The Patriot December 2005, Issue 3, Vol 41

John Carroll School ! Tradition ! Pride

The

Patriot ! Excellence

703 Churchville Road ! Bel Air, MD 21014

Volume 41, Issue 3 ! December 2005

INDEX

page 3 JC community welcomes the Stephanys with second phase of Operation Hands and Hearts.

page 7 F E A T U R E S E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Features editors share their Christmas wishes and holiday inquiries with Santa Claus.

Guest speaker page 9 teaches value of celibacy

Senior Variety Show arouses mixed feelings in audiences.

page 13

Girls’ varsity S teams bring P home multiple O championships.

R T S

Obsessions, like habits and trends, are quite easily formed and nearly impossible to destroy. Recently, moviemakers have developed a habit of recreating favorite fantasy books, with which readers have become obsessed.

Society as we know it appears to be doomed to be in a slump of fantasybooks-goneHollywood for a long time.

page 20

Jillian Hughes Staff Writer Sophomore Kristen Chaney was not looking forward to the morning of Wednesday November 16.

She had already heard about the topic awaiting her: chastity. To make matters worse, after a brief glance at the day’s bell schedule, she realized the assembly would be 90 minutes long.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.

I’ll die!” was her initial reaction.

She would have to waste an hour and a half sitting on hard bleachers, listening to one priest or another preach to the student body about how to live their lives.

However, that was not the case at all. Instead, we got Jason Evert.

The lively 28-year-old was far removed from the typical character of a priest. He fell more Þttingly into the category of standup comedian. He was a funny guy with a steadfast message: “Love Continued on page 6

successful because it appeals to every social crowd in existence.

For your immature fun-lovers, you have the Harry Potter series; for you diehard, hardcore, hardheaded war hawks you have The Lord of the Rings franchise; and for your teenage action fanatics you have the increasingly popular comic book hero class (remember Spider Man, Batman, the Hulk Man… wait, he was just the Hulk).

Not only is there a wide range of subjects, but the Þlmmakers can further destroy your wallet as well as your sanity by continually making sequels.

For Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings it seems fair, since

there are as many books as movies (so far). But with a third XMen, a third Spider Man, and the eighty-third Land Before Time coming out soon… well, I’m not sure how much the world can handle.

Just when you thought all of the available series were already acknowledged, this upcoming year and holiday season are bringing a few that are sure to cause just as much chaos. Remember the Chronicles of Narnia? They were those books that your second grade teacher read to you while you were making macaroni art and eating Elmer’s glue. Indeed, Aslan and the whole crew are debuting with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe this holiday season. If you Continued on page 15

Retreats unite JC classes Shannon Murphy Business Manager

“designed to lead students to get in touch with their relationships with God, others, and themselves through the high school experience and prepare them for posthigh school decisions.” Students learn about their faith, take part in group activities, and attend Masses in the chapel.

Although these retreats are mandatory, it has not always been that way. Retreats have always been offered at JC, but only in the last 12 years have they become mandatory for graduation. All students must attend a retreat each year during their four years at JC in order for them to receive their diploma.

Junior retreats are well underway, and the feedback from them is fantastic. A group of 40 to 45 students pack their things and take off on an overnight retreat at the Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat Continued on page 12 House in Sparks, Maryland.

Once they arrive at the Retreat House, juniors are placed in small groups and interact in activities that break the ice and allow everyone to get to know each other a little better.

They also do things as a large group, and get more in touch with their spiritual side.

The overall goals of the retreat are to encourage class unity, to help students Þnd their Christian identities, and to aid in their spiritual growth. According to the JC Student Juniors enjoy a game of Outburst outside the chapel at the Handbook, retreats are Monsignor O’Dwyer Retreat House. The junior retreats are

photo courtesy of Mrs. Murphy Dohn

Ryan Leeb Entertainment co Editor

The genre has been doing very well for itself; many of the topgrossing Þlms for the better part of the past decade have been fantasybased. With heavyweights like the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings franchises, the genre proves that it can be successful.

The question is, why have these movies been so successful in the Þrst place? And why would Hollywood start making the movies now, after many of the books have been around for years and some of the authors have died?

These questions are nearly as difÞcult to answer as other ageold mysteries: Which came Þrst: the chicken or the egg? Why is the sky blue? Where do babies come from?

And as we all know, none of these questions can ever be answered. We can only ponder the possibilities.

My philosophy on the matter (yes, it has gotten to the point where philosophies, and even cults, have been formed) is that the genre is so

www.imdb.com

N E W S

Student expresses fear about worldwide genocide.

Legolas Wallpaper Gallery

E D I T O R I A L S

intended to bring the junior class together.

Editorials

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From the Editors Movies lack originality

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PATRIOT John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road, Bel Air, Maryland 21014 Volume 41, Issue 3, December 2005

co Editor in Chief....................................................Jeff Gunnarsson co Editor in Chief........................................................Neha Prakash Editorials co Editor........................................................Mary Etting Editorials co Editor......................................................Jared Drewen News co Editor............................................................Caitlin Keilty News co Editor...........................................................Joe Christesen Features co Editor..........................................................Emily Lazor Features co Editor........................................................Claire Bronis Entertainment co Editor...................................................Ryan Leeb Entertainment co Editor...........................................Sandy Wienholt Sports co Editor.....................................................Andy Wancowicz Sports co Editor...........................................................Brady Collins Photography co Editor..............................................Jessica O’Brien Photography co Editor...........................................Jennifer DiBiagio Business Manager..................................................Shannon Murphy Copy co Editor...............................................................Kim Hoopes Copy co Editor.....................................................Hillary Livingston Assistant Copy Editor .................................................Anne Sedney Design Editor............................................................Chris Anderson Roving Editor...............................................................Danny Morris Cartoonist............................................................Savanna Scroggins Moderator.......................................................................Mr. Ionescu

Staff: Henry Basta, Jillian Hughes, Alli Kartachak, John Kline, Mike Marll The Patriot is a publication of the students of John Carroll School. The views and opinions expressed in The Patriot are not necessarily the views and opinions of the Board or Administration of John Carroll School.

The editorial staff invites and greatly appreciates comments from readers on any issue.

Volume 41, Number 3

Mary Etting Editorials co Editor So you’re bored over the weekend. You and your best friend have limited choices for entertainment, seeing as how movies, ice skating, bowling, and being a mall rat are pretty much the only things to do in Harford County. You decide to get a group of friends together and go see the new movie.

Too bad for you and your friends that the totally awesome “new” movie you are planning on seeing probably isn’t really new.

Hollywood Þlmmakers apPeople patiently wait in line to buy food to eat during parently haven’t heard of originality, as the cool new trends their movie. Many recent movies have been no more seem to be nothing more than than remakes of old classics. remaking unheard of foreign Þlms or remaking movies from the ‘60s But wait, there’s still the origi- offs of TV shows, older movies, or and ‘70s that majority of people nal version of the movie that can foreign Þlms. today haven’t seen but have heard be looked at and scenes taken Bewitched came out over this about. from. While it is true that remak- past summer; however, ÞlmmakYay Hollywood! ing older movies does allow for ers decided to take their own spin Let’s give a round of applause improvement in the special effects of Bewitched. Instead of just makfor those geniuses out there in department and making foreign ing the TV show into a movie, Begood old California. Good job la- Þlms into movies that the Ameri- witched was turned into a movie dies and gentlemen of the movie can public will watch—because about making a movie about the business, you successfully took a you know you are too lazy to read TV show. Þlm that has already been made, subtitles—you have to ask if this is The other twist was that the got some well known actors—and the best we can do? woman, who was hired to play I use this term loosely because Of course if you release the Samantha, was really a witch. I aside from Nicole Kidman there “new” movie and it is a huge suc- am so glad we have such talented are not many talented actors cur- cess, than there must be a sequel! writers in Hollywood. rently in Hollywood—who people After all you can’t kill the popuThe Ring, Mr. Deeds, Manhuntworship to star in the Þlm, and then larity of a movie. I mean even af- er, Oceans 11, and Unfaithful are release your masterpiece, which ter Free Willy 3: The Rescue, you just a handful of Hollywood rewill hopefully make billions and know audiences were dying for makes and knockoffs. billions of dollars. more.

Whatever happened to taking Of course the Þlming process is How many times can you watch pride in one’s work? Is it possibrutal on one’s creativity; after all the same whale narrowly escape ble for Hollywood to be original? you did just come up with a movie death? How many Land Before Let’s see a movie that is completeidea that is sure to be a hit.

Time movies must the public ly new, not based on a foreign Þlm, Okay well you didn’t actually have? older movie, television show, or come up with it but still, thinking Hollywood writers seem to even a book. of how to portray things on screen have lost their edge. The majority Let’s see something refreshing. to get the full effect is a daunting of movies, aside from Harry Pot- Let’s see some creativity. task. ter and a few others, are just spin photo by: Jen DiBiagio

You have four minutes to get to class. That’s approximately two minutes back and forth. Teachers seem to think that this is ample time to get from your previous class or the cafeteria, to your locker, grab your books, and than make it to your next class—whichever floor that might be on.

Theoretically, the teachers are right. However, note the use of the word theoretically…this means technically yes it is enough time, but in reality it isn’t.

Four minutes seems to be more than enough time, especially when all that needs to be done is going to one floor to another to another…the reason it is not is simple: some people in this school seem to be unable to grasp the concept of “flow” throughout the hallways and stairwells.

Maybe a class on proper walking etiquette is needed.

We completely understand that not everyone has a class to go to; some people do have mods off. However, the cafeteria was specifically built for the purposes of eating and socializing; it was also specifically not built in the middle of the hallways or stairwells.

Some students are not lucky enough to have their schedual filled with numerous off mods. These students are also the ones who are penalized for being delayed by their peers who feel the need to block up the hallways.

Sprinting across the length of the school is tough enough as it is; making it an obstacle course populated by students makes everything many times more difficult.

If only we had the technology they have in Star Trek, then all we would have to do is push an obnoxious JC logo pin and say the magic words, which everyone knows are “like…totally…beam me up Scottie (Akers of course)!”

We hope you see our point. Keep walking; no, you don’t have class but the rest of us do, so save your socializing for the cafeteria.

Loss of gym privilege justified Danny Morris Roving Editor The last thing anyone wants to read about is how a few people’s carelessness can lose an entire class a special privilege. Unfortunately, the truth must come out.

At a recent meeting with the senior boys, Mr. Piercy decreed that lower gym usage would be restricted in response to the abuse of gym access. According to Mr. Piercy and Mr. Dukes, the ßoor was often littered with candy wrappers, empty soda bottles, and other typical high school debris.

These offenses were mild enough, but there was also a large soda spill left for the sports teams to enjoy, and lastly and most repulsively, there were several slugsized loogies adorning the newly purchased divider.

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This piece of equipment cost several thousand dollars and stretches from the ceiling of the gym to the ßoor, partitioning the room so that multiple teams may practice at the same time.

This is actually a worthwhile investment and should be respected by the students, not treated like the ßoor of the guy’s locker room.

Expectorating may be thought of as a high class form of competition in some schools, but this practice is both unwelcome and simply revolting here at John Carroll.

Students here are required to behave to a higher standard than a pack of camels.

This is a rare occasion, but for once, Mr. Piercy’s response of closing the gym to student use during the day was both appropriate and reasonable.

There may be arguments that this action is overly harsh, but consider if someone walked up to your front door and hocked up a few big, wet ones.

Would you consider it overly harsh to not invite them to your house again?

Students seem to be forgetting their mannars and what is appropriate in social situations. Not only has the gym been lost due to inappropriate uses of bodily functions, so has the Þne arts wing boys bathroom.

Mr. Piercy is in the right in this case, and students will have to deal with the consequences of their classmates’ sloppiness and foul habits.

December 2005

editorials

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Genocide in Darfur stirs JC student interest, spurs protest

photo from darfurgenocide.org

guard around the camps. If a woman strays too far away, she can be raped and left to die.

The international community has largely turned a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur. The United Nations has decided to not send any troops to act as peacekeepers and has refused to place any pressure through economic sanctions or demands to stop the violence, on the government of Sudan.

The only action the UN Security Council has taken is to impose a travel ban to the area and to freeze the assets of known leaders of the Arab militias. According to the United Nations General Assembly resolution 260 A (Section 3) of December 9, 1948 genocide is deÞned as: “any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: a) Killing members of the group; b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; c) Deliberately inßicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

The only international coalition to make a serious effort to end the suffering in Darfur has been the African Union. The AU is a coalition of all the countries of Africa that was formed to bring African solutions to African problems.

However many of the countries in Africa are under going strife of their own, or have Arab governments that support the Arab regime of Sudan. Currently the AU has around 6,300 troops from Rwanda, Nigeria, Senegal, South African and Gambia acting as peacekeepers in Darfur.

That number is expected to rise to 8,000 by the end of the year. In February, a truce was signed between the Arab government and black settlers that was supposed to end the violence, but the government has ignored the truce and continued the genocide.

Since May, the AU has been trying to broker peace talks between the blacks and Arabs in Abuja, Nigeria. However, representatives from the government and the black citizens have been unable to broker a peace treaty to bring the violence to an end.

Want to Help?

Hundreds of people dying each day for their religion and ethnicity.

Go to darfurgenocide.org and help support the Darfur Advocacy Fund Give the millions of displaced people a place to call home.

Volume 41, Number 3

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Darfur is an area in western Sudan where the Janjaweed, a government-supported militia, is killing nonArabs in the area.

The African Union does not yet have the resources or manpower to be a force in the region. On March 7, 2005, United Nations Secretary General KoÞ Annan spoke before the UN Security Council proposing a resolution for 10,000 additional peacekeeping troops to be sent to the region to bolster the force of African Union soldiers currently in place.

The Security Council, however, would not adhere to Annan’s request due to a disagreement about

Darfurian genocide. Other international coalitions such as NATO and the European Union have offered the use of air transport, training, supplies and Þnancial aid for the African Union peacekeepers.

