John Carroll School " Tradition " Pride
The
Patriot " Excellence
703 Churchville Road " Bel Air, MD 21014
INDEX
N E W S
Student commends school’s efforts to improve student understanding of Christianity.
S P O R T S
Breaks Barriers Jeff Gunnarsson co Editor in Chief
page 2
Pow Wow teaches students about Native American culture.
page 5
F E Students exhibit A their hidden gifts T and talents. U R page 11 E S E N T E R T A I N M E N T
Brokeback Mountain
Does anyone truly abide by the laws of music copyright and online downloading?
page 15
Sports editor previews upcoming winter Olympic events.
page 20
What began with a shameful and seldom-discussed habit of sexual release between two roughneck cowboys in the isolated hills of Brokeback Mountain swiftly grew into a clandestine relationship strewn with desire, secrecy, and frustration. Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) are two cowboys who, at the beginning of the movie “Brokeback Mountain” (directed by Ang Lee), a ground-breaking Þlm about the struggles involved with a homosexual relationship in the early twentieth century, had been spending several months together herding sheep across the Þlm’s namesake mountain. At Þrst, their relationship comes off as nothing more than a strong friendship. However, this cautious presumption is utterly obliterated with a spontaneous, hard-hitting, and slightly violent depiction of a sexual encounter between Ennis and Jack. I think it is safe to assume that reading that may have caused a certain degree of shock; the same was true (to a considerably greater degree) of the reaction of the audience in the theater, as was evidenced by gasps of shock and faces expressing surprise and alarm. Do not, however, get the wrong idea; the director was acceptably discreet in the scene’s portrayal.
photo by Kimberly French, courtesy of Focus Features
E D I T O R I A L S
Volume 41, Issue 4 " February 2006
Heath Ledger (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal (right) star in Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain,” a Focus Features release. The film addresses the current issue of homosexuality in mid-twentieth-century American society. It was only to establish the premise for the sexual relationship between the two men, which comes off as just that: strictly sexual. During the beginning scenes of the movie, the two rarely discuss what they do, and when they do discuss it, the conversation is problematic and uncomfortable for both of them. Eventually, both Jack and Ennis return to their homes and try to move on with their lives. Both get married and have children, and
Fashion, Function
Hip tips for keeping your attire fashionable in all seasons Neha Prakash, Alli Kartachak co Editor in Chief, Staff Writer
Sunny, partly cloudy, and a high of sixty-eight degrees during the peak hours of the afternoon. Rainy, winds at ten mph, and the highest it gets is twenty-eight degrees by early evening. The ßuctuating weather of late February and early March cause innumerable fashion predicaments. These fashion quandaries leave teenagers across Bel Air digging through the depths of their closets trying to Þnd the right thing
to wear. While the outÞt needs to reßect the latest styles, it also needs to cater to the unpredictable weather patterns of the season. Although this poses a dilemma, there is a silver lining to the cloud. Stores begin to change out their old winter attire and replace it with fresh, new, lighter outÞts for springtime. The stores hold blowout sales to wave in the new season and say goodbye to the old. The worst happenings in weather make for the best time shopping. Fashion, in any weather, is all about the rules. Please abide by all rules to keep your look fashionContinued on page 10
try in vain to live normally. As the Þlm progresses, we begin to see the anger and frustration that develop from what becomes a deeper, more personal form of their relationship. The two gradually begin to learn of the deeper feelings that they have for each other, and quickly get into the habit of meeting every few months, claiming as an alibi to their wives that they are merely taking Þshing trips as old friends. Their lives at home begin to suffer as their wives and children face avoidance and neglect. The movie hints in particular at Ennis’ sex life with his wife, which appears to suffer as a result of Ennis’ past sexual experiences with Jack. The complications intensify as Ennis’ wife learns of the surreptitious affair that her husband has been having. The ensuing divorce only leads to more problems. Ennis and Jack struggle to Þnd a way to maintain their relationship,
facing doubt and disappointment in their effort to stay in each other’s lives. This struggle deÞnes the basic conßict of the Þlm “Brokeback Mountain.” The conßict at hand in the movie clearly deÞnes the struggle that many homosexuals in our society have to face. The issue of homosexual rights and the incorporation thereof into American society has rapidly become the object of heavily-heated debate between advocates and opponents of the rights of homosexuals. For over a year, state legislatures have been weighting the decision of whether or not to approve gay marriage in states across the country. As a “Catholic, independent, secondary school for young men and women,” our school is obligated to stand with the Catholic Church on issues such as homosexual rights; hence, JC as a whole takes the stance of compassion Continued on page 14
Should homosexuals be entitled to all of the same rights as everyone else, including the right to gay marriage?*
Yes
No
39%
34%
Undecided
26%
*Based on a survey of 61 JC students from all grade levels.