Issue10
Transcription
Issue10
Bandersnatch Getting confused by geometric shapes since 1971 Volume 35, Issue 10 • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 In this Issue... Millenium Excellence Award Page 3 Everyone wins thanks to Carol-Ann Hoyte’s hard work. Hoyte is a Montreal native whose dedication to children’s literature was a key factor in her receiving a Millennium Excellence Award. Her schoolwork, her part time jobs and her volunteer work all centre around her passion for children’s literature. Carnival Week Page 4 Last week, the Carnival celebrations were set up in the Agora. It comes every year without fail to lift our spirits from the dreary weather and towering piles of midterms. The events showcased during Carnival Week included a hypnotist named “The Incredible Boris”, the Valentine’s Day Couples Contests, and “The Amazing Race”. However, the most memorable event was by far the Ms. John Abbott Beauty Pageant. When were-rabbits attack Page 6 In 1989, Nick Park introduced the world to Wallace, the eccentric, cheese-loving inventor and his faithful, wise dog, Gromit, in A Grand Day Out. The success of this short animated film demanded a sequel, and in 1993, Wallace and Gromit returned in The Wrong Trousers, and in 1995’s A Close Shave. Canada’s quest for gold Page 11 It’s that time again. That time that comes every four years. That time when many Canadians have something to cheer about other than their city’s hockey team. It’s the Winter Olympics. Yes, two weeks of winter sports that Canada should excel at. Sections News...........................................1 Camus Life.................................3 Entertainment...........................6 Comics......................................8 Arts.............................................9 Opinions...................................10 Sports........................................11 Friday’s Storm a Reminder of the Brutality of Canadian Winters class wasn’t even disrupted (for long) in Chateauguay, as the interior wall remained intact. Downtown, employees of a 20-storey building called the police asking them to Needless to say, February 17th saw some close the road below serious weather. Freezing rain, snow and because they feared winds reaching up to 110km/h wreaked that one of their havoc on both Quebec and Ontario. Power windows was about lines went down, depriving upwards of come loose and 157,000 people of electricity, 40,000 of plummet to the whom were Montrealers. According to street. Police took Hydro-Quebec spokesperson Marie Maugin, this seriously, and this was “the worst day for weather-related closed the service electricity interruptions since the 1998 Ice road between Jeanne Storm”. Buildings were damaged, a freight Mance St. and St. train passing through Montreal had six cars Laurent Blvd. derailed on a bridge due to the high winds, Four massive and the storms caused three major pile-ups pile-ups were reon highways. por ted: three in The bad weather began overnight with Ontario, and one 50km east of Montreal. the freezing rain, which eased off by morn- All were caused by sudden whiteouts, where ing. The city of Montreal’s street workers snow and wind combine to create an area spread gravel and salt with absolutely no vison the roads, but this ibility. Whiteouts come was blown away as on suddenly, and cars all the wind began to driving on the same road pick up. By 11 a.m., can’t see each other; this the winds were even results in chain-reacstronger, snapping tion accidents like the branches right off of four that happened on trees. Temperatures Friday. In every case, in Montreal dropped rescue workers had a from 4 degrees above hard time reaching the zero to 12 below in scene quickly because of a matter of hours the unrelenting storm. as the gusts of wind Gordon Beck • The Gazette The most severe of roared through the the accidents was one city. Two schools were reportedly damaged involving 37 vehicles on Highway 417 east of by the winds: an elementary in Hochelaga- Ottawa in which a man and his two-year-old Maisonneuve had to be closed when a section daughter were killed. As many as 40 people of its roof was torn away, and a Chateauguay were injured in this crash alone, at least 11 junior high’s outer brick wall crumbled. of them with serious injuries. The vehicles No one was hurt in either incident, and included trucks, some of which wound up on Nicola Fleming News Editor Disaster Swamps the Philippines Lauren Filiatreault Staff Writer A mudslide spelled disaster for Guinsaugon, Philippines last Friday. The mudslide swamped the village, and has reportedly killed over 1,350 people - including 256 elementary school children. Many still hope to find survivors, but with thick mud covering an entire village, it is doubtful that there would be air pockets to give hope for the victims. Only 20 to 57 survivors have been found so far among the dead bodies of the villagers. While the U.S Marines and the Philippine soldiers, as well as local miners, have been digging through the mud that lies over 35 feet deep, many are wondering whether to give up or to continue their efforts. Some officials were thinking of leaving this village as a massive cemetery, since there is little to no hope for survivors. The U.S Marines used nine seismic sensors to detect vibrations underneath the mudslide. So far, the results have been optimistic. “We know there’s something down there,” U.S. marine Lt. Richard Neikirk said. “The farther down we went, the signals grew stronger.” A rescue team from Malaysia used soundgear as well, and they confirmed there were noises under the thick mud. “We have a sound,” said Sahar Yunos of the Malaysia Disaster and Rescue Team. “Knocking, something like that.” On Friday, the day the mudslide occurred, some students sent text messages to their relatives, saying they were still alive. This good news motivated the rescue workers to continue digging into the thick mud. However, the disaster has proven to be top of cars. The car containing the man and his daughter had a tractor-trailer on top of it, where it had rolled after crushing the car like an accordion. Both were in the back seat. The mother of the little family managed to escape from the car alive, and was the one to point out to rescuers that her husband and daughter were trapped in the car. A second crash happened near Embrun, Ontario, with up to 80 vehicles twisted and piled together on the road. One victim, Jason Baker of Almonte, Ontario, claimed it was the ultimate whiteout. When his car crashed, he got out of his car and ran for his life. Other people did the same, quite likely saving themselves from serious injury as they avoided the worst of the pileup. At least three people were killed, and dozens injured. A less serious accident also happened in Ontario, involving about 30 cars. From this, five people were left with minor injuries. The fourth accident happened 50km east of Quebec, on Highway 40 near Lavaltrie. This one involved almost 60 cars and trucks. One man died, and over 40 were injured in the pileup that was similar to the one in Embrun. Although all of the pileups were likely caused by the extreme weather, authorities are busy with reports and investigations for each of these major accidents. All in all, Friday’s weather was winter’s reminder to us that it is not always as kind as it has been so far. overwhelming to some. “Everything is brown mud. You don’t see any trees at all, just mud from the top of the mountain down to the river,” says Lt. Mary Pinky Moisis, a Filipino air force helicopter pilot. With the threat of more rain and the threat of another mudslide, rescue workers are trying to fish out more survivors with shovels and their