In honor of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and University of Illinois journalism alumnus Roger Ebert, three College of Media undergraduate students have been named as this year’s Roger Ebert Fellows. They will receive a stipend and work closely with Michael Phillips, film critic for the Chicago Tribune, to strengthen their writing, radio, video, and storytelling skills across a wide range of multimedia platforms. The Ebert Fellows Program was established in 2015 in the College of Media to provide students learning experiences that focus on critical thinking, arts and entertainment criticism, and interpretative journalism.
This year’s Ebert Fellows are Zeke Allis, Zulema Herrera, and Michelle Husain.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phillips said the fellowship will take place with a mixture of online and in-person experiences. The types of experiences—ranging from attending the True/False Film Fest in Missouri and learning how to make a podcast with Chicago Public Media—will depend on each student’s individual interests as well as public health guidelines.
“We’re seeing a tentative return to in-person activities and events,” Phillips said. “And as long as we all stay safe and healthy, that’s how we’re going to treat the rest of the year, both on campus and in Chicago.”
As a shared experience, the pandemic has left an impression on our psyches and souls, and that affects what we want to watch and listen to, Phillips said. “The best I can do is respond to events as they happen and find a way for us to think and write about some of them.”
Phillips hopes that the Ebert Fellows will become better-equipped to think about media and its role in society. His goals as a mentor are to “throw enough experiences at the fellows to test their limits a little bit, put them out of their comfort zone, find out what kind of writers and thinkers they are, and then make them stronger versions of that.”
MEET THE 2021-2022 EBERT FELLOWS
Zeke Allis is a junior in media and cinema studies with a minor in creative writing who is interested in film criticism. He said he’s excited to learn more about the field through this fellowship.
“I am absolutely ecstatic to have been selected as an Ebert Fellow,” Allis said. “I’m always looking into the films I like and it’s very exciting to receive this fellowship for doing so. I am excited to learn more about how film criticism is done and to see how my own methods and opinions compare to the real deal. It’s a great opportunity to get insight on the industry as a whole.”
Allis said he’s always loved watching and analyzing films and appreciates good stories in general. He is the vice president of CU Cinefile, a student organization that reviews films and has conversations that “make me lose track of time.”
His favorite film is Seven Samurai because “it has everything you want in a movie: action, comedy, tragedy, and deep explorations of honor, class, and victory.”
Zulema Herrera is a senior pursuing a dual degree in journalism and Latina/Latino studies who enjoys writing about arts and culture and is excited to improve her skills in this area as an Ebert Fellow.
“I felt so honored and excited about being selected as an Ebert Fellow,” Herrera said. “I am very eager to take on this opportunity to harness my skills in writing through a film criticism lens and with the various storytelling outlets I will be exposed to. I intend to incorporate these various storytelling styles and tell stories that are often overlooked.”
Herrera is an intern at Unity in Action Magazine, a community publication geared towards addressing socioeconomic issues. She also helped revive U of I’s chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists during her sophomore year.
Her favorite films are musicals because “they add additional artistic dimensions to a piece and can evoke feelings or reactions from an audience in a deeper, universal way.” They include Fiddler on the Roof, Across the Universe, and The Phantom of the Opera.
Michelle Husain is a junior pursuing a dual degree in advertising and cognitive psychology, as well as a minor in critical film production. She said she’s excited to learn from a film and media expert and improve her skills as a writer.
“I am ecstatic about being selected as an Ebert Fellow,” Husain said. “As a longtime film lover, I’m excited to expand my knowledge about critical writing within the film industry. I am most excited to meet with people who are already established in media and to learn from them. Whatever career I end up pursuing—whether in advertising or film—I know writing will play a crucial role.”
Husain is a member of the American Advertising Federation on campus and said her favorite films are Coraline and The Florida Project.
—Vivian La, Communications Intern