The United States has released several statements acknowledging that genocide is occurring in Darfur. The US has also, to date, given seven hundred and ten million dollars in humanitarian aid to be used in Darfur and the use of two military transport aircraft for

Photo from darfurgenocide.org

The current conßict began in 2003 when black rebel groups from Darfur attacked Arab governFour hundred thousand black ment targets claiming that the Susettlers living in an area of South danese government in Khartoum, West Sudan known as Darfur have the capital city, had been ignoring been killed as part of the worst hu- the blacks and their needs, instead manitarian disaster of the 21st Cen- focusing all their attention on the tury. Since February 2003, mem- Arab citizens of Sudan. The govbers of the Arab Janjaweed militia ernment response to the attacks and other government-sponsored was to mobilize pro-Arab militias groups have been carrying out to “cleanse” the area of Darfur of orders by the Arab Sudaneese its black citizens. government to systematically kill The largest of these Arab miliblack non-Muslim settlers living tias is a group known as the Janjain Darfur. weed, which in English translates Over 2 million people have to “devils on horseback.” Accordbeen displaced from their homes. ing to reports from refugees, an atTwo hundred and Þfty thousand of tack on their town would take place these people have become refugees like this: The government would in Chad. Settlers have been killed Þrst launch an air force bombing at a rate of 10,000 per month. If mission on their town; following the situation does not change, at the bombardment, members of the the current pace, up to 1 million Janjaweed sweep into the village people are expected to be killed by riding on horses and camels. They early 2006. kill the men and the take many of The Arab government is trying the women captive and hold them to destroy the black Sudanese of as sex slaves. While the Janjaweed Darfur for their settlements and are doing this to the village’s infarmland. It is part of a long run- habitants, they are looting and dening rivalry between the blacks stroying the villages themselves. and Arabs of Sudan, which has After their villages are destroyed been occurring since the Sudan be- many of the refugees seek shelter came independent of Great Britain in government run holding camps in 1956. near some of the large urban cenThe Arabs of Sudan have long ters of Darfur or in the neighboring felt threatened economically and country of Chad. The conditions at politically by the blacks living in many of these refugee camps can areas such as Darfur. The Arab be described as a nightmare. Aid response to the black “threat” has workers say many of the camps always been to either declare a war are experiencing critical food, on them, or to take action against medicine, and water shortages. them as is now happening in the The United Nations says that over Darfur area. the next thirThe ethnic maketeen months up up of Sudan is 52 to four million percent black, 39 people can be afpercent Arabic, six fected by malnupercent Beja nomads trition and food and four percent forshortages. One eigners. An Arab million children group seized control are currently at of the government in risk from mal1958. nutrition, during Since then, the Arthe current wet abs have been able to season in Darfur dominate the blacks when food supby having control plies are usually over the military, low anyway. Acsocial services, and A mother and child cling cording to Dareconomic resourc- to each other as the vio- furians who have es. The government lence in Darfur rages on. lived in some of Sudan has had a An estimated 500 people of the camps, are dying each day. policy of apartheid if men stray against the blacks, creating huge too far from the area in search of amounts of tension between the food or Þrewood they are killed by two ethnic groups. the Janaweed, who keep constant John Kline Contributing Writer

Photo from acdi-cida.gc.ca

Mr. Hollin and students raise awareness of the mass genocide of black non-Muslim settlers in Darfur

The women of the village try to keep things as normal as possible as they trade goods in the local market. AS armies bear down on Darfur, the people remain resilient volunteering to help out where ever they are needed. whether Arab war criminals in Darfur should be tried by the International Criminal Court or by African run tribunals held in Tanzania and Nigeria.

The Þve countries on the Security Council that opposed Annan’s resolution were China, Belarus, Russia, Pakistan and Algeria. Pakistan and Algeria both have Islamic governments of their own and do not support any action that weakens Sudan’s Arab- Islamic government, China is the leading investor in Sudan’s oil industry, Russia has sold 48 Russian-made armored personnel carriers, 32 Russianmade one hundred twenty-two millimeter self-propelled howitzers and twelve MiG-29 Fulcrum Þghter planes to the government of Sudan, that are being used to kill people in Darfur. Belarus acted as a third party in the sale of the Russian weapons.

These countries are not expected to change their stance on the

AU peacekeepers.

On July 21, 2005, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice visited Sudan to observe the situation. During her visit, however, more attention was focused on a security conßict between her entourage and the Sudanese government than on the genocide in Darfur. On her trip, Secretary Rice once again acknowledged that genocide was occurring, but would not promise any more support.

The violence does not appear to be subsiding. During the week of November 6, 2005, 1,500 Janjaweed militia attacked a village in southern Darfur killing 18 black non-Muslims.

According to African advocacy groups such as Africa Action and the Save Darfur Coalition, a future peace in Darfur looks bleak, unless the United Nations or a major country like the United States or Britain steps in and takes a major peacekeeping role.

December 2005

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Life or Death? JOBS:

Editor speaks out against impracticality, immorality of capital punishment Make no mistake; the belief that capital punishment saves money is pure myth.

Making a habit of executing our The death penalty is an ancient own citizens does little to enhance convention, practiced since before America’s reputation abroad eieven Hammurabi’s code of “an ther. 117 countries had abolished eye for an eye.” However, one the death penalty by 2004, and the would hope that as human beings number continues to grow. we have evolved from this overly The European Union released simplistic mode of pseudo-jus- a statement saying, “The EU is tice. of the view that the death penalThe hotly debated issue of capi- ty does not serve as an effective tal punishment touched our local deterrent, and any miscarriage of community when Wesley Baker justice, which might arise in any was executed Monlegal system, day, December 5 would be irreat the Metropolitan versible....The Transition Center To match the costs EU is strongly in Baltimore. of the death penalty, opposed to the Baker was conan imprisoned indi- death penalty victed of the 1991 vidual would have and condemns murder of Jane Tyto live 115 years in its use.” son, and has been In 2004, of all jail. on death row since countries in the 1992. The Suworld, the Unit-Death Penalty Information preme Court and ed States exeCenter Maryland’s Court cuted the fourth of Appeals rejected highest number the many appeals of people. The that Baker submitted, resulting in only three countries to execute the man’s death by lethal injec- more individuals were China, tion. Governor Ehrlich refused to Iran, and Vietnam. Prestigious grant Baker clemency, an action company. What nation wouldn’t that would have changed Baker’s want to be grouped with these sentence to life in prison without three paragons of justice and moparole. rality?

Shortly after coming into ofÞce, Capital punishment may or Governor Ehrlich ended the mora- may not be an effective deterrent torium on capital punishment left against committing crimes, but in place by his predecessor, Gov- saving money that would be spent ernor Parris Glendenning. Baker on trials involving the death penwas the Þrst man to be executed alty, and using these funds to hire since the reimplementation of the more police ofÞcers or implement death penalty in 2003. better systems to prevent crime is Proponents of the death penalty a far more practical and worthargue that it saves money, because while option. taxpayers aren’t paying for the Christianity clearly condemns costs of incarcerating convicted capital punishment in the cut and criminals. However, trials in dry phrase, “Thou shalt not kill.” which prosecutors seek the death This commandment does not penalty are consistently the most seem to leave a great deal of room lengthy and expensive, and the for misinterpretation. As a Cathoprocess of appeals prolongs the lic school it would seem reasonissue even further. Wesley Baker able to have raised some form of was on Death Row for 13 years protest when the state kills a man before his execution, and other right in our backyard.

Maryland inmates such as John It would be refreshing to see Booth-El have been awaiting their the Respect Life Club pause in death for as long as 22 years. their campaigns against abortion According to the Death Penalty and address the critically imporInformation Center, an average of tant issue of capital punishment in 2.3 million dollars of government the U.S. and our own state. funds is spent on each case resulting in a sentence of the death penalty. In comparison, imprisoning the same person without parole would cost about $20,000 annually.

To make the death penalty cost effective, the imprisoned individual would have to live 115 years in jail. The average life sentence lasts 40 years.

Danny Morris Roving Editor

Volume 41, Number 3

The unacknowledged extracurricular activity

Jeff Gunnarsson co Editor in Chief

Monday, October 10 was a brutally wearisome day for me.

When 2:35 Þnally came around, I wasn’t exactly elated by the resounding triumph of freedom that is normally the dismissal bell; rather, I felt glum knowing that I had only two hours to pack up, drive home, grab something to eat, and change clothes before I had to be at the restaurant where I work. There, I would work until the last of the customers decided to leave, which is usually around 10:00 P.M. After this time, I returned home and struggled to Þnish whatever homework I had not completed during my off mods at school or during whatever free time I had had at work. Then, of course, I went to sleep.

This is basically my routine for Monday nights.

One may ask: how is it practical to hold down a part-time job while still maintaining satisfactory performance in school?

To this, I answer: how is it practical to prepare oneself for life as

an independent, responsible adult when one is completely dependent on one’s parents while having no further responsibilities than those required by school?

I am not suggesting that it is proper for high school students to emancipate themselves from their parents and take up a full-time job while trying to master every academic Þeld that the world has to offer. That would be ridiculous. I just think it is commendable for a young person to try to be a little more independent, and to learn how to balance the obligations of work and school.

I would like to propose a question to the JC community and to the schools in general: When it comes to extracurricular activities, why do we not take into account the merit of a part-time job?

I understand and respect the value of character that is necessary for the effort required to be a part of the Respect Life club, or the Students Against Destructive Decisions group, or the French Club, but I fail to see why we should not equally commend those who put forth effort to compensate for the difference in abilities of their family and the families of other stu-

dents to Þnance their gas or insurance fund by taking responsibility to be more independent.

I would like to put forth a hypothetical situation: Two students apply for membership to the National Honor Society. One student comes from an exceptionally wealthy family, is an active participant in the Film Club and the Forensics Club, and manages to earn exceptional grades in school. The other student comes from a slightly less wealthy family, and has taken up a part-time job to help lighten the burden on his family. He earns excellent grades at school, is an active member of the Student Affairs Council, and even has a community service record that already exceeds the requirements mandated by the school. Unfortunately, between school, SAC, and work, he does not have time for additional extracurricular activities.

The NHS requires its members to be active in at least two extracurricular activities; by these terms, the second student is ineligible for admission into the NHS. Now, I ask you: Is the Þrst student really more deserving than the second student of membership in such an honorable organization?

Fine arts wing bathroom behavior unacceptable Student implements organic waste matter to deface student bathroom, loses privileges for all student males Jared Drewen Editorials co Editor The majority of students enter the art wing on a daily basis for one purpose: relieving themselves in the bathroom. It is well-known throughout the school that the art wing bathrooms are the best in the building. However, thanks to the infantile behavior of certain individuals, male students in the school are now locked out of this lavoratorial haven.

These bathrooms are the cleanest, they offer a real sense of privacy, and they smell absolutely fantastic in comparison to the other bathrooms throughout the school—especially the guys’ bathrooms.

Well, usually, anyway.

A few weeks ago, the art wing guys’ bathroom was locked to students. Why? Because certain student delinquents feel that toilets are underrated.

Urinating all over the bathroom and decorating the walls with feces is not cool. It is not funny; it is not mature, a sign of intelligence, healthy, or positive in any way.

In fact, I would say the precise opposite of all of these: urinating all over the place is extremely immature, senseless, and tremendously unhealthy; defecation on

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the walls is even worse.

Spreading one’s fecal matter is reminiscent of something a monkey would do; a person would have to be awfully immature to do so.

What’s more, high school students who are at least semi-mature would not purposely clog toilets. Not only is this sickening for whomever follows you in the bathroom, it forces that person to use another toilet.

In the case of the art wing bathroom, there are only two stalls, so people must go to another bathroom if those toilets are clogged.

As a result of these things happening excessively in the art wing bathroom, the administration decided to simply lock students out of it. Anyone can see the sign on the bathroom door, “This bathroom is to be locked at all times.

This is not a student bathroom.”

Perhaps certain students require a class on how to properly put a bathroom to use.

People who pass the class could be given a key to the art wing bathroom and people who fail could retake the class. I think that “ProÞcient in the usage of the lavatory” would be very impressive when colleges see it on transcripts.

As was the case in the loss of the senior lower gym usage, the actions of a few negatively af-

fected everyone. Thanks to some anonymous adolescent males in this school trying to be cool, the best bathroom in the building was taken from all guys.

The perpetrators of these disgusting crimes cannot be caught and disciplined. There is no way to discover who was in the bathroom at any given time and oftentimes it is not reported to anyone for long periods of time.

Because of this, there is no good way for the administration to prevent the fecal decor in bathrooms.

They obviously cannot put video cameras in the bathrooms; this would be a major infringement of personal privacy and no one would stand for it.

Personally, I am absolutely infuriated by this. I do not place the blame on the administration, whose choice it was to lock the bathroom; in fact, in the interest of public health I feel that this was a good move on the administration’s part.

I blame the children who choose to urinate outside of a toilet.

I have two pieces of advice for those guilty students out there: if you simply cannot hit the toilet, you should really learn how—it will make life much easier. Practice and plenty of patience will help with this. I am sure there are various support groups out there to help you.

If you are doing this on purpose, grow up—the rest of us did a long time ago.

December 2005

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Funky fried food Quality of assemblies improved frightens students Anne Sedney Assistant Copy Editor

Danny Morris Roving Editor

Every year some frustrated, angry writer for The Patriot with nothing better to do dedicates a few hundred words to the diminishing sizes, increasing prices, and declining quality of the school cafeteria’s food.

Now it’s my turn.

Gone are the simple pleasures of being able to count on chicken every Tuesday and Thursday.

Chicken has varied this year from brown, dehydrated morsels resembling mangled Þsh-sticks to pale, soft, crumbly mystery meat.

Freshmen and sophomores have only ever known the mushy, greasy fries that are now served, but seniors can remember the days of curly fries that came in servings larger than a Dixie cup.

It’s also perplexing that a regular size drink has shrunk to about half the size it was two years ago.

Is Coca-Cola going under? Has the price of syrup for the fountain sodas been drastically raised as a result of inßation?

No, the price is minimal compared to the cheap cost the school must pay for the ingredients.

The price charged to students for has escalated to a dollar and twenty Þve cents. For a dollar, a student can buy a 16 ounce bottle of soda from the vending machines.

What is the point, then, of this

attempted price-gouging? One can only assume that it is purely for the school’s proÞt.

Before students spend their money on the available food, they should also consider what exactly it is that they are eating. So what exactly goes into a burger or batch of fries?

Well, for anyone who has ever bothered to watch what goes on behind the counter, the lunch ladies may be seen cooking our delightful frozen fries in bubbling sinks of grease before the dripping specimens are spilled into the trays to be distributed.

