August 2014 by The Omega

The Omega

Volume 23, Issue 30 August 2014

Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper

Renting, part 2

Op-Ed

Features

Puzzles

Sports

Page 2

Page 3

Pages 4, 5

Page 6

Page 7

Know your What is renting rights: university Homestay for?

One homestay student’s story of how his living arrangement just wasn’t working out, and how others can avoid it

Broad-based education to explore yourself and your interests, or in-andout to get a good job?

Inspiring from WolfPack the powwow hockey shuts trail down

Chicken dancer and secondyear business student Ryan Oliverius helps others make healthy choices

WolfPack men’s hockey is no more, following economic troubles and difficulty recruiting players

2 Feature Know your rights as a renter: Homestay Students The story of one student’s turbulent homestay experience Kim Anderson Ω Contributor As an alternative to renting an apartment or house, or staying in on-campus housing, TRU World offers the homestay program for international students. The host family agrees to provide a private bedroom, fully furnished accommodations, utilities and three meals per day for the student in exchange for $720 per month. But the experience hasn’t necessarily been a pleasant one for all of those who decide to integrate themselves into the homestay program. Second-year TRU student Nahush Jadhav is one of those people. The goal behind the program is to allow students to participate in Canadian culture and customs, enjoy a family support system, familiarize themselves with Kamloops and to practice their language skills, according to TRU World. The selection process for host families is extensive. The families are interviewed, their homes are inspected and everyone over 19 in the household undergoes a criminal record check to ensure a safe environment for the student. Jadhav didn’t know the Kamloops area and wanted to experience Canadian culture. With that in mind, he opted to apply for a homestay living arrangement. He paid the $150 non-refundable processing fee and went through the standard application and placement process with TRU World. Jadhav had no problem with his living space or the family he was placed with. His biggest issue was the quantity of food provided – it simply was not enough for him. He said that young men in his age group, especially those who work out, will often be concerned with getting an adequate amount of protein during meals. “They served me toast and ketchup as a meal,” Jadhav said. “Whenever the entire family ate

with us, the food was OK, but when it was just my homestay sister and I, [the food] wasn’t much.” He found the situation to be so undesirable and uncomfortable that he decided to leave. But Jadhav wasn’t able to simply leave his host family’s house without losing his $360 deposit. He contacted his international student advisor, explained the situation and said he wanted to leave by the end of the week. The advisor informed him that just like in a standard month-tomonth lease, Jadhav must give a full month notice of intent to vacate. However, he could pay a lesser amount for rent, due to the food issue. He relayed the message from his advisor to his host parents along with his intent to vacate. “My host parents said that my international student advisor was wrong, and I’d have to pay for the full month. The agreement I signed was complicated, [it was] in lawyer terms. My relationship with the host family then became very awkward during the last week.” TRU World was contacted, but did not provide a comment on the matter. After giving notice and signing a termination notice for TRU World, Jadhav moved into the McGill housing. To his relief, he felt the location was great and had no further issues with housing after moving on from his homestay situation. Jadhav believes that international students are more likely to get stuck in similar homestay situations because they don’t convey their problems or grievances to the host parents. Different cultural norms and expectations dictate many international students’ conduct and interactions with their host parents. Although Jadhav’s experience was undesirable, homestay arrangements can work and be beneficial to both student and host family.

August 2014

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POSTER SALE Homestay students at TRU have the right to expect adequate, furnished accommodations, a private bedroom, three meals per day and respect for their religious or cultural differences. If those needs aren’t met, they should consult with their advisor immediately. Some problems can be resolved with help and conf lict mediation. TRU World has provided an online homestay guide for host parents and students. It is an extensive handbook outlining the fees, rights and responsibilities, cultural considerations and conf lict management tips. “Homestay can be a good experience to learn Canadian culture and lifestyle. But, if the homestay family isn’t good to you, or isn’t working out, you should just leave. Right away.”

