Fine Arts Night Showcases Dr.Charles Best’s Artistic TalentsJust like an artist changing his canvas, Fine Arts Night was given a whole new look this year.

Instead of cramming the art and entertainment into the small gym, exhibits were spread out through-out the school. Many of the artists worked away on projects in the classrooms where their finishedart was exhibited. The photo room showcased numerous masterpieces and student portraits wereexhibited throughout the halls. Ceramics students painted glazed sculptures, including some verycreative masks.

In the music room,band members showcased their talents, playing several songs including“Where the River Meets” and “Liberty”. The band sounded quite professional. “I think this wasone of our better performances; everyone worked hard and had a fun time,” commented StephanieCarrasco.

Every 15 minutes the Drama Department took to the stage and performed scenes from“Chelm” and “Hamlet.” “The actors displayed emotions, while the acting was unpolished, but stillwell done,” commented Stephen Blakely from Drama 12.

If art wasn’t enough for the audience, they could sink their teeth into a little snack whipped upby the Foods students.

Congratulations to all the artists, musicians and cooks that put the time and effort into anexcellent evening, enjoyed by all. See Page 7 for pictures.

Artwork by: Gawon Go

February1st,2006 Volume 9 Issue 4

EDITORIALSEDITORIALSEDITORIALSEDITORIALSEDITORIALS Wednesday, February 1st, 2006Page 2

As high school students,many of us feel the pressures fromrelatives and friends alike to acquirea part-time job. Why did this sud-denly become so important? I havebetter things to do with my timethan work at a dead-end job thatwill only take away from the alreadyminimal study and spare time that Ipresently have. My relatives try toexplain the positive side to havinga part time job. Ironically, I oftenuse their children as examples ofthe dangers of taking a part timejob in high school. Seeing the re-port cards of students with part timejobs, it’s obvious that many havetrouble balancing their academic

Debate: Celebrities are writing books now?Debate: Celebrities are writing books now?Debate: Celebrities are writing books now?Debate: Celebrities are writing books now?Debate: Celebrities are writing books now?

Chicks In TChicks In TChicks In TChicks In TChicks In TroubleroubleroubleroubleroubleColonel Saunders of Ken-

tucky Fried Chicken wears a whitesuit, creating a grandfatherly andfriendly atmosphereand appears to havethe ability to bring thefamily together at din-ner time. However,that old man with amoustache is the fig-urehead for the mostimmoral of the fast-food chains.

According to PETA (Peoplefor Ethical Treatment of Animals),KFC is responsible for the constantand cruel mishandling of eight-hundred and fifty million chickensthat are killed each year for KFC’smenu.

These chickens endure pain-ful and agonizing torture to fill therestaurant’s red and white bucketswith finger lickin’ good chickenlegs. The chickens are jammed bythe tens of thousands into shredsthat reek of ammonia from thechicken excrement. Soon afterthey’re born, each bird undergoesthe most inhumane treatment; theyare de-beaked, a process where thebird has its beak clipped off withhot blades.

The chickens are thendrugged with antibiotics, to ensurethat the chickens grow to an outra-geous weight as fast as possible.Consequently, these chickens can-not stabilize themselves on theirown weak legs and often lay mo-tionless in a space the size of asheet of paper. They are subjectedto broken bones as uneducatedworkers throw them in crates. Oncethey arrive at the slaughterhouse,they are unloaded from the truckand dumped into a shoot where ag-gressive workers assemble thechickens for de-feathering.

At this point, they are shack-led upside down on a conveyorbelt and go through the process ofstunning. Half of the chickens arenot stunned properly and are sub-merged into scalding hot waterwhile still conscious.

PETA, the world’s largestanimal rights organization, haspleaded with KFC about changingits process.

Chickens are amazingly intel-ligent and even have some cogni-tive abilities more so than cats ordogs. They are capable of creatinglong-lasting relationships withother birds, building nests, adapt-

ing distinct individual personali-ties, understanding intellectualconcepts such as self control andlearning from watching other birds.When it comes to Federal Law,

chickens, turkeysand other birdsare not protectedunder the Hu-mane Methods ofSlaughter Act, sothere is abso-lutely no mentionof the illegality ofchicken abuse.

Although, if it were dogs and catsthat were being treated as foully asthese chickens, action would havebeen taken the first day the publicheard about it. So why is it that wedon’t clarify chickens as legallyprotected animals and consider thethought that they have intellectualcapabilities of Mr. Fluffy or yourdearest Rover?

Are we that self-deluded ashumans to believe that animals arenumbed to physical and emotionalfeeling? Have we been so naïveabout how our animals are so cru-elly treated for our benefit to be ableto sleep at night? Or are we cush-ioned from childhood to believethat the cow just went to ‘sleep’?

In any case, we’re neglect-ing and abusing animals as theyears proceed, and people arepleading across nations for properaction to be taken to stop the hor-rendous abuse to animals.

Some of the recommenda-tions sent to KFC’s Chief Operat-ing Officer are found on thewebsite solely devoted to stoppingthe hideous abuse to chickens atwww.kentuckyfriedcruelty.comwhere you can donate to the causeand see videos of the abusefirsthand with narrators such asPamela Anderson and PaulMcCartney who are both veryproud PETA members. So what canwe do as non-celebrities? As highschool students? We’re just asvaluable as those found in maga-zines and on billboards. Studentscan write to KFC. Letter writingcampaigns make the protest morereal and the company is more likelyto change. As students, the bestway to help in to be informed andmake informed choices. You couldtake a stand and stop eating KFCand share with others that eatingKFC is endorsing the abuse ofthese animals.

This is the world as we seeit. Lettuce anyone?

workload with a job. I realize thatthere are also many who can, but Idon’t see the point in wasting mytime working for a few extra buckswhen it will only cut into school-work and sports, my priorities.What do I need the money for nowthat I didn’t need it for three of fouryears ago? Nice clothes? For what,to wear to school? No thanks. Anymoney I need for spending, I cansave from a summer job. What elseis the summer for, right?

Many teenagers have trou-ble looking far enough into the fu-ture to realize that the little bit ofmoney they earn to squander onthings like clothes and booze com-promises future opportunities likeuniversity and a well paying job.

Often employers have littlesympathy for high school studentswho are forced to work harder thaneveryone else. To keep their worth-less job, students are often requiredto work overtime without pay, towork two or three people’s jobs si-

multaneously, and to work count-less extra hours at minimum wage.If they ever have a problem withsuch demands, they’re told thatthey can be easily replaced.

Students have to earn re-spect, and frankly, there’s notmuch respect to be earned in thefast food industry. Students whosay they like their jobs really worryme as well. I suppose it’s great thatthey enjoy what they’re doing, butif they’re happy with standardsthat low, then there’s a goodchance that they’re not going toget much further in life.

