Pages 14-16
Sports Hughes takes over girls varsity lacrosse. Mr. O’Brien retires after 34 years ! at JC. Entertainment
The Passion of the Christ perturbs audiences with controversial propaganda. ! Page 11
Pat riot
John Carroll School " Tradition " Pride " Excellence
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March 2004 " Volume 39, Issue 5
Editorials Librarian protests Patriots of Genius piece. Staff presents practical rebuttal.
Page 2
Features Internet predators prey on lack of privacy, prosecution near impossible. Pages 8-9
fares well with audiences Sarah Jones Entertainment co Editor
During the Þrst week in March, over 120 students participated in the production of the annual JC musical. This year JC students brought My Fair Lady, a timeless classic, to life on the auditorium stage. My Fair Lady was Þrst produced at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on March 15, 1956. Rex Harrison starred as “Higgins,” Julie Andrews starred as “Eliza,” and Stanley Halloway starred as “Doolittle.” Alan Jay Lerner wrote the book and lyrics and the music was composed by Fredrick Loewe. My Fair Lady was adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabrial Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion. For those unfamiliar with My Fair Lady, it takes place in the streets of London in the year 1912. Eliza Doolittle is an audacious ßower merchant. She attempts to sell ßowers to Colonel Pickering and from a distance sees Professor Henry Higgins writing her speech in his notebook. Professor Higgins is a distinguished phonetician interested in different dialects.
When Eliza Þrst sees Professor Higgins, she believes that he is a policeman, but he convinces her otherwise. Colonel Pickering makes a bet with Professor Higgins that he cannot transform a commoner, such as Eliza into a member of the upper class English society. Professor Higgins accepts the bet and has to change Eliza’s speech, manner, and dress into that of a duchess. Work on the JC production began before the ’02-’03 school year ended. Mrs. Lang and Mrs. Brueggemann choose three potential shows the summer before. Much thought goes into the selection of the musical. Mrs. Lang, the director of My Fair Lady said, “Mrs. Brueggemann and I talk about the talent that we have, we read scripts, and we try to match the talent that we have to the scripts.” Also, when trying to choose a musical to perform Mrs. Lang said, “We try to look for something popular that people will be familiar with and it hits me that this will be the one.” Auditions for My Fair Lady began in December and rehearsals began on January 5. Rehearsals were everyday after school, Thursday nights, and Saturday mornings. Junior McKenzie Walsh starred as Eliza Doolittle. When describing Eliza, Walsh said, “Eliza is a very strong person and very stubborn. She changes her nature and keeps her personality, but then she falls in love.” Senior Jimmy
Biernatowski starred as Professor Henry Higgins. Biernatowski describes Professor Higgins as “a stuck up, arrogant, selfcentered mama’s boy, who thinks he knows everything about everyone.” Sophomore Chris Susio played Colonel Pickering, senior Britt Cramer played Mrs. Pearce, and senior Katie Camden played Mrs. Higgins. Along with having to learn lines, students need to learn the music and the dances to the music. Mrs. Brueggemann and Larry Hensley are the choreographers for the JC musicals. Mrs. Brueggemann said, “We begin the process by listening to the soundtrack of My Fair Lady and we discuss the production numbers and the movement of the cast. We create separately and together to make footwork appear natural to the characters. Then as choreographers we meet with the pit director and designate the differences in the score and Broadway soundtrack.” My Fair Lady included ten musical numbers and many were accompanied by dancing. Mrs. Brueggemann said, “What never ceases to amaze me is the quantity of students that are non dancers, that rise to the occasion and learn the dance steps every year.” The show went very well for the cast. Walsh said, “I had my doubts in the beginning, unsure if it would all come together. In the end it all came together. It was a very difÞcult show, but because of the very difÞcult show that it is we did a very good job of pulling it off.” Biernatowski said, “The musical was awesome and a wonderful experience. I could not have asked for more my senior year. I cried before the show even started on Sunday.” Also moved by the show, Freshman John Hussar, a chorus member said, “At Þrst it did not seem it was going to be as good as it was, but come dress rehearsal it was better than everyone
expected.” M r s . Brueggemann, commenting on the cast’s diligence and ability to pull through, said, “The result choreographically was better than I thought it would be three weeks before, but that is typical because everybody rises to the occasion.” The musical had two matinee performances during the week for Southampton Middle, St. Margaret’s, and St. Joan of Arc. There were three performances over the weekend. Saturday night was sold out and the Friday and Sunday shows had about Þfty tickets remaining for each. On Saturday night, over sixty alumni from the 1971 production of My Fair Lady were invited to the show. At the conclusion if the production, they were invited up on stage to receive ßowers and to meet the actors in this years production. Once again, Marty Coffman ‘03 returned as an accompanist and vocal coach and Amanda Bertram ’02 returned as stage manager. Mr. Schick was the Light and Sound Director, Mr. Gaudreau was the Set Director; Mrs. Bair was a Vocal Director, and Mr. Scott Jones was the Orchestra Director.
Editorials
2
Over Im-Passioned? Billy Hughes Editorials co Editor
The problem with making a movie about Christ is that no matter how good it is, no matter how accurate it is, and no matter how each character is portrayed, there is going to be controversy. Mel Gibson had to know going in that some people would love his movie and some people would hate it. There is no middle ground when you try to condense the faith of millions of people into two hours and Þfteen minutes. People need to understand that the movie is not a personal attack on them. Here I will address some of the issues that The Passion of the Christ has brought to the forefront: Is the movie anti-Semitic? After Jesus receives the 40 lashes (which is more like 500 lashes), Pontius Pilate leads the Messiah, bloody and battered with his ribs showing, to a platform in front of a Jewish crowd. Jesus is standing there, a shell of a human being who barely has the strength to open his mouth, and the Jews chant, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” At this point, I couldn’t help but think what kind of people would want even their enemy to go through that kind of suffering. This is the part that people say dehumanizes the Jews. Here’s the problem though: the Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years because the Bible says they killed
God’s only son. I don’t think many people, especially Christians, are going to walk out of Passion in a rekindled Jew-hating rage. By now, Jews and Christians have agreed to disagree. Plus, when Jesus is on the cross he says, “forgive them father, for they know not what they do.” If Christians do hate Jews more because of Passion, they are completely missing the point of the movie. Even when he was in an immense amount of pain, Jesus could absolve his enemies – the message is peace and forgiveness, not hatred and close-mindedness. Is the movie too gory? People who say the movie is too gory point out that Passion doesn’t deal with Christ’s ministry or good works at all. They say that Passion is just a continual bloodbath that guilts people into crying. But what if the movie had been G-rated, bloodless, and politically correct? People would have said that Christ’s suffering was over-simpliÞed and that children need to know how much pain Jesus actually went through. Gibson was damned no matter what level of blood the movie incorporated. I think that people need to see Passion as one man’s interpretation, not as Gibson commanding people to believe as he does. I don’t think his intention was to mess with the faith of millions of people. I think he just wanted to show people his faith.
Patriot he
John Carroll School 703 Churchville Road, Bel Air, Maryland 21014 Volume 39, Number 5, March 2004
Editor in Chief.............................................................................Katie Chlada Managing Editor ....................................................................Rachael Kessler Editorials co Editor..................................................................Laura Kirchner Editorials co Editor.....................................................................Billy Hughes Comics Editor..................................................................................Dan Tims News co Editor.......................................................................Courtney Kurtz News co Editor...........................................................................Erin O’Brien Features co Editor....................................................................Laurie Krysiak Features co Editor........................................................................Britt Cramer Entertainment co Editor..............................................................Katie Burton Entertainment co Editor................................................................Sarah Jones Sports co Editor.........................................................................Rose DiPaula Sports co Editor.........................................................................John Vigliotti Photography Editor.......................................................MaryBeth Derbyshire Business Manager....................................................................Pat Harrington Archives Editor................................................................................Cati Horn Exchange Manager...................................................................Joe Matarazzo Moderator.....................................................................................Mr. Ionescu
Staff: Brian Averill, Adam Bell, Chelsea Eldreth, Aisling Finck, Cati Horn, Pat Isennock, David Lomonico, Sam Marll, Joe Matarazzo, Stephanie Rew, Lauren Schnupp, Jennifer Smith. 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 The John Carroll School. The editorial staff invites and greatly appreciates comments from readers on any issue. Volume 39, Number 5
The
Letter to the Editor Dear Ms. O’Brien, News Co-editor
What a sarcastic, unamusing section. It is extremely difÞcult to write sarcasm and have it be effective. Frequently it backÞres, and the result is not funny. We have received your message loud and clear. If you do not like the library the way it is currently, we can always go back to the way it was before: no talking at all by the students. This would please many of the faculty and administrators who believe that our library should function as a serious center for research and study. They believe that it should be more in line with our college-prep status and be comparable to the college/university library where most of our students will continue their educations. In that setting there is no noise. No noise. There are quiet rooms where one may go if one must talk or have a study group (JC does not have such a room). In JC there is group learning going on in every class. We offer you the library as a place to study, study together, research with and do homework with assistance. Therefore, we allow you to talk quietly. It is not a place to come to arrange dates, parties, pick out prom dresses, cars, etc. It is meant to be a quiet place. We feel that “we cut you enough slack” by allowing soft talking. We have tried to make it a friendly, fun place for high school 14 to 19 year olds. We know that you do need a break from classes, you [sic] daily schedule, and many students can’t deal with the cafeteria noise. If you have college on the horizon, a totally quiet library will be the future. We do not believe that total quiet is really necessary here, now. You must also remember that when you are in the library you are in our ofÞce. We have regular ofÞce maintenance and work tasks to do to keep the library for your use. It is our “home away from home.” We are a liberal group and will admittedly have difÞculty with total silence (you will too). If you want us to go to “the old days”, [sic] then we will try to be quiet also. But meanwhile, while students are allowed to talk softly, we can talk also. We would love to invite you, at your convenience, to come to the library for several mods, to see some of what really goes on there. Sincerely, Marsha Smith
Dear Mrs. Marsha Smith, Librarian: Today I was reminded that words can be powerful things. I’m sorry that you took such offense to the facetious nature of "Real Patriots of Genius." Making light of the environment around us is one way that humor is used effectively. After all, if we could not laugh at it then life would become dull and tedious. We at The Patriot would never print anything that was meant to be vicious or attacking. The paragraphs were meant to be lighthearted and facetious but not sarcastic. Sarcasm is the act of making fun of a person with the intent to hurt their feelings. Facetiousness, on the other hand, is being witty and jocular, and is something that is not intended to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, the article was misconstrued by you as being in bad taste. I assure you that it was not meant to be. Using verbal irony you suggested that the "old days" of the library were unfriendly and not fun. However, let me remind you that the library is not a place for fun. Coincidentally, when I received your letter I had already been working on an editorial that expressed my dissatisfaction with the noise level of the said "serious center for research and study." I completely agree with the members of the faculty and administration who want to return to those "old days" when it was actually possible to go into the library and get work done, read a book, or sit in silence and think. In my experience, JC’s library has recently become like an extension to the cafeteria – a place to hang out and talk with friends. There have been many times in the past few weeks when I have futilely attempted to sit in there and read –only to have had my ears bombarded with the unblockable chatter that you have referred to as "soft talk." I would describe that noise as being a bit beyond the realm of softness. Regarding those students who cannot "deal" with the cafeteria, I wonder why they are allowed to bring that same noise into and deÞle the professional atmosphere of the library. Finally the library exists primarily for student use, so in a way it is really the students’ ofÞce. I completely agree that the library requires "regular ofÞce maintenance and work tasks," but that does not entail things like baby showers and the like. Thank you for your kind invitation to visit the library at my convenience, and I assure you that as a senior I have been in there on numerous occasions and feel that I have seen enough to know what really goes on. I once again apologize for the misunderstanding, and thank you for your letter. With all due respect, Erin O’Brien
Patriot
March 2004
Editorials
3
Class of 2008 ushers in new uniforms Laura Kirchner Editorials co Editor
Uniforms, the accepted attire of JC students, promote consistency and equality among the student body. For some time now, the entire JC community has been accustomed to blue and green plaid skirts as a statement of the dress code. However, beginning with the incoming class of 2008, the dress code will be undergoing several changes and long-term improvements. Next year, a new set of uniforms will make their debut. These changes will only affect the incoming freshmen. However, the dress code for the class of 2008 and all of the subsequent classes will substantially improve. The new girls’ uniform consists of black and white plaid skirts. Girls are also required to wear a long or short sleeve polo shirt and will have the option of wearing a pullover black sweater. The polo shirts as well as the sweater will have a burnished
gold JC logo inscribed on them. Girls will also be allowed to wear socks or white or black stockings. The dress code for the boys will include khaki pants and either white or yellow button-down dress shirts. They will not be permitted to wear shirts of any color other than white or yellow. Otherwise, the current dress code rules for boys apply. These new uniforms will be beneÞcial to school spirit. With JC’s anniversary 40th imminent, a new uniform will signify a change and new beginning. With the school colors being black and gold, the new uniforms promote uniÞcation between the students and the school. Besides serving as a force of uniÞcation, the new uniforms will also solve many dress code violation issues that now plague the current uniform situation. Because the new polo shirts will have a banded
bottom, they will not need to be tucked into the skirts, thus eliminating the issue of shirttails sticking out. A standardized pullover sweater also eliminates the problem of cardigan sweaters sometimes looking sloppy. T h e uniformity in the dress code will be a big improvement. No longer will we have to worry about being handed a detention slip while walking down the hallway with a stray shirttail hanging out. Although the new improvements will not directly affect any of the current classes, I am very excited for the future classes of JC. The new uniforms will signify their fresh start and give them a place in our school. The new uniforms are a pleasant change that will add distinction to the JC community, albeit unfortunate for the Class of 2008 who must pave the way. Just by entering
9th grade, the new freshmen will have the daunting task of being the new, youngest kids in school. As if this wasn’t enough, by sporting the new uniforms the freshmen will basically be wearing a sign that screams, “Look at me! I’m a freshman!” We can all recall that, as freshmen, we wanted nothing more than to Þt in with everyone else. How ill fated that it will be virtually impossible for a freshman to be mistaken even as a sophomore. However, this can only force unity within the freshmen class, strengthening the bonds in the class as a whole. Symbolizing JC spirit as well as being clean-cut and tidy, the uniform change has potential to boost JC’s appearance and pride. Uniforms that reßect the JC school colors will add a sense of belonging that the current uniform situation has neglected to address. Although introducing new uniforms will present initial inconveniences, it will prove worthwhile by the time that the Class of 2011 arrives at JC, when the entire school will be uniÞed by one homogeneous dress code.
