February 5, 2014

Local fashion designer reveals new line Pg. 7

The Omega

Volume 23, Issue 18 February 5, 2014

Ω

Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper

News

Editorial & Opinion

Life & Community

Arts & Entertainment

Sports

Pages 1, 2

Pages 3, 9

Page 5

Pages 6, 7

Page 11

Evaluation turmoil Faculty association and Senate both pushing for course evals, so what’s the hold up?

Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor

TRUSU’s annual general meeting drew a full house on Jan. 29. Members voted in favour of creating an equity committee which will focus the work of advocacy representatives. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

Student union focuses on advocacy TRUSU forms new equity committee to concentrate on special interest groups

Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor From the outside, TRUSU’s operations won’t seem much different next year, but the special resolutions put forward at the Jan. 29 annual general meeting will affect its internal operations and the workload of elected representatives.

TRUSU president Dylan Robinson said it’s all about better focusing the work of the advocacy representatives as the organization grows and, with every resolution passing, TRUSU will be able to do just that.

Last year the annual general meeting brought the creation of two new advocacy collectives: the pride collective to represent LGBTQ students and the graduate students collective. Since that time, Robinson said the work of advocacy representatives has increased significantly.

“Over 2013 the union really realized that the scope and the amount of work we were doing for equity constituency groups across campus has grown massively,” he said. “In order to facilitate that work going forward and in order to provide the appropriate focus and give the appropriate time needed for a lot of those issues it was decided, moving forward, to create the equity committee.”

The new equity committee aims to “better facilitate the work of advocacy representatives.” Each of the collective representatives will sit on this committee, representing women, international students, aboriginal students, graduate students and LGBTQ students. They will no longer be required to participate

in another standing committee of the union.

The equity committee will focus on equity issues, campaigns, services and entertainment that currently fit under the existing committee structure.

Current committees include executive, campaigns, entertainment, policy and services.

“We wanted to provide this new committee to kind of bring all of those aspects to one place with a set group of people, all of the advocacy representatives around the table in order to really provide the support needed to pull off that work,” Robinson said Work such as the annual pride parade, the various necessities drives and the storyteller’s gala.

Robinson said they didn’t want collective reps to have to sit on other committees, moving forward, because it was hindering their ability to focus on their advocacy work, which is supposed to be their main role. Instead, the number of members-at-large on each of the union’s standing committees increased from two to three.

The roles of the executive were also slightly altered, including removing the requirement of executive members to sit on multiple standing committees.

They remain assigned to a committee, while the vice president internal will chair the equity committee and report on advocacy to the executive.

“It was a lot harder to provide support for advocacy work when we weren’t getting an update at the executive committee every week,” Robinson said.

“With this change that should solve that gap and better support that equity work.”

A recent TRU Senate motion mandates that TRU administer course evaluations for every course every time it’s offered.

TRU remains the only university in the Research Universities Council of British Columbia to not have implemented mandatory course evaluations, a required step for university institutions to take in order to be recognized as a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges Canada. Despite agreement that the evaluations would benefit faculty and students alike, the TRU Faculty Association (TRUFA) and the university continue a storied turmoil over implementation.

TRUFA’s president Jason Brown summarized the situation in two words: “a mess.”

On Dec. 16, the Senate approved a motion of the Academic Priorities and Planning Committee, a sub-committee of the Senate, recommending “student course evaluations will be carried out for all courses every time a course is offered.”

Provost and vice president academic Ulrich Scheck presented a joint letter signed by himself and TRUSU president Dylan Robinson supporting the motion.

Despite discussion between the university and TRUFA over the past couple years, including consultation

we were shocked to see this motion coming to the Senate and we were very disappointed,” he said.

Brown said TRUFA fully supports course evaluations but wants to have adequate input so that the system provides formative results and is not used as a punitive tool against professors.

“It’s that we haven’t been able sit down on one side of the table, and the employer sit down on the other side of the table and talk and say ‘how are we going to do this?’” he said.

Brown said TRUFA had asked to meet with the Senate in the fall because of its concern that some of the issues being addressed in the Senate fell under the collective agreement between the university and TRUFA. Brown expressed TRUFA’s stance that the discussion should be taking place at the bargaining not the Senate.

—Jason Brown, table, “I think Senate and myself many colleagues on President, TRUFA and campus do disagree with that position,” Scheck said. “I feel that Senate is the right place to over the types of questions course make that decision on principle. The evaluations should ask, Brown said implementation piece, that’s a slightly the association was not aware such a different matter.” motion would be put to the Senate.

“We thought we were going to have a discussion about a solution and

“

...we were shocked to see this motion

coming to the Senate and we were very disappointed.”

See FALL 2014 Pg.

On Dec.16 the Senate passed a motion that course evaluations be administered for every course every time it’s offered. Although TRUFA is in favour of implementing course evaluations, it maintains that the discussion should be between TRUFA and the university, not in the Senate. (albertogp123/Flickr Commons)

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News

February 5, 2014

Sustainability Grant Fund accepting proposals As the first grant’s project develops, TRU calls for more proposals to do it all again Karla Karcioglu Ω Roving Editor TRU is preparing to accept a second round of project proposals for the Sustainability Grant Fund, which launched in the fall semester of 2013.

The first successful applicant was a joint effort between the on-campus registrar’s office and TRU Open Learning Registrarial Services. It was the only proposal which met the extensive list of requirements for grant money.

The five main criteria for the proposals are articulation of benefits, performance measurement, level of impact, project feasibility and planning.

The proposal was for industrial scanners so that student documentation to could be digitally archived to save space on storage, save paper in the future and make access more efficient.

Angelique Saweczko was hired as the associate VP in charge of strategic enrollment and university registrar in July 2013.

Saweczko said as soon as she arrived and saw the situation she immediately wanted to tackle the TRU file keeping system.

Saweczko said that digitizing documents is the norm at other universities.

Student records are currently paper-based, according to

Saweczko. She said this can cause inefficiencies, as documents can easily get lost in transit between different departments.

Digital archives will provide an opportunity to track when a document was received, filed, moved and when it has expired and needs to be removed from the system due to privacy laws.

Saweczko said that during the admissions period between October to August, the oncampus registrar’s office uses approximately 40,000 to 50,000 pieces of paper. Throughout a student’s time at TRU, more paper documents will continuously be added to their files, with individual student files averaging 10 to 12 pieces of paper.

TRU Open Learning Registrarial Services has completed some initial testing to see how the scanning system would work and how it would be implemented.

