing plans for longer-term projects.

Ryan Snyder, co-chair of the NWWNC Transportation and Safety Committee, said most of the council members worked to improve the student-friendly nature of Westwood.

“A lot of it was having more choices for students in shopping, dining and going to bars in Westwood Village, along with better bicycle access,” Snyder said.

The council endorsed several housing project proposals, including The Agora and a 31-unit, four-story complex on Westwood Boulevard. Although these projects have yet to be finalized, the NWWNC encouraged them to take advantage of bonuses from the city such as reduced parking requirements from Metro’s Purple Line Extension, Skiles said.

“The biggest success for the council will be when we see some of this housing finally approved and the construction starting and people being housed,” Skiles said. “But the first step is happening in that these projects are coming to our council where I don’t think they would have even attempted to come before the previous council given their hostility to anything that would exceed the baseline of entitlement.”

The NWWNC also proposed changes to food use definitions and parking requirements in the Westwood Specific Plan, the master planning document for Westwood, to promote fast casual restaurants in Westwood, Skiles said.

“We hope by those actions to send a signal to businesses that our council is going to be a lot more encouraging of businesses and is going to work with businesses to have these restrictions removed as opposed to (putting) these restrictions on like the previous council did,” Skiles said.

To address homelessness, the NWWNC endorsed a bridge housing shelter project at the Chabad of Westwood house on Gayley Avenue, which Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz made a motion for as well, Skiles said.

Most neighborhood councils do not support projects like the Chabad bridge housing, Skiles said. While the project made significant progress, it was not completed due to city regulations and restrictions regarding liability on the part of the Chabad, Skiles added.

The NWWNC also participated in and encouraged community members to attend both the Westwood Homeless Count for the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority and Westwood Connect Day, and also donated around $6,500 to homelessness outreach programs such as the UCLA Community Programs Office food closet, Skiles said.

“At the very least we have been able to divert volunteers and resources to that issue, although we’re not going to be satisfied until we get the shelter and a lot more done,” Skiles said.

The NWWNC proposed the construction of a bike lane on Gayley between Wilshire Boulevard and Le Conte Avenue, which is currently awaiting funding through Koretz’s office. The NWWNC also submitted plans to the city to increase the number of bicycle loops on parking meters for people to lock their bikes throughout Westwood, Skiles said.

Snyder said the council worked with the Westwood Village Improvement Association on a grant application to improve bus stops and pedestrian access to those stops throughout the Village. The city has yet to approve the application.

Snyder said the council completed most of the planning for its transportation goals. He added the council now has to implement these plans to complete its work.

“From a planning perspective, I think we achieved quite a bit, which is all that you can really expect from a short time frame,” Snyder said.

Additionally, the city approved an NWWNC-endorsed bid to transform the south side of Broxton Avenue into a pedestrian plaza, which would permanently close the area off to traffic and reserve it for people and events, Skiles said.

“So, that is in the process of being converted into a permanent space for the community,” Skiles said. “We see that as a very positive and exciting development, and we look forward for more places for people emerging.”

Skiles added the NWWNC worked to promote events that would promote activity and congregation in Westwood, such as the Far-Out Fest and Places for the People.

Tarighat said the NWWNC’s ability to address topics ranging from the Agora project to the closing of Sepi’s exemplified the council’s effectiveness.

“We were effectively able to act as a forum to bring attention to this sort of stuff quickly, on top of the business of events and neighborhood grants,” Tarighat said. “So, I would say all in all we were very effective in that short time frame.”

Nominated UC student regent plans to focus on transfers, basic student needs

A recently nominated student regent and UCLA alumnus said he hopes to increase engagement of different student populations and focus on issues relating to basic needs.

Jamaal Muwwakkil, a doctoral student at UC Santa Barbara, was nominated in May to be the student regent on the University of California Board of Regents for the 2020-2021 term.