Second-year student Nahush Jadhav believes that international students might have problems with their homestay arrangement because they don’t convey their problems to their host family. Image courtesy Nahush Jadhav

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 30

The Omega www.truomega.ca

August 2014 Volume 23, Issue 30

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff

If we can pay inmates, we can pay interns – what needs to happen to stop the practice of unpaid internships? Info and action are needed

Mike Davies Sean Brady editor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069

@PaperguyDavies @iamseanbrady NEWS EDITOR

Vacant

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Vacant Vacant

Editor’s Note

ROVING EDITOR

Sean Brady Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief

Vacant

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR

Vacant

COPY/WEB EDITOR

Vacant

omegacontributors Kim Anderson

publishingboard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF * Mike Davies INDUSTRY REP * Chris Foulds 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.

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.

When Canadian inmates banded together to sue the government over pay cuts, my initial reaction was surprise that their pay was significant enough in the first place for any cuts to really matter. According to an Aug. 10 article by CBC News, inmate pay was cut by 30 per cent by the Correctional Service of Canada. According to claims made in the suit, their pay is based on the 1981 minimum wage minus an 85 per cent deduction. They might make up to $6.90 per day, but on average receive something like $3 per day, according to the article. By 2014 standards, this seems like little more than a token wage only in place to distinguish their work from slavery. But they are prisoners after all, and there are significant expenses behind incarceration. (Whether or not many of them should be there in the first place is an argument to be made later, perhaps.) But, nonetheless they are paid something. In fact, one complainant in the suit, an inmate at a Kingston, Ont. institution, told CBC News that the pay cut would affect his ability

Editor’s Note Mike Davies Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief

@TRU_Omega

“On August 11, 2014, at approximately 11:55 a.m.,” read the press release on my screen, “Marin County Communications received a 9-1-1 telephone call reporting a male adult had been located unconscious and not breathing inside his residence in unincorporated Tiburon, CA.” That unconscious and not-breathing man was one of the keystones of my childhood. Unlike most others, I never really saw him as a comedian. I saw him as a magician – or, at least, as

Facebook. Do it.

By some estimates, Canada has nearly 300,000 unpaid interns. Compare this to the twice-as-large United Kingdom, where there were an estimated 100,000 unpaid interns in 2010. In early May, the British House of Commons voted 181 to 19 to ban unpaid internships, a first step towards the ban becoming a law. The same needs to happen in Canada. The risk of losing easy access to on-the-job experience is a risk we’re going to have to take. It’s simply not enough to pay someone

with an opportunity to gain experience – not when students are struggling more and more with their finances and are forced into making financial decisions that could have long-lasting effects on their lives. Students shouldn’t be pushed towards a prison of their own making. The pressure to acquire a post-secondary degree is bad enough. The expectation that they should work for free during or immediately after their degree is simply absurd. editor@truomega.ca

Canadian prisoners have filed suit against the government claiming that the recent pay cut infringes on their Charter rights. What would happen if unpaid interns were this organized? (sarahbaker/Flickr)

Remebering what an icon of my youth showed me about the world and how he taught me to see it

Twitter: “Like” us on

to pay for university courses he’s taking, meaning fewer phone calls to professors and difficulty paying for stamps to mail in his assignments. While this particular inmate’s commitment to bettering himself from the inside is certainly admirable, I can’t help but compare it to the struggles that students face, even with their freedom. How many students spent this past summer working for nothing at an unpaid internship? Well… funny thing about that. We don’t really know. Nova Scotia MP Scott Brison broached the issue in question period in May 2013. “Stats Canada does not track unpaid internships in Canada, and you can’t manage what you can’t or don’t measure. So will the government take the first step and direct Stats Canada to track the number of young Canadians who are working today in unpaid internships?” Parliamentary secretary Kellie Leitch, with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, responded but did not answer Brison’s question. But there were two researchers at the University of Victoria who would have liked to see that question answered. James Attfield and Isabelle Couture are public administration grad students at UVic, and they decided to conduct their own research on unpaid interns in Canada. According to their preliminary results seen in a May 21 Canadian Press article, 83 per cent of respondents said they earned less than the provincial minimum wage or nothing at all. It shouldn’t take two grad student researchers to answer questions that are critical to Canada’s economy.

Goodbye Robin, and thank you

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.)

