February 12, 2014

Global Film Fest plays at TRU Pg. 7

The Omega

Volume 23, Issue 19 February 12, 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

Somewhere to study A formal proposal to investigate study space concerns is moving forward Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor Trying to find a quiet place to work? Getting booted out of the library at 9 p.m.? The student caucus has heard your complaints and is addressing concerns about a lack of study space on campus.

Student representatives on the student engagement committee, a sub-committee of the Senate, are currently putting together a proposal that suggests a study be conducted to determine how much study space is available on campus, if any is being underutilized and what changes students would like to see.

Janice Yeung and Chirag Sehgal’s proposal asks the institutional planning and analysis committee to conduct a report on available study space, which will determine if student concerns being raised in the student caucus about a lack of space are valid. They want to know how much space is available, the level of privacy the space has, whether it’s suited for group work or individual study and when it is available. Yeung

and Sehgal are also proposing that a survey be distributed to students to establish what perceptions they have about study space, whether group or individual space is in demand and what the preferable hours are.

“With this data we can better inform the students and find out what they want to do,” Yeung said.

Although Yeung said this research will help in developing plans for the future, they aren’t jumping to conclusions. The first step is getting the proposal put forward at the next student engagement committee meeting at the end of February.

Yeung said they have received support from other members of the committee, including Craig Engleson and Harold Richins.

Dean of students Christine Adam said she couldn’t comment on the proposal because she hasn’t yet seen it, but she did point out that the Old Main computer labs are open 24/7 Monday through Saturday. The House of Learning is accessible until midnight.

See GRAD 2014 Pg.

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Student representatives on the student engagement committee are putting forth a proposal to assess whether there is enough study space on campus and if any is being under-utilized. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

Alternative parking rates being suggested include a half-day rate of $3 for four hours in central parking lots, a dedicated carpool lot and a discounted rate of $4 per day in lot N. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

Parking roulette Proposal to change parking rates aims to defuse complaints Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor Playing the not-paying-for-parking game isn’t very much fun when you lose. Paying the $5 price to park all day is a lot easier on the student budget than the $50 fine (or $25 if you pay within seven days) for dodging the day rate, but students are still finding it steep.

Will George, the student rep on the parking appeals and advisory committee, is taking complaints about expensive parking head-on. A proposal suggesting some adjustments to campus parking has been drafted and will be be presented to the committee, which makes recommendations to the vice president of administration and finance for policy changes and to the facilities services division for operational changes.

The proposal suggests half-day rates ($3 for four hours for central parking lots), a dedicated carpool lot and a discounted rate in Lot N at $4 per day. It will be presented at the parking appeals and advisory committee’s next meeting, which is yet to be scheduled. George said he is confident that the committee will be in favour of the recommendations.

“When talking to students about

parking rates everyone wants something to change but it’s all about taking the right steps and developing a proposal that meets the financial needs of the institution as well as the students’ needs,” George said.

In addition to the murmur around campus, George said the expense of

faculty. George consulted with Glass and Ross over the student complaints that were “filed” in the complaint box and said students generally feel the increase in parking over the past couple of years is just another burden on them.

“We are trying to do a balanced proposal between TRU and students because the challenge with the parking issue is that for TRU, it’s really all about revenue,” George said.

According to George, the three suggestions were prioritized from a list of ten. The half-day rate is an attempt to offer more affordable parking and more flexibility for students. Metered parking currently costs $1 per half hour with a maximum of two hours, a problem for students who might only have one three —Will George, hour class. A dedicated carpool lot is being suggested because parking appeals and there is currently a waitlist for the 40 carpool spots, it encourages advisory committee more sustainable transportation and it would be easier to enforce than having spaces throughout parking was brought up in the student campus. George said Lot N is currently caucus as a “major issue.” The mock underutilized and it’s on the outskirts parking meter, a.k.a. complaint box, of campus so it would be fair to offer a erected by fine arts students Levi Glass cheaper rate to park there. and Harrison Ross in October, garnered 95 unanimously negative complaints See OFF-CAMPUS Pg. about parking from students and

“

...for TRU, it’s all about revenue.”

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News

February 12, 2014

Are you confident in TRU’s security?

An investigation into the policies and protocols for TRU campus security Karla Karcioglu Ω Roving Editor On Jan. 26, after the Kamloops Bridal Fair at TRU, I ran into a strange man while walking through Old Main. He asked me how to get to the bridal fair and wandered away down the hall.

He was wearing one sneaker and one sandal and carrying a bunch of papers loosely in his arms.

I watched him wander off and thought his behaviour was strange, possibly the result of mental illness, drugs or both.

I decided the situation warranted a call to security.

When a member of the security staff arrived, I told them about the situation and pointed out the strange man. The staff member then walked him to the middle of the campus, pointed to the Campus Activity Centre where the bridal fair was taking place and then turned around and left the man there.

I was surprised.

I didn’t think that was how security would handle the situation.

I then called Kamloops RCMP because I was concerned about the strange man on campus.

The whole situation made me wonder what protocols TRU security follow and how they are expected to handle different situations that occur on campus.

Les Tabata, the director for facilities services, is in charge of overseeing the contract for security on campus.

He said that given the information I could provide him with, he didn’t feel the incident warranted a removal

from campus or a call to Kamloops RCMP, adding it would have been an “overreaction.” He said it was a matter of judgment for security personnel.

Cpl. Cheryl Bush of the Kamloops RCMP said that every situation requires a judgment call, but if anyone feels like they’re in danger, they should call 911.

“If you are concerned about somebody’s presence or observed some behaviour that was concerning to you but you yourself didn’t feel that you were in any danger, I would suggest that alerting campus security first off would be your first step,” Bush said.

According to Tabata, TRU property is a public space where members of the community are welcome to visit, as long as they aren’t posing a risk or imminent threat. He said that only if a person were wandering through campus and engaging students in a violent or suspicious manner would that person need to be removed from campus property.

Tabata said that when security responds to situations where a person is behaving suspiciously, or doesn’t look like they fit in on campus they may write a report, but for the situation I described, he didn’t feel it was reportable. If the situation escalated to a point of a physical altercation, or potential of it, security would call RCMP. Concord Security Corporation has had a multi-year contract with TRU since the 1990s, with a current expiration date in July 2016.

