InSiderVanier

One School. one Newspaper. One Source. DEC.7th2011

Editors-in-ChiefPascal DuboisTaruna Kaur-SinghAssistant EditorNada ZakkoutCopy EditorDanielle Rudnicka-LavoieGraphic’s EditorIllya BudkoGraphics & LayoutIrina Loukachenko

WritersVeronica Dumais-LalondeSara AndradeJulien ArsenaultAlexandra CeasarLaura GiulianiHuelette McNickleValerie DoyonEve Jania VerdieuIness LachhabSimona CapogrossoCourtney FyfeDeborah OtterNoah CenturyFarah Ruthie-Aladin-DelvaFlorence Tiffou

821, av. Ste-Croix, Saint-Laurent (Quebec ) H4L 3X9Tel: (514) 744-7500, ext. 7013 Fax: (514) 744-7193studentnewspaper@vaniercollege.qc.ca, www.vcsa.caus on FaceBook “Vanier Insider”

Disclamer: All pictures are provided by Google Images

Editor’s Note The semester is coming to an end and we’ll all be sorry to leave, because want it or not, we all were given an opportunity, a purpose. And being part of something bigger is one of the best things that could have happened to us. This is the last issue of 2011, our last shot at giving the best of us. There’s something mesmerizing about the arrival of the winter break. An emotion mixed between sadness and joyfulness at the same times. Lots of things happened. And the memories within us will forever hold a special place in our minds. We had one goal: reach out to the Vanier population, bring them to see the work of talented writers, to discover passions, learn more about the fantastic people that compose our staff. First of all, we are losing with regret Danielle Rudnicka Lavoie who’s leaving for university with a bright future ahead of her and the Insider wishes her the best of luck. All our writers did an amazing job all through this semester, we are proud of all the staff, glad for the end, but so thankful first for Olga Gazdovic, who was fantastic help, guidance and became what would be as a mother to the newspaper. There were challenges, there were conflicts, there were hopes, and they will not die down as life goes on its natural course and brings us closer to the end. The end of a chapter but not of the book, keep on reading.

End of Semes er Is ue, Merry Christmas To Al !

Freedom At Las, Enjoy Your Holidays People

Homeless at ChristmasBy Pascal Dubois

If any of you have been on the street for more than 48 hours, you may know that there is no shower. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure there’s no place to brush your teeth either. In fact, there’s no comfortable bed to sleep on, no lights provided for you to read, no computer, no television, no microwave, not even an oven. I’ve never been homeless but I can imagine what it feels like to have no place to go and to not know what tomorrow will be like. That I can relate to. At Christmas, when you open your presents, when you spend time at the dinner table—swearing you want it to be over already so you can go enjoy a few hours of brand new games, books or simply have a YOU moment—well, try to remember that there are people less fortunate than you, people wish-ing they had a family, presents, and a roof over the improvised bed they sleep on. This winter, I encourage you to help the homeless, to change your paradigms about homelessness, and to give them a few cents or dollars or simply buy them cheap lunch and coffee. Who the hell am I to ask you to do anything? Well I will do it too. It’s a Christmas challenge I set for myself. I’ve said this in previous articles: be the change you want to see in the world. If it’s worth the risk, it’s also worth the fall. What risk? Well, the unknown and the reactions—actions of homeless people are unpredictable.

But get over appearances, it’s hard but most of them are good people just like you and me who’ve had a turn of bad luck, ended up not having anywhere to go or developed a mental disease and don’t un-derstand what happened to them. The other day, walking right next to Vanier, I met an old lady that had a mental disability. She was about 90 years old and was trying to escape from the hospital right next to Vanier for “soeurs de Sainte Croix”. I talked to her and went inside the building, running into a nurse who told me it wasn’t the first time she had tried this. Sometimes, the people right next to us are complete strangers. What I learnt from that experience is that anyone, at any point in their lives—regardless of their appearance, needs and demands—deserves help. Put yourself in the shoes of someone with a mental disability, or with a bad drinking habit. Or even in the shoes of your neighbour who has troubles paying the bills and cannot afford presents for his family. Some people will not have a happy Christmas. Some people will be sad, torn apart and broken hearted. Use your mind; what you can do to help WILL make a change. I call upon you and I ask of you that you open your heart, or your wallet, and use one of the most beautiful things known to man: selfless generosity. When you walk on the streets downtown this winter

break, remember my words. Remember your own hopelessness, remember the times when someone lent a helping hand, picked you up from the darkest places and stared into your eyes and whispered: “I’m here, everything will be okay.” You are the ones who implicitly will be able to give that message, please pass it forward.