bare hands, because the mud is too soft for the heavy-lifting equipment. So far, Canada has contributed over $300,000 for recovery and relief to the villagers. “We will revisit this contribution as needs in the affected area continue to be assessed. We are dispatching an officer from the embassy in Manila to the area to evaluate the situation as circumstances on the ground permit,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay. Wednedsay February 22nd, 2006 • Two things have crossed my mind over the last few days, the first of which being that history will repeat itself over and over again. The second thing is that days which include a glass of orange juice are better than days which don’t. Somewhere along the course of my life, roughly when High School started, I stopped drinking orange juice and opted for other choices of drinks. Coke was among the most popular, and a close second, believe it or not, was Pepsi. I used to drink Coke in the morning, instead of coffee and I would drink Pepsi when I was stressed. I began to realize that Pepsi is not better than Coke, nor is Coke better than Pepsi. But that is a discussion for a different time. Because of registration problems, my first semester, Fall 2003, was done in night school. I found it difficult to stay awake. I got different advice from different people on how to stay awake. Coffee was the most common suggestion, but unfortunately, the only source of coffee available was from the vending machines, as the Oval was closed at the time. As many people would agree, it is not the best source of coffee. I went for Coke, but that was too sweet when accompanied by a candy bar. Chewing gum worked for the first five minutes I tried it. It’s funny too, because riding the 210 to Abbott, I overheard a girl talking about how well that works. No, no it doesn’t. The idea SUJAC Update Another two weeks have passed and many things have happened in the world of SUJAC. First, the SUJAC Open House was a great success! On Valentine’s Day, lots of people came to get married and to share some of our candy and coffee. There were traditional weddings, gay weddings, mass weddings, even a twin wedding…Anyway, we managed to collect a fair amount of money and all of it is going to the John Abbott College Christmas Fund to help struggling students. On another note, Congress has re-opened nominations for the Professional Programs. They will be open until we fill at least half of the seats. In case you didn’t know, Congress is the legislative body of the Student Union, so anything that requires a vote has to have its seal of approval. Congress also sends representatives to the different school Committees, like Library Media Services, Sexual Harassment, as well as the different Program Committees. If you want to get involved in how the school is run, Congress is the place to be. Professional students can drop by SUJAC P-101 to pick up a Congress Nomination form. SUJAC has also been really active with intercollegiate communications because of the Grade Review Policy. Five of us went to a CRAM meeting to tell other Colleges and Universities about the overwhelming injustice within the Grade Review Procedures. CRAM is an organization formed of the different Student Unions on the island of Montreal and serves to coordinate action between Colleges. This organization spans across Union Federations and encompasses Unions from FECQ, FEUQ and ASSÉ, as well as independent Unions. COAC’s Meeting at Heritage, Hull, unfortunately had to be cancelled last Friday due to the weather; however, it should be rescheduled for Friday, March 10. COAC hopes to have a full attendance so as to work on our mandates. We at SUJAC wish you all a safe and happy Spring Break. • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 is that if it is difficult to keep your attention on the lecture, you could at least keep yourself awake by concentrating on chewing the gum. It really doesn’t work. Under the advice of a friend of mine, I tried drinking orange juice to stay awake. I’ll admit that it wasn’t the best way to stay awake, but it did help a little, and I did enjoy it. Teachers would stare in awe as I would take bottle after bottle of orange juice out of my bag and proceed to drink it. I had rediscovered orange juice. After drinking Coke for so long, it felt as though my body was craving Vitamin C. As that semester came to a close, I began to drink less and less orange juice. Interestingly enough, my grades were on a slow decline. The transition from orange juice back to Coke was a slow one. I had lost my job, and things that came in cans were cheaper than bottles of orange juice. It was only seventy five cents, but that still makes a difference. The next semester, I began day school, with no job, and drank iced tea. As time went by, I began to get lazier and lazier. I would skip classes, not do homework, and I was soon back to drinking Coke. For the most part, History is studied, in the hope that we do not repeat the mistakes that were made in the past. I came to both of these conclusions during a math class. I walked into Second Floor Hochelaga, and found that the coke machine had cans of orange juice. This seems to be the only place on campus that these cans are available. I sat down in my class, and opened the can, and drank the juice I once loved so much. The next day, I saw my math teacher in his office, and we went over a test that I had failed. If something so simple could show you so much, perhaps I could stop history from repeating itself again. Shorter waits for health care? Emilie Bruneau Office Manager Last June a ruling made by the Supreme Court of Canada changed Quebec’s health care policy. Previously private health care insurance was banned, but it was concluded that this ban violated the province’s charter of rights. Now Quebecers will be allowed to use private providers for their health care if they wait longer than six months for knee replacement, hip replacement or cataract surgery. Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated that Quebec has revolutionized the health-care system, and the nation is going to adopt the new policy. The role of private insurance will be limited and still follow the Canada Health Act. The Canadian health care system is a series of socialized health insurance plans, which enables all Canadian citizens to have access to preventative care, medical treatments, access to hospitals, dental surgery, and additional medical services. The efficiency and the amount of time it takes to deliver treatments is the main reason for Quebec’s new policy. The primary advantage of access to private health care is the grantee to receive treatments with dramatically reduced wait times. Regardless of the negative aspects of the health care system, Canadians still have a life expectancy of 80 years, one of the highest in the world, and lowest infant mortality rates. Rob says: How the hell does Mister Rogers win the ultimate showdown? BANDERSNATCH John Abbott College 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 [email protected] Editor-in-Chief Robert Briza Assistant Editor-in-Chief Jessica Kalmar News Editor Nicki Fleming Campus Life Editor Graham Kallio Comics Editor Ashley Fairweather Entertainment Editor Judy Gelsthorpe Arts Editor Christina Bucci Opinions Editor Lauren Rodriguez Games Page Editor Blayne Bradley Justin Banks Sports Editor Joanna Lozowik Production Manager Eric Chan Office Manager Emilie Bruneau Webmaster Jennifer Byrnes 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 in either English or French 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 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 News The New Transvestite: Girls Dressing