There are also plans to involve co-op students and provide them with work experience on going paperless. Student involvement was one thing that was important for Saweczko, and also to Marjorie Budnikas, manager of admissions and advising, TRUOL. Budnikas said the departments are very grateful for the sustainability grant and the opportunity it has provided. She

Community corner It might feel a tad bit cooler around campus on Feb. 6.

TRU is taking action on climate change by turning down the heat from 23 degrees to 20, as part of National Sweater Day. Put on a sweater and stop by the booth on Student Street to enter the contest, have a free snack, and show your support for saving energy.

You can also drop off your “gentlyused” sweaters for donation to a local charity and help others stay a little warmer this winter, too.

Tru.ca/sustain for more information.

Marjorie Budnikas stands in the file storage room in TRU Open Learning.

encourages others to make the effort to apply.

The next submission for preproposals will be due Feb. 28 and the deadline for final proposals

will be March 31.

The funding for the grant comes from last year’s increase in parking fees, which environmental programs

(Karla Karcioglu/ The Omega)

director James Gordon said also successfully brought down the number of single occupancy vehicles on campus and made parking “less of a hassle.”

Fall 2014 for full implementation?

From EVALUATION Pg.

1

Scheck maintains that deciding on principle to implement course evaluations is an academic issue, not a labour relations issue.

He said the Senate mandate sets an expectation that TRU will follow through with implementing mandatory course evaluations, but the details are yet to be determined. He suggested that a committee be struck to look at properly implementing evaluations and TRUFA be adequately represented on that committee.

“I would like TRUFA to be on board and I hope they will come to the table on that because some of the details might have some implications that need to be in the collective agreement, but not the principle,” he said.

Before the mandate was even put to the Senate, TRUFA filed a grievance with the university regarding the course evaluation process. It’s currently awaiting a response. If the university response is negative, Brown said there is a possibility they could move to legal arbitration.

Scheck confirmed that a grievance had been filed, but said the details were confidential.

“There was an agreement between the faculty association and the university that this Senate subcommittee called the Instructional Development and Support Committee (IDSC) could develop four different course evaluation questions in consultation with TRUFA for evaluation of all courses,” Brown said. “But that was the only role the Senate was agreed to take in terms of the evaluation process.”

The IDSC’s mandate is to develop a valid and reliable survey for course evaluation. The Centre for Student

Engagement and Learning Innovation is developing the survey under the direction of Gary Hunt.

In September, the IDSC advised Senators that it had developed a survey with 16 questions and the four Senateapproved questions to initiate a pilot last fall. The pilot survey was distributed to three faculties: science; adventure studies, culinary arts and tourism (A.C.T.); and business and economics.

“The problem is, even though we’ve negotiated all these things, suddenly a pilot project was implemented by the university to ask a whole series of questions that someone else came up with,” Brown said.

“There has been no attempt to keep us, to ask us to be partners in the process.”

Despite TRUFA feeling currently out of the loop, the pilot survey was launched and a second survey will be distributed this spring. Hunt said around 20 per cent of eligible students participated, which was higher than

they expected since there was little promotional efforts made and the survey couldn’t be distributed during class time because it was online.

Focus groups are currently planned to review the results of the fall survey, which will include reworking questions, such as removing ones that students tended to answer “not applicable” to, and draft language that will instruct students prior to taking the survey.

After the second pilot is completed focus groups will review the survey again.

The pilot survey was administered

by Institutional Planning and Analysis using Vovici and Hunt said they still haven’t made a decision about purchasing other software.

As stated in the letter from Scheck and TRUSU “the goal of the pilot project is to have a final version of the Course Evaluation Questionnaire ready for full implementation in the fall of 2014.”

With files from Justine Cleghorn

Editorial & Opinion

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 18

The Omega www.truomega.ca

February 5, 2014 Volume 23, Issue 18

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mike Davies

editor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069

3

Trinity Western shouldn’t be producing lawyers Can we rely on people who have sworn to try and change society’s values to represent and defend society’s values?

@PaperguyDavies NEWS EDITOR

Jessica Klymchuk news@truomega.ca @jjklym

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Ashley Wadhwani arts@truomega.ca @ashwadhwani SPORTS EDITOR

Adam Williams

sports@truomega.ca @AdamWilliams87 ROVING EDITOR

Karla Karcioglu

roving@truomega.ca @0_kmk_0

Editor’s Note

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief

Mark Hendricks

sci-tech@truomega.ca @MarkHendicks5 COPY/WEB EDITOR

Sean Brady

copy@truomega.ca @iamseanbrady

omegacontributors Marlys Klossner, Alexis Stockford, Cam Staff

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Do it.

Two weeks ago in this column, I discussed a clash between one student’s religious freedom to request being excluded from interacting with female students at York University in Toronto and the rights of those women to not be discriminated against at their institutions by having those institutions comply with these types of requests.

At what point do we need to draw a line on “accommodation” for people within our post-secondary institutions? After all, I surmised, we wouldn’t say that you can’t attend classes if you can’t get up the stairs—we’d install an elevator or ramp, right?

This week, religious freedom and the right for all people to be treated equally clash again in the discussion of Trinity Western University (TWU) and their seemingly-soonto-be law program.

You see, TWU is a private school, so it doesn’t have to play by the same rules as institutions like TRU (or any other publicly funded organization). It gets to openly discriminate against those who don’t share its values.

A few of those values, according to their own mission statement and published principles are as follows: “Trinity Western University affirms with conviction the full truth and authority of the Bible.

The Bible is sourced in God in a unique way that cannot be said of other literature. As a final, finished product the biblical scriptures are ‘without error’ and can be relied on with full confidence as an authoritative guide to Gods message of salvation and the manner of living appropriate for Christian people.”

They also put a heavy emphasis on “having a transformational impact on culture.”

They actually say, “Our greatest hope is that the TWU community influences people to forsake an unbelieving way of life. The kind of radical change we intend to effect is rooted in conversion

that leads persons to embrace the Christian faith,” and that, “The New Testament makes clear that the followers of Jesus Christ are called to proclaim the gospel throughout the world.”

You are not allowed to attend TWU if you do not agree with these principles. They make you sign a contract and everything.

“In making this pledge, members enter into a contractual agreement,” says the covenant that prospective students must sign before being granted enrolment, before saying that, as a student, they shall not engage in “sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman,” or for that matter, view pornography, lie, gossip or use “vulgar/obscene language.”

It goes on to make recommendations about what kind of things you should use your leisure time for, though a student’s choices in this regard (provided they don’t take place on university property and do not involve anything expressly prohibited such as being drunk) are their own.

So what are you saying Davies?

Get to the point, dammit!