Tabata said that Concord is in charge of hiring security personnel, but the university is in charge of setting the

Community corner Interested in community gardening?

Interior Community Services in Kamloops operates eight gardens with the help of over 275 gardeners, and they have room for more people to get involved!

For more information or to reserve a garden plot for the upcoming growing season, contact Shelaigh Garson at kamloopsgardens@gmail.com or 250-852-0681

A TRU security staff member patrols across campus.

protocols and regulations they abide by.

TRU looks at the level or service and abilities, as opposed to the individuals.

He added that some security personnel may not appear to be the typical image, but people have different strengths.

Other assets for security personnel that can compensate for physical abilities include customer service, bilingualism, a good memory and good observation skills..

Tabata said the role of TRU security is “multidimensional,” including patrolling, responding to situations,

observing and reporting incidents, rendering first aid, dispatching emergency services, access control to secure areas and accompanying people to and from parking.

With regards to different incidents that occur on campus, Tabata said security’s response is situationally based. They don’t have the power to arrest or detain, TRU doesn’t allow them to carry restraints, pepper spray or batons on campus.

“We don’t feel that is necessary on our campus given the history of threats

(Karla Karcioglu/ The Omega)

and the nature of the work they do here,” Tabata said.

TRU is regarded as a safe campus by students, according to Tabata, citing yearly surveys by the Maclean’s Canadian University Report. In the survey TRU was given an A for “sense of personal safety/security” from 20062011 and an A+ in 2011.

“We feel pretty good about things,” Tabata said.

TRU security can be reached at 250828-5033 and their office is located on main floor of the House of Learning.

Off-campus parking leads to fines and tow bills From PARKING Pg.

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A more sustainable transportation solution is to take the bus, but George maintained that taking the bus isn’t a reliable option for everyone.

“For some students the bus does not come often enough to their area, or not at all if they live out of town,” George stated in an email. “While we are looking towards more sustainable options, we are also looking at more affordable and accessible options for students to get to campus.”

In the meantime, some students have attempted to expand their options and park off campus, either in nearby residential areas or commercial lots – but it’s not going unnoticed. Most of the surrounding commercial lots have a two-hour parking policy and are monitored.

The main supervisor for Columbia Place and Columbia Square, Tim Arnold, said “everyone in the neighborhood” is dealing with students trying to park in their lots and they have a zero tolerance policy.

“We don’t allow any students parking in our lot. It’s pretty well all the same. All the malls are doing that,” he said. “That’s a sore subject for us right now. We deal with it constantly.”

Students can expect a $40 ticket for their first offence in Columbia Place and the offence will be recorded, Arnold said.

If they are caught again they’ll

“Can I take a photo of you paying for parking?” “You mean the expensive parking?” said Lacey Tallio as she dropped in her coins.

( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

get a boot on their tire, which they will have to pay to have removed. Then, if they still insist on parking in the lot they will be towed. Arnold said they ticket students quite regularly.

Superstore manager Glenn Gregory said they also deal with students parking in their lot. They try to warn students on their first offence but they will tow if the student persists, he said.

Editorial & Opinion

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 19

The Omega www.truomega.ca

February 12, 2014 Volume 23, Issue 19

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mike Davies

Can we stop celebrating idiocy, please?

Also… aren’t you at university to improve your job prospects?

editor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069

@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 SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Mark Hendricks

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

Sean Brady

copy@truomega.ca @iamseanbrady

omegacontributors Alexis Stockford, Tayla Scott, Nathan Weissbock

publishingboard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF * Mike Davies INDUSTRY REP * Vacant FACULTY REP * Charles Hays STUDENT REP * Travis Persaud STUDENT REP * Hugo Yuen STUDENT REP * Adam Williams

letterspolicy

Literary and visual submissions are welcomed.

All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Omega will attempt to publish each letter received, barring time and space constraints. The editor will take care not to change the intention or tone of submissions, but will not publish material deemed to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. Letters for publication must include the writer’s name (for publication) and contact details (not for publication). The Omega reserves the right not to publish any letter or submitted material. Opinions expressed in any section with an “Opinion” label do not represent those of The Omega, the Cariboo Student Newspaper Society, its Board of Directors or its staff. Opinions belong only to those who have signed them.

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All material in this publication is copyright The Omega and may not be reproduced without the expressed consent of the publisher. All unsolicited submissions become copyright Omega 2014.

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society (Publisher of The Omega) TRU Campus House #4 900 McGill Rd, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 0C8 Phone: 250-828-5069 E-mail: editor@truomega.ca Ad Enquiries: accounts@truomega.ca (Correspondence not intended for publication should be labelled as such.)

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Do it.

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Editor’s Note Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief I’ve done some stupid things in my time.

I’m not going to put them all down here for the entire world to see, though. I’m not proud of them, I’ve moved past them and they weren’t for public consumption in the first place, so why would I share them now?

This is one of my main issues with this whole “neknomination” craze that’s seemingly sweeping the world.

It’s confusing to me.

I’m not confused about people doing stupid things, or people daring others to do even stupider things, even. But why people would do these stupid things, and dare

other people to increase the stupid level of those things on video then and put it on the Internet is what baffles me.

You really want to show the world that you’re capable of making really bad decisions in your life?

You want everyone to know that you don’t have enough self-restraint to say, “Wait, maybe that’s a bad idea,” when one of your friends asks you to do something dumber than what they just did?

Also, assuming you’re attending a post-secondary institution to increase your job prospects, it seems counterintuitive to your goal to broadcast to the entire world that you make some terrible and dangerous decisions on occasion – and that you make those decisions with enough forethought to have someone there to record it when you do.

“Everyone will go as far as they want to,” Rebecca Dagley, whose video of herself stripping to her underwear in a supermarket in Britain before chugging a beer told Leicester Mercury, “nobody is forcing anyone to do anything.”

I suppose that’s where the Darwinism aspect of it comes in for some people. You see a lot of comments on stories about neknomination that basically say, in one form or another, “Natural selection will sort these idiots out.”

I’ll admit to having a fraction of

that thought when I first heard about it, but it’s certainly not the way I want the world to think. “If enough of them die, they’ll see the folly of their ways,” or, “Do we want stupid people to live, anyway?” is not how I want the world to think.

