March 12, 2014 by The Omega

Brier photo gallery and attendance problems examined Pg. 11

The Omega Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper

News Pages 1, 2

Editorial & Opinion Page 3

Volume 23, Issue 22 March 12, 2014

Life & Community

Arts & Entertainment

Sports

Pages 5, 9

Pages 6, 7

Page 11

Surveying their domain National Survey of Student Engagement helps administration see how students think it’s doing coordination with other Canadian universities. Because so many universities Ω News Editor participate, Maclean’s and the Globe How many times have you met with and Mail often use the results for their a faculty member? How many times university guides. have you participated in a study group? But, why is it important for students to In order for the university to know participate? what services are “Otherwise working, it needs to we’re just know which ones guessing,” said successful students dean of students use. That’s where Christine Adam. you come in. “Otherwise we’re The National only listening to the Survey of Student students who show Engagement up at things.” (NSSE) allows NSSE asks first- and fourthstudents about year on-campus their behaviours, baccalaureate the frequency of students to behaviours that are express their related to things educational habits, that successful from academic students do, and advising to use of looks at educational technology. practices that NSSE is an are related to i nter nat ionally —Christine Adam engagement. administered “NSSE is a survey, with over survey that reports TRU Dean of Students 3,000 schools what students do. participating since It’s not a satisfaction its launch in 2000. TRU first participated survey. It’s not an opinion survey,” Adam in 2008 and made the survey available said. “It’s looking at actual behaviours.” every year until 2011 to collect an accurate base of data. Now the survey is only administered every three years See INTERNATIONAL Pg. to first- and fourth-year students, in

Jessica Klymchuk

Nominations for the TRUSU general election are open until March 14. Campaigning begins on March 17 and polling will take place on March 26-27. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

Campus democracy: cast your vote Voter turnout lower at TRU than UBC, UBCO, UVic and UAlberta last year

Jessica Klymchuk Ω News Editor It’s election time. Students head to the polls on March 26-27 to select their student union representatives for the 2014-2015 academic year. But will you participate? Last year, TRU saw a lower voter turnout for the student union election than the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus (UBC) and Okanagan campus (UBCO), the University of Victoria (UVic), Simon Fraser University (SFU) and the University of Alberta (UAlberta). Most student union elections attract between 10 and 20 per cent of students, but numbers are higher at schools where online voting is available, reported The Phoenix in March 2013. Student unions at UBC, SFU, UAlberta and UVic use an online voting mechanism, but TRUSU does not. Numbers also tend to be higher when more than one slate is running and positions are

highly contested. A significant increase in voter turnout generally indicates a higher stakes election. Voter turnout for the TRUSU general election dropped last year, with 7.5 per cent of the 7,000 eligible students casting a vote. In 2012, 10.4 per cent of the 7, 090 eligible students voted. But in 2011, when 44 candidates ran, TRU saw an 18 per cent turnout. Comparably, UBC Okanagan had 8,157 eligible voters for the UBCSUO election in 2013 and yielded a 10.5 per cent voter turnout. In 2012, 25 per cent of eligible students voted but less than seven per cent did in 2011, as reported by The Phoenix. SFU’s SFSS election had an 11 per cent voter turnout in 2012 and 23.4 per cent turnout in 2011. Several Western Canadian university students have already elected student representatives for the coming academic year. UAlberta’s UASU 2014 election had a 19.9 per cent voter turnout, as reported by The Gateway on March 6. In 2013 it saw a 22.1 per cent of eligible

student voters at the polls. UBC’s AMS election had a 22.4 per cent voter turnout this year and a 43.9 per cent turnout in 2013. UVic’s UVSS election had a 17.08 per cent voter turnout this year, while 18.83 per cent of the students voted last year. TRUSU’s electoral committee was unable to provide comment on election participation before press time, but 2012-2013 TRUSU president Dustin McIntyre’s post-election comments in 2013 revealed the union was happy with the election, despite the drop in voters. Nominations for the TRUSU 2014 general election are open until March 14, with the campaign period opening March 17. There are 13 positions for election: four executives, five advocacy representatives and four directors at large.

See DEMOCRACY NEEDS Pg.

“

It’s not a satisfaction survey...it’s looking at actual behaviours.”

If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending? The NSSE survey lets you give feedback to help administration and management of the school know what you actually care about, engage with and how they should improve. ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega)

News

March 12, 2014

Who authorizes the authorities? TRU law professor thinks RCMP need more specific rules Karla Karcioglu Ω Roving Editor Robert Diab is a law professor at TRU whose research focuses on police powers, civil liberties, counter-terror law and human rights. On March 5, Diab spoke to students at TRU during a lecture on “Abuses of Police Powers” presented by the TRUSU Human Rights Club. Diab focused on issues surrounding police authority during major intergovernmental events in Canada, such as closing large portions of public space, wide scale surveillance, searches without probable cause and closing off access to residential areas. These issues have arisen at events such as the 2010 G20 Toronto summit and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Diab said he became curious about which authority allowed the Canadian RCMP and police to conduct themselves this way and has found that there is no legitimate authority. Diab was invited to work with W. Wesley Pue, a law professor and former provost at the University of British Columbia. The two published a paper in 2010 called “Security for the Olympics: British Columbia Needs a ‘Public Order Policing Act.’” According to the 2010 paper, “Canadian police lack specific statutory authorization to take measures thought essential to good

public order policing. The erection of security fences, creation of designated ‘protest areas,’ restriction of access to public space, surveillance, and search without a cause intrude massively into the ordinary freedoms of lawabiding subjects. Such measures may be helpful, perhaps necessary. But no Canadian legislature has ever expressly conferred such powers. They do not reside in the domain of common law.” During the 2010 Olympics, Diab said Vancouver passed a temporary bylaw for the police, outlining their duties and responsibilities. Diab believes that it is necessary for either the provincial or federal government to pass specific statutes and guidelines for the police to follow during large events. Diab and Pue are currently working on an article focusing on the G20 Summit and the implementation of the Public Works Protection Act, which expanded police powers allowing them to search and arrest people without probable cause if they attempted to enter the fenced zone. The Act, originally created in Second World War, was implemented secretly without the public’s knowledge. Diab said the police misinterpreted the act and began stopping people who were within five metres of the fencing. This resulted in the arrest of two civilians. In July 2013, the Globe and Mail published an article stating that the act was still in place.

Police stand guard in Vancouver’s West End during the 2010 Olympics.