If only unpaid interns were this organized

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

SPORTS EDITOR

Editorial & Opinion

someone magical. I wouldn’t know the comedian in him until later. And now he’s gone. One of the first movies I remember being told I wasn’t allowed to watch was Good Morning Vietnam. I totally did anyway. So there, Mom and Dad. I didn’t even know what was so funny, but I laughed and laughed and it was one of the best film experiences of my life. I watch it again now and get the subtleties I missed as a child, and the damning social commentary, and I laugh and laugh yet again. Then came the first of his films I was allowed – nay, encouraged – to watch. And for good reason. Hook (1991) was one of those “turning point” films in terms of the appreciation I had for what film could do. It can transport you to a place within your imagination you didn’t know – or at least had forgotten – was there. I will never, til the end of my days, forget the feeling that coursed through me when I watched “grown up” Peter first see Never Land how it is and remember who he was. A year later, I saw a very underappreciated film called Toys, and was again taken away to a magical land where anything is possible. Even Dead Poets Society, which

I found later in life after finding the joy of the written word, captured my imagination – along with that of every kid who needed a teacher like John Keating – and sent me off again dreaming, with a profound sense of wonder. Jumanji, Flubber, Jack, What Dreams May Come, Bicentennial Man, Night at the Museum, and the iconic Mrs. Doubtfire possibly most of all – they all had, at their heart, a message worth learning. They were about the beauty that can be found in the harsh realities of the real world that surrounds us every day. I will miss you, Robin. We are better for having had you in our midst, and are worse for not having you any longer. But I will focus on the joy you brought and the attitudes you taught, rather than the personal battle you fought – the one that took you from us before we were ready to see you go. “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world,” you said as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. And when you said it, I knew it was true. You did change the world. At least you did for me. Thank you for that. editor@truomega.ca

Robin Williams should be remembered by the joy he brought us all. (Eva Rinaldi/Flickr Commons)

Feature What is university for? 4

August 2014

Broad-based education to explore yourself and your interests, or in-and-out to get a good job? Mike Davies Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief To some, it’s a no brainer. You go to university to train for the career you want because you’ve already established what you want to do for a living. And you’ve been told that what it takes to get you there is a particular program at a postsecondary institution. To others, university is a time for you to explore your options, find out who you are, and learn as much as you can from those who know more about things than you do. The career will come later, after all. Now is the time for you to find and broaden yourself.

So who is doing it right? Trick question. There’s no right or wrong way to pursue an education. These are both good and valid reasons to become educated. Susan Forseille, coordinator in the TRU career education department, however, wishes more students would take the time to explore their academic surroundings and broaden their studies while in university in order to better prepare themselves for the job market, rather than having a target and pounding their way through to get to it. “I would rather have students be very open-minded when they come to school,” she said. Her advice is for students to take a variety of classes, join different groups and take different work experiences, because you can’t draw out in advance how your career will go. “Usually the path I see with students is that they do something well in high school, and they’ll get that verbal support and they get told, ‘you should go into accounting,’ ‘you should go into welding,’ or ‘you should go into sciences,’ without really giving thought into ‘what are your values? What are your interests?’” she said. She calls this approach to one’s education, “premature occupational tracking.” “They come in and they’re very tunnel-focused,” she said. “They’ve picked from a handful of

occupations that they know the titles of—which is quite limited, because the titles are always changing—and then they’ll think they’re doing an exceptional job because they’re following some preconceived linear path to their goal.” According to Forseille, careers are never linear. What you’re interested in when you’re 17 is probably not what you’re going to be interested in when you’re 23, and will be completely different from what you want out of a career when you’re 30. She should know. A large part of what she does for the university is tracking alumni as they progress through their careers. Among those who followed the path they thought they needed, she said that they often don’t end up in their field at all, and that those who do are often less happy with the result. Basically, according to Forseille, whose job it is to analyze employment due to education and help match people within that system using her findings, people may say they are going to postsecondary just because they want an in-demand job with security, but because what one does is so much a part of who one is, they end up in careers that, while possibly connected in some way to what they thought they’d be doing, they may have arrived at by a different route more quickly if they’d explored their options by discovering themselves through education rather than bee lining through school to get the piece of paper they thought they needed.

