Black History Month - John Abbott College

Bandersnatch
Promoting “doing it” since 1971
Volume 37, Issue 9 • Wednesday
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February 13th, 2008
In this Issue...
Black History Month
News Oddities
Leia Wesley
Campus Editor
Page 4
Oh Canada, the land of petty crime,
terrorism, and dangerous unpredictable
weather. Well, not really, but that’s what
the latest “smart traveler” advisory from
the Australian government says.
Barber Of Seville
Page 6
On Thursday, January 31, those operagoers lucky enough to obtain tickets attended
the dress rehearsal of The Barber of Seville at
Place-des-Arts. Stage Director Alain Gauthier
and Conductor and Chorus Master Jacques
Lacombe did a phenomenal job bringing
Gioachino Rossini’s 1816 masterpiece alive
on the Wilfred-Pelletier stage.
I heart themes
What is Black History month? Black
History month was established in 1976. Its
purpose was to expose the racism and prejudice that the people of African descent had
to endure, but it also recognizes those who
made a change in the black community.
Diane Clark Lamey, a Commerce student, thinks that Black History month is
a time of remembrance. “It’s just a time
to honor famous black people that helped
their cause and ethnicities and look past
skin color.”
While some students may have a strong
grip on what Black History month means
to them, others think that black history
Page 9
If reading teaches us anything, it’s
that literature comes in both paperback and hardcover. If you aren’t as
thick as a fencepost, then it may have
taught you some other things, like
that there are these magical things
called “themes”. And that’s the theme
of this: themes.
Paradise is Hell
Page 10
In all my time writing for our local
communist newspaper (read: one semester) I have never had the (un)pleasant
experience of playing a truly awful game
and then being forced to review it. I
have never been challenged to explain
why a game is not worth your hard
earned cash, while at the same time
keeping in my urge to rant and rave like
some old madman who lives down by
the junkyard. However, this is all going
to change, because Burnout Paradise, the
latest addition to the exceptional Burnout
series, has become the first game which
I believe to be a piece of garbage.
Sections
Campus.............................. 1
News................................... 4
Entertainment.................... 6
Arts...................................... 8
Opinions............................. 9
Games Page................... 10
Sports................................ 11
has no value to them, or that it’s a scam.
Tim Lefbrev, 20, non-student, said “In all
honesty I believe that Black History month,
much like any other ‘remembrance’ month
or day, is bulls--t. We should remember
all this s--t all the time, not just at certain
points. But everything being commercialized, Black History month is like Christmas:
commercialized.”
The previous statement made by Tim was
challenged by Emily Howard, a Creative Arts
student, when she responded, “This uneducated thought that compares Black History
month to a commercialized Christmas is
insulting because Black History month
represents a movement or a social change
in one’s thought process, and its commencement led to an international turning point
in the histories of countries influenced by
Western Culture.”
Black History month has been criticized
by other people proclaiming that those of
African decent should not be the only ethnic
group to have a month “dedicated” towards
their independence.
Desiree Lafaya Gale, 19, Vanier College
student, believes that anyone of any ethnical group who has been subjected toward
discrimination should fight for their rights
if they want recognition toward the struggles that were forced upon them. So, which
groups deserve to get a day, week or month
named after them? Clark-Lamey believes
that “An ethnicity has to have gone through a
lot of hatred and opposition before meriting
a month or even a day of their own. I am not
a history buff but any race that has had such
a massive experience with racism deserves a
period to acknowledge what happened.”
But then should other ethnic-related social problems only be made aware of during
certain designated periods of time? Lefbrev
says, “I don’t think any ethnic culture should
ever have a history month simply because
people should remember this stuff on a
daily basis. If the current generation is too
ignorant to care, then why would they care
more if it’s force fed to them in a month?
And why only a month?”
But then, when is the time ever right to
bring up a social issue? When the problem
is hidden way from textbooks and schools?
Jessica Mailloux, a Theater Student, believes
that Black History month educates others
about Black Culture and that if other cultures were given the same chance through
a specific date then that will make us more
conscious about current issues. She states,
“People will then be less ignorant and more
aware.”
Black History month is when we are not
supposed to forget but educate the young
and old about black history and culture. It
is only through learning that we will able to
understand each other and get along in peace
and harmony.
Losing a game and winning loads of laughter
Leia Wesley
Campus Editor
Joey Elias explained how his career began
when he lost a game of pool against a friend
and was forced to perform at an amateur
nightclub. The bet resulted in the club owner
enjoying his skit so much that they invited him
to perform again.
Now, as a huge local success, he performed
at J.A.C in the Agora on January 23. His wits
and talent had the audience laughing hysterically in their seats and begging for more.
Elias’ career began by studying political
science and politics at Vanier College. These
programs would eventually get him into law,
but, shortly after studying these courses, he
realized that law did not interest him. Deciding
to take a new route in life, that would eventually lead him to comedy, he started working
in an office, as a guidance councilor, selling
telephones, and delivering pizza before he
became a full time comic.
His love for comedy began in his preteens.
“It looked like a lot of fun; like every time I
read something about comedians they were
doing something huge and it sounded exciting.” recounted Elias.
This very love for comedy would finally
take him down the road which would then
lead to performing at the Just For Laughs
tour in 2000. This was his very first nationally
televised appearance and enabled him to book
skits across Canada as well as a few in the U.S.
and in Europe.
Now a full time comedian for 10 years,
he describes the best aspect about being a
comedian is that it’s not a 9 to 5 job. “I just
don’t have the capacity to sit behind a desk
for 8 to 9 hours a day… I just don’t have the
patience or the attention span.” Not only is
his job unlike other professions with standard
hours, but it also allows him to grow creatively,
to be independant, and to be in control.
What he dislikes the most about his job
is the business aspect that comes with it. He
explained, “I just want to tell my jokes. I don’t
want to sit and negotiate contracts. I don’t
want to showcase myself like I’m a slab of
meat hanging in the deli window. If you think
I’m good, I’m good. If not, take somebody
else. That’s all it comes down to.”
Elias’ advice to those who want to become comedians is to just do it. “If you’re
thinking about doing it, do it… You’ve got
to have really thick skin if your going to get
into this business. There are some great days
and some really bad days.” He believes that in
order to find true happiness and success, all
you need to find is a happy medium. Awards
and article reviews aren’t the most important
things about his job. He says. “In all honesty,
I don’t look for that stuff. If I get booked, like
by the same clubs, that means that the club
owners and their patrons like me enough to
bring me back. I know this sounds hooky but
it’s an award itself.”
His plan for the future is to keep working
hard at his craft. He says, “If someone gave
me one million dollars I would do my last
show. I’ll take the money and probably help
out younger comics and teach them the ropes.
I can pick my spots, where I want to work.”
His need for freedom and independence is
what makes him different from other comedians and it can be seen in his skits.
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • Campus Life
With Leia Wesley
Does porn ruin sex?
Lady S
Staff Writer
Girls in porn are different from girls in real life.
Girls in porn almost always have perfect D-cup
boobs that somehow never move an inch. Real
life girls have boobs that are all different shapes and
sizes. Girls in porn can have any number of objects
put in their orifices whereas girls in real life may not
enjoy that. Girls in porn don’t grow body hair. Girls
in porn enjoy having rude and filthy things said to
them. Girls in porn don’t mind being disrespected
by men. Oh, and girls in porn can also bend their
bodies into many pretzel-like positions.
The question is, will watching porn give men
false ideas about what sex is really like? Will they
expect all the women they sleep with to have huge
perfectly round boobs and fit into size 2 lingerie?
Will the extravagant sex displayed in porn videos
give them unrealistic impressions about how most
women are able to perform? Some guys think
that every girl can deep-throat without batting an
eyelash because the girls in their online videos can
do it. Are guys going to be disappointed with ‘real’
sex because it doesn’t live up to the fantasies that
they’ve been building since they were 14?