Diab thinks one good example of expanding police powers is the Australian government’s handling of the 2007 political meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Diab said the government imposed legislation for the two weeks the event took place that included important restrictions to the amount of land that

(Photo courtesy Carson Ting/Flickr Commons)

could be closed down, how access would be granted and the need to seek higher authority to hold a protest. Diab also cited the 2012 Quebec student protests, when the provincial government passed an act detailing rules surrounding protesting and police presence. It is important for Canadian citizens

to be wary of the abuse of police powers as to avoid becoming a police state, Diab said. “We’re responsible for maintaining that [and] not giving them broad powers.” “We would all be better off if there were clear rules about this,” he said, adding that the right place to create laws is in the legislature.

International survey tells the school if you actually like it here, and why (not) From SURVEYING Pg.

Democracy needs candidates and voters From DEMOCRACY Pg.

Last year, the position for vice president internal, Aboriginal representative, women’s representative and directors at large were contested. This participation was up from 2012 when there was no race for any position. This year at UBCO, three positions were uncontested and the largest category had five candidates. At UVic, where there are 16,707 eligible voters, over twice as many as TRU, one position went uncontested this year. None of the members of the

current board are commenting on their experience with TRUSU until March 17, as at least a couple of them will be involved in the candidate side of the election. To nominate yourself you must pick up a nomination package from the TRUSU members desk and submit it before 4 p.m. on March 14. Candidates for advocacy representatives must belong to the constituency group they want to represent, according to the TRUSU website. Voting takes place on March 26-27 and the newly elected board takes office May 1. With files from Devan Tasa.

Dorys Crespin-Mueller, from institutional planning and analysis, said the results are presented to multiple stakeholder groups on campus including TRUSU, the student engagement sub-committee of the senate and the senate itself. The survey questions combine to create five benchmarks: active and collaborative learning, focusing on student participation in learning; enriching educational experiences, including study abroad and foreign languages; studentfaculty interaction, focusing on one-on-one teaching; level of academic challenge, such as writing and course challenge; and supportive campus environment, including student services and relationships on campus. In 2011, first-year benchmarks tended to be below the national average, while fourth-year benchmarks were above average. “Because the results are actually tied to a student, we can correlate responses to how that student is doing, whether they show up again next year, what program they’re in,” Adam said. “We can look at programs where we see students not participating in what we call ‘high impact’ practices.” Although the survey doesn’t rank schools, TRU can look at schools that yield significantly higher benchmarks and see what they do differently, Adam said. There are also questions on overall satisfaction: how would you evaluate your entire educational experience at this institution? And if you could

(Graphic by Sean Brady/ The Omega)

start again would you go to the same institution you are attending? “Those are pretty key questions for students to ref lect on their choice of institution and their experience that they are currently having,” Mueller said. In 2011, first- and fourthyear students rated TRU above the national average in terms of their educational experience. First-year students fell below the national average for answering yes to whether they would choose TRU again, while fourth-year students responded in favour of attending TRU again more often than the national average. This year intuitional planning and analysis worked with the student engagement committee to select two additional sections that evaluate academic advising and learning technology. And yes, there is a section where students can freely express the

best and worse things about their educational experience at TRU in paragraph form. As of March 4, eight per cent of the 2,900 eligible students had responded to the survey. “So far we have not as high of a response rate as we would like,” Mueller said. Institutional planning and analysis is aiming for around 40 per cent of the eligible students to respond. In 2008, the response rate was close to 44 per cent but by 2011 it dropped to 23 per cent. “We want a good response rate so that the feedback represents the student body, that what we’re hearing is in fact a ref lection of the student experience at TRU,” Mueller said. “The more students that can participate, the better that representation will be.” Eligible students will receive weekly reminders asking them to participate until the survey closes on April 11.

Editorial & Opinion

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 22

The Omega www.truomega.ca

March 12, 2014 Volume 23, Issue 22

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mike Davies

editor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069

Is it wrong to feel nostalgic about something gross? Another smoker risks pain and suffering to be done with the inconvenience, expense and stigma of his identity

@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 Tayla Scott, Racheal Estok

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

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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.

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.

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Editor’s Note Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief I said I wasn’t going to write this column. I’m serious. It was actually suggested to me a couple of weeks ago, but I said, “It’s already been so overdone. I don’t need to add my own story.” I was thinking the other day, however, that most of the stories you hear about this aren’t like mine. Hell, nobody’s got the same story as anyone else in regards to any topic, so how would quitting smoking be any different?

So I’ll share it with you this week. I don’t have much room, so it won’t take long, but here are my thoughts on it…. Is it weird that it makes me a bit sad to be quitting smoking? Is it wrong for me to want to hang on to some nostalgic aspect of what being “a smoker” meant to me all this time? Well, if you think so, I ask you this: Have you ever given up on something that was intrinsic part of your identity for almost two decades? This is what I’m doing. If you play guitar, or paint, or play a sport, or garden, or have any other aspect of your life that you’ve done “for as long as I can remember,” or that you identify as being “just a part of who I am,” then picture suddenly doing that thing anymore. Oh, I know it’s not exactly the same, because what I’m giving up is terrible for me, and it’s expensive, and it’s pretty gross. But that doesn’t make it any less a part of who I am and how I identify myself. In fact, I’d argue that it’s MORE a part of me than your thing is of you.

You see, my thing literally has a physiological emotional hold over me. It’s not just a metaphorical “part of me” like the fact that I play guitar or enjoy golfing. According to Health Canada (and I can vouch for this personally), “Nicotine causes chemical or biological changes in the brain. This effect is called psychoactive and although it is less dramatic than heroin or cocaine, the strength of the addiction is just as powerful.” So, while I’m giving up something that I’ve associated as being an intrinsic part of my being for the past 18 years (that’s right), the process for giving it up causes me physical and emotional distress on a chemical level within my physiology. I’m likely to become depressed, anxious, irritable, nauseous, and hungry — all at the same time. I might also become sweaty, have random debilitating headaches, insomnia (like I’d even notice a change, there) and intestinal cramping. This sounds awesome, right? It is.