But what training?

about

skills

Mercedes Mueller, a student at the University of Ottawa, wrote an exciting and engaging opinion piece in May, 2013 for her school’s newspaper, The Fulcrum, in which she lambastes the university system for not giving students the jobspecific skills in careers that are in-demand while they attend those institutions. “Universities pride themselves on teaching students critical thinking and reasoning skills,” Mueller said

in her article, “Yet upon entering the workforce, many grads have little to offer employers in terms of ‘skills.’ Skills, primarily associated with the hands-on learning done at colleges, are a severely lacking component of university curricula.” Forseille, however, who is also a key liaison between industry and the university as one of the main organizers of the job fair each year, said that employers are telling her they’d rather train the specific skills of the job themselves to a prospective employee who has already developed the capacity to learn quickly, think on their feet, communicate effectively, and be self aware enough to recognize strengths and weaknesses. And it’s not just businesses recruiting cubicle-dwellers who are telling her this. It’s companies like Shell, who recruit engineers and scientists, as well as industrial, resourcebased companies looking for labourers and tradespeople. “They’re looking at emotional intelligence and transferrable skills,” Forseille said, “and are finding they’re having much more success rates and much higher employability levels in those they hire when they go that route in their recruiting and hiring process,” instead of hiring based on technical training and job-specific skills already learned. Associate professor Todd Pettigrew, of the University of Cape Breton, also addressed Mueller’s piece directly in his own editorial in McLean’s magazine, saying much the same thing. “The danger lies not in too little practical and focused training, but too much. We should not fear a workforce that is too broad-minded but one that is too specialized. If we are not careful, we will career-plan ourselves into a nation that can’t adapt and create because we have only learned how to buy and sell,” Pettigrew said. “The real betrayal,” Pettigrew said, “is not that universities have failed to make good on their promise to get their grads good jobs. The real betrayal is that universities, instead of explaining the profound value of what they have to offer, have been making the promise – implicitly or explicitly – that the basic point of university is to get people jobs.”

is ‘just about getting a job with a certain salary,’” according to the article at Inside Higher Ed, an online resource of all things post-secondary. “‘Citizenship, developing deeper understanding, other things, are all important,’ he said.” Most would consider Bill Gates to be one of the great minds of our time.

The pendulum

The pendulum of post-secondary education, its goals, and those of those it serves (both students and industries who need them), according to Forseille and others, swings back and forth in an attempt to find some mysterious and elusive ideal. While the goal of the institutions used to be to create an educated populace who could think for themselves, participate intelligently and actively in their society and adapt to changes within it, it’s —Susan Forseille, almost like the pendulum has swung too far the other way as of late. TRU career education Forseille said that, “Increasingly, [students are] ignoring knowledge acquisition as the Summers, “increasingly, anything purpose of university and there’s you learn is going to become more conversation about getting a obsolete within a decade, and so the job – it’s all about getting a career,” most important kind of learning is and the institutions have been about how to learn.” playing right into that narrative and The article surrounds the concept preconceived goal, by focusing on of specialization versus broad jobs training rather than intellectual education models, and how the and emotional development. movement in academic institutions Treat your education as your in the recent past has swung the foundation from which you can find pendulum towards the specialization your best fit in the labour market, side of the spectrum. According to she advised, rather than trying to most, it’s starting to go back where shoehorn yourself into a job by it should be. For years we’ve been taking the training you think (or are hearing about getting job training told) it will require. rather than studying different fields “We need to change the culture of interest or studying for studying’s of education, where people enter a sake. certain program in order to attain “Now, the tide seems to be a credential in order to go into a turning,” the article points out, certain field,” she said. “with business leaders lamenting In other words, when people ask that, although the new talent you, “So, What are you taking?” the arriving at their doorsteps has deep follow-up shouldn’t be, “What are technical knowledge, it lacks the you going to do with that?” skills needed to put this knowledge If the people who the university to full use.” employs to examine the relationship The skills employers are between education, educators, and lamenting being lost in people the workforce, like Susan Forseille, who train for jobs rather than to say that you “should really use become educated, are ones like university as an exploration ground, communication, problem solving, and things will naturally fit together looking at things from a variety of if you’re open-minded and willing angles, being a good cooperative to explore opportunities presented team member, and so on. You know, to you,” and educators around the the things that you develop in a world are moving back toward general arts program. broad-based education because Recently, Bill Gates took a room that’s what industry tells them it full of university business officers wants, it’s possible there is a right to task for their business model that answer to the original question of, sees increasing cuts to programs “Who’s doing it right?” after all. based on limited available funding So while there’s tremendous being allocated away from those pressure to figure out what career disciplines that don’t graduate high you’ll go into before you even figure percentages of students or are not in out who you are, it might be better “in-demand” fields. to treat your education as your Though the focus of his speech foundation from which you can find wasn’t the promotion of broad-based your best fit in the labour market, learning, but rather the changing as Forseille put it, rather than trying business model of post-secondary to shoehorn yourself into a job by education itself, his remarks could taking the training you think (or are be seen as telling in terms of what told) it will require. he sees the value of education being. And you’ll also be helping swing “He described as ‘oversimplistic’ the pendulum back where most the view that higher education people seem to think it belongs.