Teenagers who are going tohave a part-time job should planhow long they’re going to staythere,and ask if this is what theywant to be doing, and where they’dlike to see themselves in the fu-ture. If it really is at their part timehigh school job, then I can’t seewhy they would want to limitthemselves and their futures sotragically.

Debate by Erin Norman andAmanda Taschner

Amanda: Celebrities arefound in magazines, movies andsongs – and now … LIBRARIESand BOOKSTORES. Many celebri-ties are sharing their stories, biog-raphies and tales of fame. Peopletorment the bombshells and hunksof Hollywood for putting their nosein a hardcover and for even writ-ing one. What’s the big deal?

Erin: Well, for one thing thereare many brilliant and undiscoveredwriters out there that have a veryhard time getting their work pub-lished. While the “stars” are nowgetting their novels printed in-stantly just because they’re fa-mous!

Amanda: Writing is a fairgame, it is competitive and thoseundiscovered writers just have tomake the extra effort. Erin: While that is partiallytrue, what about Paris Hilton? Sheonly became famous because herfather was a gazillionaire and ownsthe Hilton Hotels. Yesterday shewas making explicit videos and to-

only a tabloid mongrel. I just thinkit’s interesting to hear about realstars and their stories.

Erin: Most of these new starwriters are barely out of diapers,now they’re writing their life story?Perhaps some of these star writersdo have an interesting story to tell,but do you honestly believe theiefame should get them special privi-leges while others do not havethese advantages?

Amanda: All in all, if you’realready famous, you’re going to beselling those books fast.

Erin: Publishers know thatfans of the celebrities will rush tothe bookstores to buy it regardlessof the quality of the writing or liter-ary value.

Amanda: Many of these ce-lebrities don’t have the time to fullywrite a novel by themselves, sothat’s why they ‘co-author’. PamelaAnderson did it. Motley Crue didit. They simply don’t have the time

to write a book so they have edu-cated people to assist them to matchthe quality of the books to whatthe fans expect of them.

Erin: What?! They have co-authors? This just proves mytheory of stars taking advantage oftheir fame to make more moneythrough a book that containswords they can’t even spell!

Amanda: Rock Stars don’t sitin classrooms! They wreak havocon stages. Many of the celebs arewriting books about their past,when things were different. They’rejust sharing their interesting livesand stories.

Erin: Give someone who hasbeen educated a chance. They de-serve it more than some rich, fa-mous kid.

Amanda: Well maybe theseeducated people have nothing in-teresting to write about. Just be-cause their educated, doesn’t meantheir material is going to sweep offthe shelves.

Erin: It does not give goodreason for the injustices done tothe talented writers in the world.

The RantThe RantThe RantThe RantThe RantBy Echo Columnist Laura Shaw

Page One: Leslie Bouillet Page Two: AmandaTaschnerPage Three: Paige ClarePage Four: Samantha Leeand Katie GloverPage Five: Kris Mohorukand Kaitlin Dalton Gibson

Amanda: I wouldn’t exactlyclassify Paris Hilton a celebrity,

By Echo Columnist:Amanda Taschner

day she’s writing novels about her“struggle” through life?

Cartoon by: Erin Norman

Page Six: AlaysiaMacPherson and JordynDelville-Pratt Page Seven: Laura ShawPage Eight: LeanneFeichtinger

Special thanks to Mr.Foulkes for supplying theFine Arts Night photos!

Get Right –JLo“It sounds like a dying duck!”-Nic Campbell (Grade 12) andBrittni Kidd (grade10)

There it go (the whistle song) –Juelz Santana“Anybody could whistle a songand mumble a few words in.”-Carmen Backs (Grade 11)

Don’t Cha- Pussycat Dolls“They need to eat, and why arethere so many of them!!??”-Shannon Wright (grade 10)

My Humps-Black Eyed Peas“Annoying, overplayed, samebeat, it’s just a stupid song!”-James Burke (grade12)

Bad Day- Daniel Powter“It’s so annoying and it drivesme insane!”-Matt Miller (grade 9)

Speak Out: What was the most annoying song of 2005? NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS Wednesday, February 1st, 2006

Aaron Robinson, memberof the student council, has beenextremely devoted to raising aware-ness for organizations helping outaround the world.

On January 13th, 2006, togetherwith the members of SPIIN (Stu-dents Promoting International Im-provement Now!), he planned andexecuted an Awareness Fair inwhich representatives from world-renowned organizations such asShare, Amnesty International andOxfam gathered to educate theyouth of today.

Other members of SPIIN include:Blake Stitilis, Melissa Wong, SteffiWafforn, Laura Munro, VanessaEvans, Na Eun Lake, and DenaJavadi, who are equally as enthusi-astic about educating our school

about the trag-edy’s faced bypeople our ownage around theworld. The fairbegan atnineo’clock andended at three,giving each stu-dent ample timeto learn aboutthose who arenot as fortunateas us.

About 10booths were setup around the small gym, and stu-dents could talk to members of thevarious organizations, sign peti-tions and get involved in the organi-zations around the world.

When the members of SPIINmet at the beginning of the year,

they decided their goal was to raiseawareness, and as Aaron put it,“What better way to raise aware-ness than to have an awareness fair!”They have been working hard plan-ning the fair since November, andcontacted 20 organizations. When

“Is there a better way to raise social awareness than a Fair?“Is there a better way to raise social awareness than a Fair?“Is there a better way to raise social awareness than a Fair?“Is there a better way to raise social awareness than a Fair?“Is there a better way to raise social awareness than a Fair?”””””

Mr. Case and his DramaDepartment have staged manyincredible plays and this springthey plan to add “Grease” to theirlist of preformances.

Following the great success oflast year’s “Little Shop of Hor-rors”, the cast of “Grease” hastheir work cut out for them.

Auditions were held threeweeks ago to determine the 26parts (including chorus) for thisyear’s production.

“The turn out for the auditionswas outstanding, nearly 75 kidscame out to show their stuff,”explained Mr. Case.

Although the choices weredifficult (because of the large

numbers) Case believes he has cho-sen the right people for each partand is looking forward to seeing thecharacters develop with such a tal-ented cast.

Unlike some plays this per-formance requires a well roundedcast for there is not one lead role.

Leading actors include JonathanKrause playing Kenicke, Rizzo byBrittany Bjorndal, Sandy performedby Robyn Mac Pherson, and ChrisLerose as Danny.

The cast has already begun re-hearsals and will be practicing al-most every day for the next threemonths.

Before anyone was allowed toparticipate in the school productioneach member of the cast was to sign

a contract which outlined the obliga-tions and time commitment whichwould be required to remain a mem-ber of the cast.

“The students have to re-member that the school productionof “Grease” is based on the originalBroadway musical and not themovie,” explains Mr. Case.