I’d like it if we could harvest the power of social media – the driving force behind these ridiculous crazes – for good. If people got as much traffic and attention for doing good things and fewer people paid attention when people do stupid things, we could maybe change the culture of the whole “15 minutes of Internet fame,” that causes these trends.

Maybe if we shot videos of people doing good things for each other and daring others to do something even better for someone else, we’d have a better society. Sure, it wouldn’t be “dangerous,” but it would certainly be edgy, as it would definitely be out of the mainstream.

Wait… that’s a thing, too!

“A counter-movement to a potentially dangerous online drinking game appears to be growing in Halifax,” says the first line of a CTV article posted Feb. 6.

Alyssa Roy of Mount Saint Vincent University was “nominated” in a friend’s neknomination video, and decided to use the opportunity to do something positive.

“Raknomination” (for “random

acts of kindness nomination”) is something I can get behind, and you should, too.

Think about what looks better to a future employer: when they look up your name on the Internet because you applied for a job, and they see you in your underwear in the snow drinking a concoction of mayonnaise, beer, pinot noir and urine yelling incoherently at a camera challenging your friends to action, or buying a homeless man a fast food combo and challenging the world to be more compassionate, like 22 year-old Kat Watson of Nottingham did.

Better yet, think about the difference you could make in people’s lives if you celebrated and helped them more often than celebrating intoxication.

So here’s the long and short of it: I won’t be watching neknomination videos—every number that increases the total beside the word “views” is encouraging that idiocy.

Any time you want to point me to something online where someone is helping the world be a better place, I’ll go check it out, though.

Let’s encourage the kind of behaviour we want to be celebrated in our society, rather than secretly hoping that people who do stupid things get hurt so it changes on its own. editor@truomega.ca

Letters from you: In defense of TWU law [Editor-in Chief Mike] Davies’ op-ed piece “Trinity Western shouldn’t be producing lawyers,” (Feb. 5, 2014) seemed one-sided in the least and biased at best.

Since its inception as a private Christian university, TWU has produced hundreds of arts/science grads, nurses, and teachers, all within the confines of its valued “community covenant.” There’s been no attempt to by-pass their minds and they continue to serve professionally all over Canada and outside with their heads and hearts both held high.

TWU would recognize the earliest terrestrial laws, since evolved, as derivatives of biblical mandates. Therefore, the practicing lawyers that TWU would produce would not necessarily be guilty of violating Canadian or any other nation’s legal charters.

But, ultimately, it would be incumbent upon the prospective TWU law students to consent to TWU’s charter or not before submitting themselves to the school’s discipline.

Narayan Mitra, TRU Chaplain

Open letter from a dust particle Hi, I’m Desdemona Dust Particle.

Right now I’m trapped in the grassland on the southwest edge of Kamloops, along with billions of my brothers and sisters.

But freedom may be on the horizon if the Ajax copper-gold mine starts up.

Mining machinery would release lots of us into the air.

Ajax would try to recapture us, but it couldn’t imprison us all.

No open-pit mine could do that, especially in our semidesert environment.

We’re quick and light, and the wind would carry us all over the city. It usually blows from the southwest, so it would be great for that.

In the air we’d join other types of airborne particulate matter (PM), like from vehicle exhaust, smoke, and industrial emissions.

Together, we PM types would enter people’s nostrils, windpipes, and lungs.

There we’d increase or cause asthma, bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, lung cancer, and heart problems.

We’d be especially effective on babies and kids because their airways are tiny and tender.

We’d work well during temperature inversions, which hold polluted air down near the surface, where people are forced

to breathe it.

Say hello, Kamloops, to coughing, wheezing, gasping, chest pains, increased hospital visits, and premature deaths.

We have cousins who would accompany us from the mine, riding on the wind.

They’d be finely ground bits of rock containing metals released by blasting and crushing processes.

Cousin manganese would be there. He’s good at promoting brain damage and lung irritation.

Cousin chromium can also damage lungs.

Cousin uranium encourages cancer and kidney damage.

Cousin lead has a knack for slowing children’s brain development and causing memory problems.

Cousin mercury is a nerve toxin that’s especially effective on young people.

I could go on; I have plenty of cousins in the area.

Airborne particles produced by diesel engines aren’t cousins of mine, but they’re allies.

The mine would spew out lots of these, but couldn’t recapture them all.

The wind would carry them through the city, where they’d promote cancer, lightheadedness, and eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Just between you and me,

there are other good places to dig a new mine in BC. There are other promising copper-gold deposits in this province. A number of them are farther from established communities than Ajax would be to Kamloops.

The trouble is, if the mine located in a more remote spot, we dust particles and our associates, cousins, and allies couldn’t harm the health of nearly as many men, women, and children.

Elma Schemenauer, Kamloops

Email editor@truomega.ca

with your letters or comments

Science & Technology

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February 12, 2014

Saskatchewan professor unearths potential key to oilsands land reclamation Scott Davidson The Sheaf (U of S) SASKATOON (CUP) — A University of Saskatchewan professor is researching a process which could change the way strip mining sites in Alberta’s oil sands are reclaimed.

Susan Kaminskyj, a professor in the Department of Biology, has found a fungus that allows plants to grow in the toxic soil petroleum strip mining leaves behind.

Most bitumen — a semi-solid form of petroleum found in Alberta’s oil sands — is accessible only through strip mining. Once all the bitumen is extracted from a site, the mines are filled and oil sands companies haul in new soil and new plant life to reclaim the site.

However, a small amount of toxic bitumen remains in the soil, poisoning the area and preventing the return of native plant life for years. The remaining sites are referred to as tailings sands.

“The processes the oil sands companies go through are complicated, they take a lot of time, they’re very expensive and they sometimes have to be done multiple times before everything takes,” Kaminskyj said. “Our technology allows us to plant directly on the tailing sands and hopefully allow

us to do everything in one pass.”

The particular isolate of the fungus Kaminskyj is testing, Trichoderma harzianum, seems to be able to metabolize the toxic hydrocarbons found in tailings sands. By neutralizing the toxic elements of the soil, the fungus allows healthy plants to grow without fertilizer and return the area to its natural state.