During its meeting in July, the regents board will vote on Muwwakkil’s nomination as student regent. If Muwwakkil’s appointment is approved, he will serve as a student regent-designate for the 2019-2020 term and become a voting student regent in 2020-2021.

Muwwakkil said he was interested in becoming a UC student regent because he is passionate about student advocacy and was looking for ways to make a difference in students’ lives.

“I think the (UC) is an amazing resource; it’s the best public higher education system and with that, it offers chances and opportunities and access to so many people,” he said. “My position is that California’s strength is in its diversity and we can see that represented through the (UC).”

The UC is governed by a board of regents, who meet six times a year to vote on issues concerning the UC system. The student regent is the only student position with voting powers on the board.

He said as student regent, he hopes to work with and encourage transfer students to attend schools in the UC system.

Muwwakkil transferred from Los Angeles City College to UCLA in 2014. The process of transferring to a university is difficult and not transparent for many students, particularly nontraditional students and first-generation students, he said.

“I think we could be doing a better job at all levels in engaging those students to let them know that the UC does want those students, the non-18-year-old students, the students who weren’t excellent or amazing high school students,” Muwwakkil said. “There’s an opportunity for you to gain access to and contribute to the campus climate.”

Hayley Weddle, the incoming student regent for the 2019-2020 term and doctoral student at UC San Diego, said in an email statement she thinks Muwwakkil’s experience as a transfer student will benefit the UC Board of Regents.

“(Muwwakkil’s) interest in improving the experience of transfer students and historically underserved students within the UC will be an incredibly valuable addition to the board,” Weddle said. “His commitment to expanding outreach and support programs for transfer students is exciting, and I am confident he will be an effective advocate for the accessibility of the UC.”

Muwwakkil also said he is concerned about students’ financial and housing insecurity and how that can impact their academic trajectory.

“(I’m interested in) really trying to shine light on the idea that not everybody is financially comfortable while they’re doing their studies,” Muwwakkil said. “They can be as bright as they want to be, but if you can’t afford rent and you can’t afford food, something has to give.”

Devon Graves, the outgoing student regent and doctoral student at UCLA, said he thinks Muwwakkil’s personal story and experience will make him a great addition to the regents board. He added he thinks Muwwakkil is entering at a good time because many seats are changing and there are newer members on the board with whom Muwwakkil can build relationships.

“The student regent is important because it provides a student perspective and student voice to important conversations taking place, but it’s not good enough to just have a seat at the table,” Graves said. “We have to be utilizing that seat, taking part of the larger governance of the board.”

During his term as student regent, Graves also focused on the food and housing insecurity for students. Graves said he worked to create a committee that produced a report every two years to help the University understand its successes and deficiencies in addressing basic needs.

However, Graves said he thinks while basic needs may be a popular issue, there are other localized, lesser-known issues that Muwwakkil should focus on.

“From my experience … you hear a lot of other issues that may be more localized, region-specific, campus-specific,” Graves said. “And so a big issue is that there’s just so many things out there that folks are going to come to the student regent about, so (Muwwakkil’s) definitely going to have to pick and choose his battles, and what he wants to advocate for.”

Muwwakkil said he believes the first challenge he will face as student regent designate in the 2019-2020 term will be learning about the 10 different campuses, as well as state officials, state policies and the history of those policies.

“There’s a huge amount of information, so I think that’s the initial challenge,” Muwwakkil said. “(I will) be really engaged in fact finding and relationship building.”

Weddle said she also thinks developing relationships and learning about the UC system and the issues facing the UC is important.

“My best advice to (Muwwakkil) is to invest time and energy in developing collaborative relationships this year, as the issues facing the UC are complex and require deep dialogue, strategizing and coalition building,” Weddle said.

Johana Guerra Martinez, the external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council at UCLA and a rising fourth-year political science student, said she thinks it is important to form a close relationship with the student regent. She said she thinks her office will work closely with the UC student regent in the next year.