I’m asking if we want people who “carefully consider and sincerely embrace” this view of life and our society to be the lawyers of said society?

If a TWU graduate’s role as a lawyer ever comes into conflict with that of their beliefs, can we expect that they will set aside a belief structure that is an important aspect of their very identity and rely on them to provide service to a client who, for example, is charged with “public drunkenness” when that lawyer has committed to be against that action and actively attempt to change the world to reflect that value?

What about representing someone in a divorce proceeding who cheated on his or her spouse?

Or a defendant in an attack that occurred because they are homosexual?

The point is, we shouldn’t be wondering whether the lawyers who are charged in our society with defending the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, believe in that charter themselves or are setting out to change it because of their religious convictions.

So the long and short of my assessment is this: TWU should be free to teach Canadian law (or anything they want, really), but it shouldn’t be allowed to produce lawyers.

I want to know that our lawyers believe in the rule of law, not wondering if they’re trying to change it so it reflects the rule of God. editor@truomega.ca

Dismantling of federal libraries is quite concerning Kevin Voon The Gateway (U of A) EDMONTON (CUP) — Once upon a time, Canada was world renowned as an environmental steward and leader in freshwater science. Collections like the Eric Marshall Library at the University of Manitoba stocked over 200,000 books, including cutting-edge research from the Experimental Lakes Area that demonstrated the effects of acid rain and discovered that algal blooms were caused by phosphates from household detergents.

But just last month, all but two libraries in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans were shut down, including Eric Marshall.

Despite claims that they would be digitized, most of the collection was either given away or dumpster filling.

Imagine trying to conduct capstone project research without key scientific papers to lead by example. But anyone easily swayed by phrases such as “small government” or “costcutting measures” will be saying it anyway. Welcome to Canada under the Harper government. A government that seems to pride itself on anti-intellectualism.

Daniel Rigney, an American professor of sociology,

named three forms of antiintellectualism described in Richard Hofstadter’s iconic book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life: anti-rationalism, anti-elitism and unref lective instrumentalism. The former two, where uninformed intuition trumps logic (Stephen Colbert might call this truthiness) and education is seen as a threat to the common people, are apparent to anyone who turns on Fox News.

The last is the most insidious, and naturally, the modus operandi of the Harper government; anything without an immediate practical use is worthless.

“Practical” is just another word for making money. You can’t put a price on protecting lakes according to Harper economics.

There’s a reason why it’s called “unref lective” instrumentalism.

Setting aside the perfectly valid arguments that life is about more than jobs and money, cutting and defunding programs not directly related to industry results from a myopic view of business.

Even the World Bank recognizes that environmental degradation is a threat to companies’ resource bases, and thus, their profits.

The collapse of Newfoundland’s cod fishing industry resulted from a combination of overfishing and a lack of understanding regarding the ocean ecosystem to formulate effective policy.

This left the cod population unable to replenish itself at the rate they were being gathered, and it hasn’t recovered to this day.

Oil spills have similarly detrimental impacts, so cutting environmental assessments is foolish and short-sighted.

The justifications for closing scientific libraries counts on citizens’ ignorance of scientific inquiry. The Eric Marshall Library loaned out more books than it borrowed, but ordinary citizens weren’t reading the historical records and reports, so the library was deemed impractical and a waste of money.

It’s a populist argument at its finest; assessing the library by the standards of a public library loaning out books for readers’ consumption. Scientific documents are meant to be used as a reference to compare data or theories to, such as comparing the current state of fish populations or chemical concentrations in a lake to the general trend across a century.

No one would judge accounting records based on how often they are read, so holding scientific documents to that standard is absurd. But unreflective instrumentalism masks their value to anyone outside the scientific field.

This mentality has also plagued university institutions in which

education is increasingly seen as a means to a career as opposed to personal enrichment.

Despite subjects such as philosophy being essential to the development of human systems, including the scientific method, the Arts and Humanities are denigrated for their lack of industrial applicability. Science itself is becoming increasingly narrowed down to applied research subjects, which has led to a widespread perception of science and technology being about unreflective industry sycophantism, especially with oil sands industries having so much clout in Alberta.

Fighting anti-intellectualism requires us to appreciate knowledge regardless of its source.

We can’t dismiss the contributions of each field to society, as like the fishery libraries, what someone doesn’t immediately comprehend may be crucial to understanding the past, present and future. Interfaculty sniping only serves the cult of the useful by dismissing contributions outside one’s field.

We must defend knowledge for knowledge’s sake as satisfying human curiosity is an end in itself.

We can stand united against the culture of anti-intellectualism propagated by the Harper government, or we can fall divided as ignorance triumphs over wellinformed decision making.

Science & Technology

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February 5, 2014

World-class data centre opens in Kamloops Region chosen due to lack of seismic activity and centralized location Karla Karcioglu Ω Roving Editor It took one and a half years and $75 million to construct, but Telus’ Kamloops Intelligent Internet Data Centre is finally up and running. On Friday, Jan. 31, Telus held a special opening allowing invitees a look inside the high security, advanced t e ch nolog y facility.

Among those in attendance were health minister Terry Lake, minister of transport and infrastructure Todd Stone, Mayor Peter Milobar and Coun. Donovan Cavers.

TRU president Alan Shaver, VP administration and finance Matt Milovick and VP advancement Christopher Seguin were also in attendance to accept a $100,000 donation to the university.

“It’s very symbolic of the kind of partnerships TRU loves to set up with local business and industries,” Shaver said. “It’s very important that a high tech

company like Telus forms a partnership with TRU.” “We hope that it will encourage other businesses and universities to get on the TRU bandwagon,” Shaver said. “We’re really pleased to welcome Telus to the TRU family.”

Telus VP of network transformation Lloyd Switzer said the project feels like his baby.

seismic activity, with access to clean and dependable energy, a central hub providing great connectivity coast to coast and it has a established and developed technical workforce.

“This is the most environmentally sustainable, secure and reliable facility of its kind in the world,” Telus senior VP and CIO Bill Sayles said.

The Telus data centre is filled with state of the art technology.

The centre focuses on redundancy by including two of everything, i n c l u d i n g transformers, generators and cooling systems, with each one capable of running the whole system —Alan Shaver, independently in case of maintenance President, TRU or an emergency.

The building has “We’re really proud to be tight security including a vehicle here, we’re proud to have one of trap at the property’s entrance the most technically advanced with two gates which cannot be data centres in the world here in open at the same time.

Kamloops and the support of the The building’s entrance has community has been incredible,” a two door system with the first Switzer said. door requires a smart card and According to Telus, Kamloops the second requires a biometric was chosen because it is free of fingerprint.