Appealing?

The exact origins of the burgers can only be speculated on, but rumor has it that the patties are stewed in beef broth for half an hour to give them their ßavor.

All the products of the cafeteria are prepared relatively out of sight, but next time you’re in the lunch line, stop a minute and look at what goes on in the recesses of the kitchen. The excessive prices charged by the school are obviously in no way justiÞed by the food’s quality.

If you still choose to eat cafeteria food, do so at your own risk. As for me, I’m brown-bagging it.

Ignorance defined

Assemblies this year have been good. Well, most of them. The “meth lady,” as the police woman who spoke about methamphetamine is known, is still the butt of jokes throughout JC. And who can forget the joy of learning about how to apply for grants from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation?

The best thing about most school assemblies is the chance to catch up on sleep. However, JC has ruined that lately by getting two speakers that stand out as a result of their power and effectiveness.

The Þrst awesome speaker we had this year was Katie Costner, the young woman who spoke about rape. Pretty much everyone

I talked to really learned something during that assembly, and it kept their attention.

When, before that, had we ever had an entirely sleep-free assembly? Yet even the most caffeinedeprived students were able to stay awake during Katie’s talk.

Because of her, I believe that I will be better able to avoid being raped, and I know I am not the only girl who feels that way. She also made the guys be more aware of this situation and more willing to Þght it. Katie is a truly gifted speaker, able to relate to and entertain teenagers while educating them as well.

The more recent great speaker was Jason Evert. Whether or not you agreed with his views on chastity, you have to admit he was hilarious. Again, he held the atten-

tion of the whole room.

Actually, it was disappointing that he was such a good speaker, because I had been planning on having a nice nap during the assembly, and I ended up listening the whole time instead. There was a huge mob of students trying to talk to him afterward—that should tell you something about how he related to teenagers.

I want to congratulate JC and tell those who arrange for speakers to keep up the good work. These assemblies have been keeping us awake and informed.

Actually enjoying something at school is a foreign concept to most students. Yet, Jason and Katie let us do just that. Imagine—learning and being entertained at the same time! Great assemblies are worth the lost naps.

Joe Christesen News co Editor The night after Halloween, the nauseating effects of large amounts of candy are doubled when the sparkling lights, Santa Clauses, and wreaths start going up in malls, and all over Bel Air. Next, the Christmas sales are popping all over the television and bombarding you with holiday cheer so that by the time Christmas actually comes everyone is, for the most part, sick of it. In all of this holiday cheer, one of the greatest holidays is largely forgotten: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of the last pure holidays. There is no need to prepare two months in advance for

it and there is no three week break to celebrate it. It lasts for one day.

You eat, visit with family, and watch or play football.

The meaning behind Thanksgiving still remains pure as well.

Though we do not still have harvests to celebrate, we do continue to celebrate how lucky we are to have as much as we do.

With Christmas, the media has poisoned the meaning to the point that instead of just giving a present, we all expect them in return.

Though some ads say how great it is to give presents, the practice of giving presents just for the sake of giving has been lost. We all have our wish lists and things that we crave for; few of us have

the urge to Þnd the perfect gift for someone else.

Thanksgiving has been overshadowed by Christmas due to our materialistic society that has a “Look what I got!” attitude. There is a place and time for Christmas; that time is not before Thanksgiving.

If we continue to let Christmas get out of hand, we will soon be opening gifts then turning our attention right to New Years before Christmas day has even passed.

Maybe if Christmas wasn’t pushed so hard and so early, we might be able to enjoy Christmas a couple of days after it ends.

Early Christmas decor sickens

WRITE A LETTER TO

Mary Etting Editorials co Editor

http://www.indianhistory.org

It was once said that ignorance is bliss, however I beg to differ. Ignorance is not bliss, especially when you are ignorant of the word ignorant… which most people seem to be.

Ignorance is commonly used to mean stupid or rude.

Little did you know that every time you say someone is being ignorant when they are being rude, you yourself are actually being ignorant.

The word ignorant is a lack of knowledge or a willful lack of desire to improve the efÞciency, merit, effectiveness or usefulness of one’s actions, according to dictionary.com. It is also a state of being unaware or uninformed.

Therefore misusing the word ignorant technically makes you ignorant. So the next time you want to say someone or something they are doing is ignorant, stop and think, if they are being ignorant, or is your use of the word ignorant really going to be ignorant.

Volume 41, Number 3

The

THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editors: • MUST be signed - no unsigned letters will be printed • Must be typed • Can be turned in to room 125 or The Patriot Room • Can also be e-mailed to jcpatriot@gmail.com Letters to the Editors are greatly appreciated and welcomed. Anyone is welcome to write a letter to the Editor - parents, alumni, students, administration, etc.

If you have any questions, feel free to speak to a member of The Patriot.

Love, The Editors

Patriot

December 2005

News

6

Celibacy speaker sweeps students off their feet can wait to give what lust can’t wait to get.”

Jason has been spreading the word about chastity and “pure love” for six years. He gives his “Romance Without Regret” seminar at 180 schools per year, talking to nearly 100,000 students. Although we heard Jason talk solo, he usually speaks alongside his wife, Crystalina.

Jason and Crystalina both work with Catholic Answers, the nation’s largest lay-run apostolate for apologetics and evangelization, and they are advisors for the National Abstinence Clearinghouse.

Along with their high school seminars, they have appeared on three news stations and a few television specials. Jason also has a video, “Teen Relationships and Sexual Pressure,” which received a Silver Crown Award.

As well as leaving behind their powerful message, the duo also give each school an opportunity to start a “pure love club” in order to maintain “a climate of purity.” Information about the clubs and Jason’s speech is available at www. pureloveclub.com.

When he is not speaking to high school and university students or appearing on television, Jason leads high school retreats. He says that he began to work with teenagers because he understands exactly what they are going through.

JC students agree. Reactions to the assembly reßected what Jason already knew.

“Being a teen, we feel like older people don’t relate to us. But he did; he understands us,” said senior Caroline Clark.

Not only does he know what being a teenager is like, but he also knows what goes on inside their

heads. Jason’s brilliant speech appealed to the minds of the students in just the right way.

“Afterwards, I felt inspired,” said sophomore Jenna Selvy.

The dreary, dreadful morning turned into a day full of spirit.

Students anxiously grabbed rosaries and copies of Jason’s book on their way out the door. There was nothing left on the table once everyone had exited the gym.

“It was awesome,” said senior Richard Trujillo. “He weaved in the religion aspect so nicely that you didn’t even notice it, and when

you did, it was appropriate.”

Jason did incorporate Catholicism into his speech. He opened with the Hail Mary and gave us advice on how to make a fresh start, saying, “Go to confession, if you’re Catholic.”

Mostly though, he talked about real life and real love, a topic to which persons of all denominations could relate. He made abstinence a goal for everyone strive towards.

“It was more like you should do it for yourself, not just for God,” said junior Laura Hottle.

Inspiring stories were nice to hear. Crystalina’s story about her high school experience and Þnally turning her life around made a definite impression.

“I thought the message that you can start over was a good one to express,” said Mrs. Fisher.

Although Jason had some hilarious lines, such as “you look really hot there in your shapeless, plaid, ankle-length jumper,” and “you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down,” some students contested that not all of his speech was true.

photo by Danny Morris

“Celibacy,” from page 1

Guest speaker Jason picks up junior Fritz Boniface to explain a point about relationships. Jason has given this talk to many high schools all over the country.

“I lost all respect for him once you,” junior Bailey Schafer said to he started lying to us,” said junior Jason.

Tony Herman.

“I’m so lucky my wife knows Tony thought what she dethat the coincidenserves,” he retal stories, such plied.

“It was more like as having signed Other schools you should do it a chastity card on have reacted the the same day as same way JC for yourself, not your spouse, and a students did to prayer for a future Jason’s speech. just for God.” husband that saved Jason cannot him in battle, were recall negafabricated. He said tive feedback, - Laura Hottle except at one that one was acceptable, but that school where once you get into the sound sysfour or Þve, it’s tem was bad and doubtful that all of them are true. no one could hear what he was Others disagreed and chose to saying. He stared back into blank believe all of Jason’s anecdotes. faces, worried that he was not con“It could happen,” said junior necting to the students, before he Gardner McCullough. discovered that they simply could Students argued that with not hear him. the thousands of people he Perhaps his funniest experience meets every year, Jason prob- occurred when he was speaking to ably encounters miraculous a school of 800 girls. At the end of stories time and time his speech, one girl stood up and again. Almost every- shouted, “Jason, will you marry one has at least one me?” This is just more proof that remarkable story.

Jason connects with teenagers.

Jason’s speech inspired junior Andrew Kessler so much that he stood up in the middle of Church History class and shouted, “I never want to have sex in my life!”

JC students heard Jason’s message loud and clear. They were pleasantly surprised at how a chastity assembly could actually have The overall reaction to Ja- such a positive effect. son was a positive one, clearly “It wasn’t what I expected; it shown by the overwhelming mob was a lot more interesting, and of people that wanted to talk to the time went by faster than I him afterwards. Thirty or more thought,” said sophomore Kristen people were crowded around him Chaney afterwards. in the back of the gym, excitedly Jason’s comedic style, down-toasking questions and expressing earth persona, and inspiring stories their gratitude for the message he made November 16 an unforgetbrought. table morning at JC. “Your wife is so lucky she found

Variety show money feeds Senior class bank Kim Hoopes Copy co Editor

The people pouring into the auditorium on both nights of the variety show meant more to seniors than a good audience; they meant dollar signs for prom.

As previously reported, rumors had been ßying through the halls of JC that the senior class was devoid of funds for the dance, and that prom ticket prices this year would skyrocket, despite the money left from the Class of 2005.

These rumors were expelled,

Volume 41, Number 3

however, and the success of the variety show put many of the seniors at ease. “Well, I can’t say with certainty, but I think we made a good proÞt,” says senior Richard Trujillo.

Senior Caroline Clark remarks,

“Tuesday night probably two-thirds of the house was full, but Wednesday night was packed. I do think we have a good amount of money for prom but I

think we should keep fund raising to make ticket prices as low as possible.”

Other students were less convinced. “I don’t think variety show raised a lot of money – prom costs a lot of

money,” says senior Kat Manfuso.

Fellow classmate Beth Williams agrees, saying, “Wednesday sold out…but Tuesday wasn’t crowded at all so we didn’t reach the amount we expected.”

Mrs. Russell, one of the senior

The

Patriot

class moderators, dispels these lingering fears by saying that from a Þnancial standpoint, the variety show was about equal to previous years. She was happy with the outcome of the fundraiser, and stated that it made the usual amount of money expected.

As to whether more fundraisers will be necessary, Mrs. Russell says it depends on how well the DVDs of the variety show sell.

For those who missed the show, were in it, or just simply wish to preserve a memory of good times, the DVD is a great memoir of high

school.

Mrs. Russell remarks that is unlikely that there will be the need for more fundraisers, and says, “Typically in the past we really haven’t done any other fundraising, with the exception of the coffee sale last year.”

Soon, hopefully all family members of each senior will possess their very own copy of the Class of 2006 Variety Show, and seniors will anticipate their prom as an exciting event and not dread it as a pocket-emptying affair.

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE St. Margaret Church Saturday, Dec. 24 4:00, 6:00 pm, & Midnight Sunday, Dec. 25 7:30, 9:30, & 11:30 pm St. Mary Magdalen Mission Saturday, Dec. 24 4:00, 6:00, & 9:00 pm Sunday, Dec. 25 9:30 & 11:30 pm December 2005

news

7

Stephanys now call Bel Air home Jeff Gunnarsson co Editor in Chief

take them to a nearby airport.

Mr. and Mrs. Stephany quickly grew tired of waiting for the buses to arrive. “They had no tents, no shelters. We walked,” said Mrs. Stephany.

Indeed, they walked the entire distance to the airport. Once there, they waited for upwards of

Photo courtesy of Sue Cathell

drove the Stephanys to the local bus station, where they boarded a bus and departed for a grueling 36-hour drive to Baltimore, MaryAt 9:00 P.M. on Thursday, Sepland. The bus made very few stops tember 1, 2005, three days after along the way.

Hurricane Katrina made landfall Once in Maryland, the couple along the coast of Louisiana, Atspent a month with Mrs. Stephwood and Mary Ann Stephany any’s brother in Abingdon. Afarrived at the hoster this time, Mrs. pital where they Stephany’s brothwork near what er’s church, St. was once their Mary’s Episcopal, home in Louisiarranged to have ana. them stay in a small There, they furnished apartment helped those who in Aberdeen. took refuge from “They were the devastation that wonderful,” Mrs. the tropical storm Stephany said. had wrought upon Mrs. Murphythe gulf coast. BeDohn previously cause they were put JC into the hospital persondatabase for “Opnel, the hospital eration Home Away did not allow them From Home” with to evacuate.

Catholic Charities The hospital at USA. The database which the Stephais a collection of nys stayed had Mr. McAdams, Mrs. Murphy-Dohn, and Mrs. Teel welcome schools and organino electricity, no Mr. and Mrs. Stephany to JC from Louisiana. They attend- zations that are able running water, ed the All Souls Day mass and mingled with students and to provide for victims no utilities at all. faculty at the reception. of the hurricane.

The Þrst ßoor was Catholic Charities ßooded, so the kitchen and other six hours. Opportunely, there was matched JC with the Stephanys facilities were inaccessible. a plane departing that was exclu- and the school was able to proFortunately, the National Guard sively for medical personnel. Hav- vide the two with an apartment and the Coast Guard were able to ing both worked at the hospital in the “Seasons at Bel Air” apartprovide the refugees at the hospital before and after the hurricane, the ment complex (formerly known as with food and provisions for the Stephanys were allowed to board Greenbrier apartments), just down time that they stayed there. the plane, which ßew them to San the road from the school’s camMr. and Mrs. Stephany spent Antonio, Texas. pus.

Thursday working night at the Mrs. Stephany’s sister-in-law’s Jennifer Stephany Perez, the hospital. On Friday morning, a sister Michelle Tassaro, who lives daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephahelicopter airlifted them from the in San Antonio, provided them ny, chose to return to Louisiana in roof of the hospital along with the with their Þrst hot meals and hot October to ensure the appropriate other refugees and took them to the baths in a week. prenatal care for her baby, due in nearest interstate highway. There, After some much-needed rest January. Jennifer and her husband they waited for buses to arrive and and recuperation, Ms. Tassaro also have a seven-year-old son.