“I think a lot happens that someone like a student regent has access to and can really dedicate themselves to, so they would act as a resource … connecting us and helping us understand what’s going on,” Martinez said.

Muwwakkil said he is excited to make a change in higher education and in the UC as a student regent. He said he believes in the UC and the opportunities it offers to people, and hopes it will continue to engage nontraditional students.

“My vision is that (the UC) will be more so in line with its vision, with its master plan, which is to, say, really actively engage the local population … and really kind of leverage the idea that those California residents don’t always just exclusively include high-achieving high school students,” Muwwakkil said.

UCLA men’s and women’s soccer teams announce 2019 season schedules

The Bruins will return to Wallis Annenberg Stadium for the field’s second season after both UCLA women’s and men’s soccer made the transition from Drake Stadium.

UCLA women’s soccer will host nine games as a part of the Bruins’ 19-game regular season schedule released Wednesday.

Reigning national champion Florida State and Florida will visit Westwood on Aug. 29 and Sept. 1, respectively, as part of UCLA’s nonconference slate. Last August, the then-No. 2 Bruins tied the then-No. 22 Gators 0-0 in overtime and lost to the then-No. 4 Seminoles 4-1.

UCLA will begin Pac-12 play at home against California on Sept. 27 and will wrap up its conference schedule by hosting crosstown rival USC on Nov. 8. Last season, the then-No. 6 Bruins earned a 3-2 overtime victory over the then-No. 2 Trojans in front of 8,555 fans at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles.

UCLA will play Stanford – one of the two Pac-12 teams that handed UCLA a loss last season – on the road for the second consecutive year Oct. 19. The Cardinal made a run to the Final Four in last year’s NCAA tournament before falling to the Seminoles.

Prior to its home opener against Iowa State, UCLA is slated to play two exhibition games against Loyola Marymount on Aug. 16 and UC Irvine on Aug. 18.

UCLA men’s soccer also announced its schedule for 2019 on Wednesday, which includes 10 regular season home matches to be played at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

The Bruins will face some of the top programs in the nation this fall.

Eleven programs out of the Bruins’ 18 regular season games qualified for the 2018 NCAA tournament. Stanford and Maryland – two of UCLA’s 2019 opponents – have combined for the past four consecutive NCAA championships.

The Bruins will open their regular season in Bloomington, Indiana, with a neutral matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats on Aug. 30. Two days later, UCLA will take on Indiana which finished atop the RPI in 2018.

UCLA starts its home schedule in 2019 with a matchup against defending national champion Maryland. UCLA will then host Georgetown before embarking on a three-game road trip, with matchups against CSUN, Oregon State and Washington.

The Bruins will begin an eight-match home stand with a meeting against UC Irvine on Sept. 26. Over that period, UCLA will face Pac-12 opponents San Diego State, Stanford, California, Washington and Oregon State, after posting a 5-5 conference record in 2018.

UCLA finished last season with a 10-9 record overall, winning six matches at home. Under former coach Jorge Salcedo, the Bruins were not able to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2018.

Coach Ryan Jorden, who was hired in April, will serve as the 11th coach of the program. He and the Bruins will take the field at Wallis Annenberg Stadium for the first time this season Aug. 30, with an exhibition match against Westmont.

UCLA women’s soccer sends team of 20 to compete for US in World University Games

Two Bruins have been in Europe since early June for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and nearly all the rest flew over Thursday night for the 30th Summer World University Games.

UCLA women’s soccer will represent the United States in Naples, Italy, with a 20-player roster that will take on a field of 11 other teams from all over the world. The U.S. will start competition in Pool D on July 4 against Italy, and will finish the first stage facing Japan on July 6 before a potential quarterfinals berth.

“I know most of us have been called up (to U.S. youth national teams), but for other players, I think it’s going to be a really great experience to see how these games work,” said rising junior midfielder Viviana Villacorta. “They’ll get to see that side of playing at a high level and they can aspire to get to that level and work even harder.”