The buildings

“

We’re really pleased to welcome Telus to the TRU family.”

This week in science Stephen Hawking at it again, autistic brains produce more information than others, and a new drug for bone cancer?

Mark Hendricks Ω Science & Tech Editor

The event horizon might not be so inevitable A new paper by Stephen Hawking is set to disprove the notion of black holes as we know them. According to Hawking, it is impossible for there to be an event horizon.

The event horizon in a black hole is the point at which the velocity necessary to escape the gravitational pull of the black hole is greater than the speed of light. In simple terms, it’s the point from beyond which, it is impossible for light to escape.

According to Hawking, the concept of an event horizon clashes with quantum physics. Because of the lack of an event horizon, there can be no black holes as we know them. Hawking instead proposes an eventual horizon,

that holds matter and energy for a period of time before releasing it.

Hawking’s paper has not yet been published or peer reviewed.

Find out more: arxiv.org/abs/1401.5761

Autistic brains at rest generate more information A new study from Case Western Reserve University reveals that autistic children’s brains produce 42 per cent more information at rest than non-autistic children.

The study offers this as an explanation for autistic children’s behaviour of retreating into themselves, a common characteristic of the disorder.

“Our results suggest that autistic children are not interested in social interactions because their brains generate more information at rest, which we interpret

A new paper by Stephen Hawking says that black holes as we know them may not exist. (Image by Phil Plat y/Flickr commons)

as more introspection in line with early descriptions of the disorder,” Roberto Fernández Galán, senior author and associate professor of neurosciences at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine said in a press release.

This study backs up a new theory about autism called the Intense World Theory. This theory states that autistic children are are in a constant state of over-arousal due to increased neural activity.

Find out more: casemed.case.edu/newscenter/news

New drug may eliminate cancer cells in bone marrow A new study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has revealed a new drug that can wipe out the reservoirs of cancer cells in bone marrow that cause the return of cancerous tumors.

This is a problem that is often faced after antibody treatment of cancerous tumors, which mark the tumors and allow the body’s own antibodies to eliminate them. But cancerous cells that lie within the bone marrow are not affected by this treatment.

The new drug stimulates the immune response in bone marrow that can eliminate the reservoirs of cancer cells that hide in bone marrow.

“We’re not talking about the development of a new drug, we’re talking about the altered use of an existing therapy,” Michael Hemann, one of the senior authors of the study said in a press release. “We can operate within the context of existing treatment regimens but hopefully achieve drastic improvement in the efficacy of those regimens.”

Find out more: web.mit.edu/newsoffice

Lloyd Switzer called the centre “his baby,” at the opening press conference. (Karla Karcioglu/ The Omega)

entrance also features a 24-hour security office, bulletproof glass and a bulletproof layer underneath the drywall.

The centre has a computerized environmental system which monitors all building functions and can alert Telus staff via text message if something is not operating correctly.

Two telecom rooms provide direct contact with Telus’ central offices on the north and south shores of Kamloops.

During the tour, Lake asked

about previous discussion regarding transferring the heat produced from the drive storage system to the university.

Due to the timeline and logistics about transportation that initial suggestion did not become a reality. Currently the heat produced by the system is expelled from the building to outside.

Milobar looks forward to seeing the building’s anticipated expansion. Seven more modules are planned for the near-future.

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 18

Life & Community

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B.C. expansion causes fish farming fury Sarah Campbell The Peak (SFU) Recently, several letters to local First Nations groups announced that the federal government will be accepting applications to expand fish farming in the BC area.

The decision is highly controversial and critics claim it represents a lack of transparency in the federal government.

Yet, according to an irate Green party, the government has already accepted twelve applications for farming in environmentally sensitive areas.

BC Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea is under particular scrutiny.

When asked whether Shea had previously spoken publicly or issued any statements about the moratorium being lifted, a spokesperson claimed via email that the minister “talked about it openly” but was unable to provide evidence of a press release, a statement, or a quote according to the Vancouver Sun. Further contention surrounds the possible impact on wild salmon populations if the expansion goes through. Applications for

expansion from all areas of BC have been accepted, with the exception of those from the Discovery Island archipelago located near Campbell River on Vancouver Island — this area was deemed especially fragile in the 2012 Cohen report, which called for a moratorium on fish farm expansion after the collapse of the Fraser River salmon population in 2009.

Sun, Department of Fisheries and Oceans spokeswoman Melanie Carkner said, “All applications . . . will continue to be evaluated through the lens of environmental sustainability and engagement with First Nations and other stakeholders.”

In response, SFU professor of statistics and director of the undergraduate environmental science program, Rick Routledge, said, “The federal government’s claim that such decisions will be made ‘through the lens of environmental sustainability’ is not credible.”

Routledge told The Peak that the federal government has shown no signs of paying attention to environmental impacts on wild salmon populations in the past; in fact, “in the past they have hidden away evidence [of this],” he said.

According to Routledge, in the fall of 2011, his demonstrated —Rick Routledge research positive readings for ISAv disease in local wild SFU Statistics Professor salmon. ISAv (or infectious salmon anemia) is a viral disease affecting Atlantic Shea has assured the public salmon populations in Canadian that the government is making fish farms. “major investments in research” Routledge proceeded to alert to “bolster . . . environmental the media in a press conference, protection in the aquaculture and it was later revealed that sector through science, enhanced Canadian government labs had regulatory regime, and improved found similar evidence of disease reporting.” in 2002 and 2003. However the According to the Vancouver information had not come forward

“

There’s very little evidence of direct impact on wild salmon”

and was never supplied to Cohen as information for his report, even though some of the positive testing samples had been sockeye salmon.

When asked about the effects this expansion will have on local wild salmon populations, Routledge explained, “There’s very little evidence of direct impact on wild salmon, but lot’s of evidence on ISAv and other diseases are turning up.”

These diseases are related to fish farm prevalence, and over-farming. “In my opinion,

(Sam Beebe/ The Peak)

conservation of wild salmon takes priority, period,” said Routledge.

Routledge continued we “vigorously explore land facilities” as an alternative solution. Land facilities would eliminate any interaction between farmed and wild salmon, and a more controlled environment would lower infection risks. The Save Our Salmon Initiative is currently working with the Namgis First Nations community in testing one such facility, to see whether it is a viable option.

Job Fair Start Your Career Today!