“

Are we a factory just spitting out degrees and that’s where our job is done?”

So what are institutions’ roles in this?

Susan Forseille wants to see students take the time to explore their academic surroundings and broaden their studies. (Mike Davies/The Omega)

asked. “Are we a factory just spitting out degrees and that’s where our job is done… or are we going to be more enlightened to really support students in discovering themselves and understanding themselves more effectively?” In a 2012 Globe and Mail article entitled, “Why university students need a well-rounded education,” various professors from all around the world, as well as professionals from industry, all chimed in on the side of broad-based education. “I think,” said former Harvard University president Lawrence

Perhaps Forseille asked the important question better than anyone else. “Where is the institution’s responsibility?” she

Feature

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 30

Inspiring others from the powwow trail Chicken dancer and TRU business student Ryan Oliverius finds ways to inspire others to make healthy choices in life Sean Brady Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief The powwow grounds were baked in the sun – but temperatures in the high 30s didn’t keep people away or push the dancers back into the shade. Over the three days of the 2014 Kamloopa Powwow, the 35th annual, an estimated 15,000 people made their way around the arbour. The centre of the arbour was filled with jumping flairs of spinning regalia, all to an unstoppable drumbeat from one of the many drum circles positioned around the circle. The outside of the ring was well stocked with folding chairs, mostly empty as viewers tried to avoid the sun. I was further back under the well-shaded interior to watch Saturday night’s grand entry. Led by the eagle staff and flags of many nations, including B.C., Canada, the United States and the Secwepemc (Shuswap), the grand entry established the tone and mood of the powwow. It was a display so grand and diverse that it was almost overwhelming. Dancers and tribesmen in colourful regalia, both fluorescent and pastel, danced their way into the grounds, parading around the outside, eventually spiralling into the centre to accommodate everyone. In the middle of the arbour, leaders, still shifting foot to foot to the drumbeat, held the flags high. Over the loudspeaker, each group was announced as they entered. Nations from all across Canada and the United States had come to dance and display. Eventually some filtered out, leaving only those left to be announced. Finally, an intertribal dance was called and all attending were welcomed to join in and dance, and many did. At the edge of the arbour, the grand entrants made their grand exits bathed in a golden orange sunset. It was at this exit near the large eagle statue that I met Ryan Oliverius, a chicken dancer from the Okanagan Nation and a second-year TRU student. Oliverius is no stranger to powwows – this was his fourth just this year. When he was five years old, his mother, aunties and cousins went away to a one, leaving him alone at home with his dad. Not long after they left, a five-year-old Oliverius cried over the phone. He

