THE CULT hits DHS Newspaper

Little over a year ago one ambitious Damascus senior gave a new persona to the word "cult." In the early winter of 1997, Cary Ciavolella, now attending UMBC, took a piece of paper around the cafeteria and started what would become a local phenomenon. Little did Cary know that his modest collection of friends and acquaintances would, in less than a year, grow to be an internet based group 400 members strong.

THE CULT can be found on the web at http://netcult.org, and openly invites anyone and everyone to witness, experience, and enjoy the web site which offers a variety of features for members and nonmembers alike. One of the main features is an archive of pictures from DHS and CULT events, such as buying tickets for last year's HFStival. Another enjoyable device is the Graffiti Wall. The Wall is where people can paste, or graffiti, messages, announcements, opinions, and even pictures. After tossing a message on The Wall viewers can check out the "ghetto" wall to read the ghetto-speak version. The most popular feature by far is TheList. This is a complete directory of THE CULT members, along with a little message from the Cultmasta himself. Links from this page will lead users to pictures of various members and give their e-mail addresses for communication or harassment purposes.

THE CULT has, unofficially, made Damascus English teachers, Mr. Nava and Mr. Berry, into their idols. The opening page of THE CULT has a random "Joe Nava" quote which changes with every visit. Some of the more memorable quotes are: On loyalty- "No one's gonna go out and die for IBM," On taxes- "I would love to just... not pay `em," On dogs- "You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but can beat him to death while trying," and the ever popular, "The Cult. I like that." This is of course merely a sample of the great wisdom of Mr. Nava.

Joining THE CULT couldn't be simpler. There is an option on the main page that lets users apply, or if someone completely misses that, there is an empty space at the bottom of TheList just waiting for the next applicant. The application process is merely a chance to screen out the psychos and losers of the world. Well, most, anyway. All that is required is a first and last name, title (make one up), location (city/state), and e-mail address. A reference is requested merely for statistical purposes (in this case, put "Observer") and, finally, each applicant must give a reason for wanting to join THE CULT. This could range anywhere from an extreme lack of self-esteem and need for friends, to plain old boredom. Please allow anywhere from half an hour to three weeks for processing.

The webpage is maintained by a mysterious group of elite cultists known only as the InnerCult. Some of the more elusive members of the are: Webmasta b0b, graphics guru K-rad, Reverend Ben, and Cheezus, the maintainer of the CultNews. When approached for questioning, these eccentric individuals refused to comment and went into hiding, where they intend to remain until they hear back from the Witness Relocation Program.

Clearly anyone can see that this CULT is a harmless recreation site, not to be feared by right-wing right-to-life-ist mothers, innocent children, or war hero grandparents. This site was created in the spirit of friendship and belonging, and has maintained a solid reputation for wholesome, rebellious, teenage fun. As one of THE CULT mottos has stated since the beginning: "We put the "Cult" back into... agriculture?" Well, this is Damascus.

The article can be found here, until the section gets moved to /feb_1999 when the next paper is released. The home address for the Observer is observer.tsx.org.

THE CULT hits DHS Newspaper