You see, since I started smoking there has been a steady, inexorable march within society to demonize smokers and force us to the fringes. We didn’t used to be outsiders to be shunned and pushed into out of the way corners. I’m done with that. I don’t want to be the one who makes the driver pull over at the rest area while on road trips so I can get my fix, or makes people pause a movie so I can go outside for a few minutes. I don’t want to spend $400 per month to make myself smell bad and shorten my lifespan. I want to see my son graduate, and I want to be able to breathe on my own while I’m watching it happen. So I’ll put up with these physical and emotional difficulties, and I’ll reassess what it is to be me, since “I’m a smoker,” isn’t something that will ref lect me anymore. And all you had to put up with was one rambling diatribe from a sweaty, anxious, irritable and intestinally uncomfortable newspaper editor. editor@truomega.ca

Slacktivism may do more harm than good Jesse Colautti The Fulcrum (U of Ottawa) OTTAWA (CUP) — Worldwide, we’d be wise to start actively participating in causes that we support as opposed to half heartedly showing our support over social media. As I poured over my news feed on Facebook during the holiday break, it was hard not to feel inadequate compared to the growing number of students engaged in humanitarian efforts. Links to documentaries focused on particular injustices, status updates liked by hundreds stating a startling fact about inequality, and cover photos graciously donated to the cause of climate change have seemingly become the new norm for activism. But are such armchair efforts really doing that much to make the world a better place? Inquiry into this issue has suggested a resounding no. The fact is that much more good would come from students simply making more conscientious spending decisions. You might recognize slacktivism in the online petitions asking for you to share or like a page, and while these efforts no doubt increase outreach for many issues facing the world today, research shows they do very little to benefit the causes themselves. A study by the University of British Columbia suggests that slacktivism may actually result in fewer donations for causes.

“Our research shows that if people are able to declare support for a charity publicly in social media, it can actually make them less likely to donate to the cause later on,” said co-author Kirk Kristofferson in a statement to CTV News. The Swedish division of the United Nations Children’s Fund shared such sentiment, running a campaign called “Likes Don’t Save Lives” earlier this year featuring an unnamed 10-yearold orphan speaking to the camera. “Sometimes I worry that I will get sick, like my mom got sick. Then who will look after my brother?” the child said, captioned in English. “But I think everything will be alright. Today, UNICEF Sweden has 177,000 likes on Facebook. Maybe they will reach 200,000 by summer. Then we should be alright,” concluded the child. So, what is a better way to address some of the world’s problems? One solution involves simply spending money. It’s called ethical consumerism. Ethical consumerism isn’t a new concept. The principle behind the idea — that you can promote change by supporting only companies that follow ethical practices — comes from the foundation of capitalism: supply and demand. If enough consumers support companies that contribute beneficially to solving the world’s issues, then demand for those products will rise, as will

the profits of companies who supply such ethical services and products. Such a process should, in theory, force unethical companies to adapt to more ethical standards or risk financial downfall. A great example of this concept was presented in the 2008 documentary Food Inc. which showed how Stonyfield Farm was able to get its organic yogurt distributed in Walmarts all across North America. For the most part, it seems Canadians have bought into such a version of activism. According to a 2010 study by Abacus Data, an Ottawa public opinion and marketing research firm, fiftyeight per cent of Canadians consider themselves ethical spenders. But according to the 2008 Statistics Canada General Social Survey, only 28 per cent of Canadians aged 20 to 24 said they had chosen or boycotted a product for ethical reasons. It seems that students, perhaps from a lack of disposable income, are not letting ethics affect their purchasing power. I understand that at this point in our lives buying organic, free-range beef at the grocery store every time might not be realistic. But there are simple ways we could make more ethical consumer choices without breaking the bank. Choosing to buy on-campus certified free-trade coffee choices is one way to make a statement on more ethical

practices to coffee giants such as Starbucks and Tim Hortons — neither of whose coffee, besides Starbucks’ dark Italian roast, is certified fair-trade. Or perhaps next year we can continue to use reusable mugs during the holidays rather than leaving our environmentalism at home in favour of holidaythemed paper cups. One of the best ways we can promote change is through choosing cell phones that are not only ethically produced, but also have a lifespan of more than one or two years. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, a huge portion of the 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste generated worldwide each year can be traced to mobile phones. In 2010 alone, the United States was responsible for the disposal of 152 million mobile devices. Resisting the urge to upgrade our phones each year might force cell phone companies to develop products that are promoted by their durability rather than the size of their screens. Ethical consumerism is not the only solution to solving the world’s many ailments. The best option remains to donate money to organizations that you believe in. Promoting causes on Facebook is not a bad thing, as long as you keep such efforts in perspective. We need to start focusing less on expressing how offensive issues are to us and focus more on what we can do about them.

Science & Technology

March 12, 2014

Students as the stars Master of science students showcase their work Tayla Scott Ω News Collective Intern On March 6, 12 master of science in environmental science first-year students nervously, but proudly, presented their thesis research to a crowd of about 50 students, teachers and members of the community. Every student’s oral presentation was well received by the audience. There was abundant applause, questions and laughs. After the presentations, the crowd was free to explore the second-year students’ poster presentations on their thesis research. “Throughout the summer, I was trapping turtles and attaching transmitters,” said Amy Leeming, a first-year sciences graduate student. “For me, painted turtles are a great species because they’re a species at risk.” Leeming is concerned that B.C. does not have any provincial endangered species legislation. She is working alongside the Wilderness Committee (a non-governmental organization) to try and start a TRU species at risk chapter. She is also promoting species at risk legislation for the province. Getting into the graduate program wasn’t a challenge for Leeming. “I had good enough grades and no problem getting a scholarship. You are much more marketable to a professor

if you are able to get money,” Leeming said. The students’ research is funded mainly by grants, which are secured by faculty members who take the graduate students on. Wendy Gardner, a member of the master of environmental science committee and a professor at TRU, currently has four master’s students conducting research. “I apply to different funding sources to get money. If I’m successful in getting money, I then advertise and will interview students that are best fits,” Gardner said. “There’s a lot of cost to do their research, they shouldn’t be paying that.” Gardner will pay students about $18,000 a year as a stipend. The students can apply to get their own scholarship money as well. Often, graduate students will get jobs as teaching assistants, which are paid positions. “I often have enough money through their research programs to hire undergraduate students to work with them in the summer to collect data. That gives undergraduate students a chance to see about research and get more involved. “As a professor, one of the things that makes my job worthwhile is seeing the students in their success, especially if they go out there and change things,” Gardner said. Erika Dufort, a first-year student,

is researching Indolicidin, which is an antimicrobial peptide. According to Dufort, antibiotics are used largely on factory farm animals, which contribute greatly to their overuse, leading to antibiotic-resistant germs and superbugs. Indolicidin, Dufort hopes, will one day be ready for use as an antibiotic. “My concern with the development

Anyone could be Robocop (sort of), Omega-3s help children’s sleep, and we can stop tornadoes with big walls? Ω Science & Tech Editor