even waste their time bothering to dig up some dirt about Sharpton. The reverend’s campaign started as a publicity-seeking stunt, and he hasn’t satisfactorily proved to the public that he is for real. Who is this guy kidding? This is the same man who rioted for a cause that didn’t exist in his glory days. I think I’d rather have Gary Coleman lead the American armed forces. Then we have everyone’s favorite George W. Bush. His superb Yale education and attractive chuckle almost ensure a second term. When he drags American troops over to the middle of nowhere to help people that would rather blow us up, the American people just smile and say, “That’s our Bush!” Or at least, that’s what Bush thinks. But the biggest question that arises every time Bush gets involved with an election is his possible AWOL (absent without leave) status from the National Guard during the Vietnam War. It is known that Bush served for the Texas National Guard and never went into combat, but what is unclear is whether or not
he actually showed up for drills. Bush’s aides commented that he most deÞnitely did, but ended up just doing a lot of “papershufßing.” This is certainly not a positive past for a wartime president. Finally, enter the most promising candidate, John Kerry. T h o u g h his long face may be somewhat frightening to small children, it seems to be making a mark on the American p e o p l e . However this simply encourages the media to Þnd something wrong with him, and that they did when t h e D r u d g e Report revealed a drama involving a former intern of Kerry’s whom he had recently told to ßee the country. The exact details of this story are still unclear, but it brings back ßashbacks
of a certain president that we will simply refer to as “William J. Clinton.” Do we really need to go down that road again? Many people will be expressing their opinions on this topic when they cast their votes. As the weeks drag on, the scandals become unearthed, the political campaigns run out of money, and senior citizens learn how to work those damned new-fangled computer voting machines, only the best candidates will survive. And with the election less than eight months away, the best entertainment is deÞnitely yet to come. What American wouldn’t want to see Kerry make a fool of Bush in a debate, or better yet, Sharpton and www.kenwestphal.com Bush competing for the ultimate crown of stupidity? Ah, this is what politics are all about.
Candidates step up the mudslinging Joe Matarazzo Staff Writer It’s that time of year again – when the air is warm and the sun is shining, and the Þrst thing on everyone’s mind is not love, but voting! The political race for the presidency i s once again in full force, and with it c o m e s all of the wonderful s i d e dishes. Who are the players? The race started out with Mr. Comedy Central, George W. Bush, followed by John Kerry, Howard Dean, John Edwards, and the holy Reverend Al Sharpton. Quite an appealing ballot, I must say. Though these candidates may not be as interesting as those from the California recall, they are still guaranteed to keep the voting public entertained almost as much as an episode of Diff’rent Strokes. Howard Dean stepped up to the crazy podium Þrst with his overly gung-ho speech, and took himself all the way to New Hampshire, to South Carolina, and Oklahoma, and Arizona, and North Dakota, and New Mexico, and all the way to…the exit ramp. HYAHHH! Our next player is the Reverend Al Sharpton. His hopes of becoming the Þrst African American president are honorable and profound. He carries a large following, which is clearly shown with the 1% of the vote he received at most of the primaries. The other candidates wouldn’t
March 2004
The
Patriot
Volume 39, Number 5
Editorials
4
Risk-taking equals dating success Grace Matelli Staff Writer By your personal estimation you’re a pretty okay kid. You may not be smart but you’re athletic, or you’re smart just not really athletic, or maybe God gave you two hands and you happen to be both. Maybe you are very funny but still sincere, or witty and sarcastic—my personal favorite trait combinations. Forget the particulars, you’re someone worth dating; but why aren’t you? Why are you, Mr. John Carroll, with the winning personality, the biting wit, the well-deÞned arms, the sensitive demeanor, or the tasteful collection of emo-core LP’s, unable to Þnd a companion? You aren’t out there. For every non-dating person out there, there is someone who matches with you, somewhere. Sometimes you get lucky and this certain other person possesses some combination of the traits you Þnd particularly charming, and tells you about it in time to get together. Most of the time, however, these other people reveal their mutually agreeable crushes posthumously, “Oh yeah, guess what? So-and-very-desirable-so said she used to have the biggest crush on you freshman year.” This is exactly why you have to put yourself “out there,” as so many people like to phrase it, out there, on a
limb. Girls are not as likely to ask a boy out as one in this modern world would suppose. Being a girl, there are so many times when I give up pursuing someone because I just never thought it would happen, and then Þnd out a year or two later that the boy was just as interested but never thought to do anything. Carpe diem! Guys - talk to girls you like, whose company you Þnd pleasurable. This does not mean talk to your friends who are girls and see which one you could least awkwardly compress into the role of girlfriend. This means actually talking to girls you don’t know very well and Þnding the reason you don’t have a girlfriend, and how you can Þx that situation. See if you have a rapport and if there is some spark of compatibility, even if platonic and in its nascence, pursuing it. If she says no, move on gleaning what wisdom you can from the situation. I’ve been rejected more times than I’ve gotten my hair cut, but I always go out there and try it again. Rejection is scary but it’s no reason to put a string of friends through the painful ordeal of telephone dating (“If I asked her out, would she say yes? Hey if John asked you out would you say yes? Is John asking or are you? John’s asking! Oh, yeah…”) It’s also no reason to date exclusively within a social circle and limit your dating pool. Certainly, and most importantly, it’s no reason to be alone.
Rejection is awful, and I don’t propose you serial court every girl within a Þve-mile radius. I personally couldn’t handle more than maybe Þve consecutive rejections if they are all within a month; after that Þfth “I don’t think of you like that,” I would start questioning myself. But other than placing yourself in harm’s way more often than necessary, rejection can be a healthy catalyst for change. Only be careful not to let unrelated criticisms seep into your psyche. Sometimes people give excuses that have nothing to do with the real reason they won’t go out with you. Surprisingly, you may sometimes even be ßattered by those real reasons. Some people for instance, feel uncomfortable dating people that they perceive to be smarter than them, but very few will admit it. SO, instead of, “Oh John is too smart,” it’s, “John is too loud.” Okay maybe you can work on the loud thing a little too, because this girl isn’t the Þrst to notice your voice becomes a bellow when you’re excited, but it was probably never something that would really deter a girl from dating you. Possibly Miss Not-so-Bright was even endeared by the reason that you don’t have a girlfriend, and how you can Þx that. Your extroverted personality, or lack there-of, may be something to work on, but it’s not a reason to hate yourself. Take what you can from it, and move on without hurt feelings.
Somewhere at the 2004 Presidential Debates You know, as I always like to say, every time a conservative is elected, an angel gets its wings...
...but every time a liberal gets in, the angel gets its wings taxed off! Hee hee!
Other
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Bush
Wait... I don’t get it. Could you really tax part of an angel’s anatomy?
Actually, if the appendages are decorative, or travel-based as seems to be the case, I believe that tax interest rates could feasibly be set at around 36 percent.
Other
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I’m wearing a funny hat!
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Volume 39, Number 5
The
Patriot
March 2004
News
catc h im me diat ely afte r it f e
5 Hughes’s missing snake found in Paaby’s light fixture danger. Mr. Paaby accredited the snake’s docility to his soft hands. After the snake had fallen Averill quickly grabbed a plastic bag, n O’Brien photos by Eri which Mr. Paaby put For weeks Mr. Hughes’s desert king snake the snake in. Averill had been loose in JC. Nobody is sure how it then returned it to a had escaped, but to one class’ surprise they Mr Paa very happy and very discovered it in Mr. Paaby’s light Þxture. by relieved Mr. Hughes. Mr. Hughes is known to have many pr ou Brust described Mr. different class pets, and among them are two d ly Paaby’s bravery saying, snakes. To his dismay his desert king snake, d i “Mr. Paaby’s daring maabout a foot in length, had gone missing. neuvers captured the snake “It was gone for about a week,” he said. quickly and reduced the Science teacher Mr. Hughes’s hi threat for the rest of the classroom is on the second ßoor just s catch a fte students. I only wish above English teacher Mr. Paaby’s. r it one day I can learn the On Tuesday morning, February h a catlike reßexes Mr. 24th, as Mr. Paaby’s section one American d fa Paaby displayed that Literature class began, senior Brian Averlle n one morning. We fro ill looked up at the light and saw the shadm all owe him a debt ow of a snake. After he pointed it out to the th ec of gratitude for enclass, many students immediately recognized eil ing dangering his life.” it as being Mr. Hughes’s recluse class pet. Nobody Averill excitedly recalled the incident T TO RE TEMP MO knows for certain ATv e B r giving it a bit of an exaggerated spin. “Well I was VE T a us t how the snake was USD sitting in class when suddenly this four foot-g e d able to escape or get no, no, ten foot snake appeared in Mr. Paaby’s through the ceiling light. I pointed it out to Blane Boeri who and into the light Þxture. then screamed in a feminine shriek ‘dear However, Mr. Hughes specume that ten footer will devour us all.’” lated that “maybe the heating Seniors Dave Brust and Alex system” was its pathway through. Ullman stood on two desks and reOne thing is for certain: Mr. Paaby did not moved the light Þxture while Mr. let the incident daunt him or his students whatsoPaaby stood beneath it, palms open ever. Senior Katie Falter said, “I found it quite amusing ready to catch the snake in case it fell. that after the snake was caught we continued to read poetry.” It took a few minutes to remove the
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vacation time Prom preparations going smoothly Snow days dimishish May 22 regardless of snow. ly Lyles Laurie Krysiak Features co Editor There are three things that highlight a JC student’s senior year of high school: the variety show, graduation, and prom. As the spring season approaches, the anticipation of prom is steadily growing. The senior ofÞcers, moderators, and the students themselves are currently working on different preparations for the prom to make this dance a memorable one. This year’s senior prom is being held on Saturday, April 24 on the top ßoor of the World Trade center in downtown Baltimore, with a catered dinner provided for the seniors at the dance. Immediately following the dance will be the annual after party, which is held at the ESPN Zone. The new location of the dance is a welcomed change from previous years. “The location itself is the highlight of this year’s prom,” said senior class moderator Mrs. Russell. The hall is characterized by the plate glass window covering an entire wall, which offers an “almost panoramic view of the Inner Harbor,” said Mrs. Russell. This year’s
set theme. The prom favors will be decided as the date of the dance gets closer. Along with these traditional aspects of the prom, some new additions are being added to the evening. For the Þrst time, transportation to the dance is being provided for the students. The original plan was to have limo buses, which would allow large groups of students to ride to the prom together. However, this plan fell through when the company requested more money than could be provided. Now, plans are in the works for other means of transportation. Mrs. Russell said, “There will be coach buses provided based on student interest, at no additional cost to the students.” If there is enough interest, enough buses could be arranged to drive the entire class. With the new features to this year’s prom, the senior class is already planning for the big night. Many girls have already purchased their dresses, with popular dress shops including Caché and Jessica McClintock. Also, some students are already arranging transportation for their individual groups of friends, ranging from traditional limos and antique cars. The night that the seniors have been dreaming of is almost here. The tick-
be a night that no one in attendance will soon forget.