Like Boys Katie Nation Staff Writer A few months ago, my parents were cleaning out my grandmother’s basement when they found boxes filled with my grandfather’s old clothing. Hidden in the basement for all these years were boxes and boxes of suits, dinner jackets, dress shirts, ties, scarves, shorts, golf hats, gloves, and fedoras in slightly musty, but otherwise good shape. After lugging it home, my family tried to decide what to do with all these clothes, and my cousins joked that I, being the family fashion addict, should have a look at all the old-man garb. I agreed whole-heartedly, and my family continued to laugh until they realized that they had just given me free-reign over a fantastic array of genuine vintage apparel. I ended up filling my wardrobe with all the best grandfather clothing that I could find, and since then I’ve never felt so chic. I’m not surprised to have found wearable clothing in my grandfather’s stash. It would seem a little odd that I would be so excited about men’s clothing, but this has actually been a long time coming. I’ve been playing more and more with the masculine look this year, and lately I’ve become so comfortable shopping in the men’s department that I’ve learned my size in “men’s” and, most importantly, I’ve learned to ignore the confused looks from salespeople and other shoppers. Besides the excitement of shopping on the “wrong” side of the store, there’s something undeniably fun about wearing boy’s clothes. Something I think we’ve all been subconsciously picking up on. A girl wearing boy’s clothes is evidently harder to notice than a boy wearing girls’ clothing, but this mental image in itself is one of the first signs that women are well on their way in a gender-bending fashion revolution. Whereas the concept of a man wearing what is typically Bandersnatch Campus Life “female” clothing as a lifestyle choice has historically been something of an oddity, a woman wearing men’s clothing has, for the past 75 years, become a non-issue. When women started wearing pants as a fashion statement in the 1930s, gender-specific clothing rules experienced a major cutback… for women at least. While men’s clothing became a hazier concept with pants on both genders, skirts were typically left on the girls. But how has female cross-dressing reached the point where it’s at today? The mannish look couldn’t just end with women wearing pants. In 1977’s Annie Hall, Diane Keaton made dressing like a man sexy and fashionable, while Kate Moss jump started boyishness in the 90s with her exceptionally unfeminine physique and her oftimes boyish style. These women, along with countless others, have transformed the female crossdressing look from simply pants, to vests and ties and blazers and oxford shirts. And for this decade? Maybe the boyish figure and mannish look is simply a new age sexy. Maybe the attractiveness behind girls dressing like boys is fashion’s response to society’s obsession with male homosexuality (see: Brokeback Mountain, Will and Grace). For anyone reluctant to jump on the manclothes bandwagon, it’s important to note that by donning men’s fashion you would not be trying to hide away your gender. I for one, despite my love for men’s apparel, am completely proud of being female (and anyone stupid enough to utter a sexist remark in my presence will certainly hear it). In order to really work the masculine look, keeping a balance of feminine and masculine within the ensemble is key. Men’s trousers are fantastic, but instead of going allout with them like Diane Keaton, try pairing them with a pretty blouse or one of spring’s lacy tops. Likewise, if you’re wearing a vest or a blazer, stick to slim jeans or shorts (weather permitting) to show off the curves of your legs and to keep from looking too frumpy. When it comes to ties… well, ties are better left on Avril Lavigne circa 2002. We’ve come a long way but I don’t think we’ve come that far. Another key factor to keep in mind when wearing men’s clothing, is that modern men’s fashion is very different from their more vintage attire. Guys of today tend to let everything hang loose, with baggy jeans which are getting progressively less baggy but unflattering on girls nonetheless, and enormous t-shirts or sweaters that leave everything to the imagination. If you want to rock the boy look, stick more to “boy from over 50 years ago” than to what your boyfriend wears. As mentioned before, trousers and oxfords are always cute, and vests and blazers are actually really flattering to the physique. Vintage men’s hats (think pageboy, golfer, or of course the fedora) are way cuter than anything we can come up with these days and are a quick fix to any bad hair day. You might want to steer clear from pocketwatches and monocles, but otherwise you’re good to go. Everyone has their reasons for dressing like the opposite sex, whether in rebellion as the ladies of the 1930s or in sheer quirkiness as with Diane Keaton, whatever the reason the desire has been building throughout the past century. Men’s clothing has become harder and harder to define, and as such, easier and easier for women to wear. It’s not hard to pull off the boyish look at school, so if you’re keen then feel free to let yourself go. As for the boys, I’ve seen little effort to experiment with feminine fashion other than last fall’s pink-shirt epidemic, but I’ll be here to write about it the second skirts show up on males. I’m ready when you are. Millennium Excellence Award Vera Kiriloff Contributor Everyone wins thanks to Carol-Ann Hoyte’s hard work. Hoyte is a Montreal native whose dedication to children’s literature was a key factor in her receiving a Millennium Excellence Award. Her schoolwork, her part time jobs and her volunteer work all centre around her passion for children’s literature. Hoyte’s work in all of these areas shows why she deserved the award. The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation exists to recognize the achievements of academically achieving students like Hoyte, who still make the time to be engaged in the community, which forms a large part of Hoyte’s life. She reviews children’s books for Montreal Review of Books and Canadian Bookseller and coordinates the English section of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week tour in Quebec. The event takes place annually during one week in November. Her role includes coordinating tours to libraries and other public places in Quebec for authors and illustrators of children’s books. It is hard work to co-ordinate such an event and Hoyte’s section of the tour reaches 5,000-7,000 children. But she says it is worth it for all the “magical moments” when the tour starts. “Children ask such insightful questions and the authors become more well known.” A second-year student in the information and library technology program at John Abbott College, at 33-years old it has taken Hoyte a while to decide that this was the program for her. For her though, it seems like her whole life was leading up to the decision to go into the program. Before deciding on information and library technology as a career path, Hoyte received a degree in journalism. She then spent some time freelancing and working with children at camps in both British Columbia and Alberta. When Hoyte decided to move back to Quebec in 2001, she says she thought it was time for her to focus her energy on something she loved.She started work at a children’s bookstore when she moved, and eventually became a circulation clerk at her local library where she works part time. “I thought to myself, ‘Man, I love this job and environment,’ but I knew I didn’t want to be a circulation clerk until I retired,” says Hoyte. “I wanted something more challenging, with more responsibility.” Hoyte registered for the program and explains: “I had no doubt it was what I wanted to do, my experience had made my mind up.” Hoyte applied for the scholarship so that she didn’t have to worry about money while she studied, although she says the support has not stopped with the cheque. Laureates are also invited to participate at the annual Think Again conference organized by the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. They have the opportunity to network and discuss some of the vital social issues that face Canadians, alongside some of the leading experts from a wide variety of fields. “They make an investment in your life beyond the financial aspect,” says Hoyte. “They want to help you make a change in the community.” Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 • Carnival Week Trevor Smith Staff Writer Last week, the Carnival celebrations were set up in the Agora. It comes every year without fail to lift our spirits from the dreary weather and towering piles of midter ms. The events showcased during Carnival Week included a hypnotist named “The Incredible Boris”, the Valentine’s Day Couples Contests, and “The Amazing Race”. However, the most memorable event was by far the Ms. John Abbott Beauty Pageant. It was at least an hour’s worth of kinky lollipop-licking, “innocent virgins”, and booty-shaking hot tamales strutting their stuff. All of these bodacious ladies entertained a student-packed Agora for a first place cash prize of $150, $50 for the runner-up, and a 3rd place prize of $25. These ladies ranged from Britney Spears wannabes, to the traditional “Lady in Red”, to the Russian weightlifters. These women exemplified their female charms through several gut-wrenching and stomach-churning events such as the strut-walk, the striptease, and finally, the lap dance. All of the events were equally scary to the on-lookers due to one little detail: they weren’t quite women. The Ms. John Abbott competition sets out to the find the best women among the male populace based on makeup, style, and their ability to pull it off. This year’s best was the Russian Bodybuilder, Alfonsa, with her “I’ll break you in half but I’m really a nice person” attitude. Her specialty was the lap dance (I of all people would know). Second place runner-up went to Donnabella with her Paris Hilton/prostitute impersonation. Her style was definitely comparable to the great whores of Hollywood. All in all, the girls/guys managed to do a great job of harassing the male show host and the volunteer lap dance victim to complete and utter fear. This event, and many others, came together and made Carnival week an experience to remember… or one to remove with lots and lots of psychiatric help. Thi Ça p sc ourr oul ait ê db tre v ey our otre lau ndr buan omat deri . e. www.canada123go.ca 1-877-go123go TRAVEL & WORK ABROAD VOYAGER ET TRAVAILLER À L’ÉTRANGER First Gay “Marriage” at Abbott Between SUJAC Members Aella Morad Contributor It’s Valentine’s Day, do you know what your SUJAC representatives are up to? Collin and Rylan, whom have been friends for over 17 years, decided to participate in a same sex marriage ceremony. “Just for the hell of it,” Rylan says. Neither Collin nor Rylan possess any desires for each other within a homosexual context. “Collin actually has a girlfriend,” Rylan says, “but I am still looking.” “This has been the first time there was a fictional gay marriage between sujac representatives,” Marv, who has been in charge • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 of SUJAC’s secretarial business since 1986, states. This shows that most students are reacting positively towards marriage regardless of sexual preference. Education and awareness seems to be the key to accepting these new concepts involving homosexuality and marriage. It has been little over a year that federal government changed the actual definition of marriage, which gave gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Recently there has been a major cutback in high school curriculum. In fact, sex education is no longer mandatory in Quebec schools. Instead it will now be up to the teachers to somehow integrate it into the general curricu- lum; in math and even history classes, teachers and students will be discussing sexual topics such as STDs. It’s appalling how the government will expect high school students to simply “wing it” for their sexual education, relying on the Internet and “Google” searches for knowledge of their sexuality, birth control, and how to talk about sex with their partner. It’s possible that the lack of knowledge about sexual health is already affecting the younger generation soon to come. STD rates have spiked up as well as unplanned pregnancies in the past decade. Not being educated about sexuality in high school is an important issue that can affect young people’s perceptions and social values involving new concepts such as gay marriages and homoerotic themes. Bandersnatch Campus Life BEACH PARTY SATURDAY MARCH 11 BEST TAN LINES COMPETITION A MORE THEN $600 IN CASH AND PRIZES TO BE WON COME SHOW OFF YOUR SPRING BREAK TAN When Were-Rabbits Attack Barbara Radziwon Contributor In 1989, Nick Park introduced the world to Wallace, the eccentric, cheeseloving inventor and his faithful, wise dog, Gromit, in A Grand Day Out. The success of this short animated film demanded a sequel, and in 1993, Wallace and Gromit returned in The Wrong Trousers, and in 1995’s A Close Shave. Now, some ten years later, Park brings them back to life in their first full-length feature film, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. This film has the same technical flair and wonderful British wit as the original Wallace and Gromit films. Their characters have the same charming personalities that many viewers fell in love with the first time around. Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) is still inventing devices to make his life easier, while Gromit, who is the real brains behind this partnership, continues to hold things together with facial expressions that continue to register his despair and frustration with Wallace’s brilliant new ideas. Along with these two loveable mis- fits, the audience is introduced to Lady Tottington (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, who also worked on Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride). Lady Tottington is an unmarried, wealthy, British aristocrat with an exaggerated hair-do and a prominent over-bite. She also has two problems; one Hedwig and the Angry Inch Lauren “Steve” Rodrigues Opinions Editor Wild restaurant concerts, American gummy bears, playing in ovens, and gay army men. Oh, and did I mention hermaphrodites with botched sex changes? This is a movie like few others. As the bright yellow/orange/red shiny cover looks up at you from the shelf you can’t help but be interested. There are so few movies now that can match this one, which shows the constant struggle of a transgender person, but to make it even harder it is a comedy/musical/drama. John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor, Stephen Trask and Michael Pitt star in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”. The roots of the movie come from a character created by John Mitchell and Stephen Trask which started out on off-Broadway stages. John Mitchell directed and co-wrote the story with Stephen Trask, who also composed music for the movie. Killer Film’s Pamela Koffler and Katie Roumel produced the movie. It was in theaters in 2001 and later released on DVD. The movie tells the story of a transsexual, Hedwig (John Mitchell), who is trying to tell her story about her past. A past tainted with many