The Bruins posted a 17-3-2 record last year en route to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament where they fell to North Carolina in penalty kicks. Prior to being eliminated, UCLA had won 13 consecutive games. The team also led the nation in points per game and tied with Stanford for most goals.

Two seniors from last year’s roster graduated, but the Bruins will return 10 starters alongside an incoming class of 11 freshmen and All-American rising junior transfer Lucy Parker. With rising senior midfielder Jessie Fleming and rising senior goalkeeper Teagan Micah sitting out the World University Games in favor of the World Cup, there was room for seven of the 11 freshmen to earn roster spots.

“We have a lot of incoming freshmen and I’m pretty sure (coach Amanda Cromwell) is going to try out new people and see how we fit,” Villacorta said. “This is before preseason, so I guess this trip is just to help us get a better understanding of each other and see how we play with each other.”

Rising redshirt sophomore Lauren Brzykcy and incoming freshman Hannah Mitchell will be the two goalkeepers on the U.S. roster for the World University Games, since Micah had been playing with the Australian national team.

Micah has been a starter since her freshman year and played in every game in her first two seasons, but last year, the goalkeeper missed some contests due to a concussion and sitting out to give minutes to Brzykcy.

After posting two solo and two shared shutouts in just eight starts, Brzykcy earned a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, but the World University Games will be an opportunity for her to get more significant playing time.

“Getting minutes is going to be amazing and just the opportunity is once in a lifetime,” Brzykcy said. “Being able to represent your school and the U.S. is an amazing opportunity and getting a chance to start early with the freshmen is going to be amazing … because more chemistry can help us for the season.”

In addition to the freshmen’s debuts, rising redshirt senior forward/midfielder Anika Rodriguez will make her return to the pitch after suffering a knee injury in October against Arizona State. Before the injury, Rodriguez led the team in goals and assists.

Villacorta also worked through injuries in the offseason, spending several weeks in both a boot and a sling. The midfielder returned to running and training with the team and made appearances in three spring games, but will look to continue her recovery.

“Once I started running, I definitely felt super motivated to get fit,” Villacorta said. “I have high expectations of myself, but I’m just trying to get some minutes in, help the team in whatever way I can. If I’m not playing, that’s fine because I know my role and I’m just here to support the team.”

The Bruins’ first match representing Team USA will be on the Fourth of July.

Rachel Garcia caps off softball season with Honda Cup, collection of accolades

Rachel Garcia finished her season at the top.

The rising redshirt senior pitcher capped off UCLA softball’s championship season by being awarded the Honda Cup for the best female student-athlete of the year.

Garcia won the Honda Sport Award for softball in June, which qualified her – along with 11 other athletes from each of the NCAA women’s sports – for the Honda Cup. Garcia beat out a top-three that included Indiana swimmer Lilly King and Iowa basketball player Megan Gustafson.

This was the pitcher’s first Honda Cup, despite winning the Honda Sport Award for softball last season as well.

With the win, Garcia became the fifth UCLA athlete and third Bruin softball player to win the Honda Cup – following now-assistant coach Lisa Fernandez in 1993 and former player Natasha Watley in 2003.

Other accolades Garcia collected this postseason include her second straight USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the Women’s College World Series Most Outstanding Player and both the Pac-12 Player and Pitcher of the Year awards. Garcia is also nominated for the Best College Athlete award at the ESPYs.

Garcia went 29-1 on the season with a 1.14 ERA, striking out 286 and giving up just 33 earned runs over the whole year. At the plate, Garcia hit .343 with 11 home runs.

Garcia took over the majority of pitching responsibilities in the postseason, pitching in all five games of the WCWS and accumulating a 5-0 record in Oklahoma City with a 1.75 ERA. This run included a 10-inning victory over No. 3 seed Washington, in which Garcia pitched every inning, struck out 16, and threw 179 pitches before hitting a walk-off three-run home run to send the Bruins to the championship finals.