2014

Thursday March 6 10:00–3:00 pm Grand Hall, CAC

MC118537

tru.ca/jobfair Attend one of these free workshops to learn tips and strategies for maximizing your time at the Job Fair…

Friday, February 28 12:30–1:30pm • TRU Student Union Boardroom

Wednesday, March 5 4:00–5:00pm • TRU Student Union Lecture Hall

6

Arts & Entertainment

February 5, 2014

Critically acclaimed Dissolve comes to TRU Alexis Stockford Ω Contributor “Put me out of business. I would love to be out of business.”

It’s not what you would normally hear from a young professional, but it’s exactly what actress Meghan Gardiner challenged the 60 audience members in the TRU Alumni Theatre to do during her

powerhouse production, Dissolve, last Thursday.

Sponsored by the TRU Wellness Centre, TRUFA Status of Women and Equality Committee, and the TRU Residence and Conference Centre, Dissolve incorporates over half a dozen characters (all played

by Gardiner) to explore the topic of drug-facilitated sexual assault.

Gardiner is one of few victims of drug-facilitated sexual assault

to publicize her experience and is self-admittedly the first to express those experiences through art.

Since its debut, Dissolve has turned into an unexpected national success. Gardiner has received critical acclaim for her work, including recognition from the American Alliance for Theatre in Education and a 2011 nomination for the YWCA Women of Distinction award.

Meghan Gardiner’s solo theatre production speaks out on drug-facilitated sexual assault.

“I did six shows at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2003 and it has turned into over 600 in 10 years,” Gardiner said.

Despite the success of the production, Gardiner told the audience that she would be happy to stop doing the play since it would mean that her message was no longer needed. When asked what could be done to address the issue, Gardiner said that the first step is awareness.

(Image courtesy Tobyn Ross Photography)

“I think there needs to be more education on the issue and on the definition of what consent really is,” Gardiner said. “We have to get really clear on the fact that if you’re under the influence of anything, whether you’ve taken it voluntarily or not, whether it’s alcohol or drugs, you cannot consent and any action past that is sexual assault.”

This is the fourth time that Gardiner has performed at TRU and the third time that she has shown Dissolve. The Jan. 30 production was a hit among audience members for its creativity, innovative twist of humour and its powerful content.

“I thought it was fantastic,” said student Courtney McLaughlin.

“I thought she was really good at capturing all the different characters and showing the different attitudes that each character had.”

According to Wellness Centre co-ordinator Chelsea Corsi, events that explore sexuality, like Dissolve, are very relevant to student life.

“Over 80 per cent of university students are sexually active,” Corsi said. “I feel that’s a big majority; that we need to start talking about sex … It’s still a taboo topic even though it’s visually everywhere in our face, and part of that is about consent.”

Rights to the show have recently been handed over to Vancouver theatre company Shameless Hussy Productions, who will begin touring the production internationally.

For more information on sexual health and issues, visit TRU’s Wellness Centre located in Old Main or visit their website: www.tru.ca/wellness

Loss of another great actor Three of my favourite films featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief Amid reports from the Wall Street Journal and others that Phillip Seymour Hoffman has died in his New York apartment of an alleged drug overdose, I find my brain shuffling through all the memorable scenes he was in that had an impact on the film I was watching.

Before I find somewhere to watch the Superbowl, I’ve decided to try my own version of what everyone on the planet who considers themselves a film buff is doing today: My favourite Phillip Seymour Hoffman films.

Now first let me quickly clarify so there isn’t uproar (debate is always welcome, though) over this list. This isn’t going to be “Hoffman’s best performances,” as I certainly haven’t seen them all, so that would be unreasonable. It also won’t be “The best films Hoffman had a role in,” as, once again, I haven’t seen them all, so how could I possibly make such a list?

This is simply “My favourite films that he had a role in,” as a small token of my appreciation for his art. The best part is that I can’t be “wrong” this way, because it’s only based on films I’ve seen and it’s all about personal preference.

In no particular order (since “my favourite films” on any list change order frequently based on which one I’ve seen most recently), I give

you my top three favourite films featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

I wanted to do more, but I had to limit myself, or you’d be reading all day.

Pirate Radio (2009) This fun romp about a group of rogue radio jockeys who broadcast from the North Sea in the 1960s is a fictional account of historical happenings in broadcasting—let’s call it “creative non-fiction.” With an overzealous British government bent on controlling the airwaves, Quentin (played by Bill Nighy) has launched a rebel radio station off the coast to avoid prosecution, and has brought on board an eclectic crew to help him out, including American radio star “The Count” (Hoffman).

Between the performances of Hoffman, Nighy and Rhys Ifans (a very underrated actor who makes everything he’s in better, too), this is a fun flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while examining some serious issues like censorship, friendship and family dynamics.

Punch Drunk Love (2002) People look at me weird when I say that my favourite Adam Sandler film is Punch Drunk Love (well, it used to be until I saw Reign Over Me a few years ago, anyway).

It’s not funny.

Sure there are some humourous parts in it, but it examines the budding relationship between two psychologically troubled individuals (Sandler and Emily Watson) and the tone of the film is…let’s say “dark.”

I won’t give away anything for people who haven’t seen it. Just don’t expect the typical over-thetop Sandler of Happy Gilmour or Billy Madison, and when you see Hoffman, nod and smile about me being right on this.

The Big Lebowski (1998) This is maybe my favourite film of all time, so it’s obviously going to be on this list. Joel and Ethan Cohen are cinematic geniuses, and this is one of their best.

I don’t really know what to say about this film other than that every performance is exactly on point. If you don’t know what I’m talking about or why this film is on this list, sit down and watch it.

The cut to Hoffman when Tara Reid says “I’ll suck your cock for a thousand dollars,” is one of his best moments on film.

Have your say. Go to truomega.ca and comment on this story with your favourite PSH films.

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 18

Arts & Entertainment

7

Events calendar: February Shred Kelly – Feb. 5 Cactus Jacks 9 p.m. $5 at the door.

The B.C. folk band will be performing with special guests Royal States opening. What better way to get through the middle of the week than with some local folk music?

Kamloops Global Film Festival – Feb. 6 through 8 TRU Alumni Theatre. Tickets can be purchased during the festival for $5 per day or $10 for three days.

The second annual Kamloops Global Film Festival comes to Kamloops this February showing 16 short and feature films throughout the three days.

The festival schedule can be found online at www.kgan.org.

Brent Butt – Feb. 9 Sagebrush Theatre 7:30 p.m.

A model shows off one of Collier’s 30 pieces presented at his fashion show on Feb. 1.

(Marlys Klossner/ The

QTC Spring/Summer collection goes punk

Omega)

Local student’s label turns sassy in the designer’s latest show Marlys Klossner Ω Contributor It’s rare to find a 16-year-old who knows what he wants to do for the rest his life, let alone a 16-year-old with an established fashion line.