Even the men in porn are unrealistic. They can
all stay hard for hours, enduring endless position
changes and they never need a break. They also,
coincidentally, only grow hair in desirable places.
Realistically though, the number of girls who watch
porn (in a serious way, not to find the humour in
it) is pretty insignificant.
From my experience, girls generally do not like
hardcore porn. They prefer something with a story
line and characters that they can identify with. They
like knowing more about their relationships before
the actors jump into a steamy sex scene. Not to say
that girls aren’t interested in sex, just that they don’t
like the way pornography depicts it. As it turns out,
producers in the adult industry are making films directed towards women that involve more chivalrous
men and women who are silicone virgins.
On another note, does viewing such graphic
depictions of others having loveless sex make it
impossible for people to see sex as anything other
than physical? What about the notion that sex is
Work accident follow up
Dave Leroux
Office Manager
After having shared my own workplace nightmare in the last issue, I have noticed many people
would like to know what the stats are and how
frequently these incidents happen to people our age.
On the Stats Canada website, a survey was done in
2003 on work related accidents. The survey interviewed over 135,573 people and started at age 12.
From that group, 75,184 were between 18 and 75. A
chart provided by Stats Canada shows the ages and
the percent of those who have been injured. These
accidents include injury to the eyes, neck, head,
arm, hand, leg, foot, back, head trauma, and spinal
trauma, chemical burns, burns, breaks, dislocations,
and poisoning. The predominant injuries were to
outer limbs. It was shown that out of 2,249 people,
469 of the workers between ages 18-24 sustained
any of the injuries mentioned earlier.
In Quebec, we have a no fault CSST system in
place. This means that in the event of a work place
accident, the CSST moves in and arranges for care
and rehabilitation services for the victim. In my
case, this meant seven weeks as an in-patient at the
Institut de Readaptation de Montreal followed by
an intensive rehabilitation program as an out-patient.
The program included physiotherapy, occupational
therapy, medical, and psychological support. I re-
Where
to take your sweetheart
Top 10 Restaurant in the Montreal Area
Hannah Southwood
Contributor
1. Madision – a very popular restaurant at the
Marche-de-la-Ouest. The atmosphere is calm,
people friendly, and the price is nice. For a large
plate of food you will get your money’s worth. For
reservations call (514) 482-0777
2. La Pearl – for some more expensive Chinese
try La Pearle on Blvd. St. Jean. For
reservations call (514) 624-6010
3.Vinni Gambini – for a
delicious Italian meal try Vinni
Gambini’s vast meal choices. My
favourite is their Antipasta, if you
go for this choice share… it’s BIG!
For reservations call (514)695-9991
for the one in Pointe-Claire.
4. Calories – for that yummy
piece of cake or coffee stop by
Calories for something sweet.
(514)630-6729
5.Mike’s – for a variety in meal
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February 13th, 2008
choice, this is a good restaurant to take your loved
one to. If you’re a cheesecake lover try this choice
for dessert, the pieces are HUGE! For reservations
call your closest Mike’s.
6. Cafeteria Resto Bar – located on SaintLaurent, Cafeteria has a cool ambiance, good
food, and is very trendy. For reservations call (514)
849-3855
7. Kanda Sushi – take your love for all you can
eat sushi for $20 a person. Only downside is that
every piece you leave behind you have to pay for.
For reservations call (514) 845-8868
8. Bombay Palace – if you like
Indian Cuisine try something spicy
and sweet at Bombay Palace. For reservations call your nearest Bombay
palace.
9. Amir – for a taste of Middle
Eastern cuisine try your closest Amir,
inexpensive and tasty food.
10. McDonalds – for those of you
with no budget or a very tiny one you
could take your sweetie to your closest
MickyD’s.
BANDERSNATCH
more than that, that you need an emotional connection too?
Many people think that pornography is disrespectful to women but I’m not sure I agree. The
women in porn are generally the powerful ones,
the center of attention, while the guys are always
pretty insignificant.
Essentially, I think that the face of porn needs
to change. I don’t think that in essence it’s a bad
thing, but that some key aspects should be put in review. Is it right for porn stars to look more like blow
up dolls than humans? The porn industry does give
guys false impressions about sex and I think it’s sad
that they may one day be let down by the real thing.
They should eliminate the parts where men speak
violently to women and do things that are degrading to them because that may give some guys the
impression that those things are ok.
If you have an opinion on this topic or an
idea for another, write me at sexandthecampus@
hotmail.com
Play Safe,
Lady S.
John Abbott College
21275 Lakeshore Road
P.O. Box 2000
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue,
Quebec, Canada H9X 3L9
Phone: (514) 457-6610 ext. 5389
Fax:
(514) 457-6091
Office: H-041
Web:
http://www.bandersnatch.ca/
E-mail: [email protected]
Judy Gelsthorpe
Editor-in-Chief
William Attar
Assistant Editor-in-Chief
Megan Chan
News Editor
Leia Wesley
Campus Life Editor
Barbara Radziwon
Entertainment Editor
Raluca Iancu
Arts Editor
ceived training for the prosthetics I was eventually
given. Unfortunately, with CSST, they don’t hand
everything on a silver platter. After your recovery, or
during the final stages of it, the CSST eventually will
want to discuss what you need to get back on your
feet in the workplace. Unfortunately, as a student,
I fall in a grey area and so am not eligible for work
place retraining.
While the no fault system helps injured employees get immediate assistance, it unfortunately negates
any possibility for legal action against companies
where the accidents occur, no matter how negligent
they may have been. Without significant penalties or
consequences, there is little or no incentive beyond
social responsibility to ensure a safe workplace.
Michele Morningstar
Opinions Editor
Justin Banks
Games Page Editor
Andrei Iancu
Sports Editor
Eric Chan
Production Manager
Dave Leroux
Office Manager
Alexander Attar
JAC
Choir
New John Abbott Choir! Come and sing
Webmaster
with us!
Beginners are always welcome.
If interested, contact us at [email protected] or come and join us
on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:00 pm in P-011!
Carnival
Week
Looking for a fun time and want to win
money? Carnival week is here!
Old fan favorite events like JAC Amazing
Race, So You Think You Can Dance and Ms.
John Abbott are back, also new events are
added like Battle of the Sexes and Couple
contest. If this sounds like fun to you then
sign up in Student Activities H-159. Most
events take place in the Agora. Carnival Week
will begin on February 18th to 20th.
Bandersnatch is the student-run Alternative Press
at John Abbott College. It is published every two
weeks and is partially funded by the Student Activities
Commitee and by advertising solicited members.
Submissions are welcome and become property of
Bandersnatch. Submissions must be sent via E-mail to
[email protected] and must be in Plain
Text format (.txt) or Microsoft Word Document format
(.doc). All submissions must include the full name and
telephone number of the contributor, as well as the
e-mail address if applicable. Bandersnatch reserves the
right to reject submissions or to edit any submissions
for length, legality, or clarity. Submissions should be
a maximum of 500 words but may be printed if they
are worthwhile. Spelling and grammar will not be
corrected on submissions as it is the responsibility of
the contributor to correct them. Submissions should be
dropped off at the Bandersnatch office, located in the
basement of Herzberg, room H-041 (across from the
hallway entrance of The Oval).
Bandersnatch Campus Life
WE HAVE THE CAREERS,
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
If you are pursuing a technical program or thinking of continuing your training
after high school, consider a full- or part-time career in the Canadian Navy.
As a Naval Technician, you can expect a challenging career that will test your
skills and abilities. We can offer you:
• Paid tuition, books and equipment
• Salary during studies and summer employment
• Guaranteed employment after graduation
• Opportunities to work close to home and abroad
To find out more, visit our Website or your local Canadian Forces recruiting centre.
