Campbell

Week1: Brokeback Mountain Short Story

In the story Brokeback Mountain, Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar are two young ranch hands whose paths cross while tending sheep in the remote Wyoming wilderness.  Somehow these two young men found themselves becoming physically intimate in an abrupt and unexpected manner. Was it the combination of the isolation, inclement elements, and alcohol that sparked this event, which was burned in to their psyches and forever shaped their sexuality? Possibly; however, there are numerous other theories as to why this took place.  What are the odds, this story notwithstanding and its attempt to break down societal norms, that two men in the middle of nowhere who have little knowledge of each, other prior to their meeting, would both be sexually attracted to each other?  It is likely that if the two men did not share the same orientation, Jack might have found himself dead in the Wyoming wilderness at the hands of Ennis rather than on the side of the road in Childress, TX sharing the same fate as the old man, Earl, that Ennis’s father showed him in his youth explaining about expectations of a man.

Jack and Ennis parted ways after that summer on Brokeback mountain and for all intensive proposes lived hetero-sexual lives, both marring and having children, until Jack reached out and made contact with Ennis some four years later and sending both of their lives into a disruptive cycle.  Both had married woman who eventually wanted more out of life as they mature than the two restless wayward and rambling men could offer.  Alma and Lureen both in their own ways broke free of their societal bonds, Alma by divorcing Ennis in search of a better more secure life, and Lureen who became the head of her father business in the absences of Jack’s ambition.

Reading the full story, I found it hard not to have sympathy for the strong emotional, perhaps even love that Jack and Ennis shared for one another; however, it seemed that every encounter was strictly physical without the full depth of a true relationship. Yes one would argue that the there was no chance at a meaningful relationship, because the two men were bound by societies rules of masculinity and the excuse that they had followed that up with marring woman and procreating fulfilling  societies perception and of judgment of men.  Yet Jack and Ennis continued to purse woman when, at least Ennis could have after being divorced from Alma.  Furthermore, as the reader I found myself asking why did Jack not leave his wife for Ennis after his divorce?  Earlier in the story, Jack was asking what they should do about their situation implying that they could run off together; have a little ranching operation leaving their families behind.  My reasoning for this criticism is not in an attempt to discount the validity of societies troubles in dealing with same sex couples, but rather to point out that hitting someone in the face when they’re not expecting it, much like Ennis did to Jack and this story does is much less effective and more inflammatory than helpful to gaining acceptance.

I personally would have been much more impressed by a story that breaks down the bravado and falsehoods of masculinity where Jack and Ennis conveyed more of their emotional selves to one another without the graphic descriptions of their sexual escapades.  A more impactful story would have been for Jack and Ennis to realize that they were living a lie as hetero-sexuals and opted to share a lifelong relationship which described the trials and tribulations of homo-sexual couples in the truest sense of a committed relationship.   Instead the story portrayed them as acting recklessly and impulsively as any man or woman would who is having a secret affair which often ends badly with people being emotionally and physically hurt, or in Jack’s case, dead thus lending less credibility and social acceptance and viability of homo-sexual relationships  or any relationship when social constraints are ambiguous.

Corkern Introduction

Hi, I’m Myndee. I’m 32, married with 2 children. I work here at Loyola University, in the Academic Resource Center. I attended Bible College, but want to further my education and take classes when I am able. My husband, Luis, is also a student here, set to graduate next May.

Most of my time is spent either working or caring for my kids, Kadence, who is 2 and a half, and Gavin, who just turned 1. They are a blast and really keep my hands full. However, I have a couple of hobbies as well. I enjoy photography, and I recently started a small business called Fresh GraNOLA. I make and sell eco friendly laundry powder- that smells delicious. It’s really nice to have something that I can work on and call my own. Plus, I am enjoying the marketing aspect of the business more than I expected. Childbirth education is another passion of mine. If time permits, one day I would like to become a doula, which is someone who helps the laboring mother and her partner achieve the birth they desire  (most often a medication free birth) by offering support and encouragement.

Some of the concerns I have about the world we live in are our environment. I want our children to grow up in a safe place. Also, chemical safety is something that concerns me. Most people use various amounts of cosmetics and/or household cleaners every day, and many of them are not regulated, so we do not know what potential harmful ingredients are in them. I have been educating myself and my family, and we take steps to reduce the amount of chemicals which are in our home. While I have concerns about these things, and we do our part, they do not consume too much of my time or energy.

I’m looking forward to this class and getting to e-know all of you.