The fungus can be applied to a wide range of plants. T. harzianum is an endophytic fungus, meaning it is grown within plants and has no detrimental effects.

In lab trials, Kaminskyj and her team dipped tailings sands plants in bleach to sterilize them and then grew T. harzianum on the plants. The fungus was successful in allowing tomatoes, wheat and a variety of grasses to grow in bitumen contaminated soil.

Kaminskyj started researching the fungus when she examined the “pioneer plants” that were found growing on tailings sands before anything else. She consistently found T. harzianum in the plants and began to search for a connection.

“These [plants] aren’t well looked on because they’re just weeds, but weeds are important because they’re pioneers and they’ve figured out how to grow on stressful sites,” Kaminskyj said.

The use of T. harzianum is not a complete land reclamation system in itself, but Kaminskyj said it could be used to improve existing methods.

“We don’t want to take over reclamation, we just want to improve it,” she said.

Kaminskyj has approached several oil field companies, including Suncor, Syncrude and Albian Sands with the technology, but none have shown interest.

“They say their engineering solutions work perfectly well.

They say, ‘Why would we trust your science when our engineering works?’” Kaminskyj said.

To prove the viability of her idea, Kaminskyj is working on finding sites for field testing. Though T. harzianum has been successful in lab tests, Kaminskyj and her team have not been able to do any field testing because no oil sands companies have granted them access to their tailings sands sites.

Kaminskyj said she is currently working with an American company to test the process on areas contaminated by previous industrial use.

One of the biggest problems with existing tailings sands reclamation methods is that they take a long time. Furthermore, they sometimes need to be worked on multiple

This week in science Caffeine helps with your memory, stem cells may help reverse type-1 diabetes, and live longer by being in control?

Mark Hendricks Ω Science & Tech Editor

Caffeine: easing your fatigue and now helping your memory too A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University shows that caffeine helps improve your memory for up to 24 hours after it is consumed.

The researchers tested individuals on pattern separation, where the brain must determine whether a photo shown is similar or the same as a photo shown previously.

The original set of photos was shown, the caffeine tablet was introduced to half the participants, and the second set of pictures was shown 24 hours later.

Pattern separation is a deeper level of memory retention than simply stating whether or not a picture is the same or different than one shown previously.

“If we used a standard recognition memory task without these tricky

similar items, we would have found no effect of caffeine,” Michael Yassa, senior author on the paper said in a press release. “However, using these items requires the brain to make a more difficult discrimination – what we call pattern separation, which seems to be the process that is enhanced by caffeine in our case.”

No link has been found between caffeine use and long-term memory.

Find out more: hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory

Stem cells may hold the answer to reversing type-1 diabetes New research from scientists at the Gladstone Institute in California has revealed that to those suffering from type-1 diabetes, stem cells may have the answer.

The study injected mice that had been genetically altered to have high glucose levels, mimicking the conditions of

A new study has found that caffeine, such as that found in coffee, can help improve your memory for up to 24 hours.

(Image by DaveOnFlickr/Flickr commons)

type-1 diabetes in humans, with stem cells. The stem cells replaced the damaged cells in the pancreas allowing the mice to produce insulin naturally. The scientists called these early-pancreatic like cells, PPLCs. “Importantly, just one week posttransplant, the animals’ glucose levels started to decrease, gradually approaching normal levels,” Ke Li, lead author of the paper said to The Guardian. “And when we removed the transplanted cells, we saw an immediate glucose spike, revealing a direct link between the transplantation of the PPLCs and reduced hyperglycemia [high glucose level].”

Find out more: theguardian.com

Control can be a life or death matter A 14-year study by researchers at the University of Rochester and Brandeis University has found that for those in low-income, low-education situations, the feeling of control in their life can have a large impact.

The study found that individuals in the aforementioned situations who did not feel in control of their lives were three times as likely to die early than those who were in a similar situation but felt in control of their lives.

Researchers hope that this study can help develop programs to help those in these situations feel more in control to live longer and healthier lives.

“Being uneducated and poor doesn’t mean you’re doomed,” Nicholas Turiano, lead author of the study, said in a press release. “Despite all of the studies showing people with less education are more likely to experience disease, disability, and premature death.”

Find out more: urmc.rochester.edu/news

Syncrude’s facility just northeast of Fort McMurray, Alta.

(Photo courtesy Jason Woodhead/Flickr Commons)

times before plant life begins to grow.

Because of the slow pace of land reclamation, tailings sands are being created faster than they are being reclaimed. There are currently 715 square kilometres of tailings sands; only 1.04 square kilometres have been certified as reclaimed.

“Part of the problem is that our species is very energy hungry and

needs to become more modern,” Kaminskyj said.

Kaminskyj acknowledged that the oil sands are an important resource for Canada and world at large, but increased efforts are needed to counter their detrimental effects.

“I think that we should focus our efforts more on conservation and conserve our resources for a future date,” she said.

Life & Community

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 19

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For talent, look no further Local agency hopes to keep more talent in the region by promoting them here Ashley Wadhwani Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor Mastermind Studios has created an online talent directory initially focusing on local acting talent in Kamloops.

The directory includes individual profiles with a video biography, metadata, written biography, headshot and a minute-long commercial.

Peter Cameron-Inglis, CEO of Mastermind Studios, said the video biography and commercial takes less than an hour as long as the individual is prepared. Two prices are offered to individuals interested in having a profile on the directory. The first option, which costs $100, includes filming the two videos without any editing. The second option, which costs $250, includes editing of several takes.

Currently, more than half of those in the directory are TRU students interested in acting.

TRU theatre student Andrew Cooper is optimistic about the opportunities the database can bring for him.

“If I find one job because of it, that would be great,” Cooper said.

Mastermind Studios began creating profiles in the database in December.

Cooper said some theatre students were skeptical.

“There are always sharks trying to [take your money], but now that it has progressed a little bit, they see that it’s a place where you can put your information and be advertised,” Cooper said.

The directory will eventually include voice actors, writers, speakers, models and even those interested in doing work as an extra. Mastermind Studios is currently in the stage of growing the directory before focusing on promotion aimed at casting directors and businesses.