The Little Things Christmas is approaching—fast. In other words, spend-ing season is here. The majority of you will be, without a doubt, spending a considerable amount of time in malls during the next month seeking out the hottest deals on presents for your friends and family. As the excitement in the air thickens, your very soul will become imbued with the holiday spirit. And, inevitably, holi-day tunes will surround you everywhere you go, instantly worming their way into your ears. Involuntarily, you will find yourselves humming along to “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as you attempt to beat the shopping frenzy. I am most certain that these overly joyful songs playing on an endless loop will drive you absolutely insane. Actually, I know they will. They will be inescapable for the next four weeks—they will even stalk you back to your car as you hastily bustle your way through the parking lot after an exhausting shopping day. Then, in hopes of erasing all traces of “Jingle Bells” from your brain, you might turn on the radio. You will then be severely disap-pointed as new and old holiday beats stream through the speakers and into your car. And that is only the beginning. Faint notes of each and every possible Christmas song will make their way to you at any and all times and places. Is this starting to seem like overkill to you? Well, it sure isn’t for advertis-ers. In their world, “too much” translates into “not enough”. As the holidays approach, they will pounce on the occasion to incorporate these cheery tunes and wishes into their every ad. As if that’s going to make us go, “Oh hey, I’ve got the best idea! Let’s go to Matelas Bonheur. They wished us Merry Christmas, after all. Let’s return the favour!” It doesn’t seem very likely that such a reaction would be the norm. Honestly though, Christmas songs would be much better if they weren’t so overused. They would represent the cheerfully cozy atmosphere that is reminiscent of the holidays, but instead, they instil a complete and utter exasperation that brings some of us to dreading this time of year. This being said, who doesn’t love the holiday spirit, despite its flaws? There is nothing wrong with a jolly singsong every now and again. Everything in moderation, hm? Anyway, I wish you all a “merry merry Christmas and a happy New Year!”

Why I Hate ChristmasBy Anonymous

Oh, Christmas. That time of year where it starts to get colder, the snowflakes make your street a magical winter wonder-land and you get to spend more time with your family. Those warm and fuzzy feelings that we all love so much get highlighted by all the Christmas cheer in the air. Or not. For some of us with small families, Christmas is a different story. While most people only need to sit through one awkward family dinner, because my parents are divorced, I have two. This means one English gathering at my mom’s and an ultra-awkward French one at my dad and stepmom’s house. Christmas at mom’s is always a fun time with vodka flowing and cabbage rolls cooking. But at dad’s there always seems to be that language barrier when I bring an Anglophone date to Christmas din-ner. And their dinners always become politi-cal in some way—either by discussing actual politics or by demonstrating their hard-lined, Bill-101 nationalism themselves—but they are not as bad as previous years. No matter what happens during the year, my family gatherings always end up the same: everyone gets absolutely drunk. I’m not sure what it is about them that drive people to the bottle. When I go to see my extended family on my dad’s side, they always know how to party. Then there is my small Eastern European family on my mom’s

side—no explanation necessary for that. Not that my family is a bunch of alcoholics or anything. Anyways, Christmas is a time to give—or so we say. Most people actually give to get. Just picture when someone asks you what you want for Christmas. You know then know that you have to ask them what they want in return, even if you were not planning on giving them anything in the first place. Awkward. This pressure to buy useless con-sumer items for people is unbearable. Even I, a deeply anti-consumerist person, become psycho during the holidays trying to find the perfect present for people. I do so for my close family and friends because I want to. But then there are those you do it for because you feel the need to return the favour. This is of course a reaction of guilt, this I am aware of. In order to avoid these alienating consumerist attitudes, I have started to intro-duce a sort of minimalist Christmas into my family. It is called Buy Nothing Christmas, an event started by Kalle Lasn, creator of Adbusters magazine (same guy who started Occupy Wall Street). This is a modern take on Christmas that is actually closer to the holiday’s original meaning of gift giving. It was started in order to make people aware of the economical and environmental impact they have during the holiday season.