There will be some differences butoverall Dr. Charles Best’s produc-tion of Grease looks as though it willbe a success.

The dates and times for the playare to be announced but it will likelyrun the last week of April and the firstweek of May.

We encourage everyone to comeout and support the Best players intheir production of “Grease”.

Actors Actors Actors Actors Actors Audition For Roles in Spring Production of “GreaseAudition For Roles in Spring Production of “GreaseAudition For Roles in Spring Production of “GreaseAudition For Roles in Spring Production of “GreaseAudition For Roles in Spring Production of “Grease”””””

Page 3

10 of them agreed tocome, they werestoked. It cost SPIINnothing to hold the fair,and Pasta Polo do-nated sandwiches tofeed the representa-tives.

Ms Skye was a bighelp in getting stu-dents to go to the fair;she made up an aspectsheet so that portfoliostudents could com-plete a choice aspectof their portfolio.

Also, many Social Studies classesvisited the fair.

Near the end of the day, HillcrestMiddle School visited the fair. Thesmall gym filled with 400 middleschool students, some of which areto come to Best next year, and who

will fill many of the senior membersof SPIIN’s shoes.

SPIIN is currently looking fornew, especially younger, memberswho will carry on with the clubafter the current members havegraduated. It’s important to raiseawareness of these global humanrights issues. “After all, we are thegeneration the world has been wait-ing for”, as Aaron stated.SPIIN isnot to be confused with anotherBest club, Greendot, although thetwo are closely related and sharemany members. SPIIN focuses onhuman rights issues, whileGreendot is concerned with envi-ronmental issues.

“We’re people huggers, andGreendot are tree-huggers”, ex-plained Blake Stitilis. SPIIN’s nextproject? Building a school in SierraLeone.

Sandy will be playedby:Robyn Mac Pherson

Danny will be played by: Chris Lerose

By Echo Reporter: Paige Clare

By Echo ReporterKaitlin Dalton Gibson

By Echo ReportersKim Hession andLeanne Feichtinger

By Echo Reporter: Katie GloverOn Tuesday January 17, Grade 11 Bryce Hopkins competed

against Grade 12 Cameron Braun in Charles Best’s first annual TableTennis Tournament. The competition was intense, both competitorshaving won four games prior to the final match. However, Braun couldnot match up to Hopkins who won three games to one. Hopkins beat outthirty-one participants, ranging from grade 10 to 12 and won fiveconsecutive matches to earn his trophy. His most exciting match was inthe quarterfinals against PaulEdworthy. Hopkins was down twogames to none but managed to fighthis way back and win the next three.He then went on to play the tourna-ment favorite, Luc Jeanneau, whomhe beat three to one. As the winner hehas been named Best’s first PingPong champion, and his name will beengraved on the silver trophy thatwill be reside in the school’s trophycase. Hopkins and Braun also received a trophy each can keep forthemselves. . “It was fun,” states Bryce Hopkins, who will be next year’sdefending champion.

The tournament was organized by P.E teacher, Mr. Napoletano whohad noticed that Ping Pong had become an extremely popular sport withinthe school. He organized the contest so that anyone could participate;thirty-two students ended up competing, most of them seniors and all ofthem male. In order to win the match the participants would have to beattheir competitor in at least three games. The competition started onTuesday, January 10th and lasted a week. Mr. Napoletano was pleasedwith how the tournament went and plans to make this an annual event.He is thinking of developing a junior tournament as well. I hope next yearwe get more entries: it’s a great sport,” says Napoletano

Bryce Hopkins WBryce Hopkins WBryce Hopkins WBryce Hopkins WBryce Hopkins Wins Firstins Firstins Firstins Firstins FirstAnnual TAnnual TAnnual TAnnual TAnnual Table Table Table Table Table TennisennisennisennisennisTTTTTournamentournamentournamentournamentournament

By Echo Reporter:Katie Glover

On Friday December 16, a largecrowd of enthusiastic students filledthe small gym to watch the annualCharles Best Christmas Talent Show.Exci tementwas high asanxious stu-dents cheeredand crowdedaround thestage eagerlywaiting fortheir peers todemonstratetheir amazingtalents. Stu-dent councilp r e s i d e n t ,Julie McRaewho hadhelped organ-ize the event,greeted the crowd and introduced thefirst performance, an energetic bandnamed “the Usual Funk,” that played“Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot ChiliPeppers. This was an excellent begin-ning to the talent show as the bandpumped up the already lively crowd.“The first band was the best I’ve

heard from Charles Best in a longtime,” stated grade 11 student,Marina Saundry.

The acts that followed werejust as well received. Acts, ranged

from singers, topiano players, todancers to akung fu demon-stration. One ofthe more uniqueacts was the“Star WarsGangster Rap”preformed byPaul Methot,and ChrisLerose. Thiscrowd pleaserincluded an as-tonishing Yodaimpression and aDarth Vadar ver-sus Luke

Skywalker battle in the back-ground. Another outstanding actwas the flawless Darren Burkettand Kimberly Pile’s duet of CelineDion’s “The Prayer.”

There were many forms of tal-ented dance acts varying fromtap, to ballet, to an entertaining

dance performance by RonnieHaywood containing a variety ofstyles, including the moonwalk. Twomore bands preformed, both withincredibly different styles and ex-tremely interesting names,one called “TheChimpanzebras” and theother “The Dank Nuggs.”The thirteen acts kept thecrowd enthused and ex-cited throughout the fullhour.

The fourteenth act wasthe performance the crowdhad been waiting for: themath department. For thelast few years the math de-partment has performed inthe talent show and thisyear they did not disap-point. This year, teachersfrom other departments andpopular retired teacher, Mr. Clish,returned to help out. They startedout dressed up as “The Black EyedPeas” and lip-synced to one of theirsongs. Next came Mr. Smith asShania Twain singing “Man I Feellike a Woman.” Then came teacherspretending to be Motley Crue fol-lowed by John Lennon and Yoko

Ono. As their grand finale all theteachers joined together and swayedback and forth to the song “GivePeace a Chance.” This performancewas, as always, very popular

amongst the crowd of students.This year’s talent show was

filled with many amazing talents;unfortunately, the show was con-stantly interrupted by technical dif-ficulties. The long transitions be-tween acts and microphones thatdid not work properly compromisedthe show’s overall success.

NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSpage 4 Wednesday Febuary, 1st 2006

Best Students Showcase their Best Students Showcase their Best Students Showcase their Best Students Showcase their Best Students Showcase their Amazing TAmazing TAmazing TAmazing TAmazing Talents at Christmas Talents at Christmas Talents at Christmas Talents at Christmas Talents at Christmas Talent Showalent Showalent Showalent Showalent Show

Conservative Party WConservative Party WConservative Party WConservative Party WConservative Party Wins Federal Electionins Federal Electionins Federal Electionins Federal Electionins Federal ElectionBy Echo Reporters:Chris Tse and Kris Mohoruk

“It wasn’t as good as lastyear’s due to the organization andset-up,” commented a student whowishes to remain anonymous. How-ever it was still exciting and worth-

while towatch theastonishingacts. SteffiW a f f o r nstates, “Thetechnical dif-ficulties tookaway fromthe experi-ence, but itwas stillawesome.”

The vari-ety and thepacing keptthe crowdentertained.

It is clear that Charles Best isa school filled with many talentedstudents. The performers did a com-mendable job of entertaining the au-dience and exhibiting their talents.Technical difficulties aside, the tal-ent show was definitely worthwhileto attend and I will be sure to go nextyear.

On January 23, 2006, millions ofCanadians headed to the polls tovote in the federal election. Theobvious front-runners were Lib-eral Paul Martin and ConservativeSteven Harper.

The final results were a slimConservative victory (124 seats to103) over the Liberals. the Con-servatives and the Bloq Quebecoiswill now likely form the secondminority government in succes-sion.

How does this affect us? Mostof us can’t even vote yet.

But take a look at some of theseplatform ideas, and you’ll see ex-actly how they alter our futures.

The Conservative Party (in anutshell) will:

· Cut back hospital waitinglists and not close private healthcare clinics

· Increase defence spendingby $5.3 billion than what is cur-rently planned to be spent from2006-2011

· Cut the $975 immigration

landing fee in half and work to re-duce it to $110

· Call for federal loan to helpcompanies suffering from U.S. du-ties on softwood lumber

· Examine a care guarantee thatwould ensure patients received treat-ment in acceptable wait times

· Would allow existing same-sex marriages to continue

· Offer a child-care allowanceof $1,200 that would allow money forchildren under six to parents acrossthe country.

· Would hire morn than 1,000RCMP officers working with prov-inces and municipalities. Another2,500 would be placed across thecountry.

· Reduce GST by one percentimmediately, then another one per-cent would be taken off in the nextfour years, ultimately bringing it downby 5%.

· Parents who register there kidsin any sort of physical fitness wouldbe able to claim a tax credit on regis-tration fees to a maximum of $500 peryear, per child.

Charles Best hasmany outstandingstudents involvedin academics, ath-letics and the artsyet some timesthey go unnoticed.L a u r a - A n nCheung, an aspir-ing gymnast andexcellent students,is an example of thetalent at CharlesBest.

Earlier this se-mester, Laura-Annwas awarded anamazing honour.She received a fouryear, full ride schol-arship to The Uni-versity or Oregon.Her scholarshipincludes every-thing: tuition,training equip-ment, accommoda-tion, living ex-penses, heath care and an allow-ance. All of which adds up to nearly$27,000 dollars American per year.

Laura-Ann started gymnastics 15

years ago and from that day on shehas dominated the competition. Overher 15-year career, she has earned

numerous awards and clinched manytitles at both National and Interna-tional Events. In 2003 Laura-Annwas honored with the Karen Kelsall

NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWS

award for “Most Promising Gym-nast.” In 2004, she also received theRoad to Champions award, money

given to OlympicHopefuls.

When asked if shehad a favorite event,Laura-Ann explained,“I enjoy all of them, butmy least favorite is thevault. I love competingin the floor exercise,bars and beam.” Laura-Ann was the first Ca-nadian to complete amove called the“Richnacova” on thebars. A Canadian Ol-ympic hopeful, sheplaced 7th overall at theOlympic trials last yearand was the second al-ternate for the 2004 Ol-ympic team.

Laura-Ann’s goalsfor the future are “Tobecome part of the 2006Commonwealth Teamand to stay injury freefor the last year beforeI go down to the Statesfor university.” Laura-

Ann’s potential is outstanding, herachievements deserved and as aschool, we wish her luck in her futureendeavors.

Aspiring Gymnast Laura-Ann Aspiring Gymnast Laura-Ann Aspiring Gymnast Laura-Ann Aspiring Gymnast Laura-Ann Aspiring Gymnast Laura-Ann AAAAAwarded Full Ride Scholarshipwarded Full Ride Scholarshipwarded Full Ride Scholarshipwarded Full Ride Scholarshipwarded Full Ride Scholarship

Role Model: Shannon Miller (Olympic gold medalist and mostdecorated gymnast)

Honour Role: YesFavorite School Memory: All of grade 11Favorite Colour: Blue and PurpleFavorite Food: Japanese foodFavorite Class: BiologyHeritage: Chinese CantoneseFuture Plans: Physiotherapist, Gymnastics Coach or Inspirational

SpeakerSpecials Awards:2002-2006/ Sport Canadian Carding (Money for top 12 in Canada)2003/ Karen Kelsall Award (Most Promising Gymnast)2004/ Road to Champions (Money for Olympic Hopefuls)2005/ Global Young Leaders Conference Award

By Echo Reporter,Kaitlin Dalton Gibson

The Sheep (1991) – You arevery gentle-mannered and forgiv-ing. A conflict will breakout withinyour circle of friends in the NewYear, but as a peace keeper, youwill be a large factor in bringingeveryone together again. When-ever you are troubled, you tend tokeep things bottled and come April,you’ll wish you could open up.Try it, your friends are more under-standing than you might thin. Thisyear looks promising for the sheep.

The Horse (1990) - Horses arevery approachable, perceptive andtalkative beings. You also have agreat talent for writing and per-forming. However, your sharp mindand multi-tasking abilities give youan advantage and will carry you farin life. Your only big weakness isyou’re impulsive, so when enter-ing relationships, try to be morecautious. You are generous butyou thrive on attention; peoplemay resent you for this. It’s a newyear, a new start: Try letting some-one else shine in the spotlight fora change.

YYYYYour Chinese Zodiac Signour Chinese Zodiac Signour Chinese Zodiac Signour Chinese Zodiac Signour Chinese Zodiac SignBy Echo Reporter,Sam Lee

The Snake (1989) - You are ro-mantic, charming, intense and verymysterious. Snakes are known toenjoy the finer things in life, likecurling up with a good book. Also,your consistency will take youplaces, get you things you wantand set you apart from others; there-fore, eliminating competition for abetter education, career, and yourendeavours overall. You’re dis-crete, secretive and this is whypeople find you so interesting:you’re a mystery, don’t everchange that. In the following year,you will have some chances to usepeople and situations to your ad-vantage. This advantage revealsthat the snake is destined for fameand fortune.