March 2004
The
Jen Smith Staff Writer
Everybody loves snow days. Unfortunately for JC students, summer vacation day have been changed to school days as the administration tries t make up for lost class time. The Senior Retreat holiday originally scheduled for Friday, March 12, and the Country Fair holiday, scheduled for May 3, are the two holidays affected by the inclement weather-related makeup days. Disappointed students deprived of two three-day weekends must prepare themselves and rearrange their plans for the two days. Also added to the school calendar is Monday, June 7. Instead of having three consecutive exam days, students will have to return to school on Monday to take exams. The decision to break up the exams will affect all underclassmen. Junior Kelly Navin stated that she would “rather keep the two holidays as planned and extend the school year so that exams are all in one week.” However, seniors remain unaffected—their last day of school being
Patriot
Mr. Scholl stated that if Harford County were to have any more snow days, then the makeup days would most likely be added onto the end of the school year. . Scholl added that f seniors had made a “unilateral deciion” to skip school on March 12, then their absence would have been viewed as unexcused. According to the handbook, the penalty for an unexcused absence is two demerits. Seniors were not exactly thrilled about their loss of the Senior Retreat holiday. Senior Em-
stated that taking away the holiday is, “…ridiculous. We need a day to rest after the stress of retreat and traveling.” Senior Courtney Buettner agreed, “Three hours of sleep and an abbreviated night of sleep the next night does t allow for enough time to recuperate. hen we are expected to show up bright and cheerful the next morning running on very little sleep.”
Volume 39, Number 5
News New uniforms introduced starting next year 6
Courtney Kurtz News co Editor The cafeteria tables are kept clean due to the help of rebellious, uniform-defying students. Cafeteria duty is one of the many punishments used to enforce the current dress code, but the administration has decided to eliminate the problem of dress code violations by implementing a new uniform. Beginning with the class of 2008, the current JC uniform will no longer exist. Primarily, the administration felt the need for a new uniform because they wanted to include our school colors: black, gold, and white. Also, they felt it was necessary to give the school a more uniform appearance. However, the decision for new uniforms was not made simply on a whim. “It was a discussion that was happening between several people on administration for probably about a year,” said Mrs. Brueggemann. The deans of students and admissions gathered information about uniform styles from Flynn & O’Hara, the uniform store, and a Þnal decision was made by the Board of Trustees and other organizations. “There are adjustments to the male uniform, and the girl’s uniforms are entirely new,” said Mrs. Brueggemann. The males now have to wear either black or khaki pants
and they can only wear yellow or white solid shirts. Also, only solid navy or black sports coats may be worn. “They’re being tightened up,” said Mrs. Brueggemann. Since only minor alterations are being made to the male uniform, males seem to remain fairly non-chalant on the issue. Junior Andrew Cranford said, “I’ll be a senior, so I don’t really care. But if I was a freshman next year, I wouldn’t really mind.” On the other hand, the only thing that has remained the same with the girl’s uniforms are the stockings and shoes, and there are additional stipulations to those as well. Girls currently have the option of wearing navy, green, white, or nude stockings,
During the winter dress code, girls will also have the choice of wearing a black, v-neck sweater with the JC logo on the front. All the sweaters will be over-the-head, and no cardigans will be allowed. The shirts are long or short-sleeved banded polos. The banded waistline allows for students to leave their shirts untucked, while still giving off the clean appearance of a bloused out shirt. Administration chose the banded shirts to eliminate shirttails sticking out of skirts. “I like the idea of the long sleeved polos,” said junior Aisha Turner. Next year, upperclassmen will have the option of wearing the new polos with their current skirts, but wearing the new uniform in its entirety is mandatory for the class of 2008 and all the classes to follow. According to Mrs. Brueggemann, the new uniform is supposed to prevent students from looking unkempt and to give the uniform just that: a uniform appearance. With all the different variations currently available, JC’s uniform was defeating its own purpose. Since next year’s freshmen will all be dressed in the new uniform, girls can no longer be scolded for their top buttons being unbuttoned or their photo by Courtney Kurtz mischievous shirttails. Cafeteria After an off mod, junior Shannon Lhotsky heads to her locker duty will just have to be left to the wearing the new uniform. upperclassmen.
MRS. BRUEGGEMANN
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hey’re being tightened up.”
but next year’s freshmen can only wear black or white tights. Also, girls now have the choice of wearing either black or brown leather shoes. The new uniform calls for black shoes only. Technically referred to as Glen Plaid, the new skirts for the girls are a tightly woven black and white pattern, and share the same kilt style as the nowexisting skirts.
Mr. McAdams recovering well after bypass surgery Dave Lomonico Staff Writer Mr. McAdams is ofÞcially on the road to recuperation. After a scary incident in which the JC vice principal suffered a heart attack and had to go through bypass surgery, he is looking forward to getting back his strength and returning to JC. Mr. McAdams said that
he had blockages in the arteries around his heart, thus needing bypass surgery. “The situation was fairly severe and it needed to be dealt with quickly,” said Mr. McAdams. Basically, he went through a process called cardiac catheterization in which a catheter, which is like a long and thin tube, is used to locate the blockages in the heart. After the catheter revealed the blockages, a
healthy vein was taken from the … my leg is still stiff from the leg and sewn onto the aorta. This surgery and that makes it hard to vein was used to “bypass” the bend over,” he said. blocked vessel so that blood could once again ßow freely to the heart. MR. McADAMS “The operation was successful, and he operation was I’m looking pretty good and I’m feeling successful, and I’m pretty good,” said Mr. looking pretty good McAdams. After four days in the hospital, and I’m feeling pretty Mr. McAdams is now good.” at home where he is looking to recover. However, he does not anticipate Very soon, he will returning to JC any time soon. be going through cardiac Said Mr. McAdams, “I really rehabilitation, which he describes don’t know when I’m returning … as the cardiologist, “hooking you my best guess is that I may return up to monitors and making you in about a month.” Furthermore, walk on treadmills.” The purpose he added, “[The doctors] really of the rehab is to exercise the don’t know how much damage is done and further testing is needed.” Right now Mr. McAdams is in a resting stage where he performs a few basic exercises every day, trying to begin moving around again. “I haven’t ventured very far yet
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arms and legs in order to show the doctors that progress has been made. The cardiologists will monitor his movements, check his blood pressure, and let him know what he should be doing in order to get back to full strength. They will advise him on proper dieting and what types of physical activity he should be performing. During his stay in the hospital and at home, Mr. McAdams wanted to make a point in thanking everyone from JC for their support. “I’ve received a few large cards, lots of well-wishes, and a whole lot of fruit baskets,” said Mr. McAdams. Mr. McAdams certainly was cheerful and optimistic about his recovery and hopefully we will see him in the halls of JC very soon.
GET WELL SOON, MR. MCADAMS
Patriot file photo
Wearing a stylish sombrero, Mr. McAdams flashes his signature smile. The JC community anxiously awaits his return and look forward to seeing him in the halls again.
Volume 39, Number 5
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STAFF
March 2004
News
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Successful senior retreat Erin O’Brien News co Editor This year’s senior retreat, which took place between Wednesday March 11 and Thursday March 12 was located at Willow Valley in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was described by Mrs. Murphy as being one of the most successful retreats ever. The combination of the free time activities and the upbeat music from Tony Melendez led to an overall positive attitude and experience had by all.
(FROM TOP) (A) SARAH WALKER AND KELLY TOWNLEY LEAD A CONGA LINE AROUND THE ROOM. (B) RETREAT LEADER TONY AND GUITARIST MITCH PLAY THE “LOVE SONG.” (C) ALEX HARNE MAKES AN ENERGETIC RETURN IN A GAME OF TENNIS COURT VOLLEYBALL DURING ONE OF THE RETREAT FREE PERIODS.
Retreat Director Tony Melendez was born without arms, but uses his disability as an inspiration for himself and others. One of his many talents is the ability to play guitar with his toes. Tony and his band, The Toe Jam Band, created an attitude of excitement and captured the interest of all the students. Many seniors commented that the retreat went beyond their expectations; senior Liz Earnshaw said, “It was a lot more fun than I think a lot of people thought [it would be].” Many students walked into the retreat house with feelings of animosity and the attitude that the quicker the retreat ended the better. However, these attitudes were quickly turned positive by the upbeat, “Love Song,” that Tony Melendez led the students in. That evening there was a pool party that many students enjoyed. However, the most successful part of the retreat was the free time that students were given. Many seniors took those opportunities to strengthen their relationships with group games like volleyball and basketball, which were the hit of the free time. Perhaps the most memorable part of the retreat was the open mic time on Thursday when students were given the chance to say whatever they wanted to their class. Senior Brian Averill used this metaphor to describe retreat, “Retreat was a lot like a dark room, you see when the lights turn off the room gets darker, and you are greeted by candlelight, and you may notice that this candlelight is warm—just like retreat.” The senior class was surely strengthened by the retreat. Earnshaw commented that, “It was a wake up call that school is almost over and we need to start appreciating each other more.” The success of the retreat has been accredited not only to the unity of the class, but also to the efforts of Tony Melendez and his band members. Derek Lynch commented that, “The retreat this year went really well. It was by far the best retreat that I have ever been on. It is going to be a hard retreat to top because Tony Melendez was there and that made it really unique.”
photos from Patriot files
photo by Erin O’Brien
In February JC was visited by the Cardinal Shehan choir. The assembly that they sang at was dedicated to the value of service. The choir added spirit and enthusiasm to the gym full of students, faculty, and guests. They were a pleasant diversion from the ordinary assembly music.