This means that instead of camp-ing outside of Wal-Mart all night to be the first to trample down the doorman at 7AM to get your sweet deal on the newest tablet, you could make something with your own two hands. Buy nothing may be unfeasible to some but can be achieved with some effort. While do not all have time to execute pristine Martha Stewart-like crafts, taking the time to make something special for someone says that you care a lot more than if you simply give them a store-bought gift. A hand-made card, a home-cooked dish, a baked treat—anything that is simple and easy can be given as a gift. Even if you are not the crafty type or cannot cook, you can still find ways to spend less as well as reduced your environmental impact during the holidays. Buying small meaningful things often says more about you as a person than spending hundreds of dollars on a single present. You can find cool gift ideas at second-hand stores, thrift shops, art fairs, bazaars and even garage sales. All you need is a little imagina-tion and creativity to find something that would suit the person that you are giving it to. Just remember that no matter how much you hate Christmas, others absolutely love it. Try not to rain on their parade, even if they do on yours.

VeronicaTop 5 Alternative Christmas Tunes

By Julien Arsenault

Less than three and half weeks after finishing my treasured Halloween candy stash did I

stumble upon Frank Sinatra’s classic version of “Let it Snow” while flipping through radio

channels on my way to school one morning. This was the first and certainly not the last

time I would hear a Christmas song this year. Sweet Jesus! Had the holiday season already

begun?

Sure, the leaves had long fallen from the trees and the temperature had gotten steadily

colder as each week passed. But nothing had quite prepared me as well for all the holiday

cheer that would gradually surround me over the next month as the sound of Sinatra’s

sweet voice urging me to “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”. The major role these

Christmas Songs play in keeping our Christmas spirit alive until the big day should not be

underestimated.

Christmas trees, decorations and classic Holiday stories are all essential ingredients to the

yuletide flavour hanging in the air but it is hard to imagine any holiday gathering without

all the Christmas songs so many of us have grown up with. That said, while standards like

“Silent Night”, “Jingle Bells” and “Let it Snow” remain timeless classics cherished by

all, there are many more holiday tunes that are unknown to many but still carry the same

uplifting holiday spirit while appealing to all those music snobs who wince in disbelief

every time one of those overplayed Christmas songs comes on the radio. Here

are my top five alternatives to a jolly Christmas soundtrack:

1. Christmas Time (is Here Again) – The Beatles

Quite possibly the most obscure track on the list , “Christmas Time is Here

Again” is a deep cut from the Beatles vast catalogue bound to strike a chord for

Beatle fans and Christmas lovers alike. Pulled from the band’s 1967 Beatles Fan

Club Christmas Record, “Christmas Time” finds the Magical Mystery Tour/Sergeant Pep-

pers era fab four belting out the titular chorus in unison. It’s followed by Christmas wishes

from each member before fading out over a thickly-accented nonsensical poem courtesy

of John Lennon.

Granted, the song doesn’t come anywhere near the mind-blowing psychedelic sounds of

the band’s two aforementioned albums of that year but Ringo’s thumping beats, Paul’s

heavy piano, George’s vaguely eastern-tinged acoustic guitar and John’s unmistakable

voice all bear the characteristics of the quartet’s better-known works, making this hidden

gem an undeniable must for any holiday season play list.

2. Phil Spector Christmas – Various Artists

Yes, this is an album not a song, but no track is quite good enough to single out here.

Before his longstanding alcoholism and depression grew out of hand and he found himself

imprisoned for the murder of actress Lana Carlson, Phil Spector was a revolutionary music

producer whose wildly original sonic innovations helmed some of the most endearing

singles of the 1960’s. He lent his genius touch to sounds of the Beatles, Leonard Cohen

and even legendary punk-rock group the Ramones before fading into obscurity in the

1980’s.