COLLEGE CRACKDOWN Applications are source of stress for seniors Caitlin Keilty News co Editor

Senior Jessica O’Brien walked into homeroom with a lost expression on her face. When questioned about her daze, she replied, “I went to bed at 6:00 last night, well actually this morning, and then woke up a half an hour later and came to school.”

The cause of her madness can be summed up in two words: college applications. She went on to explain that her application to University of Maryland, College Park was due November 1, and that she had to Þnish it that night. Many seniors can relate to O’Brien’s situation as college deadlines approach with the Christmas season.

Most applications require at

Volume 41, Number 3

least one essay, a few short response questions, as well as the typical personal information questions. Multiply that by an average of about Þve colleges that each student applies to, and it is easy to see how one might become overwhelmed.

“It’s a long, tedious process, and in order to get the applications Þnished you have to set apart time when you won’t get distracted to Þnish them. The most difÞcult parts are Þnding the time to Þll out the applications and waiting for the acceptance letters to arrive,” explains senior Amanda Selvy.

Some lucky seniors have already been accepted to the colleges of their choice. Delia Pais has verbally committed to Harvard in Cambridge, MA and plans to play lacrosse there. Mary Zulty and

Chelsea Ford have committed to William and Mary in PA and will also play on the lacrosse team.

Dec. 15 to Dec. 30 is a popular time to receive acceptance letters for students who applied for early admission. By January 15th, the majority of college applications are due, and these applicants usually Þnd out about their admittance by the end of April.

The application process itself can be overwhelming enough, but combined with schoolwork and a social life, it can become nearly unmanageable.

Senior Chris Susio says, “It’s tough when you have so much other stuff to do like extracurricular activities and school work and being interviewed for the newspaper.”

The

Patriot

Briefs by: Caitlin Keilty World News

Local News

Denver lights up

Food drive fun

On November 1, 2005, residents of Denver, Colorado voted to legalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

However, marijuana use is still illegal in Colorado, and Denver police can simply Þle charges under state law, in which case users would still have to pay a Þne of at least 100 dollars.

Supporters argue that the effects of marijuana are less severe than those of alcohol. They conclude that the reduction of alcohol will lead to the reduction of car accidents, domestic violence, and crime.

One billboard promoting the Measure I-100 was of a battered woman and her abuser standing behind, with a message that read, “Reduce family and community violence in Denver. Vote Yes on I-100.”

A majority of 54% of Denver residents did vote yes for this measure which allows anyone over the age of 21 to possess up to an once of marijuana.

Most people are sprinting towards the door at 2:35 on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break, anxious to begin their four days of relaxation. However, on Wed. Nov. 23, this was not the case. About 60 students headed to the Outreach ofÞce to help the needy before Thanksgiving.

These students came to help deliver canned goods from the school wide food drive to the Harford County Community Kitchen. This year we had over 1600 canned goods to give, and Sister Maryanne said, “They [the Community Kitchen] were overwhelmed,” by the generosity.

This is the Þrst time JC donated the contributions from our food drive to the Harford County Community Kitchen. In past years, when Sister Marie Gregory was head of Outreach, we donated the food to the Fish and Manna House.

Sister Maryanne had no prior knowledge of how the past food drives were run, and in the future she plans to divide our donations between the two places.

She was impressed with the kind hearts of the students in giving so much food to the kitchen.

She said, “I was proud of our school’s effort.”

Sister also deemed this year a success saying that, “Once they got into it, people were responsive.”

Weeping statue draws believers Catholics ßock from across the nation to a small church in Sacramento, California. At the Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs Church, a statue of the Virgin Mary appears to be crying.

The tears, reported to be reddish in color, were Þrst noticed around November 19 when a priest attempted to clean the statue, and the tears reappeared. Skeptics argue that a human dabbing of blood could easily explain the incident.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Sacramento said that the church has not yet made any conclusions about the statue, but if the phenomenon continues then it will be further investigated.

The faithful don’t need conclusions from the church to make their own. They believe that Mary is crying for the sins of everyone.

Regardless of the validity of the miracle, incidents such as these serve to draw people together. A professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame said to the Ely Times and County, “There is a sense of what some call communitas, a leveling that you don‘t Þnd anywhere else, only in sacred places where everyone feels equal before this mystical, divine experience.”

Teachers grapple for cause On Friday, Februry 3, 2006, at 6:00 sharp, a fundraiser will take place that doesn’t include selling calendars or donating cans of food.

Instead, this charity event consists only of 10 JC teachers and one wrestling mat. Mr. Hollin has organized this match between teachers, which will take place prior to the regular season wrestling match against Edgewood.

Participants include Mr. Akers, Mr. Scholl, Mr. Wojo, Mr. Torres, Mr. Ionescu, Mr. Blair, Mr. Piercy, Mr. Powell, Coach Ireton, and Mr. Hollin.

Periods will be one minute long, with three periods per match. Admission is two dollars for students and four dollars for adults.

All proceeds will go to the Annie McGann Cumpston Fund, which awards a scholarship to a deserving senior every year.

Mr. Hollin says, “I’m very grateful for the guys who said they’d do it. It’ll be an exciting event which supports a good cause.”

December 2005

news

8 Danny Morris Roving Editor Senior Allie Tscheulin was terriÞed in a late night Subway robbery when two black males armed with guns stormed into the eatery and heisted the money from the cash register, along with a laptop, the employees wallets, and a seventyÞve pound safe.

Allie and a single female coworker were preparing to close up at the Subway in North Plaza Shopping Center on Friday, December 2, when at 9:55 pm, two men walked in with bandanas covering their faces.

At the time Allie assumed they had covered their faces, “…because it’s really cold outside.”

However, as one of the pair leaped over the counter, and demanded to know where the safe was, their intentions became perfectly clear.

Allie reacted by “squealing and throwing my squeegee in the air.”

The man then seized Allie by the front of her shirt, and demanded, “Where’s the money at? Where’s the safe?” Allie explained that she

didn’t have a key to the safe, but could show the pair where the safe was located.

Something about the situation apparently struck Allie as amusing, as she was “giggling” while the men asked her to open the safe.

The men then dragged Allie back to the front of the store, where they instructed her to open the cash register. Allie complied and the robbers took all the money in the register before forcing her to the back of the store, where her coworker was huddled in a corner, sobbing.

Again, Allie found the - Armed event hilarious from her perspective, and laughed to herself as her friend wailed hysterically with terror. However, she admits that she was, “…shaking pretty bad…I was scared.”

“Where’s the money at?

Where’s the safe?”

JC decks halls with Christmas cheer and Mr. Hughes’ animals.

Many teachers also choose to decorate their classrooms in anticipation of the holidays. DecoIt’s beginning to look a lot like rations can be seen throughout Christmas. As teachers decorate the Þrst ßoor classrooms includtheir classroom, students make ing those of Ms. Pyzik, Mr. Paatheir wish lists, and families pre- by, Mrs. Fisher, and Mr. Ionescu. pare for the holiday season, Christ- Mrs. Ferry draped colorful lights mas spirit is in the air. around the entire parameter Miniatures repreof her classroom. Mrs. senting the Holy famAnderson’s decorations ily, three wise men, include a Christshepherds, sheep, and mas tree and a donkeys make up the pink ßamenco Nativity scene in the decked out in main entrance. The a Santa cosempty manger repretume. sents baby Jesus’ birthMrs. Miplace, where He will chael’s stube placed on Christmas dents create Spanish morning.

Christmas cards Adjacent to the Nathat she uses to tivity scene is a adorn her room. large artiÞcial She gives her Christmas students speciÞc tree adorned directions before with various decorating their ornaments. cards saying, “The Hand-made more glittery and ornaments colorful, the better. made for Mrs. Anderson attired her Make them look as each subject pink flamingo in a Santa if K-Mart exploded.” and club show costume. Teachers chose While Mr. Iaachi’s the variety of to get creative with their room doesn’t display activities at Christmas decorations. his holiday cheer, his JC. festive ties more than Senior Nicole Skopinski com- make up for the lack of decoraments on the decorations saying, tions. The language lab and library “I like the tree by the cafeteria. It are also among the most merrily makes me excited for Christmas.” decorated rooms.

Continuing down the hall, green The recent snow fall has also garland hangs from the cafeteria added to feeling of holiday cheer. windows. The showcase located Senior Richard Trujillo remarks, in the Guidance hallway depicts a “I hope we have a white Christwintry scene involving fake snow mas. It would make my day.” photo by Danny Morris

Caitlin Keilty News co Editor

Volume 41, Number 3

Unable to open the safe, the two decided to simply carry the safe out to their vehicle along with the store’s laptop, the wallets of both Allie and her friend, and all the cash in the register. The entire process of the robbery lasted only Þve to seven minutes.

After sitting on the ßoor for a time, recovering from the shock of the event, Allie hit the panic button, summoning the police. The police responded to the call within about twenty minutes, while the store manager arrived a few minutes sooner.

The police ofÞcers asked Allie and her friend for physical descriptions of the pair that robbed them, and Allie also wrote down Robber the events as they occurred at the policemen’s request. The owner of the store arrived about forty-Þve minutes after the panic alarm was sounded.

Ironically, Allie and her coworker were scheduled to close

2 million displaced in darfur

182 thousand people displaced by huricane katrina

20,918 applications read by harvard’s admissions dept.

5

applications written by the average jc senior

1,600 canned goods donated

45,000 homeless people in harford county The

Patriot

photo by Danny Morris

Senior scared silly in Subway robbery

Senior Allie Tscheulin smiles after being interviewed about her terrifying incident. While her friend sat in the corner crying, Allie’s natural reaction to the situation was to laugh. the next night as well. However, a squad of Þve policemen stood outside that night, guarding the store until it closed.

According to Allie, her parents, “…don’t think it’s safe for me to work there anymore.” As a result, she has begun searching for a new

job and has cut back on her hours at Subway.

A string of similar robberies have occurred along Joppa Road, including one other Subway, and several retail stores. No arrests have been made as a result of the incident.

Stellar sophomores receive recognition Caitlin Keilty News co Editor

Katie Hill, Tim Krajewski, and Ray Grewe recently added two thousand dollars to their bank accounts. They didn’t get jobs, rob a Subway, or borrow the cash from their moms. These three sophomores collaborated on a science project called Oracle Illusion, and submitted it to the Ecybermission Challenge contest.

For this contest, they were required to research, plan, and execute a unique science project that would better their community.

The team chose to investigate speech and hearing aids and test their practicality in society. The goal of this project was to determine whether these devices, especially the “Toobaloo,” which is a device that allows children to hear themselves clearly, were worth the cash that teachers and parents shell out to improve the comprehension level of the hearing-impaired.

They submitted their project to Ecybermission, a contest dedicated to helping students solve problems in their communities using

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their knowledge of science, math, and technology. The competition is open to 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students and awards are given on three levels: by grade, by speciÞc criteria, and on a national level.

Teams can be comprised of three to four students, and one project advisor. Katie, Tim, and Ray asked Mr. Perry to Þll the position of advisor and overlook their project. They spent many long hours researching, planning, and executing their project.

After the Ecybermission judges examined Oracle Illusion and its contribution to society, they reached a decision. The sophomores were named 9th grade Criteria Winners for the Northeast region in the category of the application of science, math, and technology. This category includes the use of scientiÞc methods and problem solving strategies, extensive research, reputable sources, and use of scientiÞc logic. They each received a two thousand dollar saving bond and framed certiÞcate recognizing their achievement.

They were also acknowledged

by JC and Mr. Barker at the Þrst quarter Awards Assembly.

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Features

9

s y r a r e m M t s i r h C Features editors meet real Santa Claire Bronis and Emily Lazor Features co Editors On a recent Sunday afternoon it began gently ßurrying and we set out to Harford Mall in pursuit of the quintessential mallSanta. You know the one. Yellowed teeth in his crooked, insincere smile. Liver-spots on his shiny, bald forehead. A dirty, dull red suit and a matted fake beard. A smoker’s cough with breath to match. He can’t remember your name and he promises you a pony that never showed up beneath your Christmas tree.

This unsavory character is not the one we met; in fact he was absolutely the opposite.

In fact, we were almost convinced that we were meeting the Santa Claus.

Upon arrival we noticed that a familiar face was running the Santa Claus sit through, last year’s Patriot editor in chief Rachael Kessler. So automatically we thought that she would understand entirely our need to satisfy our journalistic appetites by sitting on Santa’s lap and asking him about his innermost yuletide thoughts.

But instead we were redirected to go visit Bernie in the Mall’s business ofÞce. Apparently, that ridiculously long and narrow hallway between Hallmark and that nondescript clothing store for middle-aged women leads to more than just bathrooms that are cleaner than those nasty ones by the food court.

We stepped to the “waiting room” where we snagged some maps of the mall on which we wrote down our interview questions for S.C. and eagerly waited for Bernie.

“What kind of questions are you planning to ask Santa?” she inquired when she arrived.

“Is this some sick joke?” we asked ourselves, wondering if anyone would ever be twisted enough to ask Santa a question

Volume 41, Number 3

that wasn’t entirely innocent. With Bernie we outlined the plan of attack for our interview. Thankfully, she approved and we were escorted to the Santa display in the center of the mall.

After the photographer took an absolutely adorable snapshot of us with Mr. Claus, we began to question Santa. Pretty quickly it became apparent that this man could quite possibly be the real deal.

His beard, which was sufÞciently ßuffy and reached mid-chest, Santa assured us was real and had been completely white since he was a mere 37 years old. He swears he never shaves it and only trims it slightly shorter in the summer (probably to prevent neck sweat).

“It’s pretty much Christmas all year round for me,” he muses. “I wear a red shirt year round... It’s not that the other holidays don’t matter,

The

it’s just that Christmas is the most important to me.

“So, Santa,” we continue, “what do you say to teenagers who don’t believe?”

“I don’t mind that they [teenagers] don’t believe, I’d just ask them not to ruin it for younger believers.” If you saw the smile on his face right then, your holidayhardened heart, the heart that used to think that there was something wrong with a grown man who would dress up in costume in order to get young children to sit on his lap, would absolutely melt.