pleaded to his mother that he could dance and sing, too. And it worked. His family made him an outfit and he joined them from then on. In his regalia, adorned with every colour, but trimmed in white, he dances in the Chicken Dance category, a style of dance that originated with the Blackfoot people of southern Alberta and northern Montana. “I liked the way they moved, the intricate movements,” he said. “I thought it was cool, wanted to try it out and then it just stuck.” His regalia is the product of years of additions and changes, made up of things acquired over the years on the powwow trail and inspired by the traditions of his Okanagan Nation. In his hands, he held a Peyote bird and a medicine bag. “In my beadwork I have animals and flowers – that’s what Okanagan people tend to bead,” he said. Oliverius wasn’t just here to show off, though. The story of his attendance is one with meaning and purpose. “I grew up on a reservation. Alcohol and drugs were really bad. It wasn’t uncommon to go to a gathering and see people drinking, and there’s young kids who see that and think it’s normal,” he said. Escaping to a powwow is one of the ways that Oliverius has used to stay away from alcohol and drugs. He was also guided by his family, who supported his decisions and decided together to make healthy choices. “My grandma was kind of the main person behind it. She didn’t drink, and she talked to my aunties and my mom about it, and slowly everyone else started following her and left that way of life, going back to our traditions,” he said. Though she has since passed, it’s clear that Oliverius took her message to heart. He used to work with school districts and the Okanagan Indian Band, going into schools to teach kids how to dance and how to make healthy choices and avoid the problems he saw growing up. “I just wanted to show the kids that don’t have a family like mine to teach them. A lot of kids grow up in dysfunctional families and they don’t really have anyone to show them any other way,” he said. He continues to be a role model as a dancer at powwows across Canada and the United States. His initial decision to occupy himself on the

weekend by attending powwows is based on the very problem he’s now helping others avoid. “A powwow is definitely cultural, but I wouldn’t say it’s a traditional thing. It hasn’t been around for a very long time. It’s just a way for people to see and have an idea what their culture is about. “A lot of people grow up in the cities and don’t have close roots to their heritage. Just by going to the powwow and spending the weekend there, they get an idea and form a sense of identity. In the past fifteen years or so it’s definitely grown into something a lot bigger because of that.” His positive outlook will most certainly be an asset going forward. Starting in the fall, Oliverius will be working as mentor at TRU’s Gathering Place, welcoming and assisting new students just as he was welcomed when he first arrived. “I went there on my first day and it was really friendly and a really positive environment. They all introduced themselves to me, asked me what my name was and made me feel at home,” he said. Looking forward, Oliverius is focused on finishing his degree in business and further improving his grades, all while working with new students through the Gathering Place. He’s spent the summer on an internship with Flatiron-Graham, an engineering and construction company based in Chilliwack, doing accounting and other businessrelated tasks. He hopes to one day either go into business for himself or work with the Okanagan Indian Band or another First Nations organization and to continue encouraging others to make healthy choices. As I made my way outside around the arbour to leave, the bright orange sun had retreated behind the hills down the valley and the lights had come on inside. A thunderstorm had roared in above Mt. Paul and I wondered if it would have any effect on the celebration inside. I had a feeling it wouldn’t. Nothing could stop people from dancing to that drumbeat. TOP: The Kamloopa Powwow Grounds arbour seen during the grand entry at the 2014 powwow. RIGHT: Ryan Oliverius, seen posing in his Okanagan band-inspired regalia. (Sean Brady/The Omega)

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49. Certain inmate 50. Empty 51. Kind of pool 52. “Give It To You” rapper 54. Illuminated 55. Muzzle 57. Blown away 59. Hombre’s home 60. “Iliad” warrior 61. Blue books? 62. See 64. Go horizontal 65. Directed

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LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS

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SMBC-COMICS.COM

sudokuhard

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Thoughts from the shower From reddit.com/r/showerthoughts With the clothes on my back and my credit card and passport in my pocket, I could be nearly anywhere in the world within 24 hours. reddit user PainMatrix

I want to put a horse in a horse costume. People would see it and say, “Damn, those guys are good”? reddit user bobbygarafolo

If we call a recently married couple newlyweds, why don’t we call their children newlybreds? reddit user husky_ footpaws