Wearable exoskeleton that can enhance your strength A new exoskeleton suit, dubbed the body extender, has been developed by engineers in Italy which allow the wearer to carry up to 50 kg in each extended arm. The suit is considered to be the most complex exoskeleton suit ever developed. The body extender was developed at the Perceptual Robotics Laboratory, part of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, Italy. In addition to being able to easily carry 50 kg, the suit will also enable users to exert 10 times the amount of force that they could apply to an object. The suit is also highly f lexible with 22 degrees of freedom. “There are several possible

applications. For example if you have to assemble a very complex product like an aircraft, this is a machine which is very f lexible,” Fabio Salsedo, project lead, said to the BBC. “You can lift the panel, rotate it and position it in the right position.” Find out more: www.bbc.com/ news/technology

Omega-3s can help your child sleep A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford have found that omega-3 supplements can help children sleep through the night. A group of 365 children were part of the study. Parents were asked to fill in a sleep survey about their child’s sleeping habits. Children that were known to have disturbed sleep patterns were fitted with wrist sensors

A new plan has been proposed to build giant walls in tornado alley which would dissipate tornadoes before they form.

(Photo courtesy NOA A photo librar y/Flickr Commons)

of Science Coordinating Committee and the MC for the presentations. Larsen believes the next step for the master of science in environmental science program is getting students’ research out into the general community. “As of today, we have program changes that make this [showcase] a degree requirement,” Larsen said.

Jo-Anne Hales, a first year master of environmental science students who was at the seminar, conducted her research on toads. (Photo courtesy Jo-Anne Hales)

This week in science Mark Hendricks

of any other antibiotic is how do we stop overuse from happening again? So if we develop another antibiotic that’s useful, how do we keep it useful?” Dufort said. “The students were amazing at keeping their talks on pace and sharing information at not a super-technical level, so that everybody can understand,” said Karl Larsen, member of the Master

to detect movement when sleeping and given 600 mg omega-3 supplements daily for 16 weeks. The other children were given a placebo as a control. The study found that children who took daily omega-3 supplements had 58 minutes more of sleep a night and seven fewer waking episodes throughout the night. Find out more: w w w.f i n a n c i a lex p r e s s .c o m / news/

Stopping tornadoes with walls Tornado alley is not named ironically. The region is prone to violent tornadoes that cause billions of dollars worth of damage across the US every year. Prof. Rongjia Tao of Temple University, Philadelphia has a novel idea to solve the problem. Build big walls. The proposed walls would be 300m high and up to 160km long. The idea is that these walls would serve as hill ranges and soften winds before tornadoes can form. The walls would cost $16 billion to build, but given the savings every year it could mean longterm savings. “If we build three east-west great walls, one in North Dakota, one along the border between Kansas and Oklahoma, and the third in the south in Texas and Louisiana, we will diminish the threats in Tornado Alley forever,” Tao said to the BBC. Find out more: w w w.bbc.com /news/science_ and_environment/

Time travel lessons from Doctor Who Taylor Fry Ω Contributor Fans of the science fiction TV series Doctor Who were treated to a special guest lecture on the physics of time travel within the show on March 6. Benjamin Tippett, a sessional instructor from UBC Okanagan, spoke to students and faculty with a lecture filled with allusions to the popular show. The lecture was based on his research in retrograde time travel as a theoretical framework for the type of time travel shown in Doctor Who. Tippett’s lectured about the science of how time machines could potentially occur. His time travel proposal is called the T.A.R.D.I.S. (Traversable Acausal Retrograde Domain in Spacetime), in allusion to Doctor Who’s time traveling machine, and it deals with travelling in a closed loop through time and circumventing the physical limitations of that particular method of time travel. Tippett, dressed similar to the show’s titular character, opened the lecture by explaining that in Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the three dimensions of space are not separate from the dimension of time. This results in fourdimensional surfaces on which all matter exists. Einstein’s theory also states that nothing in the universe can travel fast than the speed of light and the diagram of a light cone, i.e. light originating from a single point, can be used to show where anything with mass can travel as the edges of the cone expand at the speed of light and act as a boundary. This is the primary

argument against the idea of time travel, as looping back to the focal point would require moving faster than the speed of light. According to Tippett, the curvature of spacetime can cause light cones to “tip,” altering the space in which objects can travel. The angular momentum of spacetime allows for an object to spin, which cause light cones to tip in the direction of the objects trajectory. This is the basis behind the Tipler Cylinder, which is the idea that an infinitely long spinning cylinder could cause light cones to tip all the way over forming a loop and allowing for backwards time travel. Tippett’s T.A.R.D.I.S. is expressing the idea of time travel without the need for the Tipler cylinder or other complications. His T.A.R.D.I.S. is self-described as a hollow bubble that allows subjects inside to travel along closed circular paths in time and space. Tippett explained that his T.A.R.D.I.S. would require a type of matter that moves faster than light and gravitationally repels it, which violates the classical energy conditions in the universe. When asked why he has done so much research into a science fictionbased idea, Tippett said it’s because he enjoys the work and he hopes to widen the appeal of less popular areas of physics. The idea behind this paper came from a desire to build a mathematical time machine that was similar to the ones seen in popular fiction. Tippett has been the author of many papers on fiction science, and is the mind behind the Titanium Physicist podcast, which aims to explain ideas and various areas of physics to non-physicists.

Life & Community

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 22

What would it wear and what would it say? How often do we really talk about our insert-euphemism-here? Ashley Wadhwani Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor “Let’s just start with the word vagina. It sounds like an infection at best. Maybe a medical instrument. ‘Hurry, nurse, bring me the vagina!’” The Kamloops Women’s Resource Group Society presented The Vagina Monologues from March 6-8 at the Kamloops Convention Centre. This presentation also touched on One Billion Rising – a campaign fighting for the safety and justice of all women. Originally written by playwright, performer and activist Eve Ensler, the timing of the event, being held on the same weekend of International Women’s Day, was no coincidence. The 16 different stories narrated on stage shared the taboos, awkwardness and fears of the vagina that girls and woman think about, but rarely talk about. For example, the first monologue “Hair” was of a woman sharing the problems her husband had with her hair that she did not agree with. Others discussed the physical attributes and awkward encounters, all creating laughter of understandings and shock in the crowd. For some it may have been giggling from feeling