Senior bench receives facelift Pat Isennock Staff Writer One morning, seniors were called to the cafeteria during homeroom, where they learned of a gift their class will be the Þrst to beneÞt from. JC’s class of 1998 donated a new senior bench and a facelift for the other benches. There was a presentation from the class of 1988 and Ms. Ann Kangas, the annual fund director of JC. They donated these benches to JC because it is tradition that every class donates something to the school. At each class reunion, the alumni are challenged to double the number of people in the class who donate money towards the gift. According to Mrs. Kangas, the class of 1988 “thought that their times on the senior benches were among their best times here.” The bench, which cost about
STUDIO 221 620 W. MACPHAIL RD. 410-420-0519 March 2004
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seven hundred dollars, has a wood frame and a brown padded seating surface. The class of 1988 donated the bench in memory of their classmate Emily Stobie, who was killed by a drunk driver. Prior to the facelift, the senior benches were greatly deteriorating. The administration posted an ofÞcial set of rules at senior bench in attempt to help preserve the benches, but ultimately, they were in desperate need of repair. They were ripped in all different places, and some of them had curious stains on them. However, the new benches are greatly appreciated by the current seniors. “The new benches are comÞer,” said senior Matt Fritz. With the rules of senior bench being more clearly established and more strictly enforced this year, and in years to follow, these benches should be with JC for many future classes to enjoy.
PROM SPECIAL SPECTACULAR FORMAL UPDOFORMAL MAKE-UPMANICURE ALL FOR ONLY $90
FOR THE BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT Volume 39, Number 5
Features
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Internet Predators Prey on Lack of Privacy The Internet’s increasing accessablilty has made it the perfect tool for sexual predators, who can escape undetected into cyber space. By Katie Chlada Editor in Chief
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hristina Long’s life was full of promise. At her Catholic school, the sixth-grader got good grades, led the cheerleading squad, and was an altar girl for her church. Despite these positive qualities, Christina’s dubious personality ultimately led to her untimely death. On the Internet, this sixth-grader used provocative screen names and routinely had cyber sex with partners that she met in chat rooms. Unfortunately, Christina unwittingly revealed personal information about herself over the course of these encounters. In May of 2002, her body was found in a remote ravine in Greenwich, Connecticut…she was strangled to death by a man whom she had met on the Internet. Tragedies such as Christina’s have become increasingly common over the past decade with the growing availability and popularity of the Internet. The National Center for Missing
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and Exploited Children and the Justice Department have released alarming statistics: one of every Þve young people between the ages of 10 to 17 has received a sexual solicitation over the Internet. Currently, access to the Internet is virtually unrestricted; thus, much online activity by both adults and children is unregulated. As a result, it is easy for criminals and sexual predators to maintain anonymity while coaxing private information from their victims. The size of the Internet, and its popularity amongst younger age demographics, makes it the perfect tool for sexual predators searching for unguarded and naïve targets. Police say the vastness of information, along with innumerable chat rooms, makes investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of crime through the Internet near impossible. Applying existing laws to new technologies has been hard—police have trouble deÞning crime in the new information age
-- and new laws regarding Internet use take signiÞcant amounts of time to be deÞned and enforced. Unfortunately, for Christina Long, these reasons have led to a difÞcult investigation of her death, which is still unresolved. The Internet was not given the name the “Information Super Highway” for no reason. Information about an individual can be accessible with the click of a mouse or rather with the bite of a “cookie.” A cookie is most likely an unfamiliar for any typical Internet user. However, it can be a lethal tracking tool. A “cookie” is a small Þle of information that websites send to and from your browser to help the website know where you have been and what you have done. These cookies are also used to track your movement on the web. They provide information to others that may be conÞdential, such as the websites you have searched, items you have bought, and to whom you
have given your credit card information. These cookies can be disabled; however, most websites are built to function better by using a cookie. ike cookies, e-mail can also be a danger to an individual’s privacy on the web. Email does not only carry text, but one can receive picture, sounds, documents, and even video as an attachment. These attachments are usually unwanted and have the potential to cause serious damage to your computer. While many of those emails may seem merely annoying, pictures or other information found in them can be inappropriate or illegal. Disciplinary action is often taken in the workforce and in schools if employees and students are found opening such emails, even if they themselves have not requested them. These dangers not only could cost you your job and education, but, in cases such as that of Chris-
• Your email program should have a way for you to disable the automatic running of macros and other programs that you receive via email. Check the program’s help system to determine how to disable this feature.
• Disable cookies to prevent web sites from tracking private information about where you go and what you do on the Internet.
• If you receive a file with an
• Always read the privacy policies of web sites you visit to see what they will do with personal information about you.
• Do not send any picture of yourself to anyone you do not know personally.
nternet Safety Tips
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attachment and you don’t recognize and trust the sender, delete it without opening it. If you do trust the sender but it still seems suspicious, delete it or attempt to verify what it is before you open it. • Never get together with someone you met online without knowing the individual’s background. If a meeting is decided, be sure that it is in a public place and that you bring one or both parents along, or another adult you trust. March 2004
Features tina Long, they could cost you your life. Over 90% of websites report that they collect personal information about those who visit them. Credit card numbers, names, e-mail address, and home addresses are usually asked for when signing up for a service to complete a purchase. These are stored within the website and access can be relatively easy for those who are willing to hack into the systems. he cost of access to this global communications network is within the Þnancial reach of most people in wealthier nations, the US being one of the wealthiest. This open access allows predators and hackers to seep into the network. Within the last Þve years, this network with its worldwide audience has been undergoing commercialization. Some of the commodities are women and children. The Internet has accelerated and deepened the marketing of women for the purposes of sexual exploitatin. The Internet allows predators to create their own culture outside community standards or interference. The technology of computer-based communication also provides a high degree of privacy and anonymity for men to engage in stalking, viewing and coaxing women and children into acts of sexual exploitation. The Internet enables predators to extend their acts of abuse by writing about it and sharing it with other predators. E-mail, texts, images and videos that exploit or describe the abuse of a woman or child can be shared online with the world. Sexual predators reach out to Þnd a community of like-minded predators on the Internet. Through this online community, they can share their experiences and gain validation and praise for their behavior. redators use various forums on the Internet to communicate with each other and exchange illegal material or gain physical access to children for the purposes of abusing and exploiting them. Although predators have had a lead in technological expertise and equipment, by the mid-1990s some law enforcement agencies were starting to Þnally catch-up.
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• Do not give out personal information such as address, telephone number, parents’ work address or work telephone number, or the name and location of your school without your parents’ permission, and even then be sure that you know and trust the recipient. • Be careful about the information you reveal about yourself online, and always read the privacy policies of web sites to which you provide personal information. Never give out any personal numbers or passwords.
March 2004
In 1995, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched a crackdown on Internet predators called Innocent Images. The operation was created after a 10-year-old boy was lured from his home and brutally murdered in Maryland in 1993. His murder was traced to his communications to someone over the Internet. n September 1995, US federal agents raided 120 homes and ofÞces, arresting dozens of people in a large operation against online pornography and exploitation. The men had used the Internet service provider America Online to distribute
child pornography and arrange meetings with children for the purpose of sexually abusing them. In 1997, the Congress dedicated 10 million dollars to fund 60 new positions, including 25 FBI agents to investigate and prosecute men on the Internet who seek to contact children for later meetings and abuse. To continue their work, in 1998, the program received an additional 10 million. As of March 1998, efforts by the FBI Task Force and the US Customs Services have resulted
• If you ever encounter something online that you don’t understand or that makes you uncomfortable, tell a parent or teacher right away.
• Besides these steps, it is also possible to take matters one step further and surf entirely anonymously by using software that hides your identity altogether when surfing the web. Two examples are www.anonymizer.com and www.zeroknowledge.com.
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• Beware of Instant Messages from people you do not know. It may be fun at first, but it is almost always impossible to be totally sure who is on the receiving end of your messages.
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in 184 arrests and 240 convictions. However, these efforts being made by the law enforcement cannot save every victim. Each individual must take responsibility for their privacy and safety when signing onto their Internet service. Only after one is educated about the danger and how it can be avoided, then one can feel safe visiting and surÞng the Information Super Highway.
• Limit the amount of factual information in personal profiles. The basic search mode for internet surfers is the profile, and including information such as location and occupation can be dangerous.
Patriot
Volume 39, Number 5
Features
10
Metrosexuals emerge as ‘New Breed’ of men Sam Marll Staff Writer
A long time ago, it was considered acceptable in society for males to not have perfect fashion sense. White T-shirts and jeans were the garb of a true man, with car know-how and mechanical inclination being far more valued among men than fashion sense and color coordination. It used to be commonly accepted that men were far better at changing the oil in the car than Þguring out what the ol’ ball and chain (otherwise known as the Mrs.) wanted for her birthday. Those times are dead. Now it is 2004: The Rise of the Metrosexuals. “Metrosexuals.” When one Þrst hears this, their immediate reaction is “More feminazi propaganda? BORING. Next channel.” At least, that was my reaction. However, this metrosexual craze seems to have come out in full force across
the nation, swallowing up all gays and straights in an indiscriminate ßurry of stereotyping. In 1994, a British writer named Mark Simpson invented the term. But this leads many to ask themselves...just exactly what is a “metrosexual”? According to most sources, a metrosexual seems to be a male who has fashion sense, enjoys shopping, is sensitive to the needs of females, cares about his appearance, is willing to take care of the kids -but is still straight. This seems to imply two things. Firstly, that all straight men are beer-swilling, plaid-loving guys who expect their women to be cooking them a steak while they watch the football game, and will occasionally threaten beatings to the children if they’re sober enough to stand up. This is considered a bad thing nowadays. Secondly, it seems to say that if you are a male with any kind of fashion sense, interest in arts, or enjoy
