If you have not watched Disney’s “Fantasia,” it’s about time you do. This two-hour film brings alive 15 of classical music’s most well-known scores with curious animation. 

Disney animators and British conductor Leopold Stokowski collaboratively took new and old scores and mixed them with groundbreaking animation techniques. Deems Taylor narrates the film, introducing each piece and the creative process that went into its production. 

Taylor introduces the first animation as “absolute music.” Similar to a creative exercise used in many elementary school art classes, the animation was drawn by artists who based their art on the images that passed through their minds as the music played. 

The immersive experience begins with “Toccata And Fugue In D Minor, BWV 565,” with shots of the orchestra’s silhouettes in the frame. This eases the audience into the music before sending them into the animated world. 

When compared to the others, the first animation takes a more abstract approach to the assignment. It opens the audience’s mind to a new realm of musically inspired possibilities. The audience is exposed to colors, shapes, and movements that fit remarkably well with the changing tone, speed and pitch of the music.

The film transitions from the abstract world of “Toccata and Fugue,” and Taylor’s familiar face pops up on screen. Surrounded by The Philadelphia Orchestra, he introduces the next series of animations, “The Nutcracker Suite.”

These animations bring the forest to life, inviting the viewer to imagine what magical creatures cause the natural processes of the environment. 

Illuminated fairies pranced from leaf to leaf, turning them yellow, orange and red. Silly little mushrooms dancing in circles. Flowers turned into dancers with big ball gowns. The animations emit childish wonder and establish a creative, curious energy to the inner workings of nature. 

The next animation takes a different approach to marrying visuals and music. Instead of drawing based on the music, the music was composed based on the animated story: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

This storyline introduces a familiar Disney character, Mickey Mouse, who is the sorcerer’s eager apprentice. Still lacking words, this animation contains a stronger storyline than the previous animations. 

The story is sweet and cute. It reminds the audience that eagerness can lead to mishaps. Although it follows a storyline, the intentional combination of pictures in music is still prevalent, sparking emotion without relying on words. Disney takes a more educational approach with “The Rite of Passion.” Taylor explains that in its original form, it is a ballet that expresses primitive life. So, Disney decided to use it to tell the story of the beginning of life on Earth, as understood by science. 

The animations for this part of the film are stunning, but it lacks the creative innovativeness seen in “The Nutcracker Suite” that makes it so special. 

This brings us to intermission. 

Coming out of intermission, the soundtrack is introduced. It is an animated line that produces different shapes, movements and colors as Taylor talks it through the different instruments that comprise the orchestra. This short and silly bit of the film introduces a new way of thinking about sound to the viewer. 

“Every sound produces an equally beautiful picture,” says Taylor. 

There is much more inviting and unique content to “Fantasia.”

The real experience comes from watching it. Turn off your phone, sit down in front of your TV or laptop, dim the lights and enjoy the breathtaking yet rejuvenating experience of Disney’s “Fantasia.”

Remember Twitter? The simple app where users could share 180-word texts with their followers is gone. It has been rebranded to X. A soon-to-be subscription-based, “everything app,” according to entrepreneur and founder Elon Musk. 

Paige McHatten, a fourth-year English and journalism student, remembers Twitter.  “I’ve had Twitter since 2013 and have used it consistently throughout those 10 years,” she said. McHatten used to joke with her friends that Twitter was the social media for those who like to read.  

Social media, especially Twitter, undoubtedly plays a role in public discourse and spreading information today. 

“It used to be my go-to place for music news and brainless content. I considered the app a sacred place. Until Musk took over,” said McHatten. According to her, she didn’t want to pay in order to see the content she was used to getting on Twitter. Additionally, she felt like she was continuously exposed to more content she did not want to see. 

“I ended up downloading TikTok, deleting X, and I haven’t used the app since,” said McHatten.

Musk made an offer to Twitter for $44 billion in April 2022, an amount well above the company’s current stock price. After some legal battles over the company’s misrepresentation of the number of bot accounts, Musk officially purchased Twitter that October. 

He made his goal for the app clear: to align it more strictly with the principles of free speech. 

This was a controversial idea coming off the 2016 election misinformation and January 6 riots, which resulted in former president Donald Trump’s Twitter account being banned from the platform. 

Over the course of the next year, Musk laid off 80% of Twitter employees. This includes those who monitored the platform flagging for misinformation. 

Will Fiske, a fourth-year parks, recreation and tourism student said, “I’ve always found Twitter to be one of the more unhinged social media platforms, and I think Musk will just continue to make it more unpredictable and chaotic.” Fiske was not a Twitter user before Musk’s takeover. 

In November 2022, Musk introduced a new subscription-based option for Twitter users. Named “Twitter Blue,” folks can pay a monthly $7.99, and they’ll be granted the blue circle check mark that Twitter is known for. In the past, these check marks indicated that the account was indeed who it said it was. Now, with Twitter Blue, anyone can purchase this verification mark. 

Musk added to the benefits of this subscription in July 2023 by introducing rate limits. This means that there is a cap on the amount of content a Twitter user can see in a day.

According to Musk’s Twitter, there is a tier system in place for the rate limits. Verified accounts (also known as Twitter Blue subscribers) can only see 6,000 tweets per day. Non-verified, long-term users can only see 600 tweets per day. New and non-verified users can only see 300 tweets per day. 

This was all before Musk’s surprise rebrand of Twitter to X, the everything app, in July. 

With this switch, he posted on X, “In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world.” He said a final farewell to Twitter with, “We must bid adieu to the bird.” 

Most recently, over a livestream about artificial intelligence, Musk announced that X will soon become a fully subscription-based app. So, any user will have to pay in order to use X. 

This eliminates anyone who is not willing to pay to use X from its base audience, l. Leaving an app once bubbling with information void of its once loyal users. 

“The way Musk’s work has transpired at X does not make me want to use the platform,” said Trevor McGee, a fourth-year finance and marketing student.

As the death of the beloved Twitter was mourned, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, dropped their own version of the text-based app called Threads. This successfully filled the niche that Musk left ajar. 

Now, there are two new platforms replacing Twitter. One is a subscription-based free-for-all and soon-to-be everything app. The other is a copy of the original Twitter, owned and managed by the social media monopoly Meta. 

This turn of events presents an opportunity to pose once again the question of whether or not it is more important to monitor platforms for misinformation and harmful messaging or to have the freedom of unchecked speech on social media platforms. And, if one company is in charge of it all, what does that mean for social media? 

As you say goodbye to Twitter, remember to check the facts and sources of your information. It is easier to believe a fact that aligns with what you already believe in, so take some time and ensure it is true.