uncomfortable, while most were laughing at how relatable the monologues were. The stories in themselves were entertaining, but knowing that they came from real women of all ages, orientations and cultures through interviews Ensler had conducted herself made them raw and fascinating. Some stories were empowering and also identified the subtleness of the patriarchal culture that reinforces most of the taboos surrounding vaginas. For instance, “Vagina Happy Fact” shared that vaginas have 8,000 nerve fibers, which is more than any other body part on the female and male body. It ended with the line, “Who needs a handgun when you have a semi-automatic?” Others were sobering testimonials of domestic violence, rape and genital mutilation. These stories sparked upsetting feelings amongst the crowd – the idea that this could happen to any woman, and often does. Women’s struggles from these injustices around the world were a much needed inclusion in the show, with statistics not just coming from war-torn countries. Sharing both the comedic and traumatic events the vagina can undergo mirrored the complexity of the social and biological makeup of the vagina. It was no surprise that the

audience went through howls of laughter and also tears, but it was a great experience to be feeling these feelings in a room full of other women also feeling them. Similarly, the comfortable nature of the show had the potential of sparking conversations about the elephant in the room we all too often don’t talk about. Finally, “I Was There in the Room,” Ensler’s own story

about watching the birth of her granddaughter, reintroduced our perceptions of the vagina in a new way beyond the biological conversations on reproduction. “And as I stared, her vagina suddenly became a wide, red, pulsing heart. The heart is capable of sacrifice. So is the vagina.” Like going through any experience for the first time,

The Vagina Monologues can be more than just an event to bring awareness, and it allows any woman to internally ref lect on their relationship with their vagina while de-stigmatizing the way we view and talk about it. If you couldn’t make it to the show, the book written by Ensler includes the same monologues and can be purchased at most bookstores or online.

Fair Elections Act unfair to students, student leaders say

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A button from the merchandise table at The Vagina Monologues, which ran March 6-8 at the Kamloops Convention Centre. (Ashley Wadhwani/ The Omega)

Laura Howells The Muse (Memorial University) Student leaders are calling on the federal government to scrap a bill that they say will suppress the voices of young people and other minorities. The Fair Elections Act, or Bill-C23, makes several changes to Canada Elections Act, including prohibiting Elections Canada from launching ad campaigns encouraging people to vote, and eliminating the use of voter identity cards and the vouching system. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has paired with the Council of Canadians to stand in opposition to the bill. In the past weeks, the two groups have staged a protest on Parliament hill, and collected a petition of over 30,000 signatures against. “C-23 is bad news for students and for youth in Canada,” said Michael Walsh, Newfoundland and Labrador chairperson of the CFS. “This bill simply further cements the notion that politicians don’t care about the issues facing youth.” In 2011, 53.8 per cent of Canadian adults voted, and less than 40 per cent of Canadian youth showed up at the polls. Walsh says that C-23 will only diminish these numbers, particularly with the elimination of campaigns designed to encourage voter turnout. He says that although Canadian youth voter turnout has continued to decline despite

(Photo courtesy midnightglor y/Flickr Commons)

ongoing campaign efforts, there is no evidence to suggest turnout would not be even lower if not for these campaigns. Walsh also cites the cessation of voting aids such as the as the vouching system and voter identification cards as particularly problematic. Because students and young people often move frequently, he says eliminating these systems will unnecessarily complicate the democratic process for these groups. “In order for someone who lives on campus to maintain an up to date ID, they’ll have to change their address and get new IDs at least twice every year,” he said. “I don’t think it’s reasonable to put these extra expectations on young people. We should be working to encourage more young people to get to the polls, not working to further disempower youth

from accessing democracy. “We need to make it easy for young people to access the polls—having polling stations on campuses, having ways for people who move frequently to vote, like the vouching process and voter identity cards, and having campaigns and initiatives that educate youth about the voting process.” Walsh thinks the Fair Elections Act is an intentional move on the part of the Conservatives to suppress certain voices in favour of party interests. “C-23 will serve to disempower people from particular marginalized groups,” said Walsh. “People like youth and students, aboriginal people, low-income, and elderly people, these sorts of groups of constituencies are not typically thought of as the conservative base.”

Arts & Entertainment

March 12, 2014

Oil Sands Karaoke Sean Brady Ω Copy/Web Editor The contention over the Athabasca oilsands is not the focus of Oil Sands Karaoke. Karaoke is also not the focus of Oil Sands Karaoke. Instead, Charles Wilkinson’s documentary looks at the histories and personalities of a group of people who happen to be involved with both of the documentary’s namesakes. The film follows five people who live and work in Fort McMurray – all, in some capacity, for the oilsands. The characters range from Dan, a country music-loving heavy truck driver, to Iceis, a crossdressing safety consultant making an entrepreneurial name for himself after a tragic upbringing. All of the stories are interesting, but not many of them have much to do with the oilsands. These people, like most people in Fort McMurray, are there to work. The karaoke competition featured in the film, alongside the backstories of all of these people, makes enough substance for the film to succeed with these elements alone. And with

a little bit of tweaking, the other major elements of the film, the oilsands themselves and life in Fort McMurray, could also carry the film. But when all of these elements are pushed together, it can be a bit too much work for the audience to make the connections. Does Dan’s dream a country music career in Nashville have anything to do with his life in Fort McMurray? Perhaps, but that connection is never made, and instead we get to hear what Dan thinks of the oilsands – some quip about how there was an oil spill in the area a long time ago, and we’re just now getting around to cleaning it up. However, not all of the film’s explanations of the oilsands are so shallow. The only honest character appearing in the documentary seems to be Brandy, a young woman who recognizes her Aboriginal roots and her

Cas & Dylan Racheal Estok Ω Contributor Cas & Dylan is the wickedly fun journey of two unlikely friends. The film stars Richard Dreyfuss as Dr. Cas Pepper and Tatiana Maslany as Dylan Morgan. The pair takes you on an emotional journey through the beautiful landscape of Western Canada from Winnipeg to Vancouver Island. Dreyfuss is brilliant as Cas, an ageing widowed doctor who is no longer sure about what is right and wrong in life. Rising Canadian star Maslany shines in her role as Dylan. Dylan, a twenty-something aspiring writer, struggles with finding out who she is and what she wants in life. Throughout their travels they both question each other’s lifestyle and eventually they realize the value of having a friend to drive you to get what you deserve in life. Upon being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, Cas decides to go west to find peace, and, despite his reluctance, ends up travelling with Dylan. In their newly acquired carrotcoloured V.W. Beetle, Cas and Dylan keep the banter going and a hilariously delightful relationship blossoms. The unlikely pair drives

through neverending Canadian Prairies and the picturesque Rocky Mountains on a trip that neither will ever forget. Dylan is young, brash and curious, while Cas is rigid, sarcastic and private. Their road-trip relationship is not without disagreements (he likes bluegrass, she likes rock ‘n roll), chaos and a touch (okay, a lot) of sarcastic, witty humour. The film beautifully shows a connection of an unlikey pairing of two people who view the world very differently. Canadian-born actor/director Jason Priestley delivers his feature film directorial debut without disappointment. While the story may be nothing new, what makes this movie wonderful is the great chemistry between the two characters on their journey of self-discovery. The film is inspiring, funny and heartfelt. This perfect blend of comedy and drama is sure to make you laugh and cry. Don’t miss your chance to enjoy this heartwarming and hilarious road trip movie. The film is slated for release in select Canadian theatres April 4.