WWW.FORCES.CA
1-800-856-8488
JOIN US
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • g
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Surprise snow in Afghanistan
Matthew Guite
Staff Writer
In a hospital in Herat, a city within the
province of the same name in Afghanistan,
several men with amputated arms and legs
lay motionless, and their stumps wrapped
in bandages.
Though one may think that these men
have been struck down by some extremist
attack, their injuries actually stem from something we are all familiar with; frostbite.
Since this winter began, 650 people have
been killed by frostbite and the bitter weather
that has hit the Middle-Eastern country.
There has been up to 180 centimetres of
snow in the more mountainous regions, and
temperatures have plummeted to a low of
-30 C, said Abdul Qadir Qadir, head of the
meteorology department. This winter has
been the coldest one in at least a decade,
which is as far back as weather records in
the struggling nation goes.
“I was surrounded by snow for two
days and I couldn’t find my way back,” said
Ahmad Sadiq, 18, one of the shepherds
who was trapped in a blinding snowstorm
and suffered severe frostbite on both of
his feet, forcing doctors to remove them
both. Ahmad’s uncle was killed in the same
blizzard.
News Oddities
Will Attar
Assistant Editor in Chief
Australia says “Beware of Canada!”
Oh Canada, the land of petty crime,
terrorism, and dangerous unpredictable
weather. Well, not really, but that’s what the
latest “smart traveler” advisory from the
Australian government says.
They start off the summary by saying
“We advise you to exercise caution and
monitor developments that might affect
your safety in Canada because of the risk
of terrorist attack.”
Apparently, Canada is dangerous because of the risk of a terrorist attack that
might happen at any minute! They do,
however, say that terrorism is a threat
throughout the world, so it is not just in
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13th, 2008
Although some of the more mountainous regions of Afghanistan can see snow at
times, the amount of snow that has fallen
recently and the brutal cold are to blame for
this mass influx of deaths and injuries. Aid
organizations and foreign soldiers have distributed several tonnes of clothing, blankets,
food, and fuel in provinces and mountainous
villages throughout the country in an attempt
to stop the continuous flow of injuries and
deaths in hospitals all over Afghanistan.
Unfortunately for some, like Ahmad, the
damage is already done. “I don’t want to live
like this. I can’t walk anymore,” he said. “It’s
better to die than to live like this.”
Canada that you have to watch your back;
it’s everywhere.
The “natural disasters and severe
weather and climate” section is the best by
far. They start off by warning everyone that
British Columbia is an active earthquake
zone and, along with Alberta, constantly
subject to avalanches. Also, tornadoes can
occur between May and September.
In regards to forest fires, they say
“Bush and forest fires can occur any time
in Canada. You should consult local news
reports and authorities before visiting forested areas and follow the advice of local
authorities.”
They then talk more about the earthquakes saying that they can cause large
destructive tsunamis.
They then talk about the crime rate,
stating that it is very similar to Australia’s,
which is alright and fairly accurate. It then
begins to exaggerate once more, explaining
how people should not wear nice things, not
carry nice cameras, or just generally avoid
having anything nice because they will attract thieves.
If you want to see this for yourself, go to : http://smartraveller.gov.
au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Canada
Scientology attacked by Anonymous
On the World Wide Web, there is a
well known hacker group who call themselves Anonymous. They normally keep to
themselves and only cause mischief when
SUJAC UPDATE
A bright and friendly greeting from
your SUJAC representatives!
It is already week four of the winter semester! So do not despair, the
beautiful spring and summer weather
is soon on its way. But for now, you
have SUJAC to brighten your cold and
windy winter days—literally. This week,
from Wednesday, February 13, to Friday,
February 15, drop by P-101 and enjoy a
cup of Fair Trade coffee and a chat with
us! SUJAC Open House is a chance for
you to meet your SUJAC reps and get to
know what we do—and what you can get
involved in! (Clubs, Congress and more!)
We hope you all enjoyed SUJACClub Day which took place on Tuesday,
February 12, in The Agora. Thank you
to all the Clubs and student organizations
who did a great job and thanks to all those
students who stopped by! We celebrated
Valentine’s Day early just for you—but the
actual holiday is still to come, so Happy
Valentine’s Day! ♥
There are many new student representatives this semester on Congress.
We would like to welcome: Paula
Frendt, Graham MacVannel, Michael
Martel, Marina Nossovitch, Nicolas
Nossovitch, Ariele Wagner, and Nathan
merited, and recently they have decided that
the Church of Scientology deserved it.
Recently, a video of Tom Cruise talking about scientology was leaked onto the
internet. The church of Scientology acted
immediately and attempted to take them all
down although there is one place where it is
still posted (http://gawker.com/5002269/
the-cruise-indoctrination-video-scientology-tried-to-suppress).
Anonymous believes that the internet is
a free place where anything can be posted
and according to their own Rules of the
Internet (google “rules of the internet” to
see them), “There are no real rules about
Wong. Congress meets on Mondays at
5:30 pm in P-222 so if you’re interested
in finding out more about it, come by
some Monday meeting to check out this
leadership experience. Congress is an opportunity to get involved in the hub of the
wheel, to meet new people, participate in
all kinds of events and activities--like the
upcoming Student Leadership Conference
on February 25-. If you want to do all this
and have a good time, SUJAC is the place
for you! Watch The Daily Info to find out
when nominations re-open, or drop by P101 to pick up a nomination form.
SUJAC is here for you in a variety
of ways. Come see us if you have an
academic grievance, questions about the
spending of student funds, problems with
lockers, food services, etc., if you are interested in starting or joining a Club, finding
out about carpooling, and more! Student
issues are OUR issues—so please voice
your concerns to us.
Have a good semester!!
“We are born weak, we need strength;
helpless, we need aid; foolish, we need
reason. All that we lack at birth, all that
we need when we come to man’s estate,
is the gift of education.”
–Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
posting. There are no real rules about moderation either”.
So far, all that Anonymous has done is
attack the Church of Scientology website,
but they have a Long Term Strategy called
Project Chanology.
Fox News “Expert” invokes the
wrath of gamers
A new game called Mass Effect was
bashed by Fox “news reporter” Cooper
Lawrence. She claimed that Mass Effect
was a video game that showed full digital
nudity and sex, and that it was all the game
was about. This is not even close to being
true and many gamers let her know it. Their
attack was quite creative.
Cooper Lawrence wrote a book called
The Cult of Perfection : Making Peace with Your
Inner Overachiever. It can be found on the
well-known site amazon.com. All the gamers knew this tidbit and posted criticism
after criticism about the book, even if they
didn’t read it.
Many of the reviews mimicked
Lawrence’s opinions on Mass Effect, with
lines like “It has full-on sex and nudity,
explicitly describes sexual situations, and is
the posterchild of what is wrong with books
today. Of course I never read a single page
of this book, but that shouldn’t matter.”
Her book also gained the tags “junk”,
“hack”, “bigot”, “hypocite”, and many
others that should be censored. Over 500
reviews were written from these angry
gamers.
Bandersnatch News
Visuals
from the Editor
(Photo below) East Timor’s President,
Jose Ramos-Hor ta, was airlifted to
Australia for treament after being shot
and critically wounded during an attack
on his home this past Monday.
There had also been an attack on
Prime Minister Xanana Gusamo as well
but he had managed to avoid injuries.
Mr. Gusamo has declared a 48-hour state
of emergency.
The attack on the president happened
early Monday when he was outside of his
home. After hearing a shot fired nearby,
he tried to get back inside but before
he was able to get inside, he was hit by
another shot.
He was then taken to a hospital run
by Australian military and has been stabilized. Since then, he has been moved
into intensive care in Darwin.