Besides truly loving kids, Santa’s relationship with his Mrs. Claus is pretty amazing too.

“She’s doing very well, but she’s pretty busy making sure the elves keep on task. They’re pretty much like big children…But the day after Christmas, Mrs. Claus and I sleep in, and then we go away to reacquaint ourselves since we haven’t been able to spend much time together… We love visiting any place cold, but we’ve pretty much traveled all over the world.” Santa’s eyes glow as he tells about his wife, and he even shows us his wedding picture.

He even has some serious respect for the reindeer. “Every member of the team is necessary; Rudolph isn’t automatically my favorite. But… I don’t let the deer in the house; their antlers mess up the furnishings.”

So since this man is pretty much the real Santa, the least we could do is get him something for Christmas. And what does he want? “I want every child to know a real Santa Claus.”

Patriot

Our Christmas List Good little JC students have been busy writing their letters to Santa.

Here are some of the more interesting selections from their lists…

! tandem bike ! digital camera ! pony ! gold teeth ! Tickle Me Piercy ! iPod nano ! camping trip ! Vera Bradley purse ! Wawa gift cards ! Red Rider bb gun ! anything on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list

When New Year’s Day rolls around, we all make worthless promises that we probably won’t carry through the year. Here’s a couple of our New Year’s Resolutions ...

! Get into college. ! Stay eligible. ! Hike more. ! Stop hitting on freshmen. ! Give up caffeine. ! Stop cursing. ! Gain citizenship. ! Do better in school ! Be nicer. ! Remember to tip the ice cream man.

December 2005

features

10

WOJO: Know who “jo” teacher is.

Chris Anderson Design Editor His hair may look like the coifs of Eminem, Ryan Cabrera, or Scotty 2 Hotty, but any other comparisons between JC Latin and Art History teacher R. Richard Wojewodzki and these bleach blonde celebrities end there.

Mr. Wojo hails from the Mount Saint Joseph’s College class of 1993 and also attended a little place called Harvard University for his undergraduate studies. He left Harvard with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts, and Þnished up his education career, to this point, at Johns Hopkins where he received a Master’s in Education.

Art Museum and at the Kennedy School of Government. However, becoming an expert of the Classics wasn’t always Mr. Wojo’s plan, nor was becoming a teacher.

“I wanted to become a master at the art of Steel Wok Cuisine,” says Mr. Wojo in regards to what he wanted to do after high school.

Then there was the question of what to do with his A.L.B. after he received it. He states, “Guess I never gave that much thought… actually, I went traveling and spent a lot of time traveling around the country in a van.”

Consequently, Mr. Wojo has a love of traveling.

“I haven’t really stopped traveling. I get on the road every chance

These experiences have led Mr. Wojo to settle down in Elkridge, Maryland with his wife and three children.

He describes his home as “an old house built during the brief tenure of William Henry Harrison as President of the United States.”

Harrison served as President for a whole month before he succumbed to a gnarly case of pneumonia he got during his inauguration.

These experiences have led Mr. Wojo to become, he asserts, “the most fashion savvy teacher in this school.” He emphasizes “teacher” and points out the signiÞcant number of fashionable students that walk the halls of JC. His background has also led Mr. Wojo to dabble in music; he goes by the musical alias Shelly Blake. Think

how Curtis Jackson goes by 50 Cent, Paul Hewson goes by Bono, or Reginald Dwight goes by Elton John. He even chose to share this alternate identity with JC students, playing a Tsunami Relief show in February of last year.

Besides his musical career, his hair has also become one of his trademarks. The bleach-blonde look he is currently sporting he claims came about from an “accident with chemicals.” But the real question is why does he frequently change his hair?

“Why don’t other people?” he responds. He then, after a brief pause sarcastically says, “And to get a rise out of Mr. Scholl.”

Wojo has affected students who have never even had him for a class. One such student, senior Jenn Sacks says, “Mr. Wojo is

quite possibly John Carroll’s authority on everything He is the trivia master: he knows everything and the opposite of it.”

Senior Allie Tscheulin also lauds Mr. Wojo. “I could listen to that man talk for hours and hours and hours and hours. I seriously could just listen to him yak about anything and be completely content.”

Allie also has an assumption about Mr. Wojo, “He has got to be the smartest man in the world.”

While we have no proof about this, those who have had him as a teacher may be inclined to agree.

So what are Mr. Wojo’s opinions of students at JC? In typical Wojostyle, he gives a unique answer, “I have no general opinion of JC students as a group. I judge each person on an individual basis.”

after school activities, students cannot afford to be tired.

Not all students drink caffeinated beverages to keep them energized, however. Senior Nico Crispino says, “I drink Þve glasses of Coke a day…but I just drink it because I like the ßavor.” Senior Allie Tscheulin also drinks caffeine for the taste. She says, “I think I started drinking [energy drinks] for the caffeine boost but now it is just ‘cause I like them.

Maybe I am addicted. I do get lots of bad headaches.”

For other students, caffeine has always been a part of their lives.

For senior Richard Trujillo, who lived in Colombia, South America for the earlier portion of his childhood, drinking coffee is a cultural tradition. “That’s what I’ve grown up doing,” says Trujillo. “I’ve been drinking coffee every morning since I was a kid – that’s what we do in the homeland.”

Teachers also make use of this wonderfully addicting substance.

Mrs. JK of the Science department, who admits to drinking at least a halfpot of coffee per day, says, “Coffee helps me think better…

It keeps me awake, it keeps me pumped to do the things I need to do.”

While caffeinated beverages are convenient, useful and absolutely delicious, they are often extremely overpriced. For instance, prices for a tall (which, ironically enough, is actually the smallest size) Frappachino at Starbucks begin at $3.19, and many canned energy drinks, such as Monster or Rockstar brands, cost at least $2.00.

It is easy to spend a lot of money on these expensive drinks, as they are extremely addictive. A wide-eyed Mrs. JK describes how

she would react to caffeine-deprivation, saying, “If I had to take caffeine away, I would have a hard time staying focused on what I had to get done.”

When she’s not able to drink caffeine for a day, senior Allie Tscheulin says, “Well, I get really sleepy, and, in fact, fall asleep in many classes. I get headaches a lot too but I don’t know if it directly relates to the caffeine thing.”

Many students have experienced negative side effects such as headaches from caffeine. Senior Kevin Turek says, “I gave up caffeine because I was getting constant headaches if I didn’t drink enough…it was getting out of hand. I would have diabetes by the time I was twenty if I didn’t stop.”

Caffeine can also have other side affects, such as nervousness, diarrhea, insomnia, and even heart attacks in some cases. While these are usually in situations of abuse of the stimulant, they are still a risk for everyone who drinks caffeine, and should be considered especially by those who are addicts.

I ponder these facts as I gulp down my Starbucks and begin to analyze the deeper meaning of a crazy man boating down a river into the African jungle.

The risks could be serious, but they do not happen often, and seem to be a better choice than facing the wrath of teachers. After all, what teacher would accept the excuse, “I couldn’t Þnish my term paper because I was too tired to stay awake last night and caffeine might have given me a heart attack?”

Many JC students and teachers alike depend on caffeine for a boost each day, and what of the few possible health consequences and losing some extra money? In my opinion, it’s better to live life awake.

Kim Hoopes Copy co Editor

photo by Savanna Scroggins

It’s 12:45 A.M. and I’m just starting my term paper. It’s due tomorrow.

Fabulous! Ordinarily at this late—or should I say early—hour, schoolwork would put me to sleep.

Tonight, however, I am pumped and ready to write six pages about Africa, thanks to my handy dandy double shot of Starbucks espresso.

To procrastinate just a bit more before beginning my paper, I click on my little yellow friend, the AIM icon. As I check my buddy list and energetically chat with my classmates about how much term papers rock, I’m comforted to know that I am not the only one up using caffeine to keep me awake while doing schoolwork till the wee Savanna Scroggins doodled this rendition of Mr. Wojewodzki during AP hours of the morning.

Art History class. Students have often shown their admiration of Wojo Students have become through poetry or art dedicated to him, more and more dependent on caffeine to focus and Now in his third year of teach- I get.” He has a lot of memories work through each day – and, ofing at JC, Mr. Wojo has become from his travels: waking up in the ten, each night. With schoolwork, known by his students as a person desert in Arizona, racing across sports, jobs, clubs, and other activwith a deep love of the Classics. “I the PaciÞc Coast Highway, prac- ities all going on at once, students got interested in Greek and Roman ticing his French and ice skating in often substitute caffeine for sleep. mythology when I was in elemen- Quebec, and singing songs for gas “Caffeine keeps you up and tary school,” Mr. Wojo states. alert and I need that to pull an allmoney in Mississippi.

Mr. Wojo points to his college “I guess you could say I’ve got- nighter,” says junior Cory Jacques, years as the time when he really ten around,” he says with a smile. who juggles working long hours at fell in love with the Classics. “It Mr. Wojo is also taking part in Taco Bell with daily homework aswas in college I started studying a JC trip to Italy and Greece over signments. Senior Jen Sacks uses languages, and that was what re- Spring Break. His knowledge of the effects of caffeine for similar ally did it for me.” both Greek and Italian languages ends, saying, “When you need to He studied a plethora of lan- as well as his familiarity with the do homework really late at night it guages in college and claims to history and art of both cultures are keeps you awake.” being able to ßuently read Greek, certain to make those JC students Other students use caffeine as a Latin, Sanskrit, German, French, going on the expedition remember boost for different purposes. Junior Spanish, and Italian. Mr. Wojo the trip for years to come.

Cait Van Gilder admits, “I drink a was also deeply involved as a reOf any other upcoming plans, Diet Coke in the morning when I search assistant while studying at Mr. Wojo says that never set goals get to school and then as soon as Harvard. for himself, but that “I tend to see school ends...I’m really tired and it “I was a research assistant in the life not as a series of goals, but picks me up and keeps me awake Classics department,” he says. Mr. rather as continuous opportunities for cheerleading practice.” EspeWojo also served time in the Fogg for new experiences.” cially while doing sports or other

Volume 41, Number 3

The

Patriot

photo by Caitlin Keilty

Caffeine cans student health

December 2005

features

11

PowerSchool: As teenagers, we are constantly thrown golden opportunities to completely ruin our relationship with our parents. Some tried and true examples are: crashing your mother’s new foreign car into the local post ofÞce, illegally basement gambling with quarters stolen from your grandmother that she has been saving for the past eighteen years for the slot machines on her 50th anniversary Caribbean cruise, and charging a one way ticket to Warsaw on your parents’ credit card, when the only reason you forgot to tell them was because you were busy launching the Polish L’Oreal advertisement campaign.

But last year, all students here at school were thrown the ultimate curveball of all opportunities. This opportunity is known as PowerSchool. God Bless America.

From now until every year to come, on a momentous crisp autumn evening, every parent will be able to attend the mother load of all parent assemblies, the assembly where they get the 15 numberletter combination that they will unknowingly burn onto the walls of their brains’ Medulla Oblongata (the place where heartbeat and breathing are regulated). This, my friends, is the parent PowerSchool log-in code.

There are also two types of John Carroll parents. Those who think of PowerSchool as the greatest invention since pants with pockets, and those who would much rather say, “Can I just wait for your report card to come in the mail?” For those whose parents have made PowerSchool the

by Emily Lazor Features co Editor

T H E P OW E R T O RUIN YOUR LIFE?

homepage that their work computer boots up to, family life has dramatically changed.

“It basically ruined my life,” says senior Mike Whiteleather.

Completely unaware that his friend sitting next to him has feelings, fellow senior Chris Susio adds, “My parents don’t know what PowerSchool is.”

There are two types of students in the world. Those who work to their abilities and then give a little extra effort before marking periods end, and those who completely forget that they’re even in school until teachers mention that mid-quarters are coming out soon.

Sadly, I am in the second group, and therefore undoubtedly forced to do the most ridiculous extra credit projects, usually involving playing 12 different Shakespearean characters in an interchangeable Velcro-ed toga or cooking DesCartes’ favorite breakfast meal for my math class, all on the day before grades are collected.

This kind of situation is evident throughout all grades in the school and throughout all groups of friends, as Þve minutes later freshman Carly Placek told me, “PowerSchool has changed my life so much, I feel like I’m in trouble 24/7,” while her freshman friend Becca O’Brien casually mentions with a sly smile that, “My mom doesn’t know how to check it, so I don’t really care.”

Walk into the library, or any

room that has internet access in the school for that matter, and you can Þnd at least one student hovering over the computer checking to see if they’re eligible or not. “It’s keeping me from failing off the basketball team, but at the same time it keeps my life conÞned,” states freshman Wyatt Smith.

Sometimes when PowerSchool hasn’t created an issue with one’s parents, it instead makes the student want to fake sick for a whole semester, says junior Andrew Stetka, “I know for me my mom doesn’t even know what PowerSchool is and if anything it helps some students check where they are in terms of eligibility for sports and stuff. I think that students stress out more than parents sometimes because I see a lot of students in the library checking grades and stressing about them.”

For some it’s about a little more than conÞnement as junior Leslie Fox exclaims while scanning over her grades in the beginning of our Algebra Two class, “PowerSchool is the anti-Christ!”

While this may be a slight exaggeration offered by Leslie in the heat of the moment, PowerSchool does have the tendency to get you into some unwarranted trouble.

Leslie explains, “PowerSchool is helpful because it pushes you to do better, but also at the same time sometimes parents don’t understand that what’s on the website right then and there isn’t your Þnal

grade.”

There are two types of John Carroll teachers, as well: those who update PowerSchool and those who don’t. For those who have teachers who you could say are “totally crushing” on PowerSchool, you could re-login in every Þve minutes and have your grade be completely changed. “My mom sees my tests grades before I even get the tests back,” says freshman Megan Polonesi. But for those teachers who don’t update, have fun arguing your parents!

“My parents don’t understand that I don’t actually have a 0 percent average in some classes, but that some teachers don’t even update it until the week before grades are due,” says junior Charlie McEwan, “It almost makes it worthless.”

Junior Ryan DeVoe adds, “My parents don’t get the fact that my teachers don’t update PowerSchool every ten minutes, which is basically the rate that my parents check PowerSchool. This only leads me to get in trouble, because my parents think I’m not doing any school work at all.”