painful memories. From the botched sex change that caused a series of different and interesting events to occur; poor Hedwig is tossed around • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 emotionally and forced to get over many difficulties most people couldn’t do alone. Finally she finds her place in an American rock band that consists of an array of strange characters. Even though they are under-appreciated, they manage to get by until a past love of Hedwig’s life steals her music. The story is intertwined around amazing storylyrics that tug at your heartstrings or make you want to get up and mosh around. It is hard to compare this movie to oth- is a devious suitor who wants her money, and the other is the rabbits who are eating up her vegetables. This is where Wallace and Gromit come to the rescue. Nick Park’s first featured film starring the dynamic duo is clever and entertaining. Although the plot is predictable (it pokes fun at some of the classic movies, such as King Kong and The Wolf Man) it is filled with laughs. It is sure to entertain audiences of all ages. It will delight young viewers with its cute rabbits, Wallace’s new gadgets, and Gromit’s chase through the vegetable gardens. They will find themselves cheering the heroes and booing the villain. Adult viewers, too, will enjoy and appreciate the different elements that were combined to make Wallace and Gromit a work of art. It is evident that both Aardman and DreamWorks Productions put a lot of time, effort, and hard work into this movie. This is obvious in the rich quality of the characters, and crazy camera angles of film noir. This sophisticated clay animated film has soared to extraordinary heights; the world of Wallace and Gromit is a genuinely, eccentric place and a smashing, creative hit. ers since there aren’t many movies about the hardships in a transgender person’s life, though when compared to other musical comedies or dramas it surpasses almost all. With many flashbacks to clear up the dark area’s in the film, the story isn’t hard to follow. The songs do not take the plot out of context, for example; if he sings about his sex operation, the flashback will be on the sex operation. The characters are thoroughly developed as the movie proceeds. When they realize the situation that they are in, each character takes a different route to reach the same point. The mistreatment and disgust of transgender people is clearly shown through the movie. But the main message seems to be the acceptance of one’s situation and the acceptance of others. For example, when the people are in the restaurant, they don’t really like the music, but when Hedwig gets close, you can see the disgust. The movie tries to break down the barrier and tells people not to judge. In this case the cause was a botched sex operation. So it is not fair to look down on people before you know their situation. There is no reason for people to be disgusted with transgender people, the movie states loud and clear. But they also try and get across that they are just like everyone else, and if you educate yourself, you would see that they aren’t ‘bad’ or ‘disgusting’. Upcoming Events Rob Zombie Metropolis Montreal, QC Monday 4/3/2006 8:00 PM Aerosmith Centre Bell Montreal, QC Sunday 3/19/2006 7:30 PM Inxs Centre Bell Montreal, QC Thursday 5/11/2006 7:30 PM Harlem Globetrotters Centre Bell Montreal, QC Friday 4/ 7/ 2006 7:30 PM Taste of Chaos Tour Stade Uniprix Montreal, Qc Sunday 4/15/2006 5:00 PM Metric Metropolis Montreal, Qc Wednesday 3/1/2006 time unknown Cd Releases In Flames Come Clarity In Stores Now Pink I’m Not Dead 4/4/2006 Rob Zombie Educatd Horses 4/3/2006 Thursday A City By The Light Divided 5/2/2006 Taking Back Sunday Louder Now 4/25/2006 Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium (2XCD) 5/9/2006 Bandersnatch Entertainment A Close Encounter with Fire Ashley Fairweather Comics Editor I woke up yesterday morning to get ready for another day of school, and then I suddenly remembered something amazing. I stared at my ceiling for a whole three minutes thinking about the previous day: it was a dream come true. I met the band that has truly influenced me; I met In Flames. In Flames is a Swedish metal band that has been releasing studio and live albums since 1994. From their first album, Lunar Strain (1994), to their most recent album, Come Clarity (2006), their sound has immensely evolved. The Jester Race, Whoracle, and Colony are some of the highlight albums of their “old” sound. Now, as heard clearly on Come Clarity, Reroute to Remain, and Soundtrack to Your Escape, they have a more powerful sound. Although vocalist Anders Fridén does not scream as brutally as he used to, the new sound grows on you as guitarists Jesper Strömblad and Björn Gelotte take you on an instrumental joyride. Daniel Svensson, drummer of In Flames, makes amazing beats that are essential to the band’s music. The bassist, Peter Iwers, knows how to complete the sound of their music. When I heard In Flames was coming to town with Zao, Devildriver, and Trivium, I almost had a heart attack. Unfortunately, the tickets sold out while I was trying to figure out how many to purchase. I felt crushed until I talked to my friend Eli, another big fan of In Flames, who told me they were coming to HMV downtown to sign autographs on February 19th. I immediately told my boyfriend, Will, and best friend, Judy, that we were so going to be there to meet the band. On the morning of February 19th, I fixed up a drawing I made for them inspired by their album, “The Jester Race”. I also grabbed my Reroute to Remain CD my fingers still froze…and so did my toes. Judy and Will’s hands looked frostbitten. We noticed that there was a dépanneur across the street that said DEPANNEUR PEEL…except there was a tree blocking out the “L”. Will also decided to run across the street to get Harvey’s. Food is good when you’re waiting outside for about an hour before meeting your favourite band. When the line finally started to because it was my first In Flames album. I grabbed my digital camera with three sets of fresh recharged batteries and I was all set to go. My dad picked Will and I up and then we headed to pick Judy up (who lives in the middle of nowhere…close to the bayou). After some time, we were finally downtown an hour before the signing was to start. It was cold outside. By cold, I mean freezing. Although I had a pair of mitts on, move, I felt a wave of excitement flow through my body. Unfortunately, HMV was letting in small groups and we were cut off from one of the groups. This meant we had to stay outside for a little bit longer. Will made one of the security guards throw out his garbage. When we were finally let inside, I got my camera ready and although my toes did not have time to defrost, I started going down the stairs to meet In Flames. Clydes Thursday February 23: It took me a minute to realize In Flames was sitting behind at the table right in front of me. We all picked up copies of Come Clarity and some guy unwrapped them for us. Then, I was face to face with Daniel Svensson. Unfortunately, he did not talk much, which is when I decided to pull out my drawing. Anders Fridén looked at it and with a big Swedish smile on his face, he asked if they could keep it. Of course, I said yes, but I realized only after that I didn’t sign my name on it. Anders is a really nice guy, and doesn’t sound a thing like how he sings. He actually sounds normal. When I got to Björn Gelotte, I stopped and asked if he played any ESP guitars. He shook his head and said that he used to and that he now plays Gibson guitars. Björn pointed to the man beside him and said that he plays LTD guitars. The man beside him was none other than Jesper Strömblad, my guitar hero. After talking with him for a bit, I got him to pose with me in a picture that Judy took. I could not leave with just two pictures: one of Anders signing a CD and one of Jesper and I. Will decided to go up to the band to take a picture for this newspaper. He managed to get Peter, Björn, and Jesper in a cool pose. Although I wasn’t able to go to the show, I was satisfied to have met the band. They are really nice people and I would have loved to talk to them more. I never actually thought I would have the chance to meet my favourite band. Thank you, In Flames, for coming to Montreal and making mine and other peoples’ dreams come true. Humanifesto EVERY TUESDAY 2 FOR 1 FAJITA NIGHT! Saturday February 25: Mosiac Thursday March 2: Amber Sparks & Red October The West Islands Biggest Party Place! 