Winter ends with Willie
Justin Banks
Games Page Editor
It’s about that time of year when we’ve
grown tired of the abundance of snow and
pray for an early spring, so it should ring on welcome ears that the tradition of the “groundhog
weather system” is working in our favour.
On February 2nd, groundhogs across
Canada predicted an early spring, mostly thanks
to two of the country’s most famous psychics,
Wiarton Willie, a famous canadian groundhog,
and Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam both failed
to see their shadows as they woke up. This, of
course, means that there are warm days ahead of
us, and these dark days will finally disappear.
It’s peculiar for a seasonal change to be
linked to one animal failing to create some
shade, and a strange tradition it is to have
begun altogether. According to folklore, if a
groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog day
and runs back into his burrow then there will
be six more weeks of winter. If he decides to
stay outside and grace us all with his presence,
it announces an early spring and happiness for
a lot of Canadians.
Even though Willie hasn’t seen his shadow,
Environment Canada meteoroligist Geoff
Coulson “[thinks] the way things normally shape
up in an average winter in the province, we’re
probably still looking at winter-like weather right
through into that mid-March and late-March
period”.
(Photo below) Recently in Nepal, a
new type of bird has been found. Named
the Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia, this bird
displays the features of a slender beak
and long tail feathers. This bird may be
helpful to scientists in providing a link
between already known varieties of birds
in the India and Pakistan areas.
Already found in 2005, only recently
have specialists decided the bird’s distinct
features make it a different sub-species.
Bandersnatch News
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • A night at the opera
Victoria Laberge
Contributor
On Thursday, January 31, those opera-goers
lucky enough to obtain tickets attended the dress
rehearsal of The Barber of Seville at Place-des-Arts.
Stage Director Alain Gauthier and Conductor
and Chorus Master Jacques Lacombe did a phenomenal job bringing Gioachino Rossini’s 1816
masterpiece alive on the Wilfred-Pelletier stage.
The Barber of Seville tells the story of the
young, wealthy Count Almaviva (played by
Frédéric Antoun) who falls in love with the
beautiful Rosina (Julie Boulianne). With the help
of his friend Figaro �����������������
(Aaron St. Clair ������������
Nicholson)��,
the village barber, he must win Rosina’s heart
and thwart the attempts of her guardian, Doctor
Bartolo (Donato di Stefano), who intends to
make her his trophy wife.
The show is chock-full of comedy, making
it more accessible to the students which mostly
comprised the dress rehearsal audience than your
average tragic opera (think La Traviata). In other
words, even those with a strong prejudice against
opera can find some enjoyment in The Barber of
Seville. The varied and extremely talented cast
made it into a highly entertaining show. St. Clair
Nicholson, in the title role, gave a performance
so flawless that the audience couldn’t help but fall
in love with the character of Figaro. His impressive baritone and hilarious body language made
him the undisputable star of the show.
Contrasting with St. Clair Nicholson’s attention-grabbing performance was that of
Boulianne in the role of the stereotypically
beautiful-but-bland female lead, Rosina. Her
character was easily forgettable while off and
even on the stage. Her’s was the only role with
any lack of personality. From the quick-changing
Count Almaviva (who will go to any lengths to
be with the woman he loves, even resorting to
ridiculous disguises) to Berta (the elderly servant
who, at first, seems remarkable only because of
her constant sneezing, but who ends up giving
new meaning to the phrase “old maid” when she
sings of how she longs to experience love), each
of the characters has a certain amount of depth.
This abundance of quirky characters sometimes
makes for chaos on-stage, making it impossible
for the viewer to focus on everything at once.
Then again, it is the scenes with too much going
on that leave the greatest impact on the audience
and that mark the height of the action in this
constantly engaging show.
The technical side of the show was also
extremely impressive. The costumes were varied
and absolutely gorgeous, and along with the
undeniably amazing score, set the mood for
the entire piece. The props – mainly the great
quantity of orange fans – didn’t quite manage
to produce the dazzling effect one hoped for, as
they were more distracting than visually striking.
Not to mention the fact that they left the actors
more vulnerable to inevitable slip-ups, such as
Rosina’s fan breaking in the middle of one of the
dance numbers. But the set and lighting design
was particularly spectacular. The stage harbors
a breathtaking two-story Spanish villa on wheels
– a few scenes into the show, the set is opened
up before the incredulous eyes of the viewers,
not unlike an impressively large doll house. The
lighting is equally striking, giving the scenes their
ambiance all throughout the show whether soft
or harsh, and sometimes providing unexpected
special effects.
All in all, The Barber of Seville is an exciting
show that is both extremely funny and, of
course, extremely romantic – just in time for
Valentine’s Day.
Recent concerts in the Montreal music scene
Megan K. Chan
News Editor
A night Hedley fans can remember
It’s clear to see that with Montreal’s sold- out
show, the Vancouver-based band has made their
mark. February 6, 2008, Hedley played a soldout show at Le Nationale, where you could turn
around and were guaranteed to see a crowd of
people with band shirts and posters.
Opening for Hedley was the Johnstones
with their ska music. Coming onto the stage
with nothing but long underwear on, I didn’t
know what to think. But with their charisma,
high endurance antics, catchy music and the
occasional choreographed dance routine, and
even with the difference in musical style, the
crowd still enjoyed it.
Once the Johnstones finished, Montreal’s
New Cities came on with more of a dance rock
style and wearing more than just long underwear.
The crowd was dancing and the band was all
over the stage, including the keyboardist who
swung the entire stand around while standing
on top of it.
Hedley’s performance was on par with
their reputation. The girls were going crazy as
lead singer, Jacob Hoggard, leaped and dashed
across the stage. The amazing drum solo by
Chris Crippin, the catchy music, the hilarious
superhero costume for one of the songs, the
fun sing-along and the all around excitement
of the crowd fed Hoggard’s love for attention.
Dave Rosin sounded great on guitar, and Rosin
and Hoggard’s chemistry was amazing. Tommy
Mac brought the heavy bass making songs like
“Bones Shatter” and even happier songs like
“Never Too Late”.
By the end of the night, the piano came
• Wednesday
���������� February
��������� ��
13th, 2008
into the middle of the stage, and they played
“For The Nights I Can’t Remember”. The odd
“No Woman, No Cry”, a Bob Marley classic,
was an amazing cover but a large number of
fans did not get it.
Hedley seemed to have a clean-cut and more
professional act, while still retaining that attitude
they’ve always had on stage. It was definitely
something worth seeing.
Swaying to the music of Xavier Rudd
Coming from Australia, Xavier Rudd is the
stereotypical blond hair, blue-eyed Aussie that
most people would think of, though it’s not
his good looks but rather his music that seems
to be getting him all the attention in Montreal.
With two nights in Montreal, Xavier Rudd’s
fans were able to see him at the Metropolis on
February 8 and 9, 2008, if they managed to get
a hold of tickets.
Mishka provided a mellow and smooth feel
to the room throughout the opening performance. Though part of the crowd didn’t seem
to be interested in the reggae style Mishka
wanted to bring., for those who were listening,
Mishka had a pleasant voice and he was good
at bringing the sound of his home, Bermuda,
to the venue.
The main act started off with a remarkable
didgeridoo demonstration for the large number
of us who don’t really know much about it. Then
the show went into full swing when Xavier sat
down; surrounded by percussion, guitars, didgeridoo, harmonicas, and mics, along with some
very interesting decor.
Rudd got the crowd going with a sound
that can be described as folk music meets blues
entwined in Australian roots. Collaborating with
Rudd on percussion was Dave Tyler. The crowd
could see the two of them play together like it
was just another jam session. The energy going
back and forth was easy to spot and enjoy.
Songs like “Better People” and “Come Let
Go” provided the mellow part of the show.