Garcia will spend the summer training with USA Softball as part of the national team, hoping to claim a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic squad.

Battle of the Editors: Which Bruin basketball player has created the most lasting legacy in the NBA?

With NBA free agency having started Sunday, the Daily Bruin Sports editors decided to take a look back at some of the most influential professional Bruins. They’ve dominated decades and pioneered positions, but each editor had their own pick for the one whose fingerprints are the most prominent in today’s game.

Reggie Miller
Coral Smith, assistant Sports editor

Reggie Miller is one of the greatest long-range shooters of all time, plain and simple.

The UCLA alum joined the NBA in 1987 and made a name for himself as one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the game – a legacy that is still intact 14 years after his retirement.

Miller started playing basketball against his older sister as a kid and found that he couldn’t compete against his taller sibling with shots close to the hoop. So he moved back, taking hundreds of shots a day and eventually mastering a long-range jump shot – the skill that made Miller famous in the NBA.

Miller’s ability to shoot the long-ball led him to success at UCLA, as he led the Bruins to the National Invitation Tournament championship in his sophomore season and to the Pac-10 championship his senior year – also the first season that the 3-point field goal was officially implemented.

After graduation, Miller played for the Indiana Pacers for 18 seasons, creating a reputation as a 3-point monster.

He started things off by breaking Larry Bird’s record for most 3-pointers in a rookie season with 61. Miller led the league in 3-point field goals twice – in 1992-1993 and 1996-1997 – with 167 and 229, respectively.

While other prolific 3-point shooters have emerged in recent years, it was Miller who was there first, revolutionizing the way players shot by focusing on the long shot.

By the time Miller retired in 2005, he had cemented his legacy as one of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time. He is one of only eight players to join the 50-40-90 club and has made 2,560 3-pointers in his career, an NBA record at the time of his retirement. It has since been surpassed by only one other player – Ray Allen.

The 3-pointer is an iconic aspect of NBA basketball in today’s game, and no one did it better than Reggie Miller.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Jacqueline Dzwonczyk, assistant Sports editor

There’s only one person in the world who owns the title of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

And he did it at 7-foot-2 before other big men were consistently contributing offensively.

As a Bruin in the John Wooden-era, Abdul-Jabbar, known then as Lewis Alcindor, went 88-2 and lead UCLA to three NCAA championships. He earned All-American honors in each year of his varsity collegiate career and was named National College Player of the Year in 1967 and 1969.

“The Captain” went on to win six NBA titles and was named the MVP of the NBA Finals twice. He lasted 21 seasons in the league – an anomaly, especially for his time – and racked up 38,387 points, 17,440 rebounds and 3,189 blocks.

That places him as the No. 1 scorer, No. 3 rebounder and No. 3 blocker of all time.

Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t a 3-point shooter like today’s most popular bigs, but he perfected arguably the most unstoppable and iconic post move ever – the sky hook.

It’s not a coincidence that Abdul-Jabbar is one of only three players who had his jersey retired by both UCLA and the Lakers. Los Angeles is the home of basketball stars, and Abdul-Jabbar is one of the brightest.

Russell Westbrook
Jared Tay, assistant Sports editor

Plain and simple, Russell Westbrook is a stat-sheet stuffer.

The former Bruin turned star point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder has transformed the point guard’s role on the court. A point guard in today’s game has to excel in multiple areas and Westbrook’s stats illustrate his command of nearly every part of the floor.

Westbrook has established himself as the king of the triple-double – a stat line in which a player accumulates a total of at least 10 in three of five statistical categories – usually points, assists and rebounds – in a single game.

In the 2018-2019 season, the guard averaged a triple-double – a feat only matched by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson over 50 years ago – for the third-consecutive season.

Westbrook’s stat-padding was the talk of the 2016-2017 season, and his league-best average of 31.6 points combined with just over 10 assists and rebounds per game propelled him to the MVP title.