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Sports

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 30

TRU hockey program shuts down WolfPack men faced an uneven playing field and recruitment issues: Olynyk Sean Brady Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief A funding shortfall has ended the hockey program as TRU has known it since the 2009-10 season, when the team first appeared in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL). Carrying a deficit into the year, the program’s board of directors was unsure of their situation when they met in the spring. Then, the decision was made to increase player fees, up from $1,500 to $2,400 per player. Following the changes, the board decided it would reassess in December. But they didn’t make it to December. Some players were unwilling to pay the increased fees and funding became an even more pressing issue. Finally, on July 29, the decision was made to cease hockey operations. “There were a number of prospective players and current players that decided they didn’t want to pay that [amount], so they were either not going to play hockey or look to transfer elsewhere,” TRU athletics director Ken Olynyk said. “When that

all came down, we decided that as a board it wasn’t feasible to continue. We weren’t going to have the funds to continue the program at the level we wanted, and we had only 12-15 players committed.” Because of the departure, the BCIHL will proceed with the 2014-15 season with just five teams. “We’re sorry to lose a valued member that has provided high-quality competition in our league for the past five years,” said BCIHL president Kim Verigin in a press release. “The timing and circumstances surrounding TRU’s decision are unfortunate and disappointing, but it’s important at times like these to focus on the many areas where the league has made great strides in the areas of competitive growth and stability.” In terms of timing, the shutdown came abruptly. TRU athletics announced its latest signing, 19-yearold Desmond Bast out of Langford, B.C., just 12 days before things came to an end. As for the circumstances, the issue of recruiting was made difficult for TRU because of the “player pay” model it had to use. Other institutions have varsity teams where the institution (or another benefactor) helps cover the costs. TRU had

trouble fitting into what the BCIHL has become. “I don’t think it’s an even playing field when some institutions have player fees and others don’t.” “When the proposal first came forward, probably 8-9 years ago from Simon Fraser University, the idea was that it was going to be a ‘player pay’ league, almost like a select intramural team, but then it just continued to grow,” Olynyk said. “The initial proposal was not what we have today. It might be what people wanted, but it wasn’t what the proposal was.” The WolfPack joined the BCIHL for the 2009-10 season and was a league finalist in 2010 and 2011, never missing the playoffs. In the 2013-14 season, the ‘Pack went 9-14-0-1 and was eliminated in the first round by the Selkirk College Saints. “I think the team itself played very well in the earlier years, and continued to do so – the other teams got very strong,” Olynyk said. “I don’t think it’s an even playing field when some institutions have player fees and others don’t. When you look at leagues, it’s no different than when you look at pro sport, and they have salary caps. The whole idea is that you try to level the playing field

to make it competitive and exciting for everyone.” A return to the BCIHL isn’t out of the question, but without a guarantee of funding, Olynyk doesn’t see it happening. The team requires approximately $100,000 in revenue to operate, and he’s looking for a fiveyear commitment. “Right now, we’re not going to have hockey back next year. When a

decision like this is made, you have to take time away and make sure everything is in place before you bring it back,” Olynyk said. “The group that initiated hockey at TRU was a strong group, and they did a great job. Now, they’re not going to be involved, so there would have to be a new group to come and make a proposal as to how they’re going to make hockey viable at TRU.”

Ken Olynyk said he was proud of how the team played in the time it was around. (Image courtesy TRU Athletics)

Recruiting August 2014 Updates Mike Davies

Grove Secondary in Langley, B.C. and forward Luke Morris out of Mission, B.C. just to name a few.

Ω Co-Editor-in-Chief

Men’s Basketball The ‘Pack have added more depth at the back end in signing guard Victor Aguaro out of Central Catholic High in Portland, Ore. Despite being recruited by both the University of Victoria Vikes and the UBC Thunderbirds, Aguaro decided on TRU because he sees the program being “on the rise,” and wants to be a part of what coach Scott Clark is building at the university, he told TRU Athletics. “He is a guy who looks to score with the basketball and it never stops in his hands,” said coach Clark of his recruit. “He either shoots it or passes it right away. That might sound like an ordinary thing. But a lot of guys stop the ball.” Aguaro joins a squad of incoming recruits that should develop well to fill the gaps left by departing seniors in the coming

Men’s Volleyball

Victor Aguaro adds depth at the back end as a guard. (Image courtesy TRU Athletics)

years. These include forward Joe Davis from Westsyde Secondary right here in Kamloops, forward Josh Mayorga out of Walnut

The Wolf