Quentin Tecumseh Collier, a Grade 11 student at South Kamloops Secondary, debuted his Spring/Summer 2014 collection in the culinary arts building at TRU on Feb. 1. Sponsored by the TRUSU Pride Collective, Collier’s fashion show presented ¬¬¬30 new looks.

Student union LGBTQ representative Nic Zdunich helped Collier with the technical aspects of the show, letting Collier focus on his fashion.

Collier started designing in Grade 6, and has been hooked ever since.

“My mom is a sewer and I’ve loved fashion all my life,” Collier said. “So I got a sewing machine and took some sewing lessons.”

Collier has created nine fashion shows, all taking place in his house, and while there was a period of adjustment to the foreign venue, Collier is excited to show more people his work.

The sold out show attracted a crowd of all ages. The event

began with a cocktail hour, which set the tone for the playful confidence of the show.

Collier’s shows, while extremely professional, have an element of intimacy. This is in part because Collier recruits his friends and classmates to model for his shows.

Starting with some softer pieces, the show got progressively bolder. The collection featured exposed gold zippers and rectangular cut-outs. The colour scheme transitioned from cream and light blue to black, red and green. The patterns turned from f loral to tartan.

QTC’s shift to an edgier look came about because of “last season’s girliness,” Collier said. “When I closed my eyes last season all I could see was pink, so I was like I need to keep some of that, but also do something completely different.”

After the show, Collier navigated a frenzied crowd of well-wishers. After his shows are over, Collier sells some of his pieces upon request to friends and fans.

—Quentin Tecumseh, The talented student has found juggling his Local fashion designer schooling and his passion for design challenging at times.

“I’ve stayed up till 2 a.m., so in the morning I’m too Also displayed were works of tired to go to school, but I still art up for sale by Levi Suetta, get straight As.” Heather Pratt-Johnson and Rae After graduating in 2015, Imeson.

Collier hopes to attend Parson’s Collier’s label, QTC, is known School of Design in New York. for its feminine and romantic When asked when design designs, but this season Collier for the next show would begin, added some edginess to the mix. Collier said, “Tomorrow.

“This collection is a lot more skin, Tomorrow I’ll start thinking of a lot more sultry,” Collier said. ideas.”

“

This collection is a lot more skin, a lot more sultry.”

Corner Gas star Brent Butt brings laughs and hysterics to Sagebrush Theatre with stand-up comedy. Tickets are available through the Kamloops Live Box Office.

Story Teller’s Gala – Feb. 12 Campus Activity Centre 6 p.m.

The fourth annual Story Teller’s Gala will feature carver, designer and author Roy Henry Vickers.

Hedley – Feb. 16 Interior Savings Centre 7 p.m. Tickets available through Ticket Master.

Juno-nominated Hedley comes for a visit to Kamloops for a night of pop-rock hits.

Silent Chap (World Premier) – Feb. 20 to March 1 Sagebrush Theatre Devoted to the life of Charlie Chaplin, Silent Chap “explores the relationship between the artist and his creation” (Western Canada Theatre).

Bollywood Screening: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai – Feb. 23 Paramount Theatre 7 p.m.

The Bollywood Club presents a Bollywood love story featuring characters Anjali and Rahul. Tickets will be on sale in Old Main on Feb. 3 and the House of Learning on Feb. 14.

Live Theatre: The Beaux’ Stratagem – Feb. 27 through March 1, and March 6 through 8 Black Box Theatre 7:30 p.m. $12 Adapted by Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig, the Actor’s Workshop Theatre presents a live stage production of two men who have fallen on hard times and take up theft.

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February 5, 2014

Opinion Feature

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 18

9

The recipe for wellness Traditional Chinese medicine and the balance of life Elliot Chan The Other Press (Douglas College) NEW WESTMINSTER (CUP) — I grew up with Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). My mother has always been an advocate of it. On various occasions, my house would reek of a bitter, yet familiar, odour.

On the kitchen stove would be a large pot of miscellaneous herbs, while my mom hovered over it performing Chinese alchemy. Hours later, after the dark tea had stewed for long enough, she would insist that I drink it because (1) it would help me see better, (2) it would give me energy, (3) it would improve my joints or (4) because she said so. The concoction tasted awful — always — like the Orient’s version of Buckley’s. I’d be coaxed a few more times before I either downed it all or abandoned it.

Many years later I still wonder if it did me any good. Did it make me healthier? Did it really work?

The history medicine

of

traditional

Over 2,000 years ago, before Advil and Pepto-Bismol were available to combat headaches and upset stomachs, ancient Chinese doctors found remedies in a practice that continues to this day. To call them doctors would be incorrect, though — during the Shang Dynasty (14th–11th century BC), there weren’t any doctors, only those seeking solutions to ailments.

The Chinese saw illness as disharmony between the human form and the world around it.

Instead of approaching sickness as a chemical imbalance the way Western medicine does, TCM seeks cures by looking at the functionality of the body. Inspection, auscultation, olfaction, inquiry and palpation are the five main methods used to diagnose patients. The practitioner does not hone in on one area of the body, but rather attends to the failing functionality in relation to external elements (wind, cold, fire/heat, dampness, dryness). The human form is one entity and any deficiency pertains to the whole body, not just the stomach or the arm or the brain.

Sweet, sweet herbs You’ve probably passed by Chinese herbal stores at malls and Chinatown promenades. Odds are, you haven’t had a reason to enter any of them, except to alleviate your curiosity. You’ve peered inside and seen their shelving units and jars upon jars of mystery herbs, extracts, containers of macerated remedies and fossilized animal carcasses.

Such an establishment seems pulled out of the middle ages, just leasing real estate in modern society.

Although the effectiveness of herbal therapy is still relatively unproven in 2014, many people live by it.

“People choose traditional medicine because it’s the natural solution,” says Kitty Tsin, employee at the Wah Fung Medicine Company.

“You can never be sure how much of what is in pills or capsules. You can’t even be sure what it is. The capsules themselves are made out of gelatine, which isn’t healthy either.

The Chinese tradition is that we boil medicine every day and drink the soup as a whole family to improve health. Capsules, tablets and pills are only meant for individuals.”

TCM comes in a wide variety.

Some have little effect, and function only as delicacies. Others are rare

Is there room for TCM within the modern medicine framework?

and exotic, and have been known to enhance the immune system, in addition to aiding the sickly.