Henderson Introduction

Greetings to all!

My name is Hope Henderson and I am 21 years old. I was born and raised in Marrero, LA, also known as the Westbank. I am the youngest of three, all girls, and a proud aunt of two nieces. Most people, by looking at me, wouldn’t know how to classify me in terms of ethnicity, but I would call myself Latino-American. Both of my parents come from Honduras; my mother from the main land and my father from a small island, Utila, that is just off the coast of Honduras. Although they come from the same country, surprisingly their cultures aren’t so similar, but enough about that.

As a Graphic Design major, I am still uncertain of the path I want to pursue with my degree, a part of me feels, likely, that it will be advertising due to the fact that I love the communication aspect of designing, but then again why limit myself to only one thing when there is so much more that I can do. Besides designing, my hobbies would include playing basketball (I played for Loyola’s Women’s basketball team my freshman year), going to the beach, traveling, hanging out with friends and family, shopping, and sneakers!  One other something, I consider a hobby and a job, would be working on my clothing line, Illmatix Apparel, which was started a little bit more than a year ago, by Sasha Poche (also a Loyola student), Anthony Poche, and myself!

Illmatix Apparel is driven behind social justice, which brings me to my main concern about the world. There is so much wrong going on in today’s society that it's like where to begin! But my hope for the future is that we each learn to become less about us and more about the world, because that would change a lot!

(SUPPORT ILLMATIX)

Baker - Introduction

Hello everyone,

My name is Alex Baker, and I was born and raised in Metairie, LA. I attended Jesuit High School in New Orleans (class of '09); and while there, I played basketball, wrote for the newspaper (The Blue Jay), and participated in student council. Currently, I am a chemistry major, and I am trying to choose a career path between a pharmacist or a nurse anesthetist. I am leaning more towards the latter.

Perhaps most importantly, I am a die-hard Saints fan! Who Dat! Walking around Loyola, you can easily spot me as the tall guy in the Saints jersey. Drew Brees is my favorite player, but isn't he everyone's favorite player? My second favorite player(s) is a 3-way tie between Malcolm Jenkins, Jon Vilma, and Marques Colston, and my pick for breakout player for next season is 2nd year tight end Jimmy Graham. I am extremely excited about the free agency signing of defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, yet I am equally excited about our 2011 draft class. Yes, I just dedicated a whole paragraph to the Saints. What can I say? I love the team... Who Dat!

My hobbies include (besides the Saints, which is a full time job) playing the guitar, basketball, and XBox. I have a beautiful girlfriend of 4 years (she is also a full time job) who I spend a lot of time with. I have 1 sibling - a sister named Stephanie. She is enrolled in this class also. For the last 2 years, I worked as a waiter at Commander's Palace, but I recently decided to take a little break from work (too many full time jobs). I am scheduled to take 2 classes this summer - English T125 and Biology of Organisms. I drive an '06 Honda Accord. That is all.

Hubbard Intro

Hey! My name is Evelyn Alexis Hubbard, I was born and raised here in the beautiful city of New Orleans. I'm a biology pre-med major here at Loyola and I plan to either go into Veterinary medicine or zoology once I complete my undergrad degree. Coming to Loyola has been a great experience for me. I've met so many great people and I continue to network and experience all that the university has to offer me. I chose to attend a smaller university because I wanted to be able to receive the time and attention from my professors if need be and I believe the learning experience is much better that way.
I chose to major in biology because I am just a science geek! I LOVE science, nature, and especially animals. It amazes me to read about anatomy and all the things that go into an animal's existence. I specifically want to study snakes and travel to Australia. Snakes are such wonderful creatures that are often misunderstood. I want to teach people about them because they are feared greatly because of the lack knowledge about them.
That's enough snake talk! I'm the eldest of seven other siblings and unfortunately only one of them is a boy. UGH! However, I love all of my sisters and brother dearly and I would do almost anything for them. I come from a very BIG family; I think that's why I'm very family oriented. I have such wonderful friends and many Sorors from my illustrious organization, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
This just a sneak peek of my life. I'm ready to take on this course and see what it has to offer me; I know it'll be a great experience.