While in contrast, “Twist” and “Flames” had a
heavier, bluesier sound to them that was probably the reason for the crowd surfers. The song,
“Let Me Be”, a great song to sing along to, had
an appearance by Mishka. All this was followed
by a chant from Rudd. At one point, James
Looker, a friend, stepped out to play banjo and
Rudd got up and walked around with his guitar
as the light was on Looker.
Rudd finished after a two-hour set and
concert and it was clear to see that people enjoyed the show. The show was amazingly done,
with clear sound and a fun atmosphere; to see
this man perform is a real treat and makes the
didgeridoo more than just a fun word to say.
Sharing some of his culture along with his
journey, Xavier Rudd is an excellent performer
with eyes that never stop smiling, and a voice
that echoes through the room as he does what
he does best.
New Releases
In theatres
Fool’s Gold
In Bruges
Over Her Dead Body
Strange Wilderness
The Eye
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
CDs
It Is Time For A Love Revolution
–Lenny Kravitz
Simple Plan
- Simple Plan
DVDs
Across the Universe
Into the Wild
No Reservations
We Own the Night
Upcoming
Releases
In theatres
Definitely, Maybe
February 14
The Spiderwick Chronicles
February 14
Step Up 2: The Streets
February 14
Vantage Point
February 22
The Other Boleyn Girl
February 29
CDs
Mariah Carey- Sweet Soul Odyssey
February 25
DVDs
American Gangster
February 19
30 Days of Night
February 26
Beowulf
February 26
Upcoming
Events
Mosh Core
February 16 at 5, Club Soda
Angels and Airwaves
February 21 at 7, Metropolis
Lenny Kravitz
March 25 at 7:30, Bell Center
Linkin Park
February 22 at7, Bell Center
Sum 41
March 12 at 8, Metropolis
Bandersnatch Entertainment
And the nominations go to…
Barb Radziwon
Entertainment Editor
He’s small, has got a sword covering his
naked body, is made of something really
heavy, and he’s the most desirable man
in Hollywood. He is Oscar, the Academy
Award, and the list of people who may
walk away with him are in. Yes boys and
girls, the road to the 80th annual Academy
Awards has begun!
It would seem that this year’s big
contenders are There Will Be Blood and
No Country for Old Men with eight nominations each, and Atonement and Michael
Clayton, who have seven nods apiece.
Now the thing about the Oscars is, the
Academy always seems to vote in films
that the general public never bother seeing. Every year, bland dramas get all the
praise while the brilliant films are left
in the dark. This year is no exception.
In the Best Picture category, the films are
Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country
for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. Even
though Juno was a great movie, its chances
of winning are close to none. I believe
either Atonement or No Country for Old Men
will walk off with the award.
In the Best Director category, the candidates are Julian Schnabel for The Diving
Bell and the Butterfly, Jason Reitman for Juno,
Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton, Joel and
Ethan Coen for No Country for Old Men, and
Paul T. Anderson for There Will Be Blood.
Personally, I couldn’t care less about who
wins in this section mainly because the
nominees are a bunch of people I have
never heard of in my life, and probably
will never hear from again.
For Best Actor, there was a surprise in
the contestants. The Academy actually noted true brilliance this year and nominated
Johnny Depp for his role in Sweeney Todd.
Sadly, this is the only good nomination the
Academy gave out and unfortunately, it’s
hard to see Johnny walking off with this
one…Golden Globe or no Golden Globe.
The other nominees include George
Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee
Jones, and Viggo Mortensen.
Now, the most important category
has to be the Best Actress category.
The reason for this is because which
ever female walks off with the award
will have fifteen minutes of fame,
and then a life-time of bad movies. I mean, look at Halley Barry,
Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts,
Helen Hunt, Diane Keaton, Reese
Witherspoon, Charlize Theron, do
I really need to go on? This year’s list
of victims include Cate Blanchett
for Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Julie
Christie in Away From Her, Marion
Cotillard in La Vie en Rose, Laura
Linney in The Savages, and Ellen Page in
Juno. Although all of these women are
gifted, I would just like to tell Cate that
she probably won’t win the Oscar. She
played the same pouty role in
Elizabeth and nothing happened.
The fact that you bleached your
as a candidate for Best Makeup. Norbit,
what the gosh…I mean, what the gosh!?
No one will ever know what those people
were thinking but…WHAT THE GOSH
DARN HECK!!!! Yes, let’s nominate the
film that starred Eddie Murphy as a fat
chick. He’s never done that before! Yeah, a
guy in a fat suit, that so spells out genius…
what the hell! If you’re going to give out
recognition to a man dressed as a chunky
momma, give John Travolta in Hairspray the
nomination. Did that film get nominated
for Best Makeup? Noooo…Pirates of the
Caribbean better win in this category!
Another foul-up the Academy made
was that nearly every nominee for Best
Song, is from the film Enchanted. Are you
telling me that a bunch of singing CGI
rodents were better than any song in Sweeny
Todd, or Hairspray, or any movie from this
year? I would be happier if they gave a nod
to Norbit in this section, because Murphy
as a skimpily dressed, obese woman singing
the lyrics “Don’t you wish you’re girlfriend
was a freak like me” is far better than what
Enchanted presented.
The one good thing that could possibly come from this year’s ceremony is the
cancellation of the entire show due to the
writer’s strike. The Golden Globes were
canceled and the world kept on turning.
Maybe a year off will give the Academy a
chance to step back and see what they have
been doing wrong for many years now. If
you want the full list of nominees, you
can visit: http://www.oscar.com/nominees/, or catch the actual show on Sunday,
eyebrows won’t give you the advantage.The
next categories are the Best Supporting
Actor and the Best Supporting Actress.
When these awards are given out, the
Academy is basically telling the nominees,
“Even though you’re not good enough to
hold a movie all by yourself, we still think
you’re special”.
The next section is the Best Screenplay.
I really don’t know why this category
still exists because 80% of the time the
Oscar goes to the film that wins in the
Best Picture category. How can you have
the year’s best movie, but with the year’s
second-best screenplay? It just doesn’t
work like that.
Then you have the categ ories
of Best Adapted Screenplay, Best
Foreign Film, Best Documentary,
Best Documentary Short, Best
Cinematog raphy, Best Film
Editing, Best Costume Design,
Best Art Directing, and a whole
lot of other Best something categories that make the show four
hours long.
As I mentioned before, the
Academy usually nominates dull
films and they have made their share
of mistakes when it comes to giving
out the award (“It’s Hard Out Here
for a Pimp” as best song…no one
will ever forgive them for that), but
no one could ever predict one of the
nominees for Best Makeup.
This year, the council who act
as the Academy voted in Norbit
Clydes
Presents…
Friday February 22:
Southern Party!
Check out clydespub.com for info
Every Wednesday is 20 cent Wing Night
Every Friday is Cheap $tudent Night
Bands every Thursday & Saturday
Pool Tournaments every Sunday Night
All Canadiens games on new Big screens! GO HABS GO!
Bandersnatch Entertainment
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • Roller Coaster
Scott Newin - Contributor
Matches
M&Ms
Untitled
Kerry MacKinnon - Contributor
Graphite Drawing
Julia Brailovski - Contributor
Silkscreen Print
Untitled
Renaissance Studio
Patricia Auer - Contributor
India Ink
• Wednesday
���������� February
��������� ��
13th, 2008
Sandra Rotsztejn - Contributor
Acrylic Painting
Crowd Control
Raluca Iancu - Arts Editor
Photograpg
Bandersnatch Arts
Them Themes
David Anderson
Staff Writer
If reading teaches us anything, it’s
that literature comes in both paperback
and hardcover. If you aren’t as thick as
a fencepost, then it may have taught you
some other things, like that there are
these magical things called “themes”.
And that’s the theme of this: themes.