Inglis said they are not interested in becoming a model and talent agency but want to grow and promote the talent in Kamloops. The studio doesn’t use exclusivity contracts that modelling and talent agencies use to disallow their clients from finding work through means other than the agency.

“With us, they’re free to go and find work wherever they want,” Inglis said.

Inglis believes this will also benefit local businesses interested in promoting without the hefty costs of union actors. “We want our clients to have better productions and also draw in talent scouts and producers outside of Kamloops,” Inglis said.

Victoria Weller, Thompson-Nicola B.C. Film Commissioner, is uncertain if the directory will bring more film productions to Kamloops. “You can’t move the scenery, [but you can] move the actor,” Weller said.

Weller does believe, however, that the online directory has potential to raise the profile of the Kamloops film and talent community and promote actors, helping them be selected and shortlisted for projects. Weller also added that it is cost-effective for an actor to present their work this way.

A linen dryer on the second floor of the Culinary Arts Building caught fire Jan. 6 causing what is being reported as minor damage, “limited to the dryer itself and the immediate area around it,” according to Diana Skoglund, media relations and communications manager for TRU. She added that “classes and food services in the building have been canceled,” while the area is cleaned up, saying it should be fully operational again as of Feb. 12.

(Photo by Nathan Weissbock/ The Omega)

Grad students’ space already in short supply From STUDY Pg.

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Sabina Donnelly, TRUSU’s graduate students’ collective rep, said she often works late into the night on labs and working on campus is preferable. The graduate study space, however, is located in the library, which closes at 9 p.m.

Elected in October, Donnelly is the first graduate students’ rep since the collective was created last year. At her first collective meeting, one of the concerns raised by the 20 attendees was the use of the graduate students’ study area in the library. The space has a capacity for 100 students, and with 200 current graduate students, the space is a hot commodity.

TRU’s graduate programs are set to grow in the future, meaning more students will be vying for the space in coming years. Donnelly said grad students are finding that the open area is suitable for either group work or individual study – not both. Although there is suitable desk space for either, there is no way to keep one side quiet.

“The general complaint was that it was just distracting, the noise transfer,” she said, adding that some students have reserved cubicles in the research office as an alternative.

Donnelly suggested that the middle wall be soundproofed, but the graduate students office has plans to re-vamp the space altogether and is inviting grad

With a capacity of up to 100, and 200 students currently enrolled, graduate students are cramped already, and with programs set to grow, a solution needs to be found soon, according to Sabina Donnelly, TRUSU grad srudent collective rep.

students to provide input. Forums on Feb. 11 and 12 and previous consultations have nurtured the same concerns about the space as Donnelly heard at her collective meeting.

Although preliminary plans show the renovated space as a graduate commons, or graduate hub, there’s still a lack of individual workspace, Donnelly said. However, semi-soundproof, movable walls are being considered, which would allow for groups to contain their work

( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

and noise. There are no current plans for expansion.

“I feel, for the collective part, an advocacy role is appropriate, making sure that the issues surrounding this area are understood,” she said. “So, there aren’t enough seats for masters students and there is a need for both group and individual study space.”

“I just want to make sure that a balance is struck so no one is being alienated and, for the time being, that their needs are being met.”

Will George made his last tuition payment with 11,000 nickels on Feb. 5 to bring attention to the continually rising cost of a post-secondary education. In 2002, TRU’s (then UCC) per-credit tuition fee was $61.60 for upper-level academic courses.

This year it was $125.18.

(Photo by Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

6

Arts & Entertainment

February 12, 2014

G.B.F. plays at TRU Ω Contributor TRU students gathered in Common Grounds for free popcorn and got cozy on couches for the TRU premiere of teen movie G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend) on Feb. 6.

On behalf of TRUSU’s Pride Collective, G.B.F. focuses on a closeted gay high school student, Tanner, who becomes an interest to three popular girls when his sexual orientation is revealed.

Tanner is played by Michael J. Willett.

Other actors include Sasha Pieterse (Pretty Little Liars), Natasha Lyonne (American Pie), and Joanna Levesque (also known as singer/songwriter Jojo).

G.B.F. uses comedy and the fad of having a gay best friend to explore the stigma of homosexuality in high school in a refreshing way.

The actors portraying the different roles did a good job of not going overthe-top with exaggerated scenes, which could have taken away from the film’s message.

The three popular girls try to pull Tanner away from his friends and turn him into something he’s not. They believe that having a gay best friend will

increase their popularity and chances of becoming the prom queen. Of course, there can only be one queen, sparking social warfare between them.

Most surprising is the R rating of the movie for “sexual references,” according to director Darren Stein’s Facebook page.

Stein believed the movie should have been rated PG-13.

There is nothing explicit enough within the film for an R rating with no serious swearing or nudity.

Unfortunately, this prevents the messages found in G.B.F. from being shared to younger audiences.

Noted for its similarities to high school flick Mean Girls, G.B.F. has an all too similar set of characters, plot and high school feel.

However, some differences helped this movie stand out particularly the changes of moral compass many of the different characters undergo by the end.

The high school feel did not stop TRU students from bursting out in laughter at many of the scenes as the comedic aspects were perfectly infused into each scene.

TRUSU’s Pride Collective plans to bring more movie nights to campus in the near future.

KAMLOOPS

truomega.ca

Nathan Weissbock

(Image courtesy Vertical Entertainment)

FILM FESTIVAL “AN IMMACULATELY OBSERVED STORY of love, loss and bluegrass music.”

The Playlist

kamloopsfilmfest.ca

KAMLOOPS

FILM KAMLOOPS

FILM KAMLOOPS FESTIVAL Paramount Theatre MARCH 6 15, 2014 FILM FESTIV AL FESTIVAL MARCH 6 15, 2014 –

Paramount Theatre

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$5 tickets

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watCh trailer

the Broken CirCle Breakdown saturday, MarCh 9 at the ParaMount theatre. As PArt of the KAmlooPs film festivAl

* for students only available at the TRUSU desk

regu lar t ic ket s also available at M ovie Mar t & at t h e door ( s o r r y, n o s t u d e n t d i s C o u n t t i C k e t s ava i l a B l e at t h e s e l o C at i o n s )

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 19

Arts & Entertainment

Global Film Fest comes to TRU

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FILM REVIEWS TRU students attended the second annual Global Film Festival at TRU’s Alumni Theatre Feb. 6 to 8.