duty for environmental responsibility, but nonetheless feels powerless to act upon that duty, saying that the oilsands operation is going to happen whether she’s a part of it or not. Still, she can’t justify her job as a heavy truck driver for Suncor, but her honesty with herself makes it seem like she doesn’t need to. There are a number of very interesting ideas in the film that are never really explored. The idea that those who arrive in the city with debt, bills and financial obligations and dreams of paying it all off, simply continue pushing their debts aside to keep up with the high cost of living and urge to make the best of the weekend, for example. That’s a compelling idea worth exploring all on its own. The idea that

relationships don’t last in Fort McMurray because anyone who goes there puts a time limit on their stay? Another compelling idea I would have loved to hear more about. The idea that a lot of the perceptions of Fort Mac are untrue and “bullshit”? Tell me more! It’s obvious that Wilkinson and co-producer Tina Schliessler share a passion for photography. The film’s images of the oilsands, Fort McMurray and the surprisingly beautiful area that surrounds them, are spectacular. The interior shots are less interesting and a bit peculiar in terms of framing, but the production certainly

carries its own style throughout. Overall, the connection made between karaoke and the oilsands isn’t strong enough, and the film finds itself trying to jump between too many things at the same time. Nonetheless, the stories of the karaoke singers make the film worth watching – Iceis’ story alone is worth the cost of admission. With Oil Sands Karaoke, Wilkinson has shown that he’s a Canadian filmmaker worth watching.

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 22

Arts & Entertainment

Sex After Kids Karla Karcioglu Ω Roving Editor The opening scene wasn’t anything particularly funny. A man sitting in a chair, later revealed to be a marriage counsellor, explains his belief that children are bad for a person’s sex life. Sex After Kids is a comedy that follows the lives of a variety of parents as they navigate the changes to their sex lives caused by their children. Regardless of the character’s age, race, class and sexual orientation, each one struggles to rediscover their sex life while parenting babies, toddlers or adult children. Whether it was the young couple who hadn’t had sex for a very specific 359 days and 11 hours since the birth of their daughter, or the older c o u p l e who were trying to

Whitewash Tayla Scott Ω News Collective Intern The film Whitewash was engrossed with tension, drama and humour as the main character fights to survive in the freezing wilderness, tries to stay hidden from the police and battles with the crumbling state of his own sanity. Taking place in rural Quebec, the film gets right into the plot with the main character Bruce, portrayed by Thomas Haden Church, accidentally killing a man with his snowplow. Before even three sentences have been uttered in the film, the manslaughter takes place, forcing Bruce, an alcoholic and a widower, to drive drunkenly

into the woods after burying the man he just killed in the snow. At the beginning of the film, I viewed Bruce as a careless brute. But my view rapidly changed as f lashbacks revealed events prior to the accident, and soon I viewed Bruce as good hearted. There are many scenes that had me and the rest of the audience laughing. I was surprised and impressed at how humour was painted into the scenes as a way to relieve the viewer of the drama, creating a balanced mix. Oddly, Bruce never encounters any police in the film, which made the threat of getting caught less intense. However, the personification of the snowplow allows us to see his sanity begin

to vanish, and it became an ominous force in Bruce’s life. The lack of police encounters is compensated by the snowplow’s presence, and it serves as a unique part of the storyline. The ending confused and disappointed me because of how ambiguous it is. He had been so miserable and close to death in the woods – I wanted to see what happened to him, and some questions are left unanswered. Overall I really enjoyed this film. It showed beautiful scenes of the two sides of winter: quiet snow-laden forest and violent blizzards. It had great actors, a funny and endearing script and beautiful scenes. I would encourage anyone to see it.

rediscover sex after their youngest daughter left the nest, or the lesbians who differ in parent styles, the single mother who cluelessly attempts to reenter the dating game, the single father who gets tired of casual sex, or the Hollywood couple who call their son “Oops,” each character portrays a sincere human experience. The struggles and failed attempts to rekindle the romance provoked fits of laughter from the audience. Scenes of awkward and uncomfortable conversations, of scheduling sex around chores, of attempting something new and a little bit kinky, all made for laughs while also providing a valuable lesson on what it takes to make it through the rough patches. Some bad decisions are made, not all relationships make it out unscathed, and in the end the marriage counsellor declares that sex will suffer after kids, but “maybe something better comes out of it.” I recommend this movie to everyone, parent or not. It will make you laugh and leave you feeling uplifted and ready to make it through life’s struggles. Sex After Kids will appear on iTunes May 2, 2014.

Life & Community

March 12, 2014

Need a job? Stop surfing and start walking (Farnai Fekri/ The Eyeopener)

Leah Hansen The Eyeopener (Ryerson)

for the summer, where the competition is less fierce and jobs are easier to come by. Laura Hamel, a Ryerson first-year performance acting student said the cost of living in Toronto has helped determine her choice. “I’m from Regina so I’ll be moving home to find a job,” she said. “It’s a lot cheaper to live at home and I have a solid job at home.” The summer job market comes down to basic supply and demand, Kennedy said.