What g ood are they? A rope of
sand. The world is filled with things,
some of which belong to people and
the rest which belong to those greedy
dolphin bastards. Ever wonder where
all the top hats and monocles went?
Damn dolphins, classing up the ocean
and laughing at us with our distinctly
un-topped hats. All of these things
have themes; top hats, for example,
have the theme of an evil industrialist
who strokes his handlebar moustache
and cackles, “Nyahahahaha! You can’t
stop progress!” and then burns a sack
of puppies to create pure capitalism.
But how can one harness these themes?
Can we drill them for oil? According
to most English majors, no. But those
jerks probably just want the thematic
oil for themselves: it’s not like they can
get real jobs.
Some people will tell you that there
are countless numbers of themes out
there; these people are full of jive
that needs to be shucked and are most
likely Free Masons. There are only three
themes in all literature: communism,
Jesus and jazzercising. These themes
represent man’s three basic instincts:
obey Russians with big moustaches, get
free crackers in buildings with very high
ceilings and shape and tone in the comfort of our living rooms. These themes
pool up and are mined by novelists and
poets who use them in their works. But
there has been growing concern over
thematic emissions building up within
the atmosphere: the world today is at
least twice as themed as it was in 1748,
according to thematologists. Ever y
day our actions are becoming more
and more charg ed with symbolism.
Suddenly, I’m not just a dude buying
milk, I’m an allegory for man’s struggle
with self-actualization. And they don’t
sell milk to allegories so what am I supposed to put my cereal in? Ketchup?
Very thin oatmeal? Don’t be ridiculous.
I don’t even own any oatmeal.
But there are some who deny this
chang e in the thematic climate (or
Global Theming, as it is more commonly called), most of whom are just
in the pocket of Big Theme. These
denouncers of Global Theming seem
to believe that themes aren’t “material” and that thematic emissions don’t
“exist” and that I’m “drunk”, but since
their views do not support my own, let’s
conveniently ignore anything they say.
But what of the man on the street, does
he even know about Global Theming?
Or is he too busy with his roller-skates
and Broadway musicals? According
to a recent poll conducted by… let’s
say the U.N., thirteen out of thirteen
individuals didn’t know about thematic
emissions. However, most people blame
this on the fact that the questionnaire
was international, meaning that every
single word was in a different language
and apparently, that’s confusing to some
people.
But regardless of public ignorance,
Global Theming does exist. Or maybe
it doesn’t, I don’t want to be accused of
presenting only one side of the story.
So what can we do about this very real
problem, which may not exist, in which
case we don’t have to do anything? Most
scientists agree that the best course of
action is to ignore the problem and let
future generations get rid of it or die,
thus solving the problem forever.
Sappy, corny, but oh-so-compelling
Michele Morningstar
Opinions Editor
Another year has gone by, and all
singles of the world are faced once
again with the worse day of the year:
Valentine’s Day. While I am certainly
not the first to complain about this
day – nor will I be the last – the 14 of
February always comes with a certain
degree of anxiety and frustration. The
halls of Abbott are decked in pink, couples suddenly seem to be everywhere,
and sappy songs take over the radio
channels. All that happiness is enough
to make any full-fledged grouch sick.
The g rievances I have about
Va l e n t i n e ’s D ay a r e n o t t h a t
original. Not unlike others, I
Bandersnatch Opinions
deplore the superficiality of spending
extraordinary amounts of money on
red and white trinkets for your better
half. I, too, bemoan the horrible fake
expressions of love, from helium balloons to heart-shaped chocolate and
dozens of roses. Nor am I the first to
ask, why go through all that trouble on
that particular day? Didn’t you love your
honeybun yesterday?
But here’s the catch: despite my
never-ending repulsion about February
14th, the cheesy festivities and the ridiculous amount of PDAs, I am beginning to –gasp – get sucked in by all this
madness. Let’s be honest. After hearing
“The Power of Love” over and over
again, we begin to feel a little sappy.
After watching couples and singles alike
play matchmaker in the Agora, we start
to be giddy. After seeing people walk by
clutching roses and
ch e e r y b a l l o o n s,
we too might feel
like contributing to
the $730M spent on
cards ever y year.
Simply put, we are
SWALLOWED
whole by this
crazy love
fest. And the
chances are that,
being caught up
in this whirlwind of puppy love, you’re
going to want to spend the evening
with your loved one. God forbid they
can’t make it! God forbid they forget
to shower you in attention! And if they
don’t even call, you’d think you have
every right to get upset.
But why?! Isn’t Valentine’s Day just
a day like ever y other? Weren’t you
firmly convinced that morning that you
couldn’t care less about this fluff and
ridicule? The truth is, the marketing
around February 14 has got you running in circles. Congrats, you are now a
sucker for Valentine’s Day. And whether
or not you will throw that cute card
out in a week, deep down I think most
people want to be reminded that they
are loved. Not necessarily by receiving
a bouquet of their favorite flowers or
spending a night on the town, but simply
by spending a little time together on that
oh-so-special day. And while you’re at
it, spread the love: rather than spending
your hard-earned money on Hallmark
and Laura Secord for your friends, give
the gift of quality time instead. On this
stupid, stupid day, no one can stand being alone. Go out on group dates, watch
corny movies and have a popcorn fight,
sing Celine Dion at the top of your
lungs. And before you know it, you’ll
have another 365 days before having to
go through this again.
Random Rants
I asked random students in the halls
what really ticked them off. If you had
one thing to complain about, what would
it be?
“People who are indecisive and who
can’t make up their minds.”
“People who kill the vibe. They’re in a
bad mood, and they ruin it for everyone
else.”
“Drivers who drive you off the
road!”
“People who walk really slowly in the
hallways. For example, in the Arctic Circle.
I can’t get past them, because they walk really slowly and I can’t get by because there
are people on the side too. I’m in a rush, it’s
cold in there man, I want to get warm!”
“All these single people complaining
about Valentine’s Day, how it’s shallow and
how lonely they are.”
“People who bastardize the English
language and try to pass it off as quality
work.”
“Bible thumpers. People who try to
make you believe in a certain religion and
really push it on you. Then when you refuse
to, they think you’re the Antichrist.”
“Vegetarians. People have been eating
meat forever and vegetarians come around
and think they’re hype. For every cow you
don’t eat, I will eat three more. When you
come to my house, eat what I serve you
and stop complaining. And don’t even get
me started on vegans.”
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • Burnout’s burned out, driven straight into the ground
Matthew Guite
Staff Writer
In all my time writing for our local communist newspaper (read: one semester) I
have never had the (un)pleasant experience
of playing a truly awful game and then being forced to review it. I have never been
challenged to explain why a game is not
worth your hard earned cash, while at the
same time keeping in my urge to rant and
rave like some old madman who lives down
by the junkyard. However, this is all going
to change, because Burnout Paradise, the
latest addition to the exceptional Burnout
series, has become the first game which I
believe to be a piece of garbage.
I’m tempted not to explain why, because it would save me time, but that would
just be silly. So, let me explain to you what
went wrong, and why this has been such a
surprise to me. The Burnout series, as some
of you may be aware, is an exceptional series of driving games that has almost never
failed to produce a quality game with an
intense focus on giant crashes and lots of
awesome explosions. This is because they
realize that realism in a driving game sucks,
because a realistic driving game would
be about being stuck in traffic behind an
eighty-five year old woman who doesn’t
quite understand that on the highway, doing 30 may make you feel safe, but only
until somebody rams your ‘96 Camry right
off the road. So, instead of focusing on
these elements, the Burnout series focuses
on letting you release your road rage in a
more productive manner that won’t lose
you your license. The games are always
about driving fast, crashing hard, and taking everybody with you. Burnout Paradise
has taken a different approach to this, by
which I mean they have taken the Burnout
series and, in a brilliant design change,
removed the crashing part. Don’t get me
wrong, it’s still there, it’s just not the focus
anymore. Allow me to elaborate further on
the core gameplay before I go on.