The Dragon (1988) - You’re aball of fire! Full of a zest for life;you’re proud, direct and filled withhigh ideals that you always try tolive up to. You always appear to bein a rush and you always have toget things moving. This keeps youmotivated, as well as others thatare touched by your active vibe.You rush into situations, which isyour greatest flaw of all becauseironically, this causes you to seepast certain flaws of people or situ-ations. Dragons have many diversetalents and whatever professionyou choose, you’ll be devoted andextremely successful.

Sources: http://www.rainfall.com/horoscop/chinese.htm

http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html

Classes:Classes:Classes:Classes:Classes:

February 21stFebruary 21stFebruary 21stFebruary 21stFebruary 21st3x T3x T3x T3x T3x Tues-Thursues-Thursues-Thursues-Thursues-Thurs6:30 - 9:30pm6:30 - 9:30pm6:30 - 9:30pm6:30 - 9:30pm6:30 - 9:30pm

March 1March 1March 1March 1March 11, 12, 131, 12, 131, 12, 131, 12, 131, 12, 139:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:00

March 14, 15, 16March 14, 15, 16March 14, 15, 16March 14, 15, 16March 14, 15, 169:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:009:30 - 4:00

Wednesday, February 1st, 2006 Page 5

Page 6 Wednesday, February 1st,2006 FEA FEA FEA FEA FEATURETURETURETURETURE

1. Hotel California, The Eagles

2. Stairway To Heaven, LedZeppelin

3. American Pie, DonMcLean

4. Stayin’ Alive, Bee Gees5. Heart Of Glass, Blondie6. Let It Be, The Beatles7. Dancing Queen, Abba8. Bridge Over TroubledWater, Simon & Garfunkel

9. Bohemian Rhapsody,Queen

10. My Sharona, The Knack

1. We Belong Together, Mariah Carey 2. Behind These Hazel Eyes, Kelly Clarkson3. Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson4. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Green Day 5. Wake Me Up When September Ends, GreenDay

6. Mr. Brightside, The Killers7. Lonely No More, Rob Thomas 8. Holiday, Green Day9. Cool, Gwen Stefani 10. Feel Good Inc., Gorillaz

The Decades TThe Decades TThe Decades TThe Decades TThe Decades Top Songsop Songsop Songsop Songsop Songs

1960’s

Twiggy. A model who revo-lutionized the fashion world.

TTTTTop 10 Moviesop 10 Moviesop 10 Moviesop 10 Moviesop 10 MoviesThe Beatles. Perhaps the

best known band ever.

Disco fever took over thefashion world about the same timemetal was making its way ontothe scence. Disco craze was hugeespecially with the movie SaturdayNight Fever creating such a buzz.

military jackets

Ripped jeans; not homemaderips, storebought rips.

1.101 Dalmatians (1961)2.The Jungle Book (1967)3.The Sound of Music (1965)4.Thunderball (1965)5.Goldfinger (1964)6.Doctor Zhivago (1965)7.You Only Live Twice (1967)8.The Graduate (1967)9.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

10.Mary Poppins (1964)

1.Star Wars (1977)2.Jaws (1975)3.Grease (1978)4.Close Encounters of theThirdKind (1977)

5.The Exorcist (1973)6.Superman (1978)7.Saturday Night Fever (1977)8.Jaws 2 (1978)9.Moonraker (1979)10.The Spy Who Loved Me(1977)

1.Star Wars: Episode III – Reven-ge of the Sith (2005)

2.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

3.War of the Worlds (2005)4.The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Ward- robe (2005)

5.Wedding Crashers (2005)6.Charlie and the Chocolate Fact-ory (2005)7.Batman Begins (2005)8.Madagascar (2005)9.Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)10.Hitch (2005)

1960’1960’1960’1960’1960’sssss 1970’1970’1970’1970’1970’sssss 20052005200520052005

In the current decade,moviegoers have been exposed tothe mastery of special effects.

1. Hey Jude, The Beatles2. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones

3. Light My Fire, TheDoors)

4. Good Vibrations, TheBeach Boys

5. Yesterday, The Beatles6. The Twist, ChubbyChecker

7. I Want To Hold YourHand, The Beatles

8. The House Of The Rising Sun, The Animals

9. The Sounds Of Silence,Simon & Garfunkel

10. Suspicious Minds, ElvisPresley

1960’1960’1960’1960’1960’sssss 1970’1970’1970’1970’1970’sssss

20052005200520052005

Parents and TParents and TParents and TParents and TParents and Teens: Bridging the Gapeens: Bridging the Gapeens: Bridging the Gapeens: Bridging the Gapeens: Bridging the Gap

Furry boots. I don’t quite seehow these things are sopopular...but they are.

Fashion and fun in the 60’s

By Echo Columnists Alaysia MacPherson and Jordyn Delville-Pratt

Fall Out Boy. Brand nameshirts and long hair have dominatedboth the music and non-musicscence for quite awhile now. Punkbands with their “skater” lookshave made bands like Fall Out Boyquite successful.

Fashion then...Fashion then...Fashion then...Fashion then...Fashion then... Fashion nowFashion nowFashion nowFashion nowFashion now...............

source: Billboard Hot 100 Peaksource: www.filmset.org

“Why when I was yourage…” a classic line that adults,more specifically parents andteachers, always feel the need torecite to teenagers. Most teenag-ers stop listening in anticipationof a lecture, some, like a characterin West Side Story respond to thisline in anger, “When you was myage, when my brother was my age,you was never my age.” Al-though all adults were once 16, dothey really know what it is like tobe our age?

Although every genera-tions has dealt with similar temp-tations and has worried equally,each decade was a different time,a different place. The world is al-ways changing and, therefore, theway youths live and think is al-ways changing as well.

Since its inception, musicand media have influenced theway teenagers think and act. Every decade parents lamentabout the indecent behaviour ofteens, claiming that this wouldnever have happened when theywere young, but it did. Since theintroduction of rock and roll in the1950’s (when Elvis shocked par-ents and thrilled teens with hissexual gyrating and suggestivelyrics.), music has always beenthe scourge of adults. When theBeatles, who claimed they were“bigger than Jesus”, took thescene, the next generation was in-

stantly drawn to their music, know-ing that it was a way to rebel againsttheir parents. From The Beatles wemoved to boy bands and sexed upPop stars, and today rap artists glo-rify violence, misogyny and a needfor weed. Drugs have always beena problem, even in our parents’time. The statistics for marijuanause today has remained about thesame as it always has; a large per-centage of the population will trymarijuana during their teenageyears, but as we move along in time,many teenagers of today seem tohave developed an infatuation withtrying more serious drugs, like ec-stasy, informing adults that whatcould have been labeled as acuriosty cure, really just fuels thewant for more.

Smoking is still as big a prob-lem as when it first appeared on thescence. With all the preventionmovies and stats on how bad smok-ing is for your body, it’s shockingthat people still become addicted .