Arguably the greatest Christmas album of all time, “A Phil Spector Christmas” features

Spector protégés The Ronettes, The Crystals, Darlene Love and Bobb B. Soxx & The Blue

Jeans performing holiday standards over the “Wall of Sound”, the distinctive production

technique which earned Spector his name as one of the greatest music producers of all

time. While no song truly outshines the others, honourable mentions go to: Darlene Love’s

“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”, the only Spector original on the album, later

covered by U2; and Crystal’s rocking cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, which

was given a rocking live treatment by Bruce Springsteen.

3. Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End) – The Darkness

Quite possibly the corniest, most bombastic Christmas song ever released. The Darkness’

2003 holiday single is a hilarious slice of hard-rock cheese complete with Queen-inspired

guitar harmonics. Lead Singer Justin Hawkins’ ear-shattering falsetto and the mandatory

sing-along chorus recall the best and worst of 70s and 80s classic rock. Christmas time has

rarely gotten so epic, or so damn entertaining. It’s quite possibly the greatest hard-hock

homage to the holidays since Slade’s 1973 classic “Merry Xmas Everybody”.

4. Merry Christmas Baby – Otis Redding

Redding’s 1967 cover of Johnny Moore and the Three Trailblazer’s R&B standard remains

one of the sexiest, most soulful Christmas songs ever recorded. As Redding’s legendary

voice croons enthusiastically over Booker T and the MG’s trademark organ riffs and high-

pitched guitar licks, one can picture him snuggling next to his loved one in front of a cozy

burning fire on Christmas morning. Tragically enough, Redding himself was unable to cel-

ebrate Christmas that year after dying in a plane crash on December 10, 1967, shortly after

the song was recorded. Nevertheless, his powerful cover remains one of the most romantic

Christmas songs out there. This is a perfect tune for lovers caught under the mistletoe that

will give a much needed R&B/Soul twist to your holiday soundtrack.

5. Christmas at the Zoo – The Flaming Lips

While this song is more a tale of animal liberation than an ode to holiday festivities, its

chiming bells and upbeat chord progression still bear hints of Christmas cheer. One of

the best tunes from the Oklahoma psychedelic rockers’ underrated 1995 album “Clouds

Taste Metallic”, this quirky jingle tells a story of a snowless Christmas eve in which the

narrator breaks into the Zoo determined to free all the animals from their cages. While the

animals agree that they are not happy at the zoo, they decide they’d rather spend Christmas

together and save themselves.

An appropriately wacky track from the band that brought us eccentric

sing-alongs with titles like “She Don’t Use Jelly” and “I Can Be a Frog”, this song bears

an important theme of unity among species on one of the most important night of the year. 2

Top 10 Christmas MoviesBy Varvara KamenevaChristmas is fast approaching and it’s one of the happiest seasons of the year. You are thinking what you are going to get for Christmas from your friends and family and what you could give them in return. But also it’s the mood of this season. You always have this warm feel-ing inside of you. And to get you more in the mood we have 10 Best Christmas Movies of All Times. Home Alone and Home Alone 2. We couldn’t decide which one should be the first because both of them are known as the classic Christmas mov-ies. You all know the story of Macaulay Culkin’s character. He was left alone home while his family went to celebrate the Christmas and how he is trying to protect his house and later the toy store in the second movie from to robbers (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). This clas-sic Christmas movie by Chris Columbus is the best of all Christmas movies and it rightly takes the top spot of our list. Love Actually. This British Christmas comedy has all the best ac-tors you could probably think of. Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Olivia Olson, Billy Bob Thornton, Rowan Atkinson, Claudia Schiffer and many more. There are so many different stories in the movie but all the stories linked to each other in some way and in the end, they all celebrate Christmas together. One of the funniest stories in the bunch is about a British guy who wants to come to America. He thinks that he’ll become more popular with girls only because of this British accent. A Christmas Carol. The most classic story of all. There are so many movies made based on this story. You