Burnout Paradise’s big new innovation
(you know, besides removing the fun) is
that the game is now free-roam style. You
are no longer confined to a single racetrack
with more or less one path to take. Now
you have the whole city to explore, which
has its ups and downs. On the upside, the
city is beautifully crafted and realistically
designed, with much of the map being a
sprawling urban setting and some of the
farther parts being slightly more rural.
Secret paths and shortcuts are everywhere
in the city, marked by bright construction barriers that you can smash through.
The game challenges you to smash them
all; not realizing that while a perfectionist might enjoy this, finding 400 of the
bastards is nothing short of hell on earth.
Another part of the city you can destroy
is the Burnout billboards, which are specifically placed in challenging or not-sochallenging locations that require you to
leap high, drive fast, and in many cases,
use your imagination to find some way to
reach them and smash them into itty bitty
pieces. (At least there aren’t 400 of them).
The method with which you find races is
perhaps the most interesting part of the
city; every time you pass/pull up to a light,
you have the option to accept a race of
some kind. This allows you to seek out
what type of race you want, but there are
downsides to this free-roam business. A
good free-roam game offers you a chance
to enjoy yourself while you zip about this
way and that way. This is why the SpiderMan games work well with their free-roam
aspects. This is why Grand Theft Auto is
such a massive success. But Burnout Paradise
offers you nothing. You can explore if you
choose, you can race around all you like,
but at the end of the day, your choices are
either to accept a race or try and put a dent
in those 400 barriers you’re just dying to
hunt down for weeks on end. And that’s
no choice at all.
Earlier I mentioned that all of the
crashing (a.k.a. The Fun) has been removed
from this series known specifically for its
exceptional crashing. This is only partly
true, so let me explain further. There is, in
fact, still some focus on crashing within the
game. The problem is that it’s apparently
been handled by a chimp with Down’s
Syndrome. One of the only instances of
good crashing in the game is found in the
Road Rage style of race the gamer is allowed to choose from if they passes a light.
The exact focus of Road Rage is to crash X
number of enemies while you race around
for four minutes or so. This sounds good;
the crashes are brutal, and everything takes
place at high speeds, just like the Burnout
games of old, but even this is flawed. In
my very first Road Rage race, I was tasked
with crashing six of my enemies in the time
allotted (four minutes) and not be crashed
into so many times my car was totaled.
Although I enjoyed it, I quickly realized
something: it was all pathetically easy. At
the end of the four minutes I had crashed
36 of my enemies, six times as many as I
had been asked. And further Road Rage
races challenged me no more. Every time
I was able to crash at least five times the
amount asked of me, and eventually I just
stopped doing the races because of how
easy it was.
Oddly enough, there was an aspect of
the game I enjoyed. After finishing certain
races, a new car will begin roaming the city.
This is how you obtain new cars, other
than the occasional one awarded to you for
doing well in races. There is no real way
to find them, and this is perhaps the best
part of it all; you cannot simply hunt them
down. You can’t just look at your map and
then go find them. Instead you must wait,
and sooner or later you will find one. You
can be stopped at a light, you can be racing
down the highway, but sooner or later you
will see the blurry tail-lights of a car that
is not cruising lazily like the rest. Instead,
like a frightened gazelle on the Serengeti,
it takes off at full speed, weaving it’s way
through traffic, and it is then that you give
chase, speeding after your prey with a shiny
new car in mind. These chases take skill
and often require excellent reflexes, but the
rewards are excellent; a shiny new vehicle
for you to test-drive.
All in all, there is one massive flaw that
brings Burnout Paradise down, and that is
the lack of everything that once made their
games marvelous. The crashes, the feeling that you’re accomplishing something,
the rewards you are given for making the
biggest, most spectacular explosion you
possibly can. Let’s not kid ourselves; if
you want realism, go play Gran Turismo
(and mercy on your sad little souls). But
if you want big explosions, over-the-top
mayhem, and the chance to do everything
you never could in real life situations, play
Burnout. Sadly, it seems that the developers
themselves have forgotten this, and so we
gamers will have to pay the price.
Final Verdict:
AVOID
Video Games Live
Andrew Shulman
Contributor
Video Games Live is a must see for
any one who has ever hummed the tune
to a Mario song or Tetris theme. The show
presents about 20 different segments each
based on a video game. From Metal Gear
Solid to Pac-man it was all there.
The show was both amazingly well produced and even funnier than I had expected.
The Montreal orchestra and choir were great.
They played so well that it was like reliving
my favorite gaming moments through sound.
On top of that, the visual effects were great.
They had many different video mash-ups
to go along with the music. Sadly, during
everyone’s favorite Final Fantasy segments,
we were told that Square Enix doesn’t allow
their videos to be shown, so we were instead
given close ups of the band.
Another great bonus was the chance
10 • Wednesday
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13th, 2008
to meet the performers and this including
two people I had not expected. First we had
Martin Leung who became famous back in
2005 for his blindfolded piano routine on
YouTube which showed him playing one
of Mario’s themes at full speed. After this
great piece and a few other medleys we were
graced by a visit from Michael Salvatori. Yes!
The man behind Halo’s music was there in
person.
The show also included a costume contest. The costumes were a great add on to the
music and made for a great show starter. The
show was also scattered with some amusing
game show-like escapades including a live action space invaders reenactment and a show
down match of Frogger.
Nevertheless, the show is not one to be
missed and it has been announced that next
year’s tour has Montreal on the list as of now.
So do your best to grab tickets for next year,
and enjoy what I was lucky enough to see and
so glad to have seen.
Bandersnatch Games Page
John Abbott Press Release
Monday, February 11th, 2008
MEN’S AAA BASKETBALL KEEPS
PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE BY BEATING
LIMOILOU
Third year player Gerry Moore scored 26
points, grabbed 10 rebounds and stole the ball 4
times to lead the Islanders AAA basketball team
to a 78-57 win against visiting Limoilou Titans
on Friday night. Twin brother Anthony also had
another good performance as he scored 17 points,
while grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists
and stealing the ball 3 times. Taylor Garner was
also a big factor in the win, scoring 10 points and
collecting 11 rebounds. With the win, the Isles
remain alive in a very exciting playoff race with the
Édouard-Montpetit Lynx and St-Foy Dynamiques.
The Islanders will need to win their last two games
of the year (Dawson and Ahuntsic) and hope
that the Lynx and Dynamiques struggle in their
remaining games.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SPLITS
WEEKEND ACTION
Friday night, the Lady Isles hosted Champlain
St. Lawrence Lions and lost 52-45. Leading the
way for the Islanders were third year player Teresa
Semalulu (15 points, 16 rebounds and 5 steals) and
second year player Nadine Augustin (12 points and
4 assists). Unfortunately for the Lady Islanders,
they weren’t successful at shooting the ball, going
only 25% from the floor as well as not hitting any
3 points shot for the game.
On the other hand, the Lady Isles travelled
to Trois-Rivières and won 58-52. Once again,
Semalulu had a huge performance, scoring 17
points and collecting 21 rebounds. Augustin also
played well scoring 12 points. In addition, despite
playing with a flu virus, Leah Lavoie played a very
good game by contributing with 8 points. Finally,
Stephanie Totten had 6 points while Tatiana
Hanlan and Aisha Cook-Reiher both chipped in
with 5 points.