I assume that parents must think this kind of PowerSchoolinduced punishment is meant to encourage me to study harder on a Friday night for tests coming up in the next week, but instead I generally end up in a heated PowerSchool stimulated tempter tantrum that ends with me either watching Þve

episodes of “Boy Meets World” on the Disney Channel with my dog and my SAT prep book obviously thrown aside so that it’s clearly in my parents full viewing range, or having one of my friends kidnap me so I can fully take advantage of all the hot spots offered by the one and only Harford County, this being Coldstone Creamery or the DDR machine at the Chuck E. Cheese in the Festival of Bel Air. And for those of you who say, “Well Emily, maybe you should study harder instead of wasting your time writing articles about how you ate McDonald’s for 10 days,” or “Just don’t even bother to check PowerSchool,” I’m not going to lie. I can type my PowerSchool log-in and password codes in less than three seconds, mainly because of the fact that good grades are the only means of survival in the Lazor household. One day I didn’t get dinner because I forgot to turn in Math homework.

Another time I was quarantined in a dog crate underneath the water pump in my unÞnished basement because of a poor grade on an English test that I had taken earlier that day. Okay, again complete exaggerations, but I have missed a good number of excellent social outings because Comcast Cable can load my academic standing faster than my father can say “Have fun trying to get into college.”

I trusted the internet and all I got was this stupid t-shirt Remember, if you can, the year 1999. None of us had even entered middle school yet, but the world was still busy turning. People worldwide began to prepare for the expected Y2K meltdown.

Wayne Gretzky played his last game in the NHL. The GarÞeld comic strip began appearing in color daily.

David Beckham, the original metrosexual, wed Spice Girl Victoria Adams, aka Posh Spice. But most importantly, Al Gore was well into campaigning for the 2000 presidency.

In March of that year, democratic candidate Gore gave that fateful interview with CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer in which he claimed to have created the internet. This isn’t entirely true, as the internet has been in development by scientists and government ofÞcials since the mid-60’s, but Gore did play a signiÞcant part in the process.

Volume 41, Number 3

In the early 80’s when Gore and others Þnally gave birth to healthy baby internet, it was primarily for government use.

In the past 20 years, Gore’s pride and joy has become involved with some shady charactersEbaum’s World, Instant Messenger, MySpace, and looking up the lyrics to “My Hunps” by Black Eyed Peas to name the most notorious. The internet has become an infamous waste of students’ time here at JC. Students admit to spending more than two hours a night on Senior Chris Anderson juggles assignments while the internet, which talking to multiple people about absolutely nothing is a pathetically long on AOL Instant Messenger. time to spend doing “pretty much nothphoto by Emily Lazor

Claire Bronis Features co Editor

The

Patriot

ing,” admits junior Sara Stonesifer.

“I uninstalled instant messenger from my computer for about two weeks.

My grades actually went up, I promise you,” she says. “But I just downloaded it again and my grades have started sucking, so that worked well.”

Students like to tell themselves that the time they spend on the internet is spent working on school assignments. Junior Candace Gasper says she uses the computer mostly for homework but, “I sign onto IM like every Þve minutes, but I’ll sign off right away if no one’s on.”

While this is a normal occurrence for most JC students who struggle to complete seemingly simple assignments on computers with that oh-so-

tempting internet access, doctors have started to recognize internet addiction as a serious problem.

The New York Times even recently published a list entitled “Danger Signs for Too Much of a Good Thing” that describes the usual red-ßags for addictions, but in terms of internet use.

Senior Nico Crispino recognizes the risk, “I don’t use the internet too too much because I know I’ll get addicted.”

You may say that Mr. Gore created a monster. His internet has caused MySpace Þxations that have made countless JC students become ineligible, vicious cases of carpal tunnel from pecking away at the keyboard instant messaging, and addictions that tear families apart, not to mention minor cases of back pain and eye strain.

Well, at least Al can have the satisfaction that he’s brightened the day of one JC student, because after further pondering his relationship with the internet, Crispino concludes, “I know it’s a waste of time but it’s fun.”

December 2005

features

12

Students say “Salut!” to French friends Most of the French have dreams of coming to America once in their life,” said Camille Palfart, one of the French exchange students. For eighteen students, three teachers, and a six-year-old child, that dream came true.

They arrived on October 20th and 22nd, and were exhausted from the 32-hour plane ride where they traveled a distance of 4,000 miles.

The exchange students had to quickly adapt to our culture: our food, school, and our language. “They Þt right in with the families and have enjoyed themselves,” said Madame Ferry reassuringly.

The food of France and America differs immensely.

“The food is not so good because it is always the same: cheeseburgers and pizza,” commented French exchange student Thibault Fontaine on American food. Even on Halloween we noticed a difference between the cultures’ food.

While trick-ortreating with Camille Palfart and Rom Coret, we noticed that their appreciation for Hershey’s chocolate was non-existent: “I think that Hershey’s chocolate tastes like throw up,” Coret told us.

The French exchange students were privileged to experience one of the most eccentric weeks of the year for our school; spirit week.

We can only imagine what they were thinking when we arrived in mismatched outÞts for clash day, or when they saw the rivalry of the Powder Puff Game and students screaming at the Pep Rally.

“JC is a lot different than our school because we do not have Homecoming or Spirit week,” said exchange student Alix Madelain, “It was very funny to see the American students out of uniform in different costumes.”

We also learned that people do

not always need to speak the same language to communicate. A prime example is with six-year-old Talia Gryson and Madame Harris’s grandchild Catie. Without knowing each other’s language, they were still able to play hide-andseek. The same was true for our experiences as well.

To the eyes of the passer-by, our attempts to explain things to the French students may have appeared as a psychotic game of charades. Our over-exaggerated use of hand gestures did get the point across and we were still able to have a conversation with the French, in a way. Our abilities to speak French, however, are limited to phrases like “How are you?” and naming all the vegetables.

However, other JC students taking French courses were able to question the exchange students regarding their culture, interests, and whatever else they wanted to know. In return, the French students gained knowledge about their hosts and American life.

French exchange students were able to visit places such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and, oddly, Lancaster PA. Of all the places they traveled to, the 18 teenage visitors favored New York the most. From the tall buildings and busy streets, to the Statue of Liberty and Hard Rock Cafe, New York City was a hit.

“I think it is very nice and New York is very impressive,” said Charles Brisset.

“I liked the Statue of Liberty because it was built by the French,” said Marion Becourt.

“When my exchange student, Aurelie, went to ground zero in New York she told me that she began to cry and cry. I think it is a wonderful experience for these foreign students to see the impact 9/11 has had on us and how severely it devastated America,” said Junior Kate Martin.

The French exchange students left at the end of the day on Friday,

November 12th. “I am very sad to leave my friends from USA,” says Rom Coret, “but I am really looking forward to have my American host come over.”

The hosts’ students look forward to making the trip to France on March 19, to re-join with their

weeks in Arras and other places including England, Belgium, and Lille, France.

“Every monument you can think of. You name it, we will go there,” says Madame Ferry.

So far there are 13 students signed up, who will be traveling

students are “psyched” about going to France. “I am so excited! I am looking forward to seeing the culture changes between here and France,” says sophomore Emily Neenan with enthusiasm.

We were the few privileged who were not hosting the French

photo by Henry Basta

Henry Basta and Mike Marll Staff Writers

Junior Ally Cimatu and her exchange student Rom Coret chat in Mrs. Ferry’s room before taking a group picture. The French exchange students left on November 12, but their hosts will re-join them in France starting April 9.

French friends. They plan to return on April 9.

The hosts became close to their students and were sad to see them depart. “I will miss America very strongly,” says Florine Lequette.

Aurilie Maggiar said, “I am very, very sad to leave because I love America and I love my American family.”

Similar to how the French exchange students were able to visit the many landmarks of America, our students will be able to do the same in France. JC students visiting France will spend Þve days in Paris, and will visit landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Arche de Truimphe. They will spend two

with French Teacher Madame Ferry. This won’t be the Þrst time for Mrs. Ferry, though; she previously lived in France for a whole year. She will be able to show the students the exciting attractions of France with the expert of a resident. They will be able to visit the schools, go shopping, and live the life of an average French teenager.

The French exchange students are excited about their American hosts making the trip to France.

They would like to show the same hospitality that they experienced in America. The American hosts have kept close contact with their French friends. Apparently, the

exchange but were fortunate enough to learn about the French culture and help the French students experience America. We met people who we only know through stereotypes. From meeting them we can conclude that they are very friendly people and we look forward to meeting our new found French friends again.

Overall, the American hosts made a great impression upon their new friends. As Rom Coret climbed aboard the bus home, he says, “This is the Þrst time for most people to come to America, but it will not be their last.”

Junior and Sophomore class retreats ignite class unity “Retreats,” from page 1

According to numerous juniors, who have already been on retreat, it is not something to miss out on.

Junior Kelly McCord states, “I actually had a lot of fun. It gave everyone a chance to hang out with people they wouldn’t normally get a chance to hang out with.”

Students were given plenty of free time while at the O’Dwyer House. They could spend time in the lobby and meeting rooms, play basketball and other sports outside, or go down to the tunnel that runs underneath York Road and sign their name among the thousands of

Volume 41, Number 3

others who had come to O’Dwyer Retreat House for overnight and day visits before them.

During this time, students could reßect on what they had covered that day during their activities.

Sophomores have also been taking part in more personal retreats that have differed from those in the past. Last year’s retreat consisted of the sophomore class going into the auditorium and seeing everything that goes on during a mass with Father Leo. Before his explanation of the mass and the actions of the priest and deacon, Father Leo disccused what it meant to have a role model and

current sophomores were broken into small groups to discuss who their role models were.

Though, this year John Carroll has decided that the retreats should be based on the needs of others and taking part in community services.

The retreats have gotten the school more involved in the community and allowed students to see how the less fortunate live.

Small groups of about 20 sophomore students have attended service at Our Daily Bread in Baltimore.

Junior Katie Manning signs her Mrs. Murphy-Dohn said, name on the wall of the tunnel “Bringing students to these ser- next to O’Dwyer Retreat House. vices allows them to focus on oth-

The

Patriot

ers that are in need, and see how blessed we really are here at JC.” “It’s a great experience and definitely opens your eyes to what’s really out there,” says sophomore Krista Walls, “I think it was a good learning experience for us; it really made me realize how much I have and appreciate it.”

Mrs. Murphy-Dohn stated, “Our students have really involved themselves in the experience of retreats this year. The juniors have continued to enjoy the overnight stay in Sparks, and the sophomores have gotten a lot out of their services at Our Daily Bread.”

December 2005

photo by Ali Steibe

Entertainment 13

Chaz Linn, left, and Scott Dunn, right, kick and dirty a banner which says, “Class of 2005 Senior Pride,” at the Wednesday variety show. The action was meant to anger the alumni audience and show the seniors’ true feelings about them.

Sandy Wienholt Entertainment co Editor

Adam Devine threw up. Chaz Linn broke the ice (or glass in this case) with his ability to carry a beat. Marc Scanlon (as Mr. Del Puppo) and Scott Dunn (as Mr. Akers) stopped within inches of each other’s lips. On November 22 and 23, the senior variety show was as full of twists and unexpected turns as it was of musical talent and comedy.

Perhaps the most memorable of the skits was “Time Machine.”

With a time machine that only goes back thirty seconds, Scott Dunn and Adam Devine repeatedly ate Twinkies and drank fruit punch. On Tuesday night, the audience saw a little more than they bargained for. Adam Devine actually threw up on stage.

Junior Caroline Volker said, “There was a huge gasp throughout the entire auditorium. It was disgusting.” However, Devine coolly continued his performance and Þnished the scene despite the profuse vomiting.

Wednesday night, it was apparent that he was not looking forward to eating the Twinkies.

Even though Dunn only gave him half portions of the Twinkies, Devine still had trouble eating them and spit “ABC” Twinkie onto the ßoor. The look on his face told the audience how little he enjoyed what he had to do.

Another unexpected event occurred on Wednesday night dur-

Volume 41, Number 3

ing the “Boys’ Ultimate Beat Off” when Chaz Linn broke the glass he was beating with a drum stick.

Some things that were scripted caught the audience off guard. In the “JC Teachers’ Meeting,” Mr. Del Puppo and Mr. Akers (portrayed by Marc Scanlon and Scott Dunn, respectively), in slow motion, came close to kissing. The entire audience broke out in astonishment and mumbles. When asked if he liked Mr. Del Puppo, the rugby extraordinaire, Mr. Akers said, “He’s a nice guy. I don’t like him that way, though.”

Students mainly reported a positive experience at the variety show. “John Carroll Jeopardy” received positive feedback, especially about the performance of senior Justin Liberto as Ms. Urra.

“Justin’s performance was uncanny, identical to Ms. Urra,” said junior Brendan Hoofnagle. With a pillow stuffed in his pants and shirt and his weird walk, Justin asked for the jeopardy category Feminisism for $600. However, that was not a category.

Ms. Urra was bashed further in the “What Ifs” when Adam Devine read, “What if feminism didn’t exist? Would Ms. Urra have anything to live for?”

Despite the joke, Ms. Urra maintains a positive attitude. She said, “There is very little in life worth getting upset over… like inequalities. Not the senior variety show.”

This year, music dominated the comedy skits. Although the senior class had very talented musicians, the audience found the music less

interesting.

Junior Sara Stonesifer said, “I was expecting more comedy, but there were more music acts. Not a bad thing, just boring.” Part of the problem is that an audience of teenagers gets distracted very easily. And when the audience is there for the comedy, music does not keep their attention.

Junior Eloise Hanley said, “Some of the music went on and on. There were too many guitarists.” Perhaps the “variety” part of “variety show” was forgotten.

Nonetheless, the musicians were talented; it simply was not what the audience was looking for.

Another complaint that audience members had was the senior girls’ dance. Junior Tony Herman said, “The senior girls’ dance was neither well-choreographed nor impressive in the slightest.”

However, the senior girls had to choreograph the dance in a much shorter time than past years which may have been the issue behind a less-than-perfect performance.

Still, the Variety Show was entertaining despite the few blunders. Wednesday night, marked by its large alumni audience, was especially entertaining.

There were many shouts from the audience and several girls actually left during the second half of the show. However, some found the high volume of the alumni a little bit irritating. Senior Richard Trujillo said, “the drunk people were getting a little too obnoxious.”