Some common medicines are ginseng (used in many forms to provide energy, reduce the risk of cancer, and even treat erectile dysfunction), sea cucumber (has a property that helps treat arthritis and high blood pressure) and fritillaria bulb (can be brewed as a tea to remedy coughs).

“

of illness mitigation and prevention.

While Western medicine tends to focus on treatment, TCM approaches wellbeing as a life-long pursuit.

Hokey-Pokey In 2010, I sprained my MCL playing hockey. It took me off the ice for six weeks and the recovery process was agonizing.

I re-aggravated the injury a few

When someone coughs, it’s not a coughing problem.”

—Dr. David Kuo, Traditional Chinese Medicine practicioner

Rarer medicine can often cost hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars, and they may be more obscure. Examples include hasma (the fallopian tubes of frogs, which are known to revitalize internal organs, as well as enhance complexion) and cordyceps, a highly sought-after fungus, which is also known as the caterpillar fungus (can reduce the effects of asthma, reduce the risk of cancer, and balance out a person’s yin and yang).

The Chinese notion regarding health is based upon the importance

more times and thought it would never heal. I went to doctors and chiropractors, and when I exhausted all my options, I consulted an acupuncture therapist. I’m not going to lie; I was quite skeptical — and perhaps a bit fearful — of the process. After all, lying down in a strange room with needles and cups sticking out and sucking on me was not my ideal day.

My acupuncture practitioner, Dr. Duzy Duyong Lee, punctured a hole in my injured knee, then warmed up a glass cup and placed it over the

(Photo courtesy Jean-François Chénier/Flickr Commons)

open wound. The objective (from what I remember) was to suck the blood clot out of my knee so that the healing process could start over again. At first the procedure seemed a bit farfetched — after all, the family doctors and chiropractors merely told me to wear a brace and stay off my leg. It’s hard to say which solution cured me in the end, but now I’m walking and skating just fine.

“The skin acts as a meridian to our organs,” says Bonalife Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic’s Dr. David Kuo. “I don’t touch the organ, but I touch the meridian; I use this meridian to adjust the organ.”

Acupuncture stems from the meridian system, a technique that addresses the human’s functionality and the flow of “qi” or life-energy. Qi includes the body’s circulation, the capability of the limbs, the defence against pathogenic factors, the emission of bodily fluids (urine, sweat, blood, etc.) and the intake of nutrients (food, air, water, etc.). By recognizing the body’s stimulation points, the practitioner can effectively correct the imbalance and restore the flow.

“Every part of your body has a function,” says Dr. Kuo. “When someone coughs, it’s not a coughing problem. There is something inside that is making you uncomfortable that makes you cough. I ask my patients why they are tired. They say, ‘Oh, I’m sick.’ Why are you sick? ‘Because I have a stomachache so I cannot eat and so I’m tired.’ Western medicine hears stomachache, they give you antibiotics — sometimes it’s right — but it’s always wrong. What do antibiotics do?

It makes stomachache go away, but when antibiotic goes away, the problem returns.

“We need to understand the problem, not just the cure.”

The future medicine

of

traditional

As our technology advances, so do bacteria and viruses. Vaccines, immunizations and hospital treatments are tackling health with science, but can they ever snuff out the holistic approach of TCM? A recent report in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed that traditional medicine still has great potential in the Western world as well as the East, and it might be a solution for those with diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Tianqi, a Chinese herbal mixture that has been shown to improve glucose levels, was the TCM up for the test. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, a sample of 389 people suffering from impaired glucose tolerance participated, where 198 were offered Tianqi and 191 were offered a placebo. The study showed that Tianqi reduced the risk of diabetes by 32.1 per cent. Of those in the Tianqi sample, 63.1 per cent reached normal glucose tolerance, compared to 46.6 per cent of the placebo group.

Many are starting to buy into TCM, making it a profitable market. And the modern science and medicine communities are implementing more studies to identify quality methods of treatment in relation to their own practices.

We live in a world where we are on the edge of medical breakthroughs and global pandemics.

Our conditions are getting better and worse — but there is no room to panic. Instead, we should all take the time and find the necessary balance; the recipe that TCM has been cooking up for millennia.

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MYLES MELLOR AND SALLY YORK

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Puzzle of the week Puzzle of the Week #14 – Mystery Number I am thinking of a four-digit number.

1. Two consecutive digits of the number form a two-digit square (as in 36 in 2365).

2. The number has no zero digits.

3. No three consecutive digits are an increasing sequence (as in 123) or a decreasing sequence (as in 643).

4. All of the digits of the number are different.

5. When the number is divided by 5, the remainder is 4.

6. The number has no odd digits.

What is the number?

This contest is sponsored by the Mathematics and Statistics department. The full-time student with the best score at the end of the year will win a prize. Please submit your solution (not just the answer but also why) by noon the secondto-next Wednesday to Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net>. Submissions by others are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in my blog (http://genew.ca/) and in the Math Centre (in the HOL, fourth floor study area). Come visit: we are friendly.

1. Invites 5. Biblical hill 10. Nanking nanny 14. Advanced 15. Twelfth Night role 16. Vermin 17. House of Lords member 18. “Otherwise...”

19. Nuncupative 20. “Here he is now!”

23. Carry the day 24. Chop finely 25. Queen, maybe 28. Goose egg 30. Drink garnish 35. Lower the ___ 37. Word with bar or color 40. Removes with a dipper 41. Brown thriller 44. Neotropical mammal 45. Tribe of ancient Media 46. Bummed out 47. State in NE India 48. Double curve 50. ___ kitten 51. Savor enjoyment 55. It has moles: Abbr.

57. “On the ___” (Rimes single) 65. Throb 66. Princes in waiting?

67. Bushels 68. Guffaw 69. Bud Grace comic strip 70. Man, for one

71. With understanding 72. Breaks 73. Bar request Down 1. View from Lake Como 2. Escape, in a way 3. Cap site 4. Hat material 5. Electronics science 6. Annoy 7. Time division 8. ___ Bowl 9. Execrates 10. African flower 11. Ballistic missile sys.

12. Berry 13. Hot spot 21. Connections 22. Wild Asian dog 25. Bananalike plant 26. Taboos 27. One-piece garments 29. Good earth 31. Gyro meat 32. Murtis 33. Locus 34. Antique auto 36. Intro to physics?

38. Chain letters?

39. “The ___ of Night” (old soap) 42. Belafonte dance 43. Strips 49. Kind of tax 52. Behind

53. Mall component 54. Mongol rulers 56. Another time 57. Draped dress 58. Graphical user interface feature 59. Spicy stew 60. Mysterious: Var. 61. Tinker with, in a way 62. Different 63. “Come Back, Little Sheba” wife 64. Galley mark

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sudokuhard

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Academy Awards: The DiCaprio Factor At the ripe age of 23, Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar for her role in the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook. The win was much-deserved, and came after only one prior nomination (for her role in 2010’s Winter’s Bone).