286 Lakeshore Road, Pointe Claire Village. www.clydespub.com Bandersnatch Entertainment Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 • • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 Bandersnatch Comics Dry Eyes EML - Contributor wise man told me all one needs is something to believe in if you can’t give him that give them something to live for if all else fails give’em something to do and I know you you have nothing to do and you’re fooling no one with your dry eyes you’re fooling no one with your dry eyes with your dry eyes you’re fooling no one Aoibheal you once explained how you’re way too busy because of things that are your own but what is it you’re doing if you’re all alone? And I know you, you have nothing to do Samantha Di Girolamo - Contributor Missed the Bus EML - Contributor Smile when I see you Politely wave, ‘Till I see, your hand holding his firm could have sworn I skipped a beat and you’re…with your dry eyes … fooling no one the answers are hot, running through your veins, stop looking, quite searching it’s not drowning in the waters take a second to breathe not hanging from the ceiling come back down to earth and you’re… with your dry eyes… no one Inside I flinch when you speak of your gift for him Every anniversary Kills me. Life as a Painting Daphney Di Giovanni – Contributor In the beginning Everything is blank Pure, untouched Anxious for inspiration to hit So that it may be given the breath of life Yet also resistant to leap into the unknown But it is not always simple There are choices to be made Like color, texture, shading Each decision leading to something different Mixing in the warms with the colds Compromising between abstract and clarity Your smile, your laugh Reminds me of my missed chance, That day will stay in the back of my mind, every time we are on the back of the bus; Wednesday and Friday my hard mornings Bandersnatch Arts Barbara Radziwon - Contributor As time goes on You start sketching out your idea Fixing its flaws Making mistakes and learning from them Stopping to experiment new things Having as much fun in the process 11th day of each month my death day every time I catch your eye mine water wake up to you kissing him on the Bus, wake up you’ve Missed the bus Alan Rickman Waiting for News Now what to do with the painting is all up to you You can discard it Letting it sink into the shadows Or you can show it to the world Making it all worth while Samantha Di Girolamo - Contributor Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 • Chemistry…Revisited Ashley Fairweather Comics Editor Last issue, a fellow editor of Bandersnatch wrote an article entitled “Chemistry” for the Opinions section. I read the article with interest because I am a student of John Abbott’s Science program. After I had finished reading the article, I started to write this one: my opposing view on the subject, which is that I believe high school Science classes introduce what the Cegep Science program offers. Of course, I am not trying to shun the opinion expressed in last issue’s article. I am just trying to express a different view on the topic. In high0 school, I was very passionate about chemistry. My passion still exists today, although recently I did very badly on my first unit test. In the first semester of Cegep Science, the chemistry course was “Chemistry of Solutions”. I must admit that in the beginning I was a little bit confused by the material. Fortunately, the material taught in high school enabled me to catch on, Chemistry of Solutions solely introduces a new and more specific method of calculating things such as stoichiometry. Topics still flow from one to another, contrary to what last issue’s article stated. For example, you cannot calculate acid/base titrations (unit 3) without knowing how to use IRE and IRF tables (unit 1). As for teachers not holding our hands and helping us, I am going to have to disagree. Science teachers provide extra hours for you to come to them if you have questions; in fact, they actually encourage you to do so. They do not provide office hours to bite your head off when you have what might seem like a “stupid question”. Although teachers may not give make-up tests, they certainly do drop low marks. My chemistry teacher last semester dropped the lowest lab mark and increased the final exam weight so The ‘Norm’ Kira-Lee Jones Contributor Through observation and experience, I (and many others) have noticed that the overweight population is not treated on equal terms with the people of ‘normal’ size. I myself am overweight, and I beat myself up about it everyday. I often wonder why I do this, and I often realise the same thing over and over again. I do not treat myself fairly and with respect, because others do not treat me fairly and respectfully. Walking around a mall, on the street, or any general plot of space designed to be used for the general public, I get nasty stares, cruel looks, and even malicious comments. All because I do not fit into the ‘norm’. I have noticed that the majority of clothing stores do not stock and sell clothing over a size 13, some not over a size 11. I don’t know why they do this when, in reality, the general public (the ‘norm’) IS over a size 11 or 13. It seems that to be admired, liked, or even be 10 • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 it would overpower the lowest unit test mark. No matter what people tell you in high school, teachers actually do seem to care about your marks if you show initiative. Indeed, Chemistry of Solutions may seem like a second math class. Well, if you are in the Science program, doing a lot of math work should not shock you. The math involved in Chemistry of Solutions is not even the hardest part of the course; having Math 436 as a pre-requisite should prepare Science students to do such calculations. Why is it so surprising to learn formulas and equations when dealing with Chemistry? How else will a Science student figure out how to create a buffer? I believe that these formulas are explained well enough in Chemistry of Solutions. The only more complicated part is trying to figure out what to put in the formula, not the math itself. Chemistry of Solutions requires two hours of laboratory work per week. In these two hours, one must conduct an experiment and immediately write a lab report for the end of the period. I must admit that some of the labs my partner and I would do were excruciatingly annoying, but others were actually quite enjoyable. Who does not like putting pH indicator in a solution and watching it turn a pretty shade of pink when neutralized? This semester in General Chemistry, I was incredibly gleeful when I watched my teacher set stuff on FIRE! How are these labs not fun? I guess it depends on the teacher, but my Chemistry of Solutions teacher explained labs the day before we would do them. Even if my teacher did not