The festival showed 16 different films exploring various global issues ranging from social oppression to environmental concerns.

For more information on the films screened at the festival, visit www.kgan.org.

Two of the films screened at the festival are reviewed here.

Let us know if you attended and what you thought of it at truomega.ca, or on Facebook or Twitter.

Festival lays foundation for discussion on taking global action

Film Review: After the Harvest Tayla Scott Ω Contributor Some drink it by the mug, some drink it by the pot. Coffee often travels from Nicaragua, Guatemala or Mexico to reach our stores.

After the Harvest: Fighting Hunger in the Coffeelands explores the lives of coffee farmers and their families through the “thin months” after the annual harvests when money is scarce. Coffee beans are harvested in April and for smallscale farmers, the suffering that follows can last from two to eight months.

The documentary exposes the starvation that many coffee farmers face. According to the film, one in seven humans are starving in the world and two thirds of coffee farmer’s families go hungry for five to eight months of the year.

The end of the 22-minute film explains the ways the non-profit organizations, like Save the Children and Heifer International, have helped change the lives of many coffee

farmers and their families.

These organizations focus on teaching the farmers how to grow grain, corn and vegetables to sustain themselves during the thin months.

Heifer International introduced small honey hives to some farmers and donated pigs.

The only condition was that the farmers had to share their new knowledge about livestock with other families and give away some of the piglets.

The film also shares the positive inf luences the coffee trade has for the coffee farmers.

It’s clear that help is still needed to bring down the starvation rate during the slow months.

Documentaries like these show the unfortunate circumstances people around the world face and help start conversations on how to help them.

The film would have been more useful if it had described what a coffee drinker in Canada can do.

The film’s website provides additional information and is available at aftertheharvestorg. blogspot.ca.

(Image courtesy Optic Ner ve Productions)

Film Review: Stand Alexis Stockford Ω Contributor

(Image courtesy b4apres Media)

Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline project is one of the most controversial topics in Canada today, and one that filmmakers Anthony Benello and Nicholas Teichrob take on with flair in their award-winning piece, Stand.

The proposed Northern Gateway pipeline would transport oil from the Alberta tar-sands through the mountains to B.C.’s Kitimat. From there the oil would be loaded onto tankers and go through the maze of islands making up the Great Bear Rainforest before reaching the open ocean.

Enbridge says that the project will bring economic prosperity, but many Aboriginal bands are outraged, saying the project will destroy the environment and their way of life. There is serious concern that the tanker route is too dangerous and may lead to catastrophic oil spills.

Stand is dominated by Aboriginal issues. Cultural reliance on the land and ocean is a common theme, offset by dire warnings of Northern Gateway’s impact. In one part, Bella Bella High School student Blake Carpenter describes how she personally relies on the ocean both culturally and for food sustainability.

“For all that to be threatened by an oil spill, it would be devastating,” she said on screen.

“Everything would be gone.”

If Stand has one strength, it’s cinematography. Bonello and Teichrob take the story of Norm Hann, who travelled the entire 400 kilometre tanker route on his paddleboard in 2010, and use it to guide the film.

Following his path, Stand transports the audience through the rich history and beauty of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Stand is effective because it reaches its audience emotionally.

Majestic images of whales, forests and crashing waves awe the audience, while intimate interviews showcase the lives, hopes and feelings of the people who live there.

“Take a look,” the film seems to say. “This is what we lose if we let this happen.”

Whether or not you support the Northern Gateway pipeline, the sheer artistry of Stand makes it worth watching. B onello and Teichrob bring the Northern Gateway debate into startling clarity, creating a film that is both engaging and entertaining.

For more information on Stand, see the official website at www.standfilm.com.

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February 12, 2014

The first ‘dump’ into the new TRU in-vessel composter! Matt Milovick, TRU VP of finance, and Allysha Sorba, the TRU co-op research student running the six month compost pilot program, do the honours in the lobby of the Culinary Arts building. The next big event will take place in 4-6 weeks when the composter will be emptied of its “brown gold.”

(Photo by Bart Cummins)

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

Opinion Feature

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 19

9

Pope Francis positive for the church One view of the current state of Catholicism and those overseeing it Natalie Davis The Sheaf (U of S) The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, has been heralded worldwide for his unconventional and refreshing attitude as a religious leader since winning the Papal Election on March 13, 2013.

Looking at his actions thus far, this positive sentiment is no surprise.

Indeed several things about this Godly man may come as a revelation. For instance, he was named Esquire’s Best Dressed Man of 2013, a living testament to the phrase, “It’s not what you wear, but how you wear it.”

His simple style of dress is a sharp contrast to his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who preferred to be decked out in custom-made red leather shoes, gravity defying headgear and copious amounts of jewels.

Pope Francis also chose not to move into the grandiose apostolic apartments as per tradition, but rather into the modest Casa Santa Marta — a Vatican residence which is meant to house visiting clergy and laypeople.

He stated in his first worldwide interview that the main reason for this choice was to enjoy proximity to other people, jesting that he was saving a lot of psychiatric medical bills living in Casa Santa Marta, which has about 130 rooms and is usually teeming with religious visitors.

He explained that he enjoys meeting the new people and dining with them in the common dining hall.

His down to earth demeanour has been especially well received by members of the population suffering from poverty or illness. One such man, a Northern Italian named Vinicio Riva, experienced the Pope’s indiscriminate love for people firsthand.

Riva has neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition which covers his body in boils and growths.

Upon seeing him, Pope Francis embraced and kissed Riva in a gesture that astonished the world.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Pope took the fitting name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, Patron of the Poor, who utilized simple and powerful gestures to guide his people. He is the first pope to go by Francis, another break from tradition, as the past 1000 years of popes have seen number after the name.

Pope Francis aims to lessen disparity within society, stating that our modern world has a “ferocious adoration of money” and tends to forget those living outside of the inner bubble of amity and aff luence.

Francis desires to approach the Papacy with a more human perspective.

This inspiring viewpoint seems to stem from his upbringing, which yet again differs from most before him in his position. Born in Argentina, he is the first non-European Pope in 1200 years and the first Jesuit Pope. He spent his younger years teaching literature, sweeping f loors, working in a lab and even guarding the door at a nightclub in Buenos Aires.