could check out the old version Scrooge from 1951 if you are fan of old classic movies. But if you are not, there is a new version from 2009 with Jim Carrey. It actually came out as 3D movie, so if you lucky enough to watch in 3D – watch it, but it’s also good in 2D. Jim Carrey plays almost all of the characters in it: Scrooge and all the ghosts. Also, if you are fan of Gary Oldman, you just have to check this one out. Arthur Christmas. It has just come out in theatres so you have to watch it in 3D, because you have a chance to do it. The story is simple. Santa forgot to give a present to one child. One of his sons is trying to give that present in time, before the morning comes, so the child won’t feel like Santa forgot about her. The Holiday. This story it`s just so sweet and has that warm Christ-mas feeling. We all need some changes in our lives—this movie is about this. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet play two women that needed a change. One of them lives in LA, another one lives in London. But both of them can’t find their soul mates, so they decide to switch their places just for the holidays. Polar Express. It is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children’s book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. The story is about a boy who takes a train to North Pole to confirm his belief in Santa Claus. This film shows us that no matter what, you must believe in magic of Christmas. The Nightmare before Christ-mas. One of the most incredible stories by Tim Burton about Christmas spirit. It came out in 1993 and several years ago Disney made it in the 3D movie. One of the best musicals—the music is by

Danny Elfman. This story is about Jack Skellington of Halloween town, who decides that he is bored of scaring kids on Halloween and that Santa needed a little break. He takes on the responsibil-ity to bring the holiday cheer to kids Edward Scissorhands. This is another great movie by Tim Burton. It is the story of Edward—the unfinished cre-ation of a man—that falls in love with a girl. It’s a sad Christmas love story in which Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder play as a couple. Bad Santa. Oh, Bad Santa. This funny and sarcastic movie is best for the Christmas if you are into black humor comedies. The story is simple: every year, the mall Santa Claus (played by Billy Bob Thornton) and his elf (Tony Cox) rob the mall after it’s closed. But now the Mall cop is trying to inves-tigate what is going on. You will laugh so hard that you will begin to cry. National lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This is a 1989 movie based on a short story. The movie talks about Chicago resident Clark Wilhelm Griswold Jr (Chevy Chase) who had really got into the Christmas spirit that year. His wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), son Rusty (Johnny Galecki), and daughter Audrey (Juliette Lewis) have noticed that his increased Christ-mas cheer. On a quest for “The Griswold Family Christmas Tree,” Clark plans a “good, old-fashioned family Christmas.” His family is wary of his plans, but Clark is oblivious. This movie is ranked in the best 10 Christmas movies not only in our list but many others. It’s funny and Christmassy—this movie is good for the holiday season.

Children’s Cultural Holiday Party

If you have any younger kids, cousins, siblings, nieces or nephews then this article is of interest to you. Student Services, with the help of the VCSA, are in the process of organizing a special holiday party for children.The Children’s Cultural Holiday Party is being held on December 10 and will be an amazing day of entertainment for kids to help get into the holiday spirit. It will be taking place between 11:30AM and 2:30PM in Jake’s Mall and kids will have a chance to take a picture with Santa and his elves at 12:30PM. Besides meeting Santa, there will be lots of entertainment such as music, face painting, coloring books, a special holiday movie, a small surprise and much more. Children will also be provided with a light lunch, drinks, and snacks. The only price of admission is a non perishable food donation to go towards students in need. Spots are limited and children must be signed up. Although spots were supposed to be reserved by December 5, if you are still interested don’t hesitate to stop by student services (C203) and ask about it. Students are also encouraged to help volunteer. So, if you’re available December 10, here’s an amazing event to get involved with or participate in!

Christmas FeverBy Taruna Kaur-Singh Yellow light came through my window. Finally, it was Christmas. I woke my sister up and ran down the stairs at the speed of light. I can just imagine the mountain of gifts that were waiting for me under the huge Christmas tree that my mom, dad, sister and I deco-rated a month ago. Indeed, the gifts were all present under the Christmas tree and they were colourful. Santa was generous with us every year. We ran back upstairs to wake our parents. We couldn’t open the gifts without them, now could we? Our mom’s eyes opened just a little bit, but this was our cue: “IT’S CHRIST-MAS! IT’S CHRISTMAS! IT’S