shopping, it goes without saying you are a homosexual. Defenders of the new “metrosexual male” claim that metrosexuals take the best qualities of the gay man (shopping, fashion, redecoration, and sensitivity), and put them in the straight man. As we all know, all gay men share the exact same qualities as those of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Mark Simpson did a great job of simultaneously stereotyping two types of males. Sadly, however, surveys worldwide seem to say men are increasingly willing to give up the qualities that make men lumber jack-esque bastions of strength. 35% of men expressed the desire to “grow old with a woman I love” in a recent European survey. All stupidity aside, many young males are increasingly willing to take up this new mantle of the 21st century dude. When asked if he was a metrosexual, senior Seth Beck replied “I guess I could be, at times, maybe.” However, there are many hold-outs among the men of JC, who refuse to give in to the overwhelming desire to wear eyeliner and watch Lifetime. Junior Larry Hetzel deJohn Carroll presents, Real Patriots clared his refusal to ever get his nails of Genius. Today we salute you Mr. done, stating emphatically “No, not Napoleonic Complex Possessor. You in any way whatsoever. Yes, I like to recognize that a JC student with his sleeves unbuttoned carries the same cook, but I don’t like to cook ßan.” threat as an angry French peasant Mr. Wojewodzki with a pitchfork. Wielding your also afÞrmed his manliness, stat“Extreme Justice”- a personalized ing “I am absolutely clueless to BIC Steel Retractable Pen - you “ink- all things fashion or home décor arcerate” all possible revolutionaries related…but I do consider myself who are exhibiting signs of uniform the most stylish teacher at JC.” anarchy. Thanks to those little Most self-proyellow slips of supreme authority-claimed metrosexuals seem to sometimes referred to as detention originate from New York City, slips -- you have found a sense of purpose in your otherwise dull Chicago, and shockingly, San existence. So next time your writing Francisco. It is only natural that hand runs a detention slip marathon they would spread Bel Air, in a - give it a break by grabbing a cold rural county of a border state. one, a cold Dr. Pepper that is. Yes There seems to be an Mr. Napoleonic Complex Possessor, incredible degree of division between to you we say touché. Because as we men and women over whether being all know - even Mussolini had to start a metrosexual is a good thing. This is somewhere. why I propose we create another type of metrosexual: The female version. Apparently, if men John Carroll presents, Real Patriots of Genius. Today we salute you Mr. are expected to be feminine enough Assembly Attendance Enforcer. to take care of the kids, go shopSometimes students get lost, ping, clean, and cook, and still be confused, and befuddled. Commonly available to the ladies, then why our terrible sense of direction should women refuse to recogmisleads us - heading toward an nize their more masculine urges? assembly we often get lost and wind The new metroup mistakenly walking toward our car. sexual woman is knowledgeable But thankfully, with your CIA- style about cars, sports, will pay for his stealth, you quickly intervene and redirect us back toward our intended meal as well as hers while on a date, location. You have even developed is willing to put up with obscene sex crafty maneuvers such as hiding in jokes, and does not have random the bushes in hopes of performing mood swings - but is still straight. an ambush attack - GI Joe would be After all, why proud. Thanks to you, JC students shouldn’t women acknowledge their are now familiar with the violating masculine side? Not too much though. feeling of being stalked, and all were That would just be gay. in attendance at the last
More “Real Patriots of Genius” Erin O’Brien News co- Editor Back by popular demand, the Patriot staff takes this opportunity to recognize some more of the popular faces of JC. John Carroll Presents, Real Patriots of Genius. Today we salute you Mr. Athletic Field White-Liner. Just like Forrest Gump, the old guy from Rudy, and Radio you have mastered the art of athletic Þeld maintenance. You are like an honorable soldier going into battle. The enemy? Canada Geese. You have the unsurpassable ability to take your white powder and scatter it in a way that it is distinguishable from the birds‛ “white powder.” You entertain us during math class when looking out the window we see you spray painting all over the grass-- simultaneously destroying the ozone layer. As a master of geometry, you know what a rectangle looks like and as a master of art you know how to draw a giant one. But your job requires more than just a steady hand and a lonely heart - you must have a very long attention span as well. Without your hyper focus, we would Þnd ourselves receiving offside penalties while standing next to our goalie. So next time you‛re lining the Þeld and you begin to choke because of chemical inhalation, crack open a cold one...a cold Pepsi One that is. Because most men these days try to think outside the box...but not you Mr. Athletic Field Whiter Liner - you make the box. Today we salute you Mr. Long Legged- Desk Kicker. This world can sometimes be a harsh place of discrimination where the overly tall can drive in only trucks and SUV‛s. Here desks are designed for legs much shorter than yours. But just like Martin Luther King Jr. and some other civil rights leader, you have bravely overcome adversity. Yes, with a keen intellect you
Volume 39, Number 5
have managed to convert another desk‛s book basket into a handy-dandy ottoman. This is not only a gift to you, but also to the person occupying the seat attached to your new foot rest. Tapping your toes against the metal desk while keeping the beat to the teacher‛s lecture, you exhibit a musical genius second only to Mozart. Without you, the kid in front of you might fall asleep and miss something important. So today, instead of being a tall drink of water - have a tall drink of water. No, even better, crack open a cold one...a cold Coke that is. After all, caffeine stunts your growth. Yes Mr. Long Legged-Desk Kicker you are truly an unsung hero. Because for most people, having long legs is a discomfort. But for you, it‛s only a discomfort for others. John Carroll presents, Real Patriots of Genius. Today we salute you Mr. High School Newspaper Editor. You know how to take all of the important issues of the day and water them down for an illiterate high school audience. After you toil away at the computer writing Þve hundred words about the new athletic complex - knowing that it will change the world - you get the privilege of seeing your name in print and having your mom be the only person to read it. You feel super cool delivering gigantic piles of newspapers to all the homerooms - that is until you look in the mirror and see that you have black ink all over your face. Nobody can beat your Photoshop skills, and that is an achievement all on its own. But what makes you truly normal is that you spend all of your free time in a room that has no windows. You deÞnitely are the hippest square of the publication world. So next time you walk into the Patriot room and see a week old bottle of Sprite in the refrigerator, don‛t drink it! Instead venture up to the cafeteria for a change and crack open a cold one, a cold Mountain Dew that is. Kudos to you Mr. High School Newspaper Editor-- because the written word is a powerful thing, but only when somebody else reads it.
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pep-rally. For your hard work and ingenuity we think you deserve to crack open a cold one, a cold Surge that is. Because the right to assemble is essential to freedom, but the requirement to assemble is a whole ‘nother ballgame ... and every ballgame needs an umpire.
Patriot
March 2004
Entertainment
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Mel Gibson’s Passion shocks viewers Italy, every actor brings their respective Biblical character to life. James Caviezel is phenomenal as Jesus himself, with Monica Bellucci of Tears of the Sun Þlling the role of the unwilling prostitute Mary Magdalene superbly. Rosalinda Celentano haunts Jesus every step of the way as “Evil,” otherwise known as Satan.
99% of the movie critics out there today reviewing The Passion of the Christ have given this movie ten thumbs up, better than the normal two thumbs up. However, this independent project by Mel Gibson is not the brilliant epic everyone believes it to be. A long, poorly paced, brutally violent movie, interspersed with religious ßashbacks does not make a good movie. The Passion starts with Jesus’ temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane by Evil and his betrayal by Judas Iscariot. Following Jesus’s arrest, the movie slows down considerably until Jesus is brought before Pilate. The rest of this 127-minute long movie is nothing but pure violence. Imagine three men whaling on another man for almost an hour and a half. Essentially, this is the jist of the entire movie. No movie, no matter how religious or epic, can last for two hours on violence alone. The novelty of watching Jesus be horribly tortured wears off long before the movie ends, eliciting only disgust and shock through fountains of bloodspray from the audience. Even if the movie somehow managed to remain interesting through pure carnage alone, everyone Caviezel effectively portrays Jesus as he carries the cross. knows how the movie will end, and thus any attempt Perhaps the best performance (after Jesus, at plot twists or character development is made impossible. of course) is that of Hristo Shopov. Portraying PonHowever, the movie isn’t all bad. Director tius Pilate as an unwilling cog in the attempts of Mel Gibson brings the settings and characters to life the High Preist Caiphas’ to crucify Jesus, Shopov in a way never before seen by anyone else. Filmed in
makes Pilate appear as much more than an apathetic ruler who allowed the angry mobs to take Jesus. During the scenes that aren’t Þlled with bloodletting and torture, the movie’s dialogue is somewhat annoying. The dialogue of this two-hour ßick is spoken entirely in the dead languages of Aramaic and Latin. It is mildly irritating to be reading subtitles at the bottom of the screen as you watch Jesus resist the temptations of Satan. The constant jumping back and forth between the subtitles and the violence destroys some of the tension that the movie creates. However, Gibson did a superb job recreating the old locales in which The Passion takes place. The Apostles appear as desperately poor derelicts, not as calm, relaxed holy men. The streets and towns of Jerusalem are recreated accurately as dusty, impoverished nations where the Romans brutally occupied the region. It goes without saying this is not a movie for children or the faint of heart. As cats o’ nine tails lash down on Jesus again and again, or iron spikes are driven through his hands and feet, or the howls of the mobs reverberated through the theater, no one was left untouched by the gripping brutality of the Þlm. Saving Private Ryan, Reservoir Dogs, and Black Hawk Down are nothing compared to the raw violence that occupies most of this epic. www.seattlecatholic.com
Sam Marll Staff Writer
Media: not foundation for evil Prequel outshines DaVinci Code It seems that anyone today will blame anything on video games. Ever since the infamous Columbine High School Shooting back in 1998, parents have found violent games like Doom or Grand Theft Auto III the cause of every single problem with this country today. In 2002, a 15-year-old girl was brutally beaten to death by a kid whom her father claims was “obsessed with Grand Theft Auto III.” Just last summer, two kids in Tennessee were charged with murder after having accidentally killed a motorist imitating the game GTA III, where they sat on the side of a road and Þred a shotgun at passing cars. Normally I wouldn’t care about other people getting blown apart in other states, but after hearing about that last incident, I realized something: These violent video games aren’t causing kids to go out and kill random people. What’s causing them to do it is a disease I like to call Stupid, to quote Maddox. It’s a very serious disease that afßicts many people in this country. If you watch TRL, American Idol, or Paradise Hotel, there’s a very good chance you have the Stupid disease. Before you start Þrebombing my locker (1247), think about it. How did these kids manage to gain access to weapons and bombs? You have to wonder how responsible these parents are if their kids are able to gain access to their dad’s 12-gauge/9mm/ßamethrower without him noticing it’s gone. Secondly, if these games are so evil, then why aren’t the parents being responsible and NOT LETTING THEM BUY IT? Apparently, the Stupid disease is hereditary. Secondly, I have a hard time believing the notion that video games alone cause people to become violent and psychotic. When Grand Theft Auto
March 2004
III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City came out in 2001 and 2002, respectively, they instantly became the nation’s most popular games. There are two trains of thought regarding video games among the nation’s sociologists. The Þrst is that they cause a person to become aggressive and antisocial. The second is that they improve hand-eye coordination and reßexes. Approximately 7 million copies of GTAIII have been sold in the past two years. According to this logic, we should be witnessing 7 million 15-year-old super criminals with mega-catlike reßexes ransack the nation. If you look at most of the school shootings over the years, most of them were committed by deranged teens that were borderline-insane to begin with. I doubt it was video games that pushed them to slaughter people. Perhaps it was the constantly cruel treatment from their peers? Nah. Plus, this whole theory of electronic media negatively inßuencing teenagers at an impressionable age is pure bullplop. Just because I listen to the Beastie Boys “Intergalactic,” do I get the urge to “come from Uranus to check my style?” Do I get the urge to “put my rhymes on trial?” I don’t really want to “run the marathon to the very last mile,” either. I don’t need to “keep it goin’ keep it goin’ full speed,” and I don’t “like my sugar with coffee and cream,” also. No, I don’t. That’s because I have enough of a brain to know the difference between reality and fantasy. Parents and the government need to learn that video games don’t cause school shootings and senseless drive-by shootings. The Stupid disease does. When parents began to exercise more responsibility for their kids, lock up their guns, and stop leaving the TV to parent their kids, they’ll Þnd that school shootings and outbreaks of violence will decrease dramatically. Otherwise, the Stupid will overtake us all.
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Cati Horn Archives Editor In all of my reading, I have never come across a book quite like Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. This book has everything I could ask for: a fastpaced plot, interesting characters, and loads of suspense. Angels and Demons is the prequel to Brown’s latest, and most controversial, book The DaVinci Code. The mystery begins when Robert Langdon, a Massachusetts author and Harvard professor of symbology, is awoken one night by a panicked phone call. After being faxed a picture of a shocking murder, he reluctantly agrees to help in any way possible. Langdon soon discovers that the murdered man was Leonardo Vetra, a physicist who was working on forming antimatter, the strongest and most dangerous source of pure energy known to man. Vetra’s body was branded with the symbol of the Illuminati: an ancient society dedicated to the promotion of science over Catholicism. The antimatter is missing, buried somewhere beneath Vatican City. Langdon teams up with Vetra’s daughter Vittoria, also a physicist, on a frantic search to Þnd the missing antimatter before the Illuminati use it to incinerate the human race. The book deals with the never-ending battle between church and science. Dan Brown is amazing in his ability to mix his own imaginative characters with factual places and real historical events. His writing is similar to that of Michael Crichton in that the fact and the Þction work so well together. The plot is a little slow at times but manages to recapture the reader’s attention with a
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little patience. When the Cardinals begin appearing dead with Illuminati brands on their bodies as well, the story spins out of control and the book becomes nearly impossible to put down. So who did it? Have the dreaded Illuminati really risen again for revenge on a spiteful church? Is there deception among the honorable Swiss Guards? I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure, history, or mystery books.