Now, before you stop reading this with the assumption that it’s just another story praising

Lawrence’s undeniable talent and charm, know that I am just simply using her as an example to show how Leonardo DiCaprio has been screwed over by the academy time and time again.

In 1994, when Lawrence was just four years old, DiCaprio got his first of four Oscar nominations for his role in the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. However, fast-forward 20

years and two more nominations (The Aviator and Blood Diamond respectively) that ended with congratulatory slow claps for one of his opponents, and it’s safe to say he doesn’t have the same luck as the beloved J Law. This year DiCaprio has been nominated for The Wolf of Wall Street in the best actor category, along with an additional nomination for being a producer

on the 2013 Martin Scorsese film that follows the unbelievable true story of corrupted stockbroker Jordan Belfort.

Personally, I think he deserves the win for his portrayal of Belfort, which was both darkly comedic and tragic. Will he win though? This is the guy who didn’t even receive a nomination for his role in Titanic, so it’s hard to say. DiCaprio is literally

growing old waiting for the Academy to acknowledge him, and I am starting to wonder what more he can do to secure and Oscar.

Side note: the movie uses the f-bomb a total of 544 times during its two hour and 59 minute run, which is impressive enough to give him the win in my eyes!

Go Leo!

Sports

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 18

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WolfPack Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 Bites Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief With a five-set win in Regina on Feb. 1, the Wolf Pack men’s volleyball team has clinched a playoff berth after missing the post season two years in a row.

Currently sitting at 12-8 and in fourth place in the Canada West division, the ‘Pack is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs in the toughest division in the nation.

Four of the top five nationally ranked teams come from the Canada West division, including the Wolf Pack, who sit in the number five spot in the national rankings. Only McMaster (2) comes from outside the division.

“I am really proud of the guys,” TRU head coach Pat Hennelly told sports information officer Larry Read after clinching. “At this time of year to have our record, we have to be happy. I told them before this match that

we can’t panic. We have earned this playoff berth.”

The ‘Pack now return home to host the 9-11 Manitoba Bisons to close out the season Feb. 7 and 8 at the TRU Gym (not the Tournament Capital Centre).

The Wolf Pack badminton squad hosted their season ending tournament Feb. 1-2 in the TRU Gym, and finished fourth as a team behind Langara College, Kwantlen Polytechnic and Vancouver Island University.

Alex Perkin and Ali Hines turned in strong performances in the mixed doubles competition (first place in “B” f light) along with Anica Arduini and Lacey Banman, who finished first and second respectively in the women’s singles “B” f light.

The squad will now practice

for a few weeks before heading off to Kwantlen for the provincial championships in Surrey Feb. 26 to March 1.

Despite TRU not having a curling team, four students representing the school took home the 2013-14 Canada West Women’s Curling Championship and will now represent the division at the CIS National Championships being held in Regina March 19 to 23.

The rink, which consists of three members from the 2013 Junior National Championship squad, consists of Corryn Brown, Ashley Nordin, Samantha Fisher and Erin Pincott.

The team went 5-1 in the Canada West tournament held in Edmonton over five days at the end of January.

Anica Arduini took home first place in the “B” flight at the ‘Pack’s seasonending tournament Feb. 1 and 2.

(Photo courtesy TRU Athletics)

Jer’s Vision sets sights on Russia Kyle Darbyson The Fulcrum (U of Ottawa) OTTAWA (CUP) — Jer’s Vision, an Ottawa-based youth initiative and non-profit organization, is spearheading an awareness campaign in January and February aimed at highlighting the recent signing of an anti-gay law in Russia, which criminalizes the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations” to minors.

The movement, referred to as the “Open the Door to LGBT Rights in Russia” campaign, coincides with the beginning of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, which will run Feb. 6–23. Jeremy Dias, a University of Ottawa graduate and founder of Jer’s Vision, said the overlapping timeframe is intentional and the organization is using the games as a platform to discuss institutionalized homophobia in Russia.

“This issue is really poignant because it’s the first time, or one

of the first times, in contemporary society that we are seeing rights moving backwards, and I think it’s important to recognize that,” he said.

Through consultation with groups of LGBT Russians, Sochi 2014 Olympians and community activists, Jer’s Vision was able to help produce a promotional toolkit that is available to supporters through its website. Aside from containing promotional materials such as buttons and door posters, the toolkit includes a set of instructions on how people can help eliminate homophobia in Russia.

In addition to sharing the campaign via social media and talking to your local politician, Jer’s Vision also advises to help out by writing letters to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“It’s not overwhelming, it’s not complicated, and I think that’s part of the genius of the campaign,” Dias said. “This is one of those times where what you do can make a difference.”

In addition to the toolkit, Jer’s Vision is collaborating with

organizations like the Ottawa International Sexual Orientation Gender Identities (SOGI) Rights Network to set up events designed to open up frank dialogue about the Russian law, what it could mean for the Sochi Games and Russian LGBT communities in the future.

“Ottawa is a fairly quiet, conservative town when it comes to political action,” said Bruce Miller, one of the founding members of the Ottawa International SOGI Rights Network. “Getting people to come out to something that is about politics, discuss the issues and be aware of it — that would be great.”

Dias said Jer’s Vision is choosing to take a stand against Russia’s gay propaganda law without advocating a boycott of the upcoming Olympics.

“People are being discriminated against in ways that we, as Canadians, can’t imagine,” he said. “As an LGBTQ

organization, we really hope that we can engage the general public in raising awareness.”

Photos: Above: Flag bearers enter during the Closing Ceremony of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games on February 26, 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Turin, Italy.

(Photo by Christopher Pike/ Canadian Universit y Press)

Bottom Left: Jeremy Dias, Founder of Jer’s Vision, addresses an audience at the University of Ottawa.

(Photo by Mathias MacPhee/ The Fulcrum)

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February 5, 2014

Membership Advisory

STORY TELLERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GALA

Roy Henry Vickers Wed Feb 12 at 6 PM in Mountain Room th

Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers is best known around the world for his limited edition prints. He is also an accomplished carver, design advisor of prestigious public spaces, a sought-after keynote speaker, and publisher and author of several successful books. In addition, he is a recognized leader in the First Nations community, and a tireless spokesperson for recovery from addictions and abuse.

for more info visit trusu.ca /TRUStudentsUnion

@TRUSU15

trusu.ca