“On the supply side, you have basically a lot of students that are looking for jobs during the summer months and that’s fine as long as the demand’s there,” he said. “The demand really hasn’t been there since 2008.” Brennan Thompson, undergraduate program director at Ryerson’s school of economics says that the recession of 2008 has brought everyone down a notch when it comes to the job market. “The guy who was working at the auto assembly plant loses his job and now he’s taking the low paid job at Tim

RESEARCH is everywhere

TORONTO (CUP) — When Parth Patel was in his first few years of the engineering program, he found getting a summer job to be quite challenging. “I applied to more than 60 or 70 jobs,” he said. “I [was] trying to find work [in engineering], but I wasn’t able to.” The frustration of finding a summer job is something many students have experienced before, especially since the 2008 economic crisis when markets around the world crashed. Searching through thousands of job listings online, perfecting your resumé and sending it out can take hours. But if you’re hoping to score that ideal job, going back to the basics is the way to go, said Daniel Kennedy, a career consultant at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management careers and employment partnerships centre in Toronto. “If you go into [the websites] Monster or Workopolis and you type in ‘summer jobs’ you’re going to find job postings,” he said. “The problem is there are about four million other students across Canada who are going to find those same job postings.” It often comes down to doing some old-fashioned scouting on the ground, Kennedy said, adding that proactively approaching employers can make a bigger impression than simply sending a resumé by email. “What students should do if they really want to make a go of it is to look for companies that don’t have the capacity to advertise for those summer jobs,” he said. “If you can identify, and find those companies and approach them proactively, that will give you a much better chance.” Because finding a job can be so difficult in urban centres and university towns, many students decide to go back to their hometowns

Kamloops

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MARCH 28 1:00pm

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Kamloops Startup Coffee is a regular informal meetup for entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in the #startuplife. Details Powered by 250.434.0200 www.kamloopsinonovation.ca

Horton’s,” he said. “Now the young person who used to have that job at Tim Horton’s [doesn’t] have anything.” Kennedy says the market is starting to bounce back. But compared to 10 years ago, finding a summer job is far more of a challenge. Even in a city as big as Toronto, competition can be fierce because there are so many students looking for temporary employment. According to Kennedy, even if the job you end up with isn’t at all related to your field, it’s still a good idea to

include it on your resumé. Employers look at how your skills have evolved, even if the job you had was just bussing tables. The hard skills you gain might not be related to your future career, but the soft skills — like leadership skills, problem solving abilities and customer service experience — will come in handy. “No one is expecting you to graduate here and have four years of senior project management experience,” he said. “What they want to see is that there’s a progression.”

Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) program Did you know that you could receive a $4500 scholarship, plus up to $1000 for expenses, to complete your own research project? UREAP awards are available to undergraduate students in all faculties.

Join us for a UREAP workshop and find out more: March 3, 12:30 –13:20, S 375 March 11, 12:00 –12:50, OM 1752 March 19, 12:30 –13:20, AE 266

tru.ca/research/undergraduate

Opinion Feature How my anxiety made me a better person The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 22

Max Hall

The Peak (SFU) A little over two years ago, I had my first panic attack. In retrospect, it was a pretty normal night — I was in bed with my (now ex) girlfriend, watching Parks and Recreation and eating junk food. This was right before I began university, and a dead end barista job was pretty much my only responsibility. I spent most of my days watching movies, drinking with my friends, and playing video games. I had no concrete plans for my future, and little to no passion for anything. My anxiety changed all that. That night, my heart went into overdrive, my body started shaking uncontrollably, and my vision blurred. I laid on the bathroom f loor for what seemed like hours, trying to catch my breath. I can still remember the feeling of the cold tile on my cheek. I was sure that I was having a stroke, a brain aneurysm, a seizure — something like that. I’ve always been a hypochondriac, and that night, it felt like all my fears had finally been confirmed. I stuck my finger down my throat until I threw up, just to make sure I hadn’t accidentally swallowed something poisonous. Things didn’t get much better from there. The next six months were a blur of sleepless nights, sick days, and empty beer bottles. Never the most social person, I retreated even deeper into my shell. I didn’t call anyone, and I barely ever went outside. I self-medicated with alcohol and chamomile tea. On the off chance someone tried to contact me, I pretended I wasn’t there. My girlfriend and I grew more and more distant, and my growing isolation only made

(Image by Chen Chen/ The Peak) me more anxious, more afraid. For months and months afterward, I struggled to keep my head above water. I would start to feel my hands shake, a chill would go down my spine, and instantly I’d be transported back to that night, lying on the bathroom f loor. But somewhere along the way — whether it was the pills, a gradual increase in confidence,

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or plain old time — I got stronger. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I started stepping outside of my comfort zone. It was scary, and more than once I felt like I was making a huge mistake. Two years later, I’m in university, I’ve met someone new, and I’m doing the best work of my life. If I met the kid I was two years ago, I wouldn’t recognize him. People with mental illness are too often told to “suck it up” or “think positively,” as though depression or anxiety are conditions that can be cured by sheer willpower. This, of course, is not true — it takes time, a steady support system, and often the help of a doctor or a medical professional. But I’d be lying if I said that my anxiety hasn’t made my life better than it was before. I know that in no small part, the person that I am today is a result of the struggles and challenges that my mental illness has presented me. Once I had the strength to start broadening my horizons, I did so; the thought of being holed up in my room for the rest of my life was even more terrifying than coming out of my carefully constructed shell. I applied to SFU, and got an entrance scholarship. I started writing for the student newspaper, and rediscovered a passion for

writing and journalism. I ended an unhealthy relationship and I made new connections. This meant stepping out of my comfort zone almost daily — most of the time, it sucked. But it didn’t suck half as much as standing still and waiting for my situation to get better on its own.

Now, I think of myself as a better, more courageous person, because I know that if my anxiety threatens to take over my life again, I’ll have the tools necessary to beat it. After all, I’ve done it before. I’m not arguing that all other people in similar predicaments should take the same approach as me; different strategies work for different people. The important thing is to find what works for you, and to follow through. If watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer calms your nerves, do that. If exercise and healthy food make the world seem a little less dim, more power to you. People forget that mental illness, at the end —Max Hill, of the day, is a lot like most physical illness. Panic Attack Sufferer It’s not easy to fix, and it’s impossible to beat it all by yourself. But that doesn’t make you I told my doctor about what I powerless — if you’re willing was going through, even though to ask for help and to find out I was terrified and ashamed of which strategies suit you best, admitting it, and he wrote me a you have a much better chance prescription. at controlling your illness, rather It took a lot more than than letting it control you. willpower to put my life in the If I met my former self two right direction, but having the years ago, worrying he’d be this courage to admit that I had way forever, I would tell him the a problem is one of the most same thing I’m saying here: your important decisions I’ve ever life isn’t over. made. It’s just beginning.

“

I felt sure I was having a stroke, a brain aneurism, a seizure — something like that.”

Did you know The Omega has a Flickr page where we keep a bunch of awesome photos? Check it out sometime.

Coffee Break 8

sudokueasy

7 9 5

6 2

5 2 4 1 9 6 3 5 2 4 8 7 4 3 9 1 3

5 4

1 2

1 8 6 sudokuhard

“Avian Sayings”

3 6

5 7 1 9

Puzzle of the week Puzzle of the Week #17 – Pi[e]! It is Pi Day on Friday, March 14th (3.14)! Mom baked a delicious raspberry pie. Dad enjoyed a standard-size piece (1/6 of a pie). Youngest son had one, too, and snuck another 1/2 piece. Middle son did the same. Oldest son had the average amount of pie among the four. This left a small piece for Mom. The family kitten got into it and smeared half of that all over the kitchen counter. How much of the pie got smeared? 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.