www.amazon.com
Sam Marll Staff Writer
Volume 39, Number 5
Entertainment
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Video game geeks verbalize views Erin O’Brien and Billy Hughes News co Editor and Editorials co Editor As devoted video game geeks, we are pleased to present to you the 2004 video game review. We have each chosen some of our favorite games and reviewed them for your gaming pleasure. Although some of these games may not be sold anymore, you can still Þnd them at Ebay, Amazon.com, and Electronics Boutique. Earthbound (Rated K-A for Kids to Adults): Earthbound is a sort of sarcastic RPG (Role Playing Game) game made by RARE for the Super Nintendo. Although the storyline is a little bit weak, the game is deÞnitely addictive. It follows the story of Ness, a pre-teen boy who is destined to save the world (what else is new?). He and his posse Paula, Poo, and Jeff (we didn’t pick those names, but you can change them) must defeat the evil Giygas before he takes over the world ten years in the future. Some of the dialogue obviously got lost in translation, but overall RARE did a good job of translating the game into English. The battle scenes have trippy backgrounds, which are so intense that they almost send you into a seizure. The game also features several obvious drug references, including the mushrooms that can sprout on the characters’ heads and make them disoriented. The battle system is almost completely written out, but for some reason is still entertaining. A few years ago RARE had begun a sequel for the Nintendo 64, but after it was nearly Þnished, they halted its production. However, just recently, Nintendo announced that they will be releasing a game for the Game Boy Advance that features both Earthbound and Mother (the prequel that was released only in Japan) under the name Mother I and II. This teenybopperstyle RPG game is deÞnitely worth playing at least once. Kingdom Hearts (Rated E for Everyone): This is an RPG/Adventure game for the Playstation 2 that is the result of a combined effort from Disney Interactive and Square Enix. The game follows the story of Sora, a pre-teen boy who is destined to save the world (sound familiar?). With the help of Donald and Goofy, who are on their own quest, Sora travels to different Disney worlds and locks the keyholes that are letting the Heartless (heart stealing monsters) enter into the universe. Somehow they manage to feature both Disney and Final Fantasy elements without being cheesy (well no more cheesy than any other RPG game.) Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this game is just for children, because it has a complex storyline and some great characters. The graphics and FMV’s are phenomenal. Disney seems to have pulled out all the stops, with an all-star voice cast including Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, David Boreanaz, and several original
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Disney voices. The voice-over is probably the best I’ve ever seen, with the characters’ mouths and voices matching up almost perfectly. However, every game has its ßaws. The most annoying part of the game is the camera angle, which always seems to be blocked when you are trying to Þght someone. The battle system is original but somewhat hard to keep up with. The sequel to the game, Kingdom Hearts II, is already in the works, and the Game Boy Advance game, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, was released a few months ago. Final Fantasy VII (Rated T for Teen): This is an RPG Final Fantasy game made by Squaresoft for the Playstation. It follows the story of an ex-soldier named Cloud Strife who is not destined to save the world, but does. The game spans across three CDs and has a ridiculous amount of game play - at least Þfty hours. The good thing is that you will be having so much fun that you won’t notice that you have been playing it for two days straight —or maybe that’s a bad thing. The characters are awesome, with Cloud being the coolest video game character ever created. During the game, Cloud is accompanied by a myriad of characters including Barret, Cid, Aeris, Tifa, Red XIII, Cait Sith, YufÞe, and Vincent. The battle system is innovative— a timer controls who attacks and when. Advent Children, the sequel to the game Final Fantasy VII, is a movie that takes place two years after the end of Cloud’s adventure and will be released in June. Best Game That Provides Exercise For Geeks: Dance Dance Revolution (Arcade) (Rated E for Everyone): Go to any arcade these days, and you will see at least one Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) machine. It’s the incredibly ßaming, neon-ßashing, arrowblinking, techno-spewing monstrosity that has a line out the door. People love this game. The premise is that there are four arrows on the ground, and you have to step on them in a pattern, sometimes a really hard pattern, when the blinking lights on the screen tell you to. You fork over $1.50, and you get 5-10 minutes of sweaty geekiness. And there’s always the one guy at the arcade who is incredible and puts on a demonstration for the bunch of “beginners” who are trying their luck. He doesn’t look at the screen, he has the dances memorized, and he’s wearing his special dancing shoes. DDR is a cult phenomenon that just keeps getting bigger, and if you get past the initial embarrassment, it can actually be kind of fun. Best Game That Lets You Forget About Your Pathetic Life And Make a New One: The Sims (PC) (Rated T for Teen): Sim City started the trend. Then Sim Tower, Sim Island, Sim Jungle, Sim Helicopter, and Sim Shoe-Factory continued the trend. It was inevitable that The Sims would be created.
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Game Survey Billy
Erin
Favorite Games (NES)
Mario Bros. 3
Mario Bros. 1 and 3
Most Annoying Game That I played Anyway
The Sims (PC)
Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask (N64)
Favorite Heroes
Ness (Earthbound)
Ness (Earthbound), Cloud (FFVII), Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Favorite Bad Guys
Sephiroth (FFVII), Lynx (Chrono Cross)
Sephiroth (FFVII), Ansem (Kingdom Hearts)
Favorite Game of 2003
Soul Caliber 2 (Gamecube)
Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Metroid Prime 2 (Gamecube)
Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
Most Anticipated Game of 2004
Controlling a city just wasn’t enough for some people; some people wanted to control the m i n d s of their coveted PC subjects. The Sims starts when you make a person, man or woman, and then get them a job, help them make friends, and tell them when to go to the bathroom. Getting into The Sims is like getting a pet, especially if you play the new online version. Online, you can join houses and be a part of the larger Sim collective (undeniably creepy), and you get kicked out if you don’t spend enough time online advancing your made-up people and probable imaginary friends by this point. I never got into this game enough to be good at it; I had the most fun screwing up my fake people’s lives anyway. Best Game That Makes You Want To Punch That Friend Who Is Really Good At It: Goldeneye 64 (Rated T for Teen): Simply one of the best games ever. Goldeneye was the Þrst really good shooter game for 64 that also had a story, and it was hard enough to keep a person interested. You could play through the Bond story by yourself and have fun pumping Russians full of shotgun shells. But the real genius of the game was the multiplayer. You picked your character, your weapons, your codes, and your friends, and the game started. You stared at your corner of the 4-way split screen and tried to Þgure out where the heck that Moonraker or that Golden Gun was. There was always that one friend who knew all the “re-spawn” spots and where to get the best weapons and where to hide and made you want to shove your controller down his throat… always. Before Goldeneye, multiplayer games were out there but not fully taken advantage of. Having four people play at the same time was a semi-new concept, and Goldeneye made it work ßawlessly.
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Best Game That You Can Play Instead of Punching A Pillow: Unreal Tournament (PC) (Rated T for Teen): A game with no storyline - just pure, uncensored blood and guts. The hardest puzzle you have to Þgure out is whether you should destroy the guy you have cornered with your rocket launcher or burn him with your acid gun. Unreal Tournament has some pretty complex controls on some consoles, especially the PC, but the learning curve isn’t too bad and once you Þgure out that jumping is a good way not to get killed, you’ll be ok. Used to play Doom, Duke Nukem, or Mortal Combat? Buy Unreal Tournament. Don’t drool on the box. Billy’s Best Overall Game Ever: Chrono Trigger (SNES) (Rated K-A for Kids to Adults): RPG’s are Role Playing Games during which you play through a story as a certain character and gain levels and Þght battles and use magic and save the world. RPG’s are my favorite type of game to play, and Chrono Trigger is the best RPG ever made. The story of the game has to do with time travel. As Chrono, a teenager on whom the fate of the world rests, you have to manipulate time to change the bleak future of the world. You go back to prehistoric times and ahead to 2300 A.D. I love shooter games and Þghting games and Madden, but I’ve never had as much fun playing a game as I did when I played Chrono Trigger. Erin’s Best Overall Game Ever: Mario 3 (NES) (Not Rated): This is a game that needs no introduction. Being the third installment of the Mario series for the original Nintendo Entertainment System, this is by far the best of the three. I never tire of playing this game, and it’s even better to play it with a friend. This is the Þrst Mario game in which you can ßy, become a frog, or be a raccoon. Best of all-- on one level you can jump into a sock and hop around like you’re on a pogo stick. Mario 3 is by far the best game ever created, and with the game available for NES, SNES, and GBA it’s never hard to come by.
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Entertainment
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Movie critics acclaim atrocious films Britt Cramer and Billy Hughes Features co Editor and Editorials co Editor Every February the Academy Awards ceremony rolls around, and every single year, some long, boring war drama or a slow, weepy “artistic advancement” is nominated for about half a billion awards. Needless to say, truly quality movies, such as XXX, Zoolander, and The Ring, go completely unacknowledged. Who decided that Lost in Translation is better than How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? I’ll tell you who: Old people. As you and I both know, old people have a long history of poor judgment. This year, old people have shown a glimmer of intelligence, nominating Lord of the Rings and Johnny Depp, but still they still can’t break away from the tradition of nominating excruciatingly tedious movies. Some of the most acclaimed and “groundbreaking” movies of this year have also been the most pointless and least exciting. Here’s a look at only a few of the movies that the critics love, but we don’t:
American Splendor Britt: Let me start by saying that I fell asleep within the Þrst ten minutes of this movie. Billy: Let me start by saying that I bought it. Britt: Yay for you…waste of money. Billy: Ok, it was a waste of money, but it sounded good on the preview. It was a decent idea for a movie; it was just made really poorly. Britt: Maybe I just didn’t see enough of the Þlm, but as far as I can tell it’s basically a biography about this guy who has a boring, depressing life who works some dead end job and likes comics. So he decides, hey! I can’t draw, and nothing funny or exciting happens in my life…so logically I’m gonna make it into a comic strip. Billy: The problem is that the movie is about the “Underground Comic Scene,” a part of American culture that people haven’t seen before. The reason that people haven’t heard anything about it is that it’s boring. Just because a movie is depressing, sad, tragic, and “cutting edge” doesn’t make it good. Britt: I don’t have an attention span long enough to watch a movie about comic strips, especially when the comic strip is about stuff that happens in daily life. The movie focused on one idea for a really long time, and everyone seemed to move in slow motion. Billy: The movie is about a Þle clerk named Harvey, a Þle clerk who can write a comic storyline really well but can’t draw. So he Þnds somebody to draw the comic for him and gains notoriety. Then he “sells out” and promotes himself and Þnally, gets testicular cancer. There is nothing redeeming in the movie. You like Harvey, but every time something good is about to happen to him, his life goes immediately back to crap. He writes a good comic, and then gets exploited by the Tonight Show. He marries one of his fans, and then she starts trying to change everything about him. He starts to make a name for himself, and then he gets cancer. The movie ends and you feel nothing. A nothingness that is symbolic of the urban lower-class struggle? No. You feel a nothing that makes you wish you
T
Mystic River: (Britt)
Lost In Translation: (Billy)
I think:
I think:
I saw Mystic River mainly by accident. My friends and I went to the theater and were faced with a tough choice: Mystic River, a highly acclaimed “psychological drama” that promised to be thought provoking and deep, or The Perfect Score, a poorly made teen ßick where a bunch of kids band together to steal the SATs. Needless to say, we chose to see Mystic River, foolishly believing that the critics would not steer us astray…. T h e movie begins with three kids playing hockey in the street. One of the boys gets picked up by an unmarked car by a couple of guys claiming to be cops. Basically, the kid, named Dave, is abused (they never actually tell you this, but you just sort of pick up on it by the fact that the kid eventually becomes a reclusive nutcase) and the friends all grow up in the same neighborhood. One becomes a cop (Sean), the other a convenience store owner (Johnny) and the third, as I have already stated, a reclusive nutcase with a wife and kids. Long story short, Johnny’s oldest daughter gets killed, leading the cop friend to investigate the murder. Johnny’s religious and Italian, and gets his Godfather-esque family to independently search for his daughter’s murderer. He begins to suspect Dave, especially because the man has a car coated in blood and a big cut on his hand, and he decides to kill him for murdering his daughter. But then, surprise surprise, it turns out that Dave isn’t guilty, he had in fact murdered a child molester in the park and had nothing to do with Johnny’s dead daughter! Meanwhile, detective/police ofÞcer Sean wanders aimlessly around the neighborhood, interviewing everyone and getting nowhere. Sound okay to you? The plot isn’t too terrible…if only the movie weren’t 137 minutes long. The drama unfolds excruciatingly slowly…about 90% of the Þlm consists of closeups of the faces of the anguished characters. The color scheme of the movie (gray on gray) makes every scene sort of run together into a long, nondescript experience and you sit in the dark waiting for something, anything, to happen so you don’t have to see another anguished closeup. Everyone talks really slowly, and the story is told with numerous ßashbacks, an attempt to be “artsy” that only serves to further confuse and bore the audience. Also, the movie moves at such a slow pace that, by the end, you don’t even care what happens to any of these people. There are so many tearful hugging scenes or embittered misery speeches that you soon stop feeling any sympathy for the characters and want them to move on already. Basically, the critics loved that feeling of “blah” that you get at the end of
I was completely ready to like this movie. People had told me how great it was, critics loved it, and Bill Murray was in it. If Bill Murray can make Ghostbusters watchable, this movie couldn’t possibly be bad, right? Wrong. I gave this movie a solid shot, but within half an hour I was effectively “Lost n Translation.” The movie egins and the camera starts n a pink screen, then as the amera pans out, the scene revealed as…Scarlett ohansson’s butt. While ppreciated in its own right, Mrs. Johansson’s butt does ot exactly foreshadow inematic masterpiece. Bill Murray plays an ging, but still popular, actor named Bob, who is unhappy and doesn’t know where he’s going in life. Johansson plays a young newlywed named Charlotte, who is unhappy and doesn’t know where she’s going in life. So together, Murray and Johansson team up and unhappily go nowhere…in Japan. Now, this going nowhere is supposed to be fraught with deeper meaning and emotional signiÞcance - according to the critics. In one scene, A Japanese director gives Þve minutes of directions and the translator says to Bob, “act with more intensity.” The cut scenes where the characters just stare and observe life are supposed to show social commentary and the clash between cultures. When Charlotte stands outside of an arcade in Japan, watching the gamers and smiling, it’s not deep. It’s just creepy. If I was blasting aliens in an arcade, I wouldn’t want some lady standing hauntingly over my shoulder. But honestly, I just didn’t get Lost In Translation. I was too busy falling asleep to be awake to the symbollic side of the movie. I was too distracted by the nothing that was happening on the surface of the movie to bother looking for deeper meaning eneath the urface. To me, Lost n Translation was a movie bout two onely people ooling their ollective mptiness and randomly singing karaoke. The emotional signiÞcance, the redeeming qualities of humanity, and the cultural snapshots – lost on me.