In the 1960’s and 1970’s theWomen’s Movement shocked theworld. Women were starting to re-alize that they should be consid-ered equal to men and helped toprovide our generation with the op-portunities that we now enjoy. Forinstance, abortion which was oncenearly impossible to have legally isnow safe and considered accept-able. Whether or not this is a goodthing is an individual decision.

Along with the prejudices, wehave also lost the age of chivalrysince our society is so wrappedup in equality. Even now there issuch a thing as “men’s work”,even if no one admits it openly.Teenagers throughout the decadehave always had one main thingin common, the want to look good.Hollywood had defined what itmeans to look good for decadesand most teenagers feel the needto be skinny or built, to have longlegs or long torsos. Whatever hasbeen in style, young people havefelt the need to look like that. Nogeneration invented that, it hassimply always been. While a partof the population is working hardto maintain their bodies, it seemsthat others have given up com-pletely. Obesity is large problemamong people these days and isfast becoming the number onecause of preventable death inAmerica. Busy schedules andtwo working parents make placeslike McDonalds the perfect placefor a quick meal.

So who had it harder? Isour generation worse than ourparents, or have things just be-come so natural that people haveaccepted the way the world is.Times are tough all around and theanswer is that the ones who had itharder are the ones who were un-able to cope with the changes intheir time, be it then or now.

The counter-culture of the1970’s influenced a new generationof film makers to be free toexpieriment, leading to the adventof the blockbuster film.

Cinema in the 1960’s re-flected a decade of fun, fashion,and rock ‘n’ roll. They showed tre-mendous social changes and tran-sitional cultural values

A few months ago, a book calledA Million Little Pieces swept acrossNorth America, and instantly be-came a bestseller and an Oprah pickfor her book club. This book, writ-ten by James Frey, is about his fourmonths in rehab for an alcohol andcrack addiction. My Friend Leonardis about his friendship with a manthat he meets in rehab and abouthow they continue to stay friendsfor the years that follow. It beginswhere the prequel ended, with Jamescompleting a few months in jail fora crime that he committed before heentered rehab. After he finishes hisstint in jail, James heads to Chicagoto visit his girlfriend, Lilly, and sortout his life. He arrives to an un-pleasant surprise and now mustpiece his life back together alone.Through the help of Leonard, Jamesfinds some work as a delivery boyfor Leonard’s illegal gambling busi-ness, which he quits after a gunscare and moves to Los Angeles tofind work as a script writer. Through

On January 18th, the streetsoutside the Pacific Coliseum werepacked with cowboys and cowgirlsanxiously waiting to walk throughthe doors to see Brad Paisley.

The show began with JohnnyReid, one of Canada’s newest addi-tions to country music; he startedoff with a cool, soft song, demon-strating his vocal talents. He wasfollowed by Terri Clark in a Canuckjersey accompanied by Fin. An-other Canadian, she amazed thecrowd with her C.D. quality voice.After the crowd was done stretch-ing, Brad Paisley made an unforget-table entrance where the stage wassent up with lights that made thestairs glow with the mood of thesong.

He played songs like, “WhiskeyLullaby”, “Celebrity”, “He didn’thave to be”, “Mud on the tires”,“Little Moments”, “When I GetWhere I’m Going” and “Alcohol”.Two video screens hung on eachside of the stage showing his music

A Million little Pieces SequelA Million little Pieces SequelA Million little Pieces SequelA Million little Pieces SequelA Million little Pieces Sequel Stars Rocked Pacific ColiseumStars Rocked Pacific ColiseumStars Rocked Pacific ColiseumStars Rocked Pacific ColiseumStars Rocked Pacific Coliseum

As a fan of Green Day, I’m nottoo familiar with the band’s history.So when I decided to do this reviewI was quite intrigued with what Idiscovered. What I found was quiteinteresting; Green Day, formerlyknown as The Sweet Children wasoriginally started by Billie JoeArmstrong, Mike Dirnt and AlSobrante while still in their teens.

Then in 1991, Sobrante left theband and was replaced by currentdrummer Tre Cool.

Green Day released their debutalbum in ’94 (“Dookie”) and sincethen they’ve released many albums,but none as successful as theirdebut.If you missed the Green Dayconcert last year in Vancouver, then“Bullet in a Bible” is foryou.Although it was recorded inEngland, I’m told that it’s very simi-lar to the experience in Vancouver.This CD/DVD is filled with flaw-less, catchy and pumped songs

such as “Boulevard of BrokenDreams,” “American Idiot,” “Jesusof Suburbia,” and mellow tracks like“Wake Me Up When SeptemberEnds.”

I had wanted to buy it for quitesome time, and I was actually quitesurprised at how awesome it is. Thebehind-the-scenes interviews withthe band showed just how equallyexcited they were to be there as thefans. Filmed at Milton Keynes infront of 60, 000 fans, with Armstrongconstantly shouting “Englaaaand!”,there is no doubt that you will envyevery person there.

Even if you were at the Vancouvershow, that’s just how exciting, bigand intense the concert is. The col-lection of songs is amazing, takingthe biggest hits from the AmericanIdiot album and a few of their olderhits (“Longview,” “Minority”). Thisshow takes everything they are, whatthey’ve become, what they were allthose years ago and gives you a CD/DVD that you’ll cherish for a longtime to come.

ENTERTENTERTENTERTENTERTENTERTAINMENTAINMENTAINMENTAINMENTAINMENT Page 7Wednesday, February 1st, 2006

By Echo ColumnistJordyn Delville-Pratt

a combination of humour and tears,James Frey records his memoirs inan astonishing tale of determina-tion, temptation and the strongestfriendship imaginable. Despite re-cent allegations claiming that Jameshas embellished certain aspects ofhis story, A Million Little Pieces,both novels are outstanding booksthat I rate 10/10 and recommendread.

videos and live action of the con-cert. Paisley certainly knew how towork the crowd and showed us Van-couver hicks a good ol’ time.

He had a great sense of humour,

illustrated by a song called, “Put theToilet Seat Down”.

The show ended with a bang asBrad Paisley bowed and walked offand returned to play two more songswith every cowboy hat swinging inthe air. The concert was totally twothumbs up.

By Echo ReporterAmanda Tashner

January 22, 2006, people packedthe Stanley Industrial Theatre forthe last performance of the Disneyfavourite ‘Beauty and the Beast’.This classic story is defiantly oneof the most memorable Disneymovies ever filmed. Amy Wallis dida wonderful job portraying Belle.South African born Warren Kimmelplayed the Beast. Act One closedwith ‘Be our guest’. Act Two wasincredible. The Beast and Bellefinally brought together, the memo-rable songs and the wild fight seemin the castle and the astoundingtransformation of the Beast. Theplay was breathtaking and very welldone. Bravo to the cast and crew.