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photo by Ali Steibe

Senior Variety Show delivers mixed feelings

Senior Jennifer Houvinen puckers up to senior Kevin Pacifico during the “It’s Raining Men” dance skit. The dance contained lots of sexual innuendos.

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Concerts prove hazardous to health Hillary Livingston Copy Editor

After feeling like I got hit by a bus after attending the Coheed & Cambria concert last month, I have come to realize that going to concerts can be very hazardous to your body.

I guess I can start at the Vans Warped Tour two summers ago. I do not remember the outÞt for the concert that I laid out, except for the part about the white ßip-ßops.

The next morning, my friends and I left the house; me being the only one wearing ßip-ßops. I would soon discover that wearing ßip ßops was not one of my brightest ideas.

So, we got there and started shoving our way through the crowd and not even 20 minutes after we’d

arrived, I happened to look down at my foot which had a large button shaped drop of blood slowly forming on my toe. My Þrst reaction was, “Ew! Who’s eating something with ketchup in here?” It took me a few minutes to realize that my foot had actually gone numb and the red liquid was actually blood.

Amazingly enough, my reliable best friend Teresa happened to have a blue neon band-aide in her purse which I quickly put on. I wanted to leave the crowd, but we couldn’t miss New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, or Coheed & Cambria so I stuck it out and was a trooper.

After Coheed’s performance, I couldn’t take it anymore so Teresa and I went up to the medical booth so I could get it cleaned and replace the now brown colored band-aide.

I felt lame signing, “Hillary Livingston—Toe” on the injury list when the other people had broken necks, minor concussions, and heat exhaustions. Still, I learned my Þrst lesson: to never wear ßip-ßops to concerts or you will commit foot suicide.

Now, we can fast forward to February 2005 when I went to see The Starting Line at the Recher. The crowd started getting rougher and rougher, doing push mosh pits and moving back and forth in chaotic unison. One time, however, when I went forward with the crowd and went to lean back, there was

suddenly no one behind me anymore and I fell ßat on my back, my head hitting the ßoor. I must have blacked out for a few minutes because when I could see again, about 20 heads were leaning over me yelling, “ARE YOU OKAY?” I just laid there for a few minutes until some random guy picked me up and asked me if I needed him to carry me out. I can not remember what I said but I must have been okay despite being dizzy because I refused to leave.

After attending Warped Tour again this summer and various other concerts here and there, I was convinced I had learned and perfected the art of keeping myself up in the crowd and wearing the proper attire. However, the Coheed & Cambria concert at Sonar was one of the most painful nights of my life.

It was not bad when the Þrst two opening bands played, but soon it became a struggle for survival, or so it seemed to me anyway. My friends Teresa, Max, and I were all laughing and talking, but in midsentence we were violently pushed forward as the Blood Brothers came on stage. I held on to Max’s arm for dear life. The push mosh pits were like an awful dance that I could not learn nor Þnd a way to control. Teresa told me later that when the crowd was going backward and forward, her feet were not even on the ground.

At one point, this girl started

Coheed and Cambria brings new Good Apollo album to life Jeff Gunnarsson co Editor in Chief

It was dark. I could not see much. Sweat was pouring down my back and face from the exertion of trying not to be killed in the violent mass of the audience.

The scent of cigarette smoke and fog burned in my nostrils. Smoke began billowing up on the stage, creating a thick haze. As the opening notes of “Keeping the Blade” began to scatter across the room, the crowd roared. I did my best to keep my head above the ocean of rapturous youths so that I might be able to see the imminent action on the stage.

He was like a beast: a creature lurking in the dark, the silhouette of his wild, unruly mane of hair penned against the background of ghastly white fog like an ominous foreshadowing of the musical chaos to ensue. He stepped up to the microphone in the center of the stage.

It was Claudio Sanchez, the lead singer and guitarist of Coheed and Cambria. The revolutionary rock band played at The Sonar, a venue in Baltimore City, on November 5 as a part of their headline tour for their recent album, Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Volume One:

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From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. The band has been touring since August with mewithoutYou, Dredg, and the Blood Brothers.

Paralleling the song order on their album, Claudio followed the instrumental “Keeping the Blade” with a solo performance of the subdued, tranquil “Always & Never.” The rest of the band came out onto the stage to join him during the song.

What happened next was indescribably chaotic, pandemonium.

The Þrst few sweeping guitar tones of “Welcome Home” were like the calm before the storm.

And it was a storm. The song exploded into a vicious onslaught of heavy guitars, clashing cymbals, and furious drums.

The crowd was merciless. All around me, fans were hurling themselves at each other, slamming against any and every person that got in their way. The whole crowd became a churning sea, casting its tide to the front, pressing itself against the stage, only to recoil backward, generating a brutal wave of force that no one could escape.

It was surreal. All I could see were cursory glimpses of nameless faces; all I could taste was the blood leaking from a gash on

the inside of my cheek. My senses dulled.

Upon hearing the Þrst guitar blast of “Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial),” I was elated, both because of my adoration of the song and because I had survived the turmoil of the previous song.

The band followed “Ten Speed” with “Delirium Trigger,” one of their classics off of The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002). They then continued into “Blood Red Summer,” followed by one of my personal favorites, “Devil in Jersey City.” Coming back to their new album’s songs, the band played “Once Upon Your Dead Body,” “Apollo I: The Writing Writer,” and their hit song “The Suffering.”

The band Þnally concluded their set with their usual closing song and what Claudio describes as a “musical time bomb,” “Everything Evil.”

As Coheed and Cambria proceeded into a musical improvisation, I was euphoric. Seeing the musicians that I idolize play live was unreal. It only added to my excitement when they played “The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut” and “In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3” as an encore.

It was, without a doubt, one of the best nights of my life.

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pushing me, separating me from my friends. I, now highly irritated, pushed her on her side with my arm. She then preceded to elbow me in the mouth, breaking part of the wire my orthodontist had cemented behind my bottom teeth after removing my braces.

When the Blood Brothers Þnally left the stage, the crowd calmed down and waited in great anticipation for Coheed & Cambria.

As soon as they walked out on stage, the crowd erupted in an amazing roar. The Þrst song they played was a calmer song, but soon “Welcome Home” began and the crowd went insane.

By this time, I was drenched in sweat which was not even my own and my Þngers had pruned from it.

If someone fell in the middle of the crowd, there was a good chance no one would notice or even care because the people were so mean.

Anyone could have suffocated or even been trampled to death.

During the middle of the performance, Teresa gave me this look as if saying, “I want to die,” so we began making our way to the sides where the crowd was calmer. We stayed there for a while and then decided to get water to relieve our dizziness and dehydration. We sat

in the lounge drinking water while sitting on a couch next to a transvestite couple. But by this point, we did not even care.

That night when I took a shower, I noticed large welts on my back. Putting on clothes was painful because my arms were covered in bruises and my neck panged with pain because a crowd surfer had fallen on my head, jutting my neck forward.

So I ask, is your body’s wellbeing worth standing just Þve feet from your favorite band? I really do not have a deÞnite answer to this question. I, however, know it will not stop me from going to the next concert.

Patriot Staff’s Top Ten: BEL AIR PASTIMES 1. Go to Wawa. Feed the obsession.

2. Go to Ice World, since they shut down the roller rink and you still need to get your skate on.

3. Watch movies in your basement. Alone.

4. Loiter around various cafes or strip malls.

5. Make huge investments with your parents’ illegitimately-earned money; they have enough to make King Solomon blush, you might as well exploit it!

6. Buy party goods at the dollar store for parties that will a) never be thrown, or b) be canceled last-minutes due to lack of attendees.

7. Go to Coldstone and make the employees sing the Tip Song for every penny you deposit. High Score: song sung 18 times for only 32 cents.

8. Start setting up and decorating your dorm at HCC! Oh wait...

9. Go to your favorite of your five psychiatrists and attempt (in vain) to improve your mental state.

10. Oops! There aren’t ten things to do in Bel Air. December 2005

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HARRY POTTER RETURNS

Goblet of Fire proves fourth time is charm

photo by Savanna Scroggins

A snake whips around the corner. An eerie mansion is illuminated by a Þre burning across from an imposing armchair. The snake hisses to its seated master, and an unsuspecting muggle, standing outside the door, is startled by the horrifying creature, the commander of the snake.

Harry Potter awakens, startled, with a sharp pain on his forehead. Next, Harry and his friends go ßying through the air and land at an event named the Quidditch World Cup. Suddenly, the screen is ablaze with ßames: the Death Eaters have arrived.

The action in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is nonstop. Just as Harry Potter is unsuspectingly thrown head Þrst into the fatal tasks of dragon slaying, deep-sea rescue missions, and escaping a never ending maze, the audience is likewise thrown into the action packed scenes of the movie.

The fourth installment of the Harry Potter series shows a much darker tone and increased maturity. Everything from the rivalry between friends to the near-death encounters Harry faces keeps the audience gasping and guessing what’s around the next turn. This movie makes the transformation from happily ever after fairy tales to a mysterious, threatening, PG-13 story.

New Harry Potter movie director, Mark Newell, is able to forgo the boring small talk and buildup the other movies had to go through. The previous three movies served as the perfect precursor to The Goblet of Fire in that they told the story and details behind Har- ry’s struggle so that the fourth

movie only had to concentrate on the Þght.

However, the lack of character development and majority of action in this movie didn’t appeal to audience members who weren’t diehard fanatics. Many of the new characters, like Bartie Crouch and Rita Skeeter, were thrown into the story with no background information.

“I had never seen any of the other Harry Potter movies and I had never read any of the books so I was completely lost in the movie. I had no way to follow along,” says junior Laura Perry.

The movie also left out numerous different sides of the story. This tale focused only on the Triwizard Tournament and Harry’s different attempts to be victorious. Parts in the book like Hermione’s Þght for house elf rights in her S.P.E.W campaign, and Hermione’s relationship with quidditch champion, Viktor Krum, were completely breezed over in the movie. The one part that was overly emphasized in the movie was the characters deepening relationships.

Harry’s most intimidating task in this movie was facing his biggest fear: teenage love. Harry would rather have fought ten more dragons than ask his crush, Cho Chang, to the Yule Ball. Jealousy and rivalry also rear their ugly head in the movie. Ron is intimidated by Harry’s ever-growing popularity at Hogwarts, and it shows. Also, Ron’s affection for Hermione starts to cause more drama in an already-melodramatic world.

Harry can no longer depend entirely on his friends that helped him get through his Þrst three years.

Harry also has new competition at school. Cedric Diggory is the biggest addition to this movie. His intelligence, good-looks, and popularity give Harry a run for his money. The audience took note of Cedric’s attractiveness.

“Cedric is really cute,” says junior Clint Noack.

The one thing that sets Harry Potter movies apart from the rest, other than the magic, is its remarkable special effects. The many tasks of the Triwizard Tournament were all completely computer generated, but no one would have known it.

Junior Christian Zurkowski says, “The special effects were so convincing.

The loud sounds and fast action made scenes, like the one where Harry was bat-

tling the dragons, feel real.”

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire can not be placed in only one genre of movies.

The movie touches on so many different emotions and dramatic moments that it can appeal to any aged audience, all with different tastes in movies.

The movie was so diverse. At times I was scared out of my mind, and at other times I was sad because of the problems the characters were facing.

They also

had some funny parts to lighten the mood so I never got bored with what I was watching.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has cast its spell throughout movie theaters worldwide already. Any muggle who has not seen it is missing a truly enchanting experience and must before He-who-mustnot-be-named gives up on his threatening pursuit of Harry.

photo by Jeff Gunnarsson

Neha Prakash co Editor in Chief

Hollywood turns fantasy books into blockbuster movies “Fantasy,” from page 1

remember correctly, the series has seven novels with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe as the second, so it is assumed that there will be six Chronicles of Narnia movies in the future.

Somewhere, Harry Potter can be heard laughing at C. S. Lewis’ futile attempt to catch up to Harry Potter’s seven-movie guarantee.

But then Little Foot, Petrie, Cera, Duckey, and the little mute stegosaurus remind Harry that “The Land Before Time” is beginning to work on its eighty-sixth movie (that’s right—in the ten minutes it has taken for you to read this arti-

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cle, the moviemakers have popped out three more Land Before Time’s). Then, Harry performs the Avada Kedavra curse and all the little dinosaurs go back to being extinct.

Hey, maybe they will make a movie out of that!

Or maybe not. I honestly do not believe the Þlmmakers are milking this for all its worth. Imagine how many more Harry Potter movies could be released if every little detail was included—the Þrst movie alone would probably be ten hours long! And it would surely be separated into individual movies, i.e.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: the First Part where Harry

is with the Dursleys, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: the Second Part When Harry Goes to Hogwarts, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: the Third Part in which Many Interesting Things Occur and the Plot Thickens. The whole seven-book series would approach 25 movies at that rate! So do not complain about the load of fantasy movies we have now, or Þlmmakers may feel compelled to give those fanatics what they want: book movies that give every painful moment of their favorite 12-book collection of volumes that are 8000 pages long.

And that brings us to the Þnal question: Why are citizens so

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enthralled by fantasy now of all times? Wouldn’t they have likeed it more when there was widespread poverty and hardship, like in the Great Depression?

Well, seeing as Þlmmakers were having a difÞcult enough time making low-quality, black and white, and frankly plot-less movies until around the 70’s, I don’t think that is a possibility. And once the hippies came, we never saw depression again.

Fantasy Þlms are simply being mass produced now for the Þrst time because it is the Þrst time that our technology can do the books justice. Because honestly, the last thing the world needs is a bunch

of raving lunatic “Lord of the Rings” fanatics storming around and defacing public buildings because Galadriel didn’t look “elfy” enough.

Few are complaining that we are getting a truckload of fantasy movies recently. They always seem to come out during Christmas vacation, and I think of it as Hollywood’s present to me for enduring an entire semester of listening to the stories of my peers’ dramatic lives. Not to mention the fact that the genre is everyone’s guilty pleasure.

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Broadway brought to big screen

Alli Kartachak Staff Writer

The season of love is here. In November, Rent, an original Broadway musical, was released to theatres near you. Its risqué and ßamboyant performance numbers and songs have caught the eye of many theater lovers and teenagers across the country.