Bornstein - introduction

Hello, my name is Sheeri and I just finished my freshman year at loyola. I am currently a sociology major and still deciding whetherI want to choose a career in education or social work. My goal in either of these career paths is providing providing a positive and hopefully influential force in the lives of disadvantaged youth. I was originally a visual arts major and have been drawing and painting my whole life, but realized that I think helping others in my career would be much more rewarding. I believe that education can be one of the most important part of a young person's life, and a high quality education can really make a difference in one's life
I have lived in Savannah, Georgia for the past 8 years, but really love New Orleans and everything I have experienced in my year of living in the big easy. My entire family is from Israel, and I also lived there for a few years of my childhood. I'll be visiting family there for two weeks during this course so I hope the videos and movies we have to watch stream abroad. Despite my connection to the Jewish state of Israel, I try to remain moderate and unbiased in my opinions on Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although that sometimes can be difficult. I love Israel as the beautiful country that is the home of my heritage, but believe that this sentiment should not play a part in my political opinions.

I am looking forward to reading the works assigned to us in this course, particularly Cormack McCarthy's The Road which has been on my reading list for some time!

Celestine Introduction

Hey!My name is Thea Renee Celestine and I am a sophmore from Lafayette, LA. I would describe myself as outspoken, dependable, goal orientated, organized, timely, and silly. I strongly dislike people who procrastinate and people who bother me while I am trying to get things done. This summer I will be working as an Office Assistant for Residential Life and taking Christian Ethics and Introduction to State and Local Politics. My first year at Loyola has offered me many opportunities and experiences. I have met many wonderful people and developed life long connections. I would not change my experince here in New Orleans though I was not supposed to attend Loyola.

I am Political Science major and Sociology minor. I use to have a dream of going to law school but for now that has changed. My career interest is now working for Military Intelligence, Foreign Analysis or Foreign Service Agent. One important fact about me is that I love to travel. In my young life I have traveled abroad to France, London, Italy, Sicily and Malta. I aspire to study abroad in China and travel to Spain. If given the opportunity I would get on an airplane amd visit every country in the world. My hobbies include being with friends and family, shopping, reading, pampering myself,having movie nights and traveling.Also something about me that most people do not know is I am very goofy and silly, I laugh all the time but I do know when to be serious.

The way I see the world at this present moment is people are very self-centered and deceitful.Everyone is looking out for themselves only which is not a good thing because we all need to help everyone.As a whole Americans spend too much money and offer their opinions when it is not needed.English use to be my favorite subject in high school but once I got to college that changed because the writing style is very different. This is my first online class and I am excited to see how it goes.

Baker Introduction

Hi!

My name is Stephanie Baker, and I just finished my Freshman year at Loyola. I have lived in Metairie, Louisiana my entire life, and I am excited to still be in New Orleans attending school. As of right now, I am taking general studies until I figure out what I want to major in. I have a strong interest in Psychology, as well as History and Science, so those are a few different possible choices for my career path. At some point in my life I would like to work with battered women and contribute to the effort of re-building their strength and sense of worth. I also believe same sex marriage should be allowed in every state.

I enjoy reading, cinema/television, Photoshop, and spending time with family and friends. I also like media/video editing. I would like to save enough money within the next few years to travel around Europe, particularly England. I believe it is important to visit other places and experience different cultures.

I am excited to take this course because it is my first online class!

Austin Campbell's Introduction

Greetings all,

                My name is Austin Campbell and I’m a senior BCJ major.  I will complete my degree this summer at the conclusion of this course and Criminal Justice Stats.  I have taken a rather unconventional path to completing my degree which has taken me almost 20 years. You may so wow! What took you so long bro? Well it’s called a life lived full of interesting times and learning from those times which has enhanced my overall college experience.

                Let me start from the beginning, I graduated from high school in 1992 and went to a local community college in Mesquite Texas for a few semesters with no real goal and feeling restless. That’s when I ran into an old friend who had enlisted in the United States Coast Guard (USCG).  That chance meeting changed my life. I immediately located a recruiter and started my journey in the USCG and after boot camp found myself stationed here in New Orleans at the old historic light house on Lake Pontchartrain.  It was here in New Orleans where I met my wife of 13 years who had just completed her master’s degree in Speech Pathology.

                From New Orleans I left for Elizabeth City North Carolina where I attended the USCG’s Aviation Training Center for Aviation Electronics Technician where I graduated as a Third Class petty Officer.  Afte graduation I received orders to Borinquen Puerto Rico to USCG Air Station Borinquen.  There I qualified as a Flight Mechanic on the HH65 Dolphin and began flying as an air crewman.   In Borinquen out mission was maritime search and rescue, drug and immigration interdiction.  After three years in Borinquen saving lives and busting drug runners at sea, I received orders to Air station New Orleans.