By Echo ReporterCarly Philip

Disney ClassicDisney ClassicDisney ClassicDisney ClassicDisney Classic

Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine Arts Night Arts Night Arts Night Arts Night Arts Night At DrAt DrAt DrAt DrAt Dr. Charles Best. Charles Best. Charles Best. Charles Best. Charles BestGreen Day Band ReviewGreen Day Band ReviewGreen Day Band ReviewGreen Day Band ReviewGreen Day Band ReviewBy Echo ColumnistSam Lee

Hostel is a movie about two col-lege students, Paxton and Josh,who go backpacking through Eu-rope to party, find girls and dodrugs. The movie takes an unfortu-nate turn for the worse when theydecide to go to Slovakia on theadvice of a stranger that lookedoddly like Jar Jar Binks. This char-acter assures them that they will beable to woo as many girls as theirignorant American hearts desire.This turns out to be true, until thegirls lead them to a grotesquely setup torture chamber that appears tobe a normal part of Eastern Euro-pean life in this unbelievably dread-ful adaptation of supposed trueevents. Directed by Eli Roth, thiswas an absolutely obscene film. Itwas horribly done, and it was ex-tremely offensive. Not since the

Blair Witch project has there been astoryline so badly structured, alongwith being almost non-existent. Itwas superfluously packed with gutwrenchingly explicit gore and I don’tknow what kind of sick freaks wouldlike this kind of movie, but if youaren’t offended by the end of thismovie, then you’re a creep. Stayaway from me. Apparently this issupposed to be based on trueevents. That’s a bit too much of astretch, because every person themain characters meet in this movieturn out to be plotting to have themcaptured, tortured and killed. I un-derstand that many Europeans don’tappreciate Americans, but this wasridiculous. Overall I’d give this moviea 0 out of 10, because the filming wasbad, the story was bad, and none ofthe characters were talented, inter-esting, or even good-looking.

Hostel Movie ReviewHostel Movie ReviewHostel Movie ReviewHostel Movie ReviewHostel Movie ReviewBy Echo ColumnistLaura Shaw

Rick Rubin the producer of NeilDiamond’s 12 songs has tried to dofor Neil what he has done for JohnnyCash in the past; release a discstripped and raw for the veteranperformer of his calibre. This disc isfilled with sensitive lyrics built onamazing acoustic guitar.

Not crumbling under the pres-sures of having to be the hip newthing Neil Diamond stays true to hisroots.

Neil’s voice alone is enough tomake this disc a sensation but ac-companied by his rough guitar andhis poetic flair it make 12 songs a discto watch.

In the past Neil Diamond hasrelied on sequin jump suits, hugeorchestras and larger than life stage

set ups to attract a buzz around hisname. After his new disc 12 Songshe can leave the Elton John stylebehind and attract old and new fansback with this melodic masterpiece.

I have to admit I bought this CDfor my dadfor Christ-mas but ithas spentmore time inmy stereo.

The firsttime I lis-tened to the

disc I immediately fell in love.Before 12 songs I had been in a

music slump, I needed something,something new.

I was getting tired of The Killers,Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes, allgood bands but the synthesizersand elaborate rock mixes were wear-

ing thin. I needed some good oldclassic rock and roll and I found it inNeil Diamonds 12 songs.

Every track on the CD brings anew story and dynamic to the disc.My favourite track on 12 songswould have to be song seven ‘I’m onto you.’ Simple but heart-rending ittells the story of a relationship gonesour; “Baby I wish you well, Butloving you hurt like hell.” The CDslows down at track, ‘Save me aSaturday Night,’ a soulful ballad,but then lights up again at track six‘Delirious Love.’

Neil diamond has crossed overfrom generation to generation.

No matter whether you have beena die hard Diamond fan your wholelife, or are just hearing about himnow; 12 songs would make an excel-lent addition to any CD collection.

Neil Diamond’Neil Diamond’Neil Diamond’Neil Diamond’Neil Diamond’s ‘12 Songs’s ‘12 Songs’s ‘12 Songs’s ‘12 Songs’s ‘12 Songs’ CD Review CD Review CD Review CD Review CD ReviewBy Echo ColumnistKaitlin Dalton Gibson

This past weekend, ourwrestling team participated in theWestern Canada Age Class Cham-pionships, previously known asthe BC Age Class. This year’stournament catered to the topwrestlers from Alberta and Sas-katchewan as well, hence theWestern Canada part. The team,along with Centennial Secondaryteam, travelled to Chilliwack totake part in the competition, anddespite missing several key wres-tlers, placed strongly. JimmyMahaffey won his division of 46kg,and then moved up to 50kg, wherethe weight differential proved toomuch for him. Callum placed in

Page 8

The Senior Boys lacrosseteam is outspoken about how tal-ented they are and their potentialto dominate. They have openedtheir season with a 1-1 record andsigns of greatness but concerns ofweakness as well. However, if theydo fail, they intend to blame it ontheir managers.

Although many of theplayers are in grade 12 and willbe unable to play next year, theteam believes that they are lay-ing the foundation for a dynasty.With these high expectations,there begs several importantquestions. What professionalsports team do they comparemost to? What movie would bestrepresent their upcoming sea-son? What one person couldbring this team from good togreat? I decided to investigatethese topics and find out whatthe players think.

They flashed some of theirpotential by beating the Centen-nial Centaurs in their seasonopener with a strong 10-6 result.

Dan Di Pomponio thinks thatthis year’s team compares favour-ably to the “Showtime” L.A. Lakers.According to Aaron Brascia theteam has “An all-around greatteam. Great attacks, great defenceand a lot of experience.” Led byRyan Kwasnica and Kevin Hyde theoffence is sure to be explosive. Sev-eral players on the team also planon attracting more female fans asWes Kamensek has stated that hewill remove his shirt if he scores agoal. Cam Braun has said that if

enough female fans come out, hewill go topless during warm-up.

Perhaps the most favourablecomparison was brought up byAaron Brascia. He feels that thisyear’s team is comparable to the1985 Chicago Bears because of “acertain coach Ditka, who is exactlylike Mr.House, straight down tobusiness”. The Chicago Bears hada terrific defence; likewise Aaron

Brascia feels that the lacrosse teamwill have an “unstoppable de-fence”. Dan Di Pomponio says thatthe team plans to “beat the pulpout of everyone we face”.

Ryan Kwasnica made theboldest statement when he associ-ated the team with the 1972 MiamiDolphins “because they went un-defeated”. Unfortunately that ideawas quickly relinquished whenthey recently lost at home to TerryFox 10-9.