explain as thoroughly as he did, I still would have been prepared. At the beginning of the semester, it is required to purchase a package of laboratory outlines. Now, if we Science students did not have those laboratory outlines to read, then we would all be screwed. If you do not put in the effort to actually read these laboratories ahead of time, the two-hour lab session is going to be stressful and not fun. In last issue’s article, our dear editor stated, “I believe, and have yet to be proven wrong, that between the two [high school and Cegep teachers], neither knows what the other is doing,” Unfortunately, she is about to be disputed. Since there is no reference as to what specific subject she is talking about in that sentence, I can then prove her wrong by bringing up my high school math teacher. My high school math teacher, known as Mr. Weber, remembered how the program was run, and therefore prepared his students (including myself) for the Cegep Science program really well. Mr. Weber taught us bits of Calculus I and pushed us to remember the “trig identities”. Not only was he a brilliant math teacher, but he also mastered in physics. What I am trying to say is that not every public school teacher is blind towards what Cegep material is thrown at us. If you do not want to go into Science, then don’t! It does keep your options open for university, but if you do not want to put in the extra time and effort that is required for the program, then you will end up miserably failing. Most teachers are not out to massacre your lives. In high school, you actually do have the choice whether or not you want to stay in science. All you would have had to do before Grade 11 was choose courses other than chemistry and physics. Before you say something like, “this girl doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” or “PSH! Her high school environment was different! How can she say all of that?” I would like you all to realize that I went to the same high school as the author of last issue’s chemistry article. We were also in the same Chemistry class. Finally, if you really do not understand science, even after discussing course material with your teachers, then maybe it is not for you. given a friendly glance, one must fit into the public’s definition of ‘normal’ and ‘attractive’; tall skinny, androgynous, and bony people who have to starve themselves and puke into a toilet five times a day to sustain said figure. Whatever happened to the desired hourglass figure? A few decades ago, the most beautiful woman in the eye of the media, Marilyn Monroe, was a size 14, a size 16 in some of her tougher times. Although sizes were smaller back then, a size 16 would be in between a size 10 and 13. She was chubby; she wasn’t obese. She had the desired hourglass figure and some even complained she was too thin. Nowadays, the ‘hourglass’ figure is a DD bust, a 22 waist and a 28 hip. Give me a break! I have no clue why anyone would want to be with someone whose neck would snap from the weight of her chest if she bent over, or someone who would break in half if someone decided to blow on her. The same goes for males. The majority of men admired in the media are skinny sticks not worth their weight in the money they obtain from looking pretty on the cover of People magazine. And if they aren’t skinny, they are bulky and overly muscular. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not sleep with a slab of rock. It’s okay to be fit and tight, but when the image of masculinity conjured by the media forces one to bench press 250 pounds each day to become attractive, it’s going just a bit too far. Another that I’d like to address is what we are supposed to wear in order to fit into that perfect ‘norm’. Girls, even at a young age, are wearing pants so extremely low cut that I’m surprised we don’t see a clump of pubic hair every now and then. Shirts are short, tight, and in ridiculously bright colours, probably to attract attention to the chest area. Guys are wearing their pants around their knees (which I think is so disgusting) with their asses hanging out, mooning the world with all their boxered glory. I’d just like to say to the general population of Abbott: wear a loose fitting long sweater for once and gain ten pounds. Believe me, you’ll be that much the happier for it. Mice; Greatest Pets Alive? Lauren “Steve” Rodrigues Opinions Editor Last week I bought a little mouse, something that I have been wanting for around 3 years now. He is white with black spots - somewhat like a cow. He is absolutely adorable! Now I will stop fawning over him and get to the point of this article: informing people about how mice make great alternative pets. Firstly, mice don’t smell that bad. If you buy proper food, woodchips and Timothy grass, the natural smell that comes from mice (i.e. feces, urine, musk) is blocked out. Male mice do smell more than the females because they excrete a substance called musk, so you will have to thoroughly clean their cages. If you only clean it every 5-7 days, it won’t smell that bad, making mice the lazy person’s ideal pet. Mice are also incredibly cute, with their small black eyes, light pink tail, and variety of coat colours, which can be white, black, grey, orange or a spotted mix of two colours. To add to their attractiveness, mice are also really soft and loads of fun to play with. So, you can find the mouse for you. There have also been famous mice in film, such as “Stuart Little” and “The Rescuers Down Under”; everyone knows Stuart Little, the Chuck Norris of mice. Ok, so mice may not be the best pets in the world, and I really haven’t done much to fight my point. But if you ever go to a pet store and look at mice, trust me, it is very hard to say no. Today in Bandersnatch History So, I was sitting in Calculus II with Nicki while waiting for Judy to come back to class. She had to go ask our teacher, Mr. William Richardson, if she could attend our class that day. Judy came into class laughing, and we assumed she was allowed to stay. When Judy asked Mr. Richardson if she could attend our class, he ����������� apparently responded, “You can sit next to your twin.” Of course, Judy was confused because Lynn (her actual twin sister) isn’t in my Calculus II class. Apparently, by “twin”, Mr. Richardson was referring to me. It looks like Mr. Richardson figured out the secret behind Judley Gelsweather. After laughing our butts off, we decided to dedicate this issue to Mr. William Richardson, our new Bandersnatch hero. Legend retold by Ashley Fairweather Bandersnatch Opinions Olympic Women’s Hockey Meneldil Meldon Contributor Recently, a new sport was added to the Winter Olympics: women’s hockey. I say recently, as it was introduced but a mere eight years ago, in Nagano. Regardless of anyone’s personal opinion on the sport, I believe that it is a very good addition to the Games. This year, we were spectators of a very special event. Up until these Olympic Games, Canada and the USA remained undefeated against all other countries, with the exception of one another, of course, in preliminary and playoff games. In fact, the domination has been so complete that some argue that until a decent competition is built up, the sport should be removed from Olympic competition. But for the first time, the United States was defeated by a team not sporting the Maple Leafs. In what some hailed as another Miracle on Ice, the Swedish Ladies beat the US contingent 3-2 in a shootout in the semi-final game. This led to first ever nonCanada-versus-USA final in international competition since the sport has been on the world stage, circa 1990. The Swedes would lose to Canada in the Gold medal game, but not until they showed Canada’s