A
riveting adult drama, one of Eastwood’s best directorial efforts in years. It is a heartbreaking slice of human drama that should not be missed...” Bob Bloom- Journal and Courier
he best movie about society’s untrendiest since Ghost World exactly two years ago.” Mike Clark- USA Today
March 2004
L
ost in Translation is delicate, heartfelt, and mesmerizing. Somewhere around all that depth it also manages to be funny.” Joshua Taylor- CINEMABLEND.COM
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Quotes courtesy of www.rottentomatoes.com
Volume 39, Number 5
14 Sports Mr. O’Brien retires from AD Mr. Dukes takes over AD After 34 years of service to JCS, Mr. Jerry O’Brien is retiring to Ocean Pines in Ocean City, MD Sam Marll Staff Writer
All things eventually must come to an end. After 34 years working at JCS, Mr. Jerry O’Brien is retiring in June, leaving behind a long legacy of teaching, coaching and athletic directing that has left a lasting mark on the JC community. Thirty-three years ago, Mr. O’Brien began his service to JC. Before that, he had spent nine years as a teacher in Baltimore County. He coached baseball, football, and basketball while working at Northern High School and St. Pius X. After coming to John Carroll in 1970, he originally served as a Latin teacher and English teacher. Working with students was one of Mr. O’Brien’s favorite passions, and he admitted “I’m really gonna miss it.” In 1973, Mr. O’Brien was offered the position of Athletic Director. He gave up the position of English teacher to concentrate on Latin and the athletic ofÞce. Mr. O’Brien admitted that while being athletic director for thirty years was a rewarding experience, “Sitting behind the desk, there’s not much interaction with students.” From 1970 to 1989, Mr. O’Brien was the head coach of varsity baseball. Under his direction, the JC baseball team was extremely successful. In 1971, the varsity team won the B conference championship against McDonogh, defeating them at Memorial Stadium. Unfortunately, they lost the ’72 championship to McDonogh the following year. In 1982-84, O’Brien also led the baseball team to victory in the Harford County Baseball Championship. Since 1979, Mr. O’Brien has been a member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrations Association as well, and was Vice-President of the State Athletic Director’s Association from 1988 to 1990.
Volume 39, Number 5
During his years in the MIAA and the MIAM, Mr. O’Brien garnered a reputation for being an extremely hard worker. One of his favorite parts of being athletic director was working with fellow directors in both organizations. Many of his fellow coaching and teaching colleagues also hold him in the highest regard. Mr. Perry remarked, “I have found him to be as good a mentor as a boss.” Mr. O’Brien stated that two of his favorite coaching friends were Coach Gerry Gray and Mr. Welsh. “They were two very Þne coaches,” he said. Mr. O’Brien also went on to say that “I will particularly miss working with Mr. Perry and Ms. Shannon.” Following the end of his 34year-long stint as teacher and photo by Rose DiPaula director at JC, Mr. O’Brien plans to sell his house in Bel Air and move to Ocean Pines in Ocean City with his wife to spend his days playing golf and doing volunteer work. Mr. Larry Dukes will assume the mantle of Athletic Director. .
Rose DiPaula Sports co Editor JC has a new addition to its athletic department and it’s not another team, it is new athletic director Larry Dukes. Mr. Dukes will be taking over for Mr. Jerry O’Brien, JC athletic director for 34 years, who will be retiring in June. Mr. Dukes has coached the JC swim team for the past three years and just this fall became head coach of the new water polo team. His new position as athletic director will begin this summer. “I am really looking forward to being around the athletics and getting involved in the community,” said Dukes. Dukes holds a masters degree in administrative science from Johns Hopkins and a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Loyola College. He also wrestled for Loyola. Dukes Þrst began his career as an assistant public relations director with the Baltimore Colts. He also found himself in charge of all on-Þeld duties on game-days. Dukes then worked with the military, designing a high-tech radar system. He then became President of a health care credit card company and was principal of a company that worked on statistical modeling and database analysis. Over the last seven years, Dukes has pursued his involvement in young peoples’ athletics, including becoming President of software company Time2.Inc, which
specializes in sports management software for high schools and colleges. The software helps schools create web pages. Along with his software company responsibilities, Dukes owns Just 4 Kids Sports, the largest athletic developmental program for kids in the county. Just 4 Kids includes an indoor Þeld and pool in Forest Hill and a golf facility in Black Horse. Dukes has taught computer programming here at JC, in addition to teaching at New York University, Perry Hall High School, and AT&T and MasterCard Universities. Dukes was one of 88 applicants that applied for the job of athletic director. “This is something that has always been a dream and I really wanted to do it. Jerry has done a lot of great things for JC and I could never Þll those shoes,” said Dukes. Mr. Dukes is already wellknown around JC. After coaching swimming and water polo, many students are excited about his promotion. “I always thought he was really helpful and cheerful. He is always smiling,” said junior swimmer Tess Hackford. Coaches are also excited about his promotion. “I think it’s a very good objective decision. I think he’ll be awesome. His experience will bode well for our athletic department,” said JC religion teacher and JV basketball coach Mr. Vierheller. Mr. Dukes resides in Monkton with his wife, Kathy, along with their four children; their oldest is freshman David Dukes.
Baseball swings for successful season Adam Bell Staff Writer
Last season is a season that the JC varsity baseball team is happy to forget. The team Þnished 3-15, in the bottom tier of the MIAA “A” Conference, nowhere near qualifying for the playoffs. This was a major disappointment and low time in the history of JC baseball. However, the team has a positive outlook for this season and deÞnitely has enough talent to make a run at the playoffs. The team, still irritated about last year’s season, started practicing about Þve weeks ago every Sunday night at the Arena Club on Churchville Road.
The
“We’re trying to shake off last instead of sticking with baseball. Marseason,” said senior Justin Wolfe, “This key and Fox are going to have to lead a year we know we have enough talent to young and inexperienced pitching staff Þnish in the top six and make the playoffs.” if the team wants to succeed this year. During the one-hour practices The Patriots largest competiat the Arena Club, the team mainly just tion is going to come from St. Paul’s, Þelded ground balls and took some batting practice to work on some fundamentals before the season starts. They hope that this extra time they put in will help them in the long run. They will do whatever it takes to improve from last season. The Patriots have most of their key players back from last season. Top returning players include senior catcher Andrew Sacks, sephoto by Mary Beth Derbyshire nior second baseman Players prepare for play in a scrimmage against Harford Tech. Randy Boyle, senior shortstop Eric Dezell, senior outÞelder Mount St. Joe’s, and Calvert Hall. St. Justin Wolfe, senior pitcher/outÞelder Paul’s has won the “A” Conference two Chris Markey, and junior pitcher Rob Fox. straight years and Mount St. Joe’s and The team also has several talented Calvert Hall are traditionally strong. JC is anxiously awaiting the start sophomores that will move up from JV this year. The team is hoping these new-com- of the season. Their Þrst game is Monday ers can contribute and help bring in more March 22nd at St. John’s Prospect Hall. success. Some of these players include The Patriots’ Þrst home game is Wednesthird baseman/pitcher Bryan Wolfe, Þrst day, March 24th against Mount St. Joe’s. baseman Jeremy Finck, and pitcher Tra- The team has been hard at work for weeks vis Rowe. All three players could see now, and is ready for its Þrst few tests. “Our team is looking forsome signiÞcant playing time this season. The team’s biggest weakness ward to a good year and we would like right now is pitching. JC lost its most to have a lot of people out to support consistent pitcher from last season, Joel us,” said senior inÞelder Ryan Heller. Weinholt, to graduation. Senior Matt The Patriots are determined to sucreFitzpatrick, who was supposed to be the ceed as a team and want to to better baseball status. team’s ace this year, decided to play golf turn
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March 2004
Sports
15 JV mens basketball steps it up, advances in playoffs Rose DiPaula Sports co Editor
Finally, the JC men’s basketball program has experienced success. This season the JV team made it to the MIAA playoffs, and earned a winning record - a Þrst in years for JC basketball. The team also accomplished all of this with a new head coach, JC religion teacher, Mr. Vierheller. Although this was his Þrst year head coaching at the high school level, Mr. V has plenty of experience. Mr. V has coached in recreation leagues, travel leagues, a Catholic school league, and even assisted former JC teacher Mr. Jason Snyder and Mr. Mullin in coaching the JV team over the past three years. Ironically, the team had no set goal of the playoffs at the beginning of the season. Instead, the team had other things to focus on. The team wanted to improve their record from past years and strengthen their skills. “I told them to remember things like camaraderie, having fun, and fundamentals, and the rest will take care of itself,” said Mr. V. With nine returning sophomores and only three new freshmen, the team had experienced leadership, something many teams lose due to players moving up to Varsity. Captains were sophomores An-
drew Kriss, Chaz Linn, and Bryan Wolfe. Finishing 11-11 and 10 –8 in the conference, the Patriots had many great highlights and upsets this year. The team beat the number one ranked team in their conference, Boys Latin, 67-54, a highlight for many of the players. Boys Latin was then 12-1after losing to the Patriots. To clinch their spot in the playoffs, the boys beat the Friars of Archbishop Curley. After being down by 29-38 at the end of the third quarter, the Patriots
I
MR. VIERHELLER
told them to remember things like camaraderie, having fun, and fundamentals, and the rest will take care of itself.” scored 24 points in the fourth quarter to the Friars 12. The Patriots won 53-50. Oddly enough, less than a week later, the boys had to face Curley once again in the Þrst round of the playoffs. “We were going to continue to play
the same, especially on defense. We stressed shot selection and foul shooting, inside shots and lay-ups,” said Mr. V on the team’s playoff preparations. The game was a battle from the beginning. The Patriots scored Þrst in the Þrst 10 seconds of the game off a 2-point shot from sophomore captain Bryan Wolfe. The Friars quickly answered with a 3-pointer to take the lead. By the end of the Þrst quarter, the Patriots and Friars were tied, 11-11. With two minutes left in the half, the Patriots took the lead 17-15 off a 2-pointer from sophomore captain Andrew Kriss. The Patriots closed the half with a Þve-point lead, 23-18. Kriss was the Þrst to score coming out of halftime to bring the Patriots lead up to seven, 25-18. Wolfe buried a 3-pointer to push the lead to ten, 3222. By the end of the quarter, the Patriots had a thirteen-point lead, 41-28. Curley came out to a strong start to open up the fourth quarter, going on an 8-0 run in the Þrst two and a half minutes of the quarter. They were only down by Þve, 41-36. After a quick 2-pointer by Kriss and a foul shot by Wolfe, the Patriots were back up by 8. But once again, the Friars roared back on a 7-0 run to be within one, 44-43, but the Patriots never gave up their lead. Not ten second later, Kriss Þred off another 2-pointer to secure JC’s lead. The
Patriots won their Þrst playoff game, 51-48. Two days later, the Patriots had to face Boys Latin at Boys Latin, were they had beaten them only two weeks before. Boys Latin took the lead in the Þrst quarter, 11-4. The Patriots outscored the Lakers 19-14 in the second quarter, with the Patriots down by two at the half. The Patriots Þnished the third quarter down by six, 30-36, but the game was still not out of their hands. JC came back to score sixteen points in the fourth quarter, but unfortunately, Boys Latin outscored them with eighteen points. The Patriots ran out of time and lost 54-46. Their playoff run and amazing season had ended. The boys of the team are already looking forward to next season. “Everyone’s coming back for Varsity and we’re winning the championship,” said sophomore captain Chaz Linn, who unfortunately suffered a hand injury in the last regular season game. He was unable to play in the two playoff games. “It was truly a privilege to coach this team. Each player’s attitude, intensity, and commitment were exceptional and inspiring,” said Coach V. These boys had a year Þlled with surprises and challenges they were forced to overcome. These boys took each game with stride and learned to take each one, one at a time. This is the future of JC basketball.