Across

Down

1. Stopping point 5. Mischievous god 9. Regional flora and fauna 14. Accomplished 15. Masculine side 16. ___ management 17. Gain wealth wrongfully 20. UK soft drink 21. Perennial plants 22. Refines 25. Clear 26. Provided relief 28. Back talk 32. Conelike structures 37. Window alternative 38. Subject of parent-child talk 41. Alleviated 42. Some eyes and teeth 43. “Isn’t it a ____,” Harrison song 44. Old Faithful, e.g. 46. Other side 47. Italian city 53. Pristine 58. Mexican bread 59. Confess 62. New World lizard 63. Gulf leader 64. Fill beyond full 65. Less 66. Fishing site 67. Genuine

1. Drifts 2. Crosswise, on deck 3. Grassy plain 4. Surrender 5. Burn cause 6. Galley tool 7. Turning point? 8. Slight, in a way 9. Established 10. ___ of Court 11. S-shaped molding 12. Check 13. Fine things? 18. Radioactive 19. Chisholm Trail town 23. It grows on you 24. Young herring 27. “Rock the Boat” music 28. Bronx cheer 29. Brings into play 30. Bug out 31. German historian Joachim 32. Dance bit 33. Pad ___ (noodle dish) 34. Leftovers 35. Mind 36. Nod, maybe 37. Pop-ups 39. Astringent substance 40. Perceive 44. Arias, usually 45. Looked secretly

46. Manicurist, at times 48. Place for sweaters? 49. Perspicacity 50. Bartender on TV’s Pacific Princess 51. Needle point? 52. Still 53. One of seven branches 54. Supreme Court count 55. Singer Phoebe 56. Rake’s look 57. It’s just for show 60. Melody 61. Blubber

N O V

Q U

H O U

W A

X E A T

A N

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N O N M C T S

C H

M E

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O O M

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RANDOM JOKE There were two men trying to decide what to do for a living. They went to see a counsellor, and he decided that they had good problem solving skills. He tried a test to narrow the area of specialty. He put each man in a room with a stove, a table, and a pot of water on the table. He said “Boil the water.” Both men moved the pot from the table to the stove and turned on the burner to boil the water. Next, he put them into a room with a stove, a table, and a pot of water on the floor. Again, he said “Boil the water.” The first man put the pot on the stove and turned on the burner. The counselor told him to be an Engineer, because he could solve each problem individually. The second man moved the pot from the floor to the table, and then moved the pot from the table to the stove and turned on the burner. The counsellor told him to be a politician because he reduced the problem to a previously solved problem which required extra steps to complete and added complications and additional manpower.

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

MYLES MELLOR AND SALLY YORK

4 3

March 12, 2014

crossword

Sports

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 22

Attendance figures from each draw at the 2014 Brier.

(Graphic by Sean Brady/ The Omega)

Kamloops host to least attended Brier in 25 years 65,005 tickets sold for the event, meaning, on average, the arena was at 53 per cent capacity Sean Brady Ω Copy/Web Editor All told, the 2014 Tim Hortons Brier managed to attract a total audience of 65,005 over the course of its nine-day run. Attendance per-draw ranged from 2,077 to 5,238 in the 5,500seat Interior Savings Centre. On average, the arena was just 53 per cent full. Figures below 106,394 (the attendance for the 1982 Brier in Brandon, Manitoba) don’t appear on the Brier’s official website, but in a document

Top: The Brier Tankard, the trophy presented to the winning team at each championship tournament is delivered in traditional fashion to the ice surface during the seventh end break of the Gold Medal match. (Mike Davies/ The Omega) Above: Quebec Skip Jean-Michel Ménard can only watch as Manitoba’s Jeff Stoughton racks up points early to take an 8-1 lead in Sunday’s bronze medal match. Québec would make a game of it late, with two points in each of the seventh and eighth ends, but the early defecit was too much to overcome as the Stoughton rink held on for a 9-5 win. (Mike Davies/ The Omega) Right: An elated and exhausted Team Alberta celebrates their 2014 Brier Championship title. (Mike Davies/ The Omega) Bottom: Skip Kevin Koe leads his Alberta rink to victory in Saturday night’s semifinal game, with an 11-end 9-8 win over Quebec, which put them in the final on Sunday versus B.C. (Sean Brady/ The Omega)

compiled on a fan site by Ted Soutar, attendance records are available back to 1946. The 2014 Kamloops Brier was the only Brier in the past 22 years that did not break 100,000 total attendance, and it stands as the least attended Brier in the past 25 years. When Kamloops last hosted the Brier in 1996, back when Interior Savings Centre was known as Riverside Coliseum, total attendance reached 127,746, the 15th-best attended Brier of all time. Despite the low attendance, the

Canadian Curling Association (CCA) isn’t too worried. In a March 3 Winnipeg Free Press article, CCA events director Warren Hansen said “We have a substantial war chest – we can take a hit. But we can’t take too many of them.” According to the 2012-13 CCA annual report, event revenue and funding comprised just three per cent of the association’s $10 million in total revenue, with sponsorships and Canada’s Own the Podium program making up 79 per cent of the association’s funding.

March 12, 2014

ELECTION NOTICE POLLING WILL TAKE PLACE ON: Wednesday, March 26th, 8:00AM-8:00PM & Thursday, March 27th, 8:00AM-4:00PM in the TRUSU Boardrooom Nominations open Monday, March 4, 2013 at 9:00AM for the following positions: • • • • • • • • • •

President Vice President External Vice President Finance Vice President Internal Aboriginal Students’ Representative Graduate Students’ Representative International Students’ Representative LGBTQ Students’ Representative Women Students’ Representative Director-at-Large (4)

Nominations close Friday, March 15, 2013 at 4:00PM To nominate yourself for election to the Board of Directors for 2014/2015 you must pick up a nomination package at the Members’ Services Desk in the Students’ Union Buidling and submit the completed nomination package before 4:00PM on March 15. Nomination packages will be available starting March 4 at 9:00AM. The campaign period begins at 9:00AM on Monday, March 17, 2013 and runs untill 4:00PM on Thursday March 27, 2013. If you have questions regarding the TRUSU General Election please contact the Electoral Committee at elections@trusu.ca, 250.828.5289, or visit trusu.ca

/TRUStudentsUnion

@TRUSU15

trusu.ca