Past Pontiffs hailing from Europe emanated wealthy theological academia, focused on economic interests of the Church and doctrinal police work.

Pope Francis’s focus is on repairing the connection between the people and the Church.

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and clinging to its own security,” he said. These are poignant words considering the Catholic Church’s shady paedophilic history.

During a closed door meeting on Nov. 29, 2013 with 120 superiors of the Vatican, Francis cautioned against accepting men into priesthood who may have been implicated for sexual abuse in the past. On the priests within the Catholic Church, he commented that “We must form their hearts. Otherwise we are creating little monsters, and then these little monsters mold the people of God.”

(Illustration by Stephanie Mah/ The Sheaf )

Calling some of the Catholic Priest newsmakers “little monsters” is a gargantuan understatement, but this man is doing a very good job on all other fronts.

His security force has been coping as best they can with his social temperament, with heads of security admitting that Pope Francis’s objection to more protective measures has caused extra stress.

He removed the protective glass covering the popemobile (yes, the popemobile) and traveled through St. Peter’s Square with his windows rolled down, touching hands with everyone he could, likening the Church to a mother and the people of the Church as her children.

Pope Francis expressed displeasure with the enclosure, saying to an interviewer, “When

you go to see someone you love, are you going to visit them inside a glass box? … No, I came to visit people and I want to treat them like people.”

In another instance, he allowed a six-year-old Colombian boy to remain on stage with him while he gave mass, thwarting his exhausted guards, as the boy held onto his robes and legs.

The Pope even participated in a selfie with some teenage supporters.

The pontiff has expressed forward thinking views on homosexuality, women in the Church and the abolition of the call for priestly celibacy.

Although he is not currently lobbying hard for total reform of arcane views, he is supportive and non-judgemental of people from all walks of life.

Who knows what views he’ll alter while he remains Pope.

Got an opinion on something important?

Maybe you’ve written a persuasive essay in one of your classes you thought was pretty good?

We’re always looking for contributors. editor@truomega.ca

Coffee Break 2 8

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“Animal House”

MYLES MELLOR AND SALLY YORK

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Puzzle of the week Puzzle of the Week #15 – Bacon!

Mom cooked up some bacon strips and left them out for her guys (Dad and three sons) to fend for themselves.

The first son took his fair share of one-quarter plus three more. (“Hey, I was hungry!”)

The second son took his fair share of one-third of the remainder plus two more. (“I’m still growing, you know!”)

The third son took his fair share of one-half of the remainder plus two more. (“Don’t look at me. The other guys are the pigs!”)

This meant that dad Did not get any. How strips of bacon did Mom cook?

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. Oomph 4. Wake Island, e.g.

9. It’s a snap 14. Blvd.

15. Female demon 16. Traversed a strait, e.g.

17. McCarthy quarry 18. Elevate 19. Rechargeable battery 20. Dangerous one 23. Cuba’s ___ of Youth 24. Bad to the bone 25. Button material 30. New York Times employee 34. Bathroom installation 37. Excitement 39. Auto parts giant 40. “Everyone knows the truth!”

44. Confess 45. One step 46. 1965 Ursula Andress film 47. Fashioned anew 50. Young’s partner in accounting 52. Lover of Aeneas 54. Every which way 58. New Guinea crooners 65. Ticket category 66. Purposeful 67. Cacophony 68. Big name in grills 69. Cut into 70. One of 100: Abbr.

71. Catch, in a way

72. Gunpowder ingredient 73. Prosecute Down 1. Zoroastrian 2. Squares 3. Piano part 4. Downwind 5. Checker, perhaps 6. Arabian Sea nation 7. Light air 8. Carpenter’s machine 9. Anthropoid ape 10. Crack type 11. Shamu, for one 12. Some are green 13. 15 and 23, e.g.

21. Grasp 22. Twelfth Night, vis-à-vis Epiphany 26. Flurry 27. French vineyard 28. Refuse visitors 29. Ham it up 31. Checks 32. Colorful fish 33. Latest thing 34. Kind of tissue 35. Cover, in a way 36. Energy source 38. Beginning to cry?

41. Restrains an infant?

42. Like some ears 43. Store posting: Abbr.

48. Linux system 49. Shogun’s capital 51. Modicum 53. As a rule 55. Thick 56. Willow 57. Rogers or Chesney 58. Wail 59. Noodle concoction?

60. Chafes 61. Prefix with scope or meter 62. Buckets 63. Tease 64. Super server

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When they arrived at the dinner, Einstein donned the chauffeur’s cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room.

The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein’s speech and even answered a few questions expertly.

Then a supremely pompous professor asked an extremely esoteric question about antimatter formation, digressing here and there to let everyone in the audience know that he was nobody’s fool.

Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, “Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me.”

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When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker’s circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work.

One night as they were driving to yet another dinner, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (a man who somewhat resembled Einstein in looks & manner) that he was tired of speechmaking.

Einstein laughed loudly and said, “Why not? Let’s do it!”

H

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RANDOM JOKE “I have an idea, boss,” his chauffeur said. “I’ve heard you give this speech so many times, I’ll bet I could give it for you.”

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LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

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Sports

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 19

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WolfPack Feb. 6 to 10 Bites Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief The Wolf Pack women’s basketball team will finish off their Canada West season with a home-and-home against UBCO on Feb. 13 and 15 before heading off on the road and into the playoffs.

No matter the result of the final matches of the regular season, the team will have earned its third straight appearance in the playoffs by taking fourth place in the Pacific Division.

At 11-9 as of Feb. 10, and with UVic in front of them at 14-6 and Trinity Western behind them at 5-15, they can’t move anywhere in the rankings before the playoffs begin, meaning they will take on the winner of the Prairie Division in the first playoff round, which could be any of the traditional powerhouses in the CIS, Alberta (currently 18-2), Regina (18-2) or Saskatchewan (17-3), depending on how those teams fare over their closing games.

The last regular season game (vs. UBCO) takes place at the old TRU Gym — not the TCC — Feb. 15 at noon.

The Wolf Pack men’s basketball team have also secured a berth in the playoffs this year, thanks to a win over Victoria on Feb. 7.