CHRISTMAS!” We ran back down the stairs and jumped in front of the Christmas tree until our parents arrived. No matter how nice the gift wraps looked, they wouldn’t stand a chance against my curiosity. Isn’t this the typical Christmas morning for all kids? Now my question is: What does our Christmas morning/day looks like? Do you still get the big mountain of gifts? Do you want a big gift or do

you think smaller is better? If the gift is huge, you’re sure that it’s not an ITouch, IPad, IPhone or even gift cards to your favorite stores. What else to appeals for Christmas gifts? Sport gear for the athletes? Books? Perfume and makeup? CDs & DVDs? Well it’s your x-mas list, be creative! But to whom should I give a gift? Do all my friends need a gift from me? And the second question that is sure to follow, how much do I spend on each? Well here’s an idea that many have probably already done. In situa-tions like these where you don’t want to feel bad about not giving a gift to some-one, a gift exchange is a good solution. Make sure to determine the price range for it to be fair. This way no one will be disappointed by what they got. Oh and if you are, don’t forget that whoever gave you that gift has good intentions so make sure you smile and thank them, even if you don’t like it. It can always be given to someone else afterwards, right? What exactly is gift material? Chocolate is a good gift if you buy the real kind. Scratch the Kit-Kat, Coffee Crisp, Aero

and all the other bars that you can get from everywhere. For once, you should

experience going into a chocolatier and see all the good stuff in the window. I’m not advertising or anything but a famous chocolatier that you can easily find is Laura Secord but if you’ve already tried their chocolate, I recommend Suite 88 (3957 Saint-Denis St. or 1225 de Mai-sonneuve West). Another gift idea would be to focus on the little things that oth-

ers would buy anyway. For example, magazines, CDs, DVDs and jewellery are good ideas for gifts. This way, it’s a safe bet that the person will actually use the gift you gave him or her. If you don’t want to spend too much time on finding the right stuff, then flowers would be your other safest bet; they always look good. Don’t forget the Christmas card though! Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year

Jingle BellsBy Courtney Fyfe

By Courtney Fyfe

Feeling cheery this year but not sure what to do? Why not get into the holiday spirit and take some time out of your busy schedule to volunteer? Nothing says, “It’s the holidays” like giving back to those in need and helping out in your community. While most students don’t have the time to be full-time vol-unteers, lots of organizations are looking for people to lend a helping hand over the holiday period. Volunteer individually or with a group of friends and family to make a fun day out of it. Not sure where to start? Here are some suggestions:Children’s Wish FoundationWhat: Need volunteers to help package gifts for the foundationWhen: Minimum once a week for 5-6 hours from December 4-24Where: Promenades de la Cathédrale, rue Sainte-Catherine (Mont-Royal metro) How: Contact Karine Tardif at 514.289.1777 extension 223La MaisonnéeWhat: Need volunteers to help set up, do crafts, face paint, and activities with children aged 3-12When: 5 hours on December 16 Where: Saint-Ambroise Church, 1215, Beaubien street East, Montreal (Jean-Talon metro)How: Contact Élyse Prénovost at 514.271.3533 extension 206Salvation ArmyWhat: Need volunteers to stand in malls and on St. Catherine street to encourage passersby to donate money to poor families in needWhen: Whenever available between November 24-December 24 Where: Malls across Montreal How: Contact Dârini Vedarattiname at 514.288.7441 extension 2236 Opération Nez RougeWhat: Needs volunteers to offer a chauffeur service and/or navigation to the impairedWhen: Throughout DecemberWhere: Across CanadaHow: Apply at http://operationnezrouge.com/en/volunteer.html*Don’t drink and drive this winter break, call Opération Nez Rouge if you plan on drinking and need a lift

home. Visit their website for the phone number for your region.

Marché Solidaire FrontenacWhat: Volunteers needed to help with the logistics of the Christmas MarketWhen: Between December 15-18 from 12PM-7PMWhere: Court of the Frontenac metroHow: Contact Andréane Talbot at 514.525.6611 Maison des Enfants de L’ île de MontrealWhat: Volunteers needed for a “Popotte Day” to make meat pies and desserts for Christmas dinners for children with their familiesWhen: October 14-December 9Where: Pie-IX metroHow: Contact Marie Ouellet at 514.526.9128 Women’s Centre of MontrealWhat: Volunteers needed for the Christmas campaign to sort, clean and store toys and proceed with the preparation and distribution of Christmas basketsWhen: From 9AM-12PM or 1PM-5PM between December 1-22 Where: Downtown (Sherbrooke or Place-des-Arts metro)How: Contact Alexandra Bourdages Jérôme at 514.842.4780 extension 2330St. Willibrord’s ParishWhat: Volunteers needed to help with the preparation, delivery and running of Christmas baskets for the Annual Christmas Basket ProjectWhen: Minimum of 2 hours from December 12-22Where: Verdun (Verdun metro) How: Angele Justine LaFleche at 514.769.9678 For more information and more volunteering opportunities visit http://cabm.net