Cheerleaders capture titles, earn regional recognition The JC cheerleaders recently capped off an extremely successful and exciting season, marking the program’s growth in recent years. The cheerleaders earned three regional titles and two MIAA championship titles this year. The girls’ competition season started in October, even before Homecoming. The team hired choreographers from UCA, who came for a weekend in October and a weekend in November to teach the girls their routines. First for the girls was a trip to George Washington University on December 13 for the UCA Regionals. The Varsity competed in the Large Varsity division and earned Þrst place honors. The JV team competed in the Small Junior Varsity division and also earned Þrst place. After a brief Christmas break, the girls were back to work to prepare for the MIAA cheerleading championships on January 24 at Dundalk Community College. Up against six other teams, the Varsity pulled out another MIAA title. Mount Carmel and the Institute of Notre Dame closed out the top three. The JV also earned a title for the Patriots, with St. John’s Prospect Hall and Baltimore Lutheran Þnishing second and third. “We came, we saw, we conquered,” said junior cheerleader Shannon Lhotsky. Sophomore Katie Murphy was runner-up for the Varsity Shining Star award. Freshman Kari Patchak was awarded Þrst in the JV Shining Star competition and sophomore and JV captain Jenn Sacks was awarded third. Once again the girls were back to work, this time preparing for their biggest competition of the season: the Reach the Beach Regional Championships held in Ocean City on February 28. As last year’s Novice Varsity defending champs, both teams performed ßawlessly and energetically. The JV won the Small Junior
March 2004
photo by Mrs. Trish Falter
Rose DiPaula Sports co Editor
The Varsity cheerleaders pose with their MIAA championship trophy on January 24. This was the second of the girls’ championship titles of the season. The girls beat out six Varsity teams for the title. Unfortunately, junior Shannon Lhotsky could not compete, but sophomore Katie Costello filled in.
Varsity division, while the Varsity won sixth place out of eleven Medium Varsity teams. While in OC, the girls enjoyed a team dinner party and honored senior captains Ashley Mellott, Erika Horn, and Katie Falter. “The after party was a lot of fun and a great way to end the weekend,” said senior Mellott. The girls also cheered many of the home basketball games for both the boys and girls basketball teams. The cheerleaders also performed for the school at the annual winter pep rally. The cheerleaders are coached by Mrs. Cathy Seufert, Mrs. Trish Sergi, and Mrs. Suzette Faby.
The
Patriot
Mrs. Seufert, the Varsity Head Coach, has come back to her old position. She began working as the cheerleading coach and choreographed the band front in the early nineties. Her daughter, Sandy ‘96, also cheered for the Patriots. Mrs. Seufert is a former Mercy Hish School cheerleader. “Although our team was inexperienced and young, with our coaches and the help from each other, we pulled together, formed bonds, and became a Þrst-place team,” said Lhotsky. When this group of seniors began cheering at JC, the team consisted of ten girls, on both JV and Varsity combined. Now the program has grown to more than thirty girls, and has earned numerous championship titles in its competition career. Senior captain Ashley Mellott stated, “Two Þrst-place trophies and a lot of great memories have made for a very successful season. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to my cheerleading career here at JC.”
Volume 39, Number 5
16 Sports Mr. Hughes takes over girls varsity lacrosse program Dave Lomomico Staff Writer
A winner. It’s one of the highest compliments one can be paid. And for an athletic coach, it is an especially great honor to be called a winner. JC science teacher, Mr. Hughes, the new Girls Varsity Lacrosse coach knows what it takes to win. After three years of successfully pushing the Boys JV lacrosse team to their limits, Mr. Hughes has Þnally returned to the varsity level – after previously coaching Mens Varsity Soccer. His next task is to lead the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, where he will look to build yet another dominant program. Making the transition from JV to varsity will undoubtedly be a challenge, but Mr. Hughes has overcome the obstacles before and he is sure that he can put up another successful season. Said Mr. Hughes, “It feels great to be coaching varsity again… I’m excited about this team.” Furthermore, Hughes added, “I’ve got a great bunch of girls this year.” Not only will he be making the jump from JV to varsity, but Hughes will also be making the switch from boys to girls. However, he does not see this change to be a major problem, though he says that he may adjust his game-plan
“When we practice,” said strategies with the girls. “I try to be sen- son.” After all the pre-season preparations, player Rachel Woolford, sitive to the gender differences. With the the varsity coach feels that, “you will see current girls it’s more of a Þnesse game whereas [the team] win a lot of games this year.” “Mr. Hughes has ways to get our atwith guys it’s more of a physical game.” Physically, Hughes’ team will be tention and to get us to focus.” Though the game plan will be different, the philosophy will be the same. He will look to work his team hard to make sure that he has players that will give maximum effort at all times. Said Mr. Hughes, “We work a lot on conditioning so that [the girls] are physically ready for the season.” Current varsity player Michelle Boniface added, “The tough practices and his coaching style will beneÞt us in the long run and hopefully result in many victories this year.” Coaching on different levels has not affected Mr. Hughes in the least. No matter what level of lacrosse, Mr. Hughes will photo by Mary Beth Derbyshire Þnd a way to get his players As a huge supporter of endurance, Mr. Hughes ensures his girls can run. to perform. Said former JV player Chris Stevenson, “Coach It is evident that Mr. Hughes wishin shape for the season, but they will be Hughes knows how to get the most prepared mentally as well. Making sure es to contribute positively to the program. out of any player he puts on the Þeld.” that the team excels in the Þnesse style He certainly has the credentials and abilAfter the Girls’ disappointing sea- of play and in making smart decisions ity to lead the Girls Varsity lacrosse team son last year, the expectations have changed. on the Þeld is imperative to success. Mr. to success this season. Said Mr. Hughes, According to Mr. Hughes, the main goal Hughes obviously knows and is familiar “I’m experienced, I’m an excellent motivafor this season is to “have a positive sea- with what is necessary to be successful. tor, and I have the desire to win as a coach.”
Boys lacrosse shoots for back 2 back championships on the championship game May 21st at Towson University. This is the same Þeld where the team took home Last year was one of the most sucthe crown last year. cessful seasons in JC men’s lacrosse his“We expect tory. The JV and Varsity teams both won to play in the MIAA “B” Conference championship. the chamHowever, the program is not pionship satisÞed with just one year of championgame on ships. Both teams are favored to Þnish May 21st and at the top of the conference again. The win,” said Varsity and JV will not accept anyNick Johnson. thing less than repeating as champions. The team’s The varsity squad, coached by strongest competition Mr. Keith Hinder Sr., Mr. Blair, and Mr. from last year, Archbishop Spencer, lost a lot of key players includSpalding, moved up to the ing Drew Westervelt, Brian Vierheller, “A” Conference this year. Keith Hinder, and Kyle Leppert to graduWith Spalding’s deparation. Fortunately, the team still has a lot photo by Mary Beth Derbyshire ture, Park should be the of talented returning players. Returners Captains Matt Scanonly school that stands between include seniors John Vigliotti, Jeff Pilarski, lon and Ryan Sarigianis have the team JC and its back-to-back championships. Nick Johnson, Greg Scherer, Matt Scan- practicing hard and have their mind set From day one of practice this year, the team set two goals: to go undefeated and win the championship. “We expect to win,” said junior goalie Greg Boyle. The JV team defeated Friends last year for the championship. Like the Varsity’s rival, Spalding, Friends moved up to the “A” conference. It should be a dogÞght between Park, Curley, and JC for Þrst place in the JV regular season. Coaches Mr. Perry and his new assistant Mr. Jim Mulligan have an extremely young team this year. A lot of sophomores made varsity so some of the leaders from last year’s team are gone. Mr. Perry pointed out JC added another new face to its coaching staff this season. Mr. Jim Mulligan April 26th and April 28th as two is the new assistant coach for the Boys JV Lacrosse team. Mulligan brings a lot crucial dates to the team’s sucof lacrosse experience to the table. He was a four-year varsity letterman for Johns cess this season. On the 26th Hopkins University, which has one of the strongest college lacrosse programs in the they play Park at home and on country and is nationally ranked year after year. Mulligan played attack and goalie. the 28th they travel to Curley. Coach Mulligan and Coach Perry are excited about the upcoming season and hope to These two games are late in the repeat as MIAA “B” conference champions.
Volume 39, Number 5
lon, Ryan Hamill, Liam Gettier, and Ryan Sarigianis and juniors Greg Boyle, Dane Frank, Brett Leppert, and Dan Hinder.
season and could turn into “must win” games back-to-back if the team wishes to Þnish in Þrst place for the regular season. Mr. Perry said that this year “should be a good learning experience.” He also added that “if the ball bounces our way, who knows what can happen.” Mr. Perry also noted that Lutheran and Chapelgate Christian are two sleeper teams in the league this year. They are new to the conference and not many teams know that much about them. These two new teams could add to the competition. Varsity’s Þrst home game is March 26th against St. John’s Prospect Hall and JV’s Þrst home game is March 29th against Chapelgate.
photo by Mary Beth Derbyshire
Coach
New
Adam Bell Staff Writer
The
Patriot
March 2004