Westbrook’s 138 career triple-doubles puts him in second place on the all-time leaderboard. He is tied with Magic Johnson and sits atop other NBA legends like LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird.

Westbrook isn’t a multiple-time NBA champion like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Walton. In fact, he has yet to win a championship with the Thunder. But this doesn’t diminish his status as one of the greatest all-around players in the league.

Reggie Miller can shoot 3s? So can Westbrook.

Abdul-Jabbar scored double-digits almost every game? So does Westbrook.

In fact, the 6-foot-3-inch guard does the job of basically every position on the court. With Westbrook’s ability to run an offense, score and make an impact on the glass, you just won’t find a player as dominant in all facets of the game.

Bill Walton
Jason Maikis, assistant Sports editor

Bill Walton is one of the most recognizable Bruin faces from the fabled days of John Wooden.

In his three years playing men’s basketball for UCLA, Walton took home two titles as well as three Naismith College Player of the Year awards. During that time, Walton graced the hardwood with other Bruin greats such as Marques Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes.

However, his time in the NBA was quite different.

Walton won a single NBA title in the first 10 years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers. But after back and foot injuries that sidelined Walton for over three seasons in the midst of his career, he decided to usher in a new era for professional basketball.

Superteams.

In 1985, Walton decided to leave the Clippers and turned his attention to the NBA dynasties of the ’80s ⁠— the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. A trade to the Celtics followed, as did a championship at the end of the 1985-86 season.

In no small turn, Walton had instigated the idea of NBA superstars finding and joining championship-level teams to win rings with at the close of their careers. The trend started by Walton has now gathered enough steam to power the conversation of free agency every summer, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant and countless then-ringless veterans being the prime followers.

Walton didn’t just leave behind a spectacular career, he also provided the blueprint for many ring-chasing veterans of the future.

Kevin Love
Sam Connon, Sports editor

The Bruins have produced a handful of great big NBA men.

Abdul-Jabbar owned the post, Walton was a freak athlete and other guys like Ryan Hollins filled solid roles down low in the pros.

But they were just big men – Kevin Love changed the game.

There have been other big men who can shoot – think Dirk Nowitzki, Andrea Bargnani and Mehmet Okur. And while those guys were efficient from deep, none of them were as consistently deadly from deep as Love.

Love shot 35.4% from deep at UCLA on 2.1 attempts per game, but he shot just 29.6% on just 0.9 attempts per game in his first two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In five of his next eight seasons, however, he was named an All-Star – thanks in large part to his much-improved 3-pointer.

Love is a double-double machine, but his career 3-point percentage of 37 on 4.4 attempts per game is what sets him apart. Nowitzki was the league’s premier shooting big through the 2000s, but he never shot more than five 3s per game in any of his 21 seasons.

Love, on the other hand, has taken more than six per game in three separate seasons.

This isn’t just an isolated personal achievement for Love either. Ever since Love has garnered national attention, teams all over the NBA have tried their best to copy his success.

Nowadays, every championship contender needs to have a shooting big man to spread the floor on the offensive end. Marc Gasol and Al Horford have morphed from defensive post players to long-range shooters, thanks in large part to Love’s role with the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Splash Brothers and Golden State Warriors – along with Mike D’Antoni’s Houston Rockets – have undoubtedly changed the way teams play offense and set up around the perimeter, but guards and wings have always been the league’s most proficient shooters.

Love isn’t as good of a shooter as Miller, and he isn’t as dynamic as his old teammate Westbrook. What the big man does have going for him, however, is how drastically he has changed his position and the league as a whole.

Movie review: Spider-Man battles monsters of expectation, grief in ‘Far From Home’

Peter Parker is far from home and in over his head.

Eight months after “Avengers: Endgame,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home” follows Peter (Tom Holland) and his friends as they grapple with the aftermath of Thanos’ defeat.