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Although most of us are currently focusing on studying for our finals, planning our vacation is also on our mind. Those who are lucky will have up to 5 weeks of winter break! Among celebrating Christ-mas, Hanukkah, the New Year, and other holidays, we would all like to get out of our quotidian world and travel, right? You might be thinking “can’t afford it; got no budget for this; I’m broke” or even “I don’t even know where to start; there’s so much to see!” Well, hopefully after reading this, you’ll have a better idea of where to go and what you can afford.First of all, since we’re all students here, most of us don’t have a huge budget for travelling. Therefore, a good idea would be to try to stay close since airplane tickets can get pricy, especially in the high season. For those who can tolerate the cold weather, skiing is one of the most popular winter activities to do. And you don’t even have to go far! (For those who do not know how to ski, be patient, we have other propositions later on!) To have the feeling that you’re on vacation, book a ski trip up north or in the U.S. Some great spots we have in Quebec are Mont-Tremblant, Mont

Saint-Sauveur and Mont St-Bruno. For those who would rather get out of the country or the prov-ince to feel in vacation, there are great ski spots within driving distance. To name just a few, you could visit Stowe or Kil-

lington, in Vermont, Banff National Park in Alberta or Lake Placid in the state of New York. You can find ski trips that come up to around 100$ per day, depending on the number of stars of the hotel, and how many meals are included in the package. For those who don’t know how to ski, there are many other outdoor activities to do such a skating,

tube sliding, dogsledding, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and more. These activities can make a great day trip if you can’t leave for a longer period of time.Now, for those who don’t like being outdoors during

winter, treating yourself to a spa getaway might be your type of activity. One that seems great is the Scan-dinave Spa in Mont-Tremblant. They offer, among many treatments, a body warming session, which is perfect for those who dislike the cold weather but can’t afford flying to the sun. Depending on the treat-ment, prices range from 30$ to 260$. You could also research Hôtellerie Champêtre for more spa getaway ideas.

Now, for the lucky ones who can afford travelling to tropical places, you have endless possibilities. Obviously, prices will spike up because you will need to get a plane ticket. The south of the United States is a good place to go to get heat and sun, and it can be

done by car in several days if you are looking to save money. As far as the Caribbean go, Trip Advisor says the best destinations are Punta Cana and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, Negril and Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and San Juan in Puerto Rico, but of course, there are many more option. In order to help you find the best deals to organize your trip in the Caribbean, you can visit various websites such as Expedia, Voy-ages à Rabais, Book It, Sell Off Vacations, Red Tag, Hot Wire, Travelocity, Sunquest Vacations and the list goes on. Essentially, the key to finding the best deal for an all-inclusive trip down south is to research various websites and grasp the offer you are pleased

with on the spot. Prices constantly fluctuate on these websites, as they depend on the number of clicks they get. If you go back and forth and click end-lessly on an offer because you are indecisive or you are showing it to various people, chances are prices will spike up. Finally, it might be a good idea to

quickly research what you are booking. You want to read reviews, see pictures, and make sure that you know what you are getting into before booking your trip.For those who want to be entirely on another con-tinent, there are some fairly accessible destinations you might want to explore. After a bit of research, we found that a one-week stay in Paris, three-star hotel and plane tickets included, could come up to only 1,750$ after the New Year, although they fluctuate de-pending on the location and on the rating of the hotel, as well as on the time of the flight. Prices for London tend to be higher, usually around 2,500$ for the same conditions. Prices for Barcelona and Rome compare to those of Paris.

Finally, the very last suggestion we can share with you is: have fun! That’s all that mat-ters, really. Make sure you enjoy your winter break and make the best of it. Don’t forget to rest and relax, to come back even more ready for the

next semester. On this note, we wish you happy holi-days and hopefully a wonderful vacation, no matter where you’re heading.

Vacation Destination for your Winter BreakBy Alexandra Ceasar

Games and Brainteasers

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