The most interesting com-parisons of all came from CamBraun and Chris Seidel. CamBraun feels that there lacrosse teamrelates well to the Chinese National

ping pong team because in bothsports the players need “quick footmovement and strong hand-eyecoordination”. Aaron Brasciastated that he will be the team’semotional leader and Chris Seidelfound a likeness to the CanadianWomen’s hockey team, “AaronBrascia leads like HayleyWickenheiser”.

As for what movie their sea-son will be most similar to, therewere a variety of answers. BradJarvie considered the movie“Birdcage” because of therowdy group of students on theteam. Ryan Kwasnica and KevinHyde decided that “Slapshot”was appropriate because of theteam’s habit of beating up ontheir competition. However, tak-ing into account the overall ca-maraderie and fun attitude of theteam, “Varsity Blues” seemsmost suitable.

Every historicalteam had a superstar, someone

who was recognized globally.Theoverwhelming response for a starplayer to be added to the team wasJessica Alba. Aaron Brascia put itbest when he stated that she would“rack up all the points”. But maybethe superstar they seek has beenthere the whole time, perhaps it isMr.House…or maybe not. “I’d puthim on attack so I’d never have topass to him” summed up RyanKwasnica. Team captain BradJarvie knows that there is no needto add new players. “We’re all win-ners here; we all have our strengthsand weaknesses. Except for me, Ihave no weakness”.

By Echo Reporter BrandonTimko

On December 12th, theCharles Best senior cheer teamhosted a District exhibition of tal-ent, an opportunity for parents, stu-dents and fans alike to watch sev-eral schools’ cheer teams and ap-preciate the routines they per-formed.

Participants included thehost squad, Charles Best, andteams from Terry Fox, Port MoodySecondary, Port Moody Middle andthe Port Moody Secondary danceteam. Port Moody Secondary sentboth their junior and senior teams.

This was one of several fund-raisers for the cheer team as theyprepare to travel to Anaheim at theend of their season to compete inthe National Championship tourna-ment, their most important compe-tition of the season.

Each performance wasunique and offered different enter-taining qualities to the viewers. TheMoody Dance Team was first up,drawing soft applause from thecrowd.

The Moody Middle SchoolCheer Squad was next in line and,despite their youth, performed well.With a well orchestrated routine andseveral stunts of high difficulty,they were rewarded with applausefrom most in attendance.

The Charles Best girls finallyreached the stage with enthusiasm

and flare. They executed their ac-robatic routine well with each cheerin unison. Their energy was excel-lent and they drew by far the larg-est ovation from the home crowd.

The team also competed inthe UBC Cheer competition on Fri-day December 12th, which is asso-ciated with the HSBC High Schoolboy’s basketball tournament. Theyperformed excellent and finishedsecond.

More recently the Blue Dev-ils competed on Saturday January14th, in Oak Harbour, Washingtonand putting on their “best perform-ance so far”, according to teamcoach Ms.Peterson. She also notedthat “several coaches from reputa-ble American programs commentedon how much they enjoyed our rou-tine”.

“We outperformed the otherteams” explained Nicole Ponsart.They also received a strong contri-bution in the individuals with ElizaMoreno placing second.

As with every elite athleticteam, there is still room for improve-ment. According to their coach,they need to improve on their“jumps and on keeping [their] en-ergy consistent throughout the rou-tine”. Most importantly, however,is to “improve [their] mental train-ing so that all team members ap-proach their performance with noexcuses, 110% only mentality”.Crystal Bjerke thinks the team

simply “needsmore experience”while NicolePonsart deter-mined the teamcould “improve[their] level of dif-ficulty”.

The teamhas been helpedimmensely thisyear by the addi-tion of severalmale members.They have “addedto the possibilitiesthe team canachieve” notedNicole Ponsart.“The guys are aninvaluable addi-tion to the team.They add muscleand dynamic en-ergy that is impos-sible to get in anall-girl team”.

Several veteran players havenoticed a change in the team’s atti-tude. “As a team, our attitude ad-justment has made us more suc-cessful then in previous years” de-termined Amy “Cha-Ching”Belanger.

The team is looking forwardto their most important competitioncoming up during spring break,March 17th-19th, the U.S. Nationals.“I expect to do very well [at nation-

als] and at least make the finals”acknowledged Ms.Peterson.

A few members of the teamhave had the privilege of attendingthe Nationals in past years and willnot be nervous when they return.“The experience will give us an ideaof what to expect and the teamswe’re up against” noted NicolePonsart.

In order to achieve success

the team needs to impress thejudges and Amy “Cha-Ching”Belanger feels that their music isthe most impressive aspect of theirroutine. As the grand finale of theteam’s routine song states, “Evenwhite boys got to shout”.

Judging by their high energyperformances so far this season, thejudges will be shouting their praiseas well.

the top 8 of his division, while onthe girls’ side, we did extremelywell. Laura McMillan and MarinaSaundry were both top 5 finishersin their respective divisions, whileRebecca Innis did not wrestle upto potential but still managed a plac-ing in the top 8. When asked abouttheir performance over the week-end, Coach Joe Coops had this tosay: “Not bad…but they need totrain harder.” The team has twoleague meets approaching, includ-ing one here at Best on the 31st.Then they will prepare themselvesfor the regional championship inFebruary, the provincial qualifyingtournament.

Charles Best Cheer TCharles Best Cheer TCharles Best Cheer TCharles Best Cheer TCharles Best Cheer Team Builds Momentum for Nationalseam Builds Momentum for Nationalseam Builds Momentum for Nationalseam Builds Momentum for Nationalseam Builds Momentum for Nationals

Lax Players: Not Just Pretty FacesLax Players: Not Just Pretty FacesLax Players: Not Just Pretty FacesLax Players: Not Just Pretty FacesLax Players: Not Just Pretty FacesBy Echo Reporter BrandonTimko

MVPsMVPsMVPsMVPsMVPs

Wednesday, February 1st, 2006

This month’s MVP is KarimHemmings. Earlier this month hewilled the team to victory by drain-ing a buzzer-beating game winneragainst West View. Most recently,he was named MVP of the CambieClassic tournament, which theteam won. He was also named atournament All-star along withteammate Sam Freeman. For theseason, he is averaging close to17 points per game.

WWWWWrestling Trestling Trestling Trestling Trestling Team Weam Weam Weam Weam WinsinsinsinsinsBy Echo Reporter Chris Tse

Lauren Parker is thismonth’s MVP. She is a strongcontributor to the senior girl’sbasketball team. She brings a tonof energy to every game and in-spires her teammates with her lead-ership and enthusiasm. Accord-ing to her coach, she is the “hus-tler of the year”. Also of note isHeather Tate, who has beennearly unstoppable of late.

BLUE DEVIL SPORTSBLUE DEVIL SPORTSBLUE DEVIL SPORTSBLUE DEVIL SPORTSBLUE DEVIL SPORTS