MEN’S AA BASKETBALL LOOSES A
PAIR
Friday night, the men’s AA basketball team
visited Ahuntsic College and lost 72-66. Despite
having a 35-32 lead at half time, the Islanders
couldn’t convert key free throws in the fourth
quarter as opposed to Ahuntsic who made 9 of
their 11 attempts at the free throw line. Scoring
in double digits for the Isles were Jason Kramar
(16 points), Phil Roy (10 points), Stephen Fox (10
points) and Yannick Moise (10 points). With this
loss, the Islanders lost their 3rd place position in
league standings and will now battle with VieuxMontreal, Montmorency, Ahuntsic and Brébeuf
for the last four available playoff spots.
Less than 24 hours later, the Islanders played an
exhibition game against Division 2 leader ÉdouardMontpetit and lost 82-79. The Isles played without
the service of Hani Qureshi, Mike Chacko and
Stephen Fox, which allowed for many other players
to step up their game and contribute offensively.
One of the players who really took advantage of
this situation was Matthew Williams, a second year
small forward, who scored a season high 10 points
as well as being a physical presence at the defensive
end. Three other Islanders also scored in double
digits: Jason Kramar (12 points), Nick Phang (11
points) and Yannick Moise (10 points).
LADOUCEUR RETURNS TO JOHN
ABBOTT
John Abbott College Athletic Director, Steve
Shaw and Islander football Head Coach, Lou
Chapman, are very pleased to announce that
Louis-Philippe (LP) Ladouceur will be returning to the Islander football program. LP, who
currently plays in the National Football League
for the Dallas Cowboys, will assume the role of
Honorary President of the John Abbott College
Football program.
LP played defensive end for the Islanders
coached by Dennis Waide in 1998 and 1999. He
was a league all-star in 1999 at defensive end and
graduated in natural sciences. He received a full
ride scholarship to the University of California
(Berkeley) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree
in Earth and Planetary Science and his Masters in
Education.
“I am honored to receive such an award from
the John Abbott Football team. So many times
have I been congratulated for the work I have done
on and off the field, but this time it really touched
me and fills me with joy,” said Louis-Philippe.
“Hopefully I will be able to bring some of my
successes to the continuing development of the
John Abbott Football tradition.”
It was while playing with the Bears for Coach
Jeff Tedford that he learned how to long snap and
he is now one of the best in the NFL. LP originally
signed with the New Orleans Saints as a rookie
free agent following the 2005 NFL draft. He was
let go from the Saints the day before Hurricane
Katrina hit Louisiana and was on the second to
last flight out of New Orleans the day before the
storm hit.
“I know that he is very excited about returning
to John Abbott and we are very pleased to have him
involved with our program again,” commented
Steve Shaw. “He is a tremendous role model for
all our student-athletes, not just the football players.
He has been very successful on the playing field and
in the classroom. He will be able to help us in the
areas of recruiting and fundraising.”
Since his rookie season in 2005 LP and the
other members of the Cowboys organization have
been very active in many community groups in the
Dallas area including working with The Salvation
army, Children’s Medical Centre of Dallas and
Meals on Wheels.
A native of Pointe-Claire, LP is one of only 2
Quebec born players currently playing in the NFL;
the other is JP Darche with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both are long snappers and both graduated from
College Notre Dame.
1) SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE COMPETITION: Do you think you have what it takes
to compete head to head in our Dance Competition. You choose the music. You must dance for up
to two minutes. The judges decide if you move on to the next round. The audience decides the
eventual winner. Come on; show us what you’ve got. $75.00 Cash prize to the winner!
Monday
February 18
Tuesday
February 19
Wednesday
February 20
Thursday
February 21
Friday
February 22
Beatles Day
Mardi-Gras Day
Fireman Day
Disco Day
Pyjama Day
Battle of the
Sexes
11:30
Karaoke
11:30
So You Think
You Can Dance
11:30
Lipstick
competition
11:30
*********
Amazing Race
All Day long
Hypnotist:
“The
Incredible
Boris”
1:00
College Idol
(Winner goes on to
represent John Abbott
against other CEGEP’s)
1:00
Couples Contest
1:00
Ms. John Abbott
Beauty Pageant
(for men)
1:00
Mini-Volleyball
Tournament
4:15-6:00
(Gym 1 & 2)
Disco Ice Skating
(Arena)
3:00-4:00
Ski Night
Mont St-Sauveur
Bus leaves at 4:15
(Cost $24.00)
(you and your partner
need 1 hour of free
time together in order
to compete)
*********
Film:
“Dan in Real
Life”
11:00 & 1:00
ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS
1) BATTLE OF THE SEXES: The gender wars begin! Are women more powerful than men? Or
will the men end up on top? Come support your sex on Monday February 18 as we kick off
Carnival Week at John Abbott. We are looking for teams of four men and four women to
compete. Sign up in Student Activities (H-159).
2) COUPLES CONTEST: You and your partner can win big. Enter our Couples Contest and
compete in a variety of events that will test you physically and see how well you know your
partner. Win $80.00 in cash.
3) MINI VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: Teams of 4 or 5 (mixed or female) are wanted to
compete in this year’s edition of the annual Carnival mini volleyball tournament. This event is
limited to 16 teams (max). Deadline to sign up is February 19. Grand prize is $100.00 and
bragging rights. (P.S. only 1 varsity player per team is allowed) Pick up a registration form with
all the rules from Sports and Recreation (C-128) or Student Activities (H-159) now.
4) MS JOHN ABBOTT BEAUTY PAGEANT (A BEAUTY CONTEST FOR MEN): It is the
most popular event of the year and we want you in the show. A beauty pageant for the most
daring, willing to dress in drag to strut their stuff on stage. Want to participate? A $150.00 grand
prize awaits you with prizes for those placing in 2nd and 3rd place. Pick up an info sheet and
register in Student Activities.
5) DISCO ICE SKATING: Bring your skates and skate to 70’s Disco music at the on-campus arena
(end of the football field) from 3:00-4:00 on Thursday February 21. It’s healthy, fun and FREE.
6) CARNIVAL SKI NIGHT TO MONT ST SAUVEUR: Calling all skiers. Join us for a fun night
of ski at Mont St-Sauveur. For only $24.00 you get transportation and a lift ticket. Space is limited
on the bus. Rentals are extra ($16.00 for skis and boards). Sign up a.s.a.p in Student Activities to
confirm your spot.
7) JAC AMAZING RACE: Be part of our “Amazing Race” JAC style. Can you and your partner
solve the riddles and complete the tasks needed to win the “Amazing Race”. Pick up an info sheet
and register.
8) FILM “DAN IN REAL LIFE”: When a very moral single father (Steve Carell) takes his teenage
daughters to a family reunion at the Jersey Shore, he thinks his biggest problem will be to keep
them reined in, but the tables are turned when he ends up falling for a woman he meets in a
bookstore who happens to be his brother’s new girlfriend. Two showings 11:00 and 1:00.
2) HYPNOTIST: When I snap my fingers you will… come and see Hypnotist “The Incredible
Boris” on Monday, February 18 at 1:00 in the Agora. Are you brave enough to come on stage and
be a part of the show?
3) JOHN ABBOTT “COLLEGE IDOL”: We want the best to compete in “College Idol”! On
stage with microphone in hand. We want you to sing up a storm for your fellow students and the
chance to compete in the Inter-collegiate College Idol competition against the winners of the other
English colleges in April. Our judges and the audience will decide who will be this year’s IDOL.
It could be you. Please sign up in Student Activities. Grand prize is $100.00.
Bandersnatch Sports
Wednesday February 13th, 2008 • 11
Deals for J.A.C. students at $9.99!
1 Large Pepperoni Pizza, or
2 Cheesy Bread + 4 Cans of Coke, or
8 Kickers + 1 Regular Fry + 1 Can of Coke
Valid at 25 Don Quichotte, Ile Perrot
Call Now for Fast and Free Delivery!
(514) 425-6666
Cannot be combined with any other offers. Domino’s reserves the right to verify student
identification. We accept Debit on delivery for an additional charge of $1.50.