Quest for Gold Meneldil Meldon Contributor It’s that time again. That time that comes every four years. That time when many Canadians have something to cheer about other than their city’s hockey team. It’s the Winter Olympics. Yes, two weeks of winter sports that Canada should excel at. When the Olympics are held, Canadians are medal favorites in many of the sports (including short ���������� and long track speed skating, bobsleigh, skeleton, figure skating, ice hockey, and the greatest Olympic sport, curling) at least in the Winter Games. After all, for a country submerged in snow and cold for at least five months out of the year, it’s only logical. Cindy Klassen and Jeremy Wotherspoon are the favourites for long track speed skating. On the short track, we have Eric Bedard and Francois-Louis Tremblay. As usual, Pierre Leuders is expected to pilot the two-man and four-man bobsleigh teams to medals, and Duff Gibson and Jeff Pain should bring home some hardware. In figure skating, Emanuel Sandhu and Jeff Buttle are hopeful contenders. As for hockey, well, if we don’t come home with a medal in both men’s and women’s, we need Bandersnatch Sports to reconsider who is in charge. And finally, Brad Gushue and Shannon Kleibrink are confident they can skip their rinks to the podium in men’s and women’s curling, respectively. Now as you might imagine, I wrote the above before the start of the Games. As of day 10 of the 20th Winter Olympics, the truth has been different. So far, Cindy Klassen has lived up to her end of the bargain, winning two silver and one bronze medal, making her the first female winter Olympian to take home three medals (in fact, she might take four; there is still one event left for her to race in, the 5000m). Jeremy Wotherspoon, on the other hand, didn’t even make it to the top five in both the world that they were now also a force to be reckoned with. They held the Canadian team to the lowest score of the tournament, merely 4 – 1, and the Swedes were the only team to score on Canada. The most credit should be given to Sweden’s outstanding goalie, Kim Martin. She is hailed as the best women’s goalie in the world, and her play is a testament to that. This is her second Olympics, and she is aged but 19 years. At the end of this tournament, Canada outscored its competition 46 – 2 and dominated every team it faced. Even during the final, it did not appear that the Swedes would be ���������������������������������� able to match the skill and speed of the Canadian team. Canada was also the only team of this tournament to have a woman - Melody Davidson - as head coach. She sacrificed many things to get to this stage in her career, and her team did not disappoint her. of his races. In fact, he finished 9th in the 500m and 11th in the 1000m. Disappointing to say the least. Short track results have been different, with the women’s relay team winning silver, and Anouk Leblanc-Boucher winning bronze. Not the medal favorites, but still world contenders. The men’s competitions have not resulted in medals yet, but there are still a few competitions left before the end. The men’s curling team has advanced to the playoffs, and the women’s team just barely squeaked into the playoffs at the end of the day. As expected, the women’s hockey team took gold, but the men have displayed very odd results, losing two consecutive round robin games to Switzerland and Finland, both by a score of 2 – 0. But the Czechs still remained as of the writing of this article. Canada’s Olympic Hockey team is in fact the most difficult team to build in the world, as there are over 50,000 female hockey players playing in the Junior and Pro levels. The United States has about 30,000, and no other country comes close to those numbers. In fact, most European countries chose from about 500 athletes or less. But that will change, now that the Big Two have been shown as less than invincible, and many young girls can say that their idols are Kim Martin instead of Henrik Lundqvist, and Erika Holst instead of Peter Forsberg. It will only be a matter of time before the world catches up to North America, and it will be great hockey when it does. CANADIAN ATHLETES Jennifer Heil, Gold, Freestyle Moguls Cindy Klassen, Bronze, Speed Skating 3000m S.Renner, B.Scott, Silver, Cross Country Skiing A.Leblanc-Boucher, Bronze, Short-Track Groves, Hughes, Nesbitt, Silver, Speed Skating Elm, Warsylewicz, Dankers, Silver, Speed Skating M.Hollingsworth-Richards, Bronze, Skeleton Jeffrey Buttle, Bronze, Figure Skating Dominique Maltais, Bronze, Snowboarding Duff Gibson, Gold, Skeleton Jeff Pain, Silver, Skeleton Cindy Klassen, Silver, Speed Skating 1000m P. Lueders, L.Brown, Silver, Bobsleigh Team Canada, Gold, Female Hockey As of day 10, Canada’s medal count stands at 14, divided into three gold, six silver and five bronze. We are currently ranked 6th, behind, from 5th to 1st, Russia, USA, Austria, Norway and Germany. Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 • 11 Former Rocker, Marty Jannetty, has the opportunity to join the active Raw Roster, but with one stipulation. He has to join Vince McMahon’s “Kiss My Ass Club.” Both the punishment and reward come as a result of Jannetty’s involvement last week on RAW. Mr. McMahon chose to give Shawn Michaels hell in the for m of a fouron-one Handicap Match, but Jannetty came to HBK’s aid. Seeing Jannetty involve himself in McMahon business led to the “invitation.” The self proclaimed “King of Kings”, Triple H, moved one step closer to regaining his throne on RAW, defeating Rob Van Dam and Big Show in the Triple Threat finals of the Road to WrestleMania Tournament. RVD launched off the top turnbuckle, twisted his body in mid-air and hit Big Show from halfway across the ring with a Five-Star Frog 12 • Wednesday February 22nd, 2006 Splash RVD launched off the top turnbuckle, twisted his body in mid-air and hit Big Show from halfway across the ring with a Five-Star Frog Splash As RVD rose, Triple H pounced and delivered a Pedigree. With Big Show still fighting off the effects of the frog splash, the referee counted three and declared The Game the winner. Edge blamed Mick Foley for John Cena regaining the WWE C h a m p i o n s h i p. Edge first speared his way to victory against “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, before issuing a WrestleMania challenge to the Hardcore Legend. Edge gave Foley one week to respond. Shelton Benjamin became a two-time Intercontinental Champion by defeating Ric Flair. With Flair in control, Shelton’s mother appeared to have a seizure outside the ring. While the referee attended to her and called for help, Shelton twice smashed Flair with “momma”’s oxygen tank. After suplex, Benjamin was the new Intercontinental Champion. Mr. McMahon thought the time was right for the Spirit’s Squad’s in-ring debut, so he placed four out of five in a Handicap Match against Shawn Michaels. After HBK hit “ S weet C h i n Music” during the match, he was swar med by green and white, leading to the disqualification. The Spirit Squad continued its attack until none other than Marty Jannetty came to his former tag-team partner’s aid. Candice won a No. 1 Contender’s Diva Battle Royal and will face Women’s Champion Trish Stratus next week. And Carlito announced that he has a big idea for this year’s WrestleMania that’s “money in the bank.” Kane took some revenge by defeating Chris Masters, but “The Masterpiece” brought down Kane after the match with The Master Lock. It was also announced that the second inductee into the 2006 WWE Hall of Fame class would be the late Eddie Guerrero. Bret “Hit Man” Hart was the first inductee announced for the ceremony in Chicago on April 1. Bandersnatch Sports