The squad lost the second game of the weekend to the home team, but thanks to the win they can do no worse than fourth in the Pacific Division.

Currently one win (two points) ahead of UBC, who sits in the last playoff spot, much depends on the coming week’s games in terms of the playoff picture.

Though the team can finish no better than their current third place standing, they could still get passed by UBC and end up facing the top team in the Prairie Division in the first round, which would be an 18-2 Alberta team

who has been beating up on their opponents all year (including a 94-66 drubbing of Fraser Valley, who currently hold down second spot in the Pacific Division at 15-5).

The men’s final regular season game happens at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 after the conclusion of the women’s match in the TRU Gym.

the first time since joining the league in 2009.

Game times for the final games of the regular season are 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 against Victoria and 8:00 p.m. the following night against Selkirk.

All home games are held downtown at Memorial Arena on Victoria Street.

The Wolf Pack men’s hockey team fell back below .500 on the year with their sixth straight loss of the season against Simon Fraser University (SFU) on Feb. 8.

The team now sits at 9-10 on the season heading into their final weekend of play where they take on Victoria (Feb. 14) and Selkirk (Feb. 15).

If the ‘Pack can’t come out of those games with at least one win, and Victoria also beats SFU the following night, the ‘Pack will miss the playoffs for

The Wolf Pack women’s volleyball team couldn’t muster a win this season, ending the year with a 0-3 loss to the Manitoba Bisons here at home, but interim head-coach Chad Grimm feels the team made some progress at the end of the season nonetheless.

“For the first time since I have been here the girls played six consistent sets,” he told TRU sports information officer Larry Read after the final loss. “They were obviously saddened by the loss [but] I saw some progress as far as their ability to play.”

There was obviously improvement in the team after parting ways with head coach Keith Lundgren earlier this season, as the squad put up a solid fight on their last weekend of competition against the Bisons, who finished fourth in Canada West with a 14-8 record.

The ‘Pack held it close on Feb. 7 losing 25-18, 25-21 and 25-23 and followed it up with another strong performance Feb. 8 losing 25-19, 25-15, 25-22 to end the year at 0-22.

Despite losing their final home match of the season 3-1 to Manitoba, the Wolf Pack men’s volleyball team (13-9) find themselves hosting their first ever playoff series this coming week Feb. 13 to 15 against the fifth-place University of Saskatchewan (11-11).

The series begins Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at the TCC if you want to see history made.

The good and bad of the Olympics... thus far Winter Olympics being held right now in Sochi, Russia.

First, the bad:

Armchair Quarterback Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief Not many of you were likely around when I last wrote an Armchair Quarterback column – I was the sports editor here three years ago before I took over the editor-in-chief’s role – but this used to be my weekly opinion column on the goings-on in the sporting world.

Sometimes it was angry and/ or disappointed in people in the sports community (my little shaming board, if you will), while other times it praised someone or a group of people who truly make the world a better place by doing what they do as athletes or organizations.

I can’t promise this feature will go back to its weekly frequency (I’m a busy guy, after all), but I can promise you that I missed doing it, and so I will do them whenever I have time and when I feel there’s something I need to talk about.

This week, in its re-inauguration, Armchair Quarterback will be a quick-hit rundown of what I see as the good and bad of the 2014

More than $50-billion was spent and seven years of preparations went into this event – the most watched winter sports event in the world, and one that traditionally shows off all that is good about a host country (or as much as they can pack into a couple of weeks, anyway).

Yet as athletes and media folks converged on Sochi for the extravaganza, they were met by accommodations under construction, roads and pathways being seemingly laid at their feet as they stepped off the transit busses, open elevator shafts and manholes and stray dogs roaming the streets in gangs until they could be inhumanely “euthanized” by local authorities (by some accounts).

Photos have been circulating from those on the ground in Sochi depicting atrocious living quarters, undrinkable water coming from the taps (with a note from the hotel itself telling people not to use it on their faces, as it contains dangerous substances), light fixtures falling from the ceilings and warnings from accommodation management that people will be charged extra if their belongings are seen on the spare beds, as that counts as “occupancy.”

The coverage – other than being in the middle of the night here in B.C., which is just part of what you have to deal with every year it’s held half way around the world – has been shoddy, as well.

Sound not matching up with the video (sometimes not even the same feed) and announcers and analysts sounding like

they’ve never seen the sport they’re talking about are just two examples I’ve seen thus far.

Maybe a bit of a petty complaint, but with the amount that we – yes, the taxpayers of Canada, this is CBC, remember – are paying to see these Olympics, I hope they get their act together soon.

Okay, last one in the “bad” category, I promise.

Who is judging these events?

Granted, I just complained about some of the commentators not sounding like they know what they’re talking about, but when they are openly dumbfounded by the scores awarded and seem afraid of saying something about them, there’s something wrong.

I watched most of both the men’s and women’s slopestyle snowboarding, and even as

just a casual watcher (and exparticipant) of the sport, I was shocked at the scoring, I have to say.

And now there’s a possible scandal involving ice-dancing judges? I’m not sure I can handle another Salé-Pelletier with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.

Well, I probably could, but I sure don’t want to.

Now the Good: Well, this is going to be short and to the point, not only because I don’t want to go on all day about the Olympics, or because I’m running out of room in the paper, but because I can sum up the good with far fewer words than I could have with the bad.

The athletic performances thus

far have been exceptional.

It seems every four years when the Olympics roll around, these participants achieve a whole new level in their grace and athleticism, and it’s a joy to see.

And oh, how nice it is to be a Canadian right now watching these performances from our countrymen (and women). They are really laying it down hard and seeing the results. As I type these words, Canada sits atop the medal standings with seven (three gold, three silver and one bronze) for the first time ever in an Olympic games.

I just hope the rest of the ancillary things catch up to the greatness of the athletes themselves soon, so I can enjoy the games even more. editor@truomega.ca

Are we doomed to repeat another Salé-Pelletier scandal? I hope not. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier (seen here NOT at the Olympics) were awarded a gold medal at the Salt Lake City games after a judging scandal.

(Photo courtesy Calgar y Reviews/Flickr Commons)

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February 12, 2014

Membership Advisory

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