                Back in New Orleans, My wife and I bought our first home in Old Metiaire and I began duty in the USCG’s busiest aviation search and rescue unit. Shortly after reporting to AirSta NOLA, I was advanced to Petty Officer second class.  It was at this time that I started thinking about a new career as a commercial pilot and was making plans to exit the USCG until that dreadful day of September  11.  It was that day that I knew that the USCG is where I belonged.  It was at this time that I also started on my road to a criminal justice degree and began taking classes at Delgado Community College.  I would work stand duty at nights and go to school all day taking about 12 hours.  I transferred to Loyola shortly before completing my associates’ degree and began working on my bachelor degree.  It was also at this time that I applied for a commission as an Officer in the USCG.

                In April of 2005, while on deployment in the Caribbean, I found out that I had been accepted to Officer Candidate School (OCS).  It was shaping up to be a great year, I had just been accepted to OCS, sold and bought a home, and was expecting the birth of my second child The Bam! Hurricane Katrina and like many others we lost everything.  I would fly over the city day in and day out the days after as the water receded from my home and many others.  In January of that year, all things considered I had to make the agonizing decision to leave my family for the USCG Academy in New London Connecticut.  

                I graduated from OCS received orders to Memphis Tennessee where I served for three years as an emergency preparedness and contingency planner/ law enforcement intelligence officer.  After my three year tour, I received orders back to New Orleans and new I had to return to Loyola to complete my degree.  So that’s me in a nut shell and answers the question of my long journey to my completing my BCJ degree.

Castellon Brokeback Mountain: Short Story

Ennis told Jack that if they were discovered, then they would meet the same fate as the old man. The old man he was referring to was beaten to death with a tire iron. This incident happened when Ennis was a young lad. Ennis' father wanted him to see what happens to men who have intimate relations with other men.

For this reason, I believe that homosexuals in American society do not come out. They fear that their friends or coworkers may have been raised to fear and discriminate against homosexuals. On a personal note, I think that social circles play a role in determining whether a gay man or woman comes out or not. For example, if a bunch of guys or women are making derogatory statements or jokes towards a gay television personality, then it is most likely that a gay man or woman will alienate himself/herself from the group.

I think that most people perceive gays and lesbians according to the way their social circles perceives them. Personally, I was never told to judge anyone that was different from me. Throughout my adolescence, my parents were never concerned whether I had gay, straight, white, or black friends.

Sexism was prevalent in the story since Jack and Ennis used their wives as tools to cover up their affair. I think that Lureen and Alma were astute because Lureen was learning her father's business and Alma wanted Ennis to advance professionally. Ennis and Jack seemed to think that their wives were dumb and ignorant.

The most recent show of sexism in American society that I can relate this story to is the treatment of Sarah Palin. How can a college educated woman who was elected governor of Alaska and went on to become a vice presidential nominee be viewed as an idiot? Should this woman just go back to cooking and making more babies?

Politics aside, we should be praising her accomplishments. It is apparent that sacrifice, hard work, and discipline got Mrs. Palin recognition. Instead, many people have taken Ennis and Jack's perspective of their wives and branded Mrs. Palin and idiot who does not know what is going on in the world.

Castellon Introduction

My name is Carlos Castellon. I was born in Nicaragua but my family and I have resided in New Orleans for the past twenty-eight years. I attended Saint Alphonsus catholic school and I completed high school at West Jefferson in Harvey. After high school, I joined the military because I wanted to gain experience as a leader. Once my contract expired, I returned home to pursue other ventures.

I attended a technical school to become a certified pharmacy technician. I was given a test by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy and I received my license to practice as a pharmacy technician for East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie. During my tenure at the hospital, I realized that I did not have the passion to work in the medical field; therefore, I decided to enroll at Tulane Continuing Studies to take business administration.

So far, I have taken a few accounting courses which have raised my interest in learning more about the field. I transferred my credit hours to Loyola University this Spring towards the Bachelor of Accountancy program. Once I complete the undergraduate requirements for accounting, I would like to further my education by earning a Masters of Accounting degree.

Many people believe that accounting is about calculating taxes and bookkeeping. The accounting field is divided into two general sections, auditing and tax. To become a tax accountant, one must major in accounting and minor in tax laws. Auditing excludes extensive training in tax laws because it is not concerned with how much is owed to the government.

Auditing is concerned with the operations of the individual business. An auditor learns the functions of the business and its clients. This can be very advantageous to a certified public accountant because it opens the opportunity to become a chief financial officer.