Rent takes place in the 90’s in the slums of eastern New York City, where it emphasizes the harsh realities of AIDS, homelessness, relationships, and, of course, paying the rent. Although the story appears fast and enthusiastic in the previews, it has a slow and sad side as well. Many characters in the story struggle through their drug addicted lives and withdrawals before ultimately realizing how precious life really is.

The movie brings together a group of people who are racially, sexually, and mentally diverse. Although unfamiliar and awkward at Þrst, the people join together to Þnd strength and compassion in their sickness and poverty. They form a family of love through their understanding of each other even through their differences. The “family” likes dancing, going out, celebrating holidays, and shooting footage for a documentary. They support each other through AIDS relief meetings and in sickness by visiting each other in the hospital.

After being forced out of their homes for not paying the rent by an old friend who gained control of the leasing in the area, the family groups together to try to convince him that he shouldn’t evict them. Through a large protest that turns into a riot and an obnoxious entrance into a restaurant, they hope to get their point across to him.

The story also focuses on love within 3 separate relationships. Two of the relationships are homosexual and one is between an exotic dancer and an ex-junkie musician.

These relationships become core elements of the love and the responsibility of having relationships and respecting and enjoying others. Characters in these relationships realize how important and strong love is, and how it can never be forgotten.

Although the movie shows the depressing and harsh realities that inner city people have to cope with, it has humorous and somewhat uplifting moments as well.

Popular songs such as “La Vie Boheme” and “Light My Candle” excite the audience and get them involved. The entire JC drama company was dancing in their seats and responding to the dialogue and singing throughout the movie to these songs.

The incredible voices of the main characters give the movie a sheer brilliance and energy. The choreography is amazing and even includes some instrumental music made by the characters themselves with unusual objects.

The setting and costumes in the movie help set up authentic situations of the story.

The ragged clothing and somewhat chilling atmosphere portray the fear, reality, and poverty of the area. The homeless and high drug and crime area emphasize the fear the family has to live within every day in their own homes.

Rent, which is directed by Chris Columbus, includes all of the actors and actresses of the original Broadway cast except two new additions: Rosario Dawson, who plays Mimi the exotic dancer, and Tracie Thoms, who plays a lesbian entertainment lawyer.

Dawson has featured in Þlms such as Sin City and Men in Black II, and Thoms has

made appearances in The Devil Wears Pra- today” and to “forget regret or life is yours da, Brother to Brother, and other Þlms Oth- to miss.”

The music even coveys the play’s life er famous actresses, such as Idina Menzel from the popular Broadway show Wicked message. Through the dramatic and uplifting song, “Seasons of Love” the characters appear in the movie as well.

The movie was rated well by critics and sing about their love and relationships they seems to have gotten a lot of attention in have gained and strengthened throughout the story. Tracie Thoms, a native of Baltitheatres by many teenagers.

“At Þrst I was apprehensive when I heard more, sings the major solo in this song, hitthey were making Rent into a movie. I ting the high notes and giving the viewer wasn’t sure how they were going to transfer chills of enjoyment.

Through the advice and uplifting spirit it from stage to screen. But it turned out to of the struggling characters in the story, the be amazing!” said junior Katie Manning.

The problems and concerns portrayed in movie has much appeal.

“I enjoyed every moment of it,” said juRent give it a very down-to-earth appeal.

Even the non-theater lover can relate to the nior John Hussar. realities portrayed inside of this movie.

AIDS is a real problem in today’s society.

This theme affects all people and not just the theater kids.

This movie, although rated PG-13 for language and mature thematic material involving drugs and sexuality, gives BEL AIR - Amyclae 1200 Agora Dr. some good 410-836-0130 advice. It emphasizes the Expires 5/31/06 idea that one should enjoy life and live for “no day but

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King Kong: PG-13 A grown woman Þts in the palm of his hand. He battles a Tyrannosaurus Rex and actually wins. And he is the closest genetic relative to human beings. King Kong swung our way and hit theatres December 14th.

The movie is directed by Peter Jackson, the same man who directed The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson’s love for the fantasy and science Þction genres is apparent in the Þlm as he perfects each detail, major and minor.

Even a computer-generated gorilla seems real. Just as Gollum was created, King Kong comes to life through CGI technology. Interestingly, Andy Serkis masterminded the movements of both King Kong in the new remake and Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

It can be expected that the same quality

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of movement will be maintained in King Kong.

The cast is full of blockbuster-worthy actresses and actors. One of these credited actresses is Naomi Watts, who starred in both The Ring and The Ring 2. Watts was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2003. She was awarded Best Actress for her role in Mulholland Drive by The Chicago Film Critics Association and The National Society of Film Critics.

In King Kong, Watts plays Ann Darrow who is kidnapped by natives of Skull Island and offered as a sacriÞce to the giant gorilla named Kong. Ann Darrow sails to Skull Island with photographer Carl Denham (Jack Black).

Black is known for his comedy, but he takes a more serious role in Kong. However, Black’s success in Saving Silverman and The School of Rock as well as his experience in over thirty other Þlms surely qualiÞes him for any role, serious or comedic.

Adrien Brody, winner of Best Actor at the 75th Annual Academy Awards for his role in The Pianist, plays Jack Driscoll.

With the experienced cast and direction of Peter Jackson, I expect this remake to be a blockbuster hit.

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Sports photo by Jeff Gunnarsson

17

Andy Wancowicz Sports co Editor

photo by Jess O’Brien

photo by Jess O’Brien

As of this year, JC now Þelds a team in every sport regulated by the MIAA and the IAAM. Not to mention there is the bowling team. But there are deÞnitely some other sports out there that could be brought in to mix things up even more.

Look at it this way, each new sport brings even more new opportunities for students to get involved and maybe even get an elusive college scholarship.

So what else is out there? Well, between watching football, eating dinner, and having random AIM conversations, a few Þnally came to my mind. Now some of these are pretty out there I must say, but, hey, these are just ideas.

The Þrst sport to come to mind was horse racing. Thinking back, however, would any Catholic school endorse this sport with all of the betting immediately associated with it? The answer is a deÞnite no.

One could argue that we have an equestrian team so why not have horse racing too? Well, there would be some serious Þnancial implications of creating this program. Think about it- a track and a barn would have to be built and horses and trailers would have to be bought amongst other things. In other words, forget I ever came up with this one.

Next up on my list was snowmobiling. But then I remembered this one time I was watching the X-Games when I was eight and this guy fell off his snowmobile and ended up having an appearance similar to that of a deer that was too slow to get out of the road, if you get the picture. Add in the costs of gas and snowmobiles and the lack of snow and forget that sport. Also scratch snowboarding, skiing, and outdoor skating.

Alright, so there has to be something legitimate out there, right?

Well, right now my attempts are about as successful as the Ravens in the red zone. Yeah, low blow I know, right? But, get over it. Anyway, back to the business at hand.

Well, I came up with two intriguing sports. The Þrst is cricket. We have baseball but why not cricket? Our principal is from New Zealand.

Cricket is popular down there. So clearly he would approve. But many Emily Horwath was chosen for the leadership Courtney Aburn, in her second year at JC and people would argue that it’s too close to baseball and not too many kids she showed throughout the season as a senior capalso second on the Varsity Field Hockey team, was out there know anything about it in the Þrst place. So forget that idea. tain. She helped lead the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team one of three senior captains. Starting at the attack Now, what about croquet? Just typing that made me immediately to their second straight championship. position, she helped lead the Patriot offense. She cringe and say “why did I even say that” so basically this one doesn’t “Emily really helped us throughout the seaalso stepped up to play the crucial position of blockstand a chance, right? Or maybe it does. Somebody out there probably son come together,” said junior starter Allison ing opponents’ free hits, one of the most challengplays it but I’d guess there wouldn’t be enough interest. But, honestly, Humphries, “Especially when it would have been ing “jobs” on the Þeld, and was clearly aided by who would go to watch it anyway? easy to give up. Emily, along with the other seimpressive hand-eye coordination and knowledge So by this point I’m thinking “this was a terrible idea” and thinking niors, helped the team throughout the low, and of the game. about scrapping this whole concept. But then the most brilliant idea high-points of the season.”

Courtney scored one of the Patriots’ two goals in ever, which compares favorably to the most glorious rainbow ever (for Throughout the season, in the midÞeld position, a 2-0 quarterÞnal victory over Seton Keough in the you Anchorman fans out there) and Wafße House hit me like, well go she helped control possession of the ball and spark IAAM “B” Conference playoffs. In the semiÞnal back up to that snowmobiling story and that Þts pretty well here. the offense, a major key in the victories that the Pagame against McDonogh, she scored the game winIf you’ve watched ESPN at random hours over the past year or so triots had this year. ning goal in the second half, leading the team to you’ve probably seen it. It probably makes you hungry, yet sick to “Emily, along with the other midÞelders helped a 1-0 victory and a spot in the Þnals. Following the point of gagging as you reach to the bottom of the mostly-eaten out the team in more than goals the entire season,” the championship, a 0-0 tie which gave JC a share Twinkie box. You probably stare at that nice 64 inch HD TV with sursaid Humphries. of the conference title, Courtney was named to the round sound saying, “how do they do that?!” It’s competitive eating.

Emily scored a goal in the IAAM “A” ConferIAAM “B” Conference All-Star team.

And, as long as it doesn’t involve cafeteria food, it would be a glorious ence Championship game in the penalty shootout.

She is also a member of the JC Varsity Basketball addition to the JC “athletic” program.

Her goal turned out to be the decisive one in the and Lacrosse teams. She was named 2nd team allEveryone can eat. That’s a given. But who can eat the most in the victory, which earned the Patriots their second concounty in lacrosse last year and has orally commitleast amount of time? That’s what people out there want to know. The secutive IAAM “A” Conference Championship. ted to play the sport at the University of Delaware. cost isn’t high. All that’s really needed is a lot of food, like hot dogs, which can be bought cheaply at any local grocery store or wholesale dealer. Now, there are risks. Eating too much, too fast can cause Bus.:(410) 879-1056 some serious indigestion and stomRes.:(410) 686-5163 ach aches. Oh, and also there’s State Farm this whole thing nationwide about Insurance Companies keeping kids healthy. But, hey, it’s my idea and I think it’s pretty JIM PUGLISI Rookies, Autograph Inserts, Singles, Sets good. People are glued to those Agent competitions on TV, so why not Micheal L. Simms bring them to JC? Or at least go 1316 Bel Air Rd. get me some wafßes from Wafße 1316 Bel Air Rd. Owner (410) 893-9555 Benson, MD 21018 House and I’ll have my own comBel Air, MD 21014 petitive eating contest.

Simms’ Sports Cards Sports Collectibles

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Photos by Jess O’Brien Volume 41, Number 3

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Photos by Jess O’Brien Volume 41, Number 3

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Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey The Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team was led by senior captains Courtney Aburn, Courtney Carnaggio, and Chelsea Ford. They Þnished their season as co-champions along with Maryvale Prep, which entered the game undefeated in the IAAM “B” conference.

The championship game, which went through the regulation without a score, Þnished in a tie. In overtime, the teams played two 10 minute halves, seven on seven, which went scoreless. From there, two sudden death halves, each seven minutes long, were played, yet

again in seven on seven format.

Still without a score, the decision was made by IAAM ofÞcials to call the game a draw, making the Patriots co-champions, along with Maryvale.

“It was the most intense game I’ve ever been a part of,” remarked junior player Caroline Volker, “Both teams played great, and were not disappointed Þnishing the season like we did.”

It was a hard-fought game, which showed the dedication and hard work that was put in throughout the season.

photo from Jen DiBiagio

Brady Collins Sports co Editor

The Girls’ Field Hockey team poses with their IAAM “B” Conference Championship Trophy.

Girls’ Varsity Soccer

photo from Jen DiBiagio

Brady Collins Sports co Editor

The Girls’ Soccer team poses with their IAAM “A” Conference Championship Trophy.

Girls’ Varsity C r o s s Co u n t r y

“A” and “B” conference competed.

“This was a really great season,” said sophomore runner Erika Stasakova. “We were very consistent and we feel as a team that this was a very successful season. The second place Þnish only conÞrmed our beliefs that we are one of the best teams in the state.”

The

The JV and Varsity cheerleading squads were forced to adapt to new requirements this year. In order to qualify for athletic letters, the squads had to compete during the fall season as well as the winter.

Both squads managed to take Þrst at the ACDA competition held at Dundalk Community College. Despite a few minor mistakes, both teams Þnished their routines strong.

Sophomore Kari Patchek received individual honors during a tumble-off held during competition. She placed Þrst in the 14 up category of the tumble-off.

Although already champions, competition season is far from over. Winter season is just beginning; and although the Varsity squad lost numerous girls due to the transition between the fall and winter seasons, the squad was actually able to increase their difÞculty level.

Both squads have three winter competitions, the Þrst of which being held here at JC on December 17th. Over 15 competitive cheerleading teams, some high school some all-star, will be featured in the competition.

Patriot

photo by Mary Etting

photo from Jess Decker

Brady Collins Sports co Editor

Brady Collins Sports co Editor

Volume 41, Number 3

ence Championship was decided by penalty kicks, where sophomore goalie Sarah Mosier led the team to a 3-2 penalty kick victory with three key saves out of the Þve shots she faced, along with a goal on her one shot attempt.

Senior Emily Horwath and junior Jess Hnatiuk added the other shoot-out goals for the Patriots.

The championship game Þt the proÞle of the season for the team, having to overcome the odds of losing key contributors from last season and growing together as a team.

Girls’ JV & Varsity Ch e e r l e a d i n g

The Girls’ Cross Country team had an undefeated regular season in the IAAM “B” Conference.

Throughout the regular season, the IAAM “B” conference runners showed that they were capable of competing in the “A” conference, defeating many “A” conference teams along the way. They swept their “B” conference opponents with a perfect 13-0 season. Their perfect season was capped off with a second place Þnish in the state championship, where schools from both the

The Girls’ Varsity Soccer team ended another successful season with a third straight championship appearance.

They faced off against number one ranked Archbishop Spalding in the IAAM “A” Conference Championship.

After going down early in the game, the girls battled back and junior Melissa Gomes tied up the contest with six minutes to go in regulation. Neither team was able to Þnd the back of the net in overtime.

Because of this, the Confer-

Cheerleaders practice a heel stretch, with Rachel Ryan, a sophomore serving as a flyer.

December 2005