The ending of the last Marvel film was certainly bittersweet. Although everyone managed to return from dust, the world now has to contend with Tony Stark’s death. His absence left everyone wondering who will take his place, but the last thing on Peter’s mind is being a world-renowned hero.

While “Far From Home” is a movie clearly built with the Marvel action film formula, complete with witty one-liners and a fairly predictable villain, it builds upon the coming-of-age story laid out in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

Peter is struggling with both young adulthood and the expectations of being a superhero the world can depend on. His frustrations are clear when he repeatedly asserts to Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) that he is merely the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” while being recruited to fight elemental villains.

Peter only wants to enjoy his class trip to Europe and figure out the best way to confess his feelings to MJ (Zendaya). However, these plans are interrupted in Venice when a giant water monster wreaks havoc in the city.

Newcomer Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) claims these elemental creatures destroyed his planet and he offers to help Nick and Peter prevent the same catastrophe from happening to Earth. Peter quickly realizes he cannot catch a break due to this new threat and a legacy he is unsure he wants to embrace.

Holland’s performance reveals Peter’s lovable qualities, and while his naivete was charming, Holland shines most in the vulnerable moments. The reality of Peter’s youth rises to the forefront as Holland provides fresh-faced authenticity to the story, such as when he confides to Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) that he is unable to grasp Tony’s belief in him after one of his mistakes almost costs him the lives of his friends.

This sincerity brings an important distinction between Spider-Man and the rest of the Avengers because, like a majority of the target audiences, Peter is still a teenager who is trying his best to navigate adulthood. And for a superhero that can shoot webs from his wrists, this is as relatable as it gets.

While Holland solidifies his role with his earnest performance, the supporting cast making up Peter’s classmates also continues to be the lovable crew from “Homecoming.” The cast provides comic relief that contrasts with somber issues – such as grief and world destruction – that take up much of the film’s thematic gravitas.

His best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) is the familiar goofy sidekick that tries to get Peter to let loose as a “bachelor in Europe,” and Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori) draws inspiration from social media influencers, livestreaming himself even when in grave danger.

Despite the film’s humor, however, “Far From Home” also manages to address the question many fans were left with after “Endgame”: what is a world without Iron Man?

Reminders of the deceased hero are sprinkled throughout the film through memorials and the appearance of Happy, Tony’s chauffeur who guides Peter through his grief. It is not until his final battle against Mysterio that he fully confronts the weight of Tony’s absence, and the moment is poignant. It reflects the grieving process because it shows how long it took for Peter to accept that Tony is gone and believe that he is ready to take his place.

Anyone invested in the relationship between Peter and Tony will also receive closure and depth to Peter’s true feelings. While he may seem ambivalent to his superhero responsibilities, it is only because he does not feel ready to fill the void left by Tony. Holland handles this inner conflict with authentic emotion and innocence, trusting Mysterio as he yearns for a new mentor. This shows that he still seeks the guidance that Tony gave him, reminding viewers that he is still finding a way to live up to the heroes that came before him.

Although much of the film dealt with his struggles, there was still room for action.

The visuals of the fight scenes had an illusory effect similar to the ones in “Doctor Strange” thanks to Mysterio, who is an expert in special effects and uses technology to create illusions. The illusions Peter must overcome are creative, fresh and clearly symbolic of his insecurities. It also plainly depicts the grief and turmoil surrounding Tony’s death, as at one point he is thrown right in front of Tony’s gravestone.

Marvel has obviously found its footing with its ability to blend the successful aspects of an action film with emotional subtext that will pull at the heartstrings of any audience member. Fans can rest assured that even with unknown beginnings, Marvel will not be losing its touch for meaningful storytelling.

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” gives viewers hope that the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in capable hands. Anyone still mourning the loss of some of the original Avengers can look to this refreshing development for some lighthearted fun as Marvel begins its next phase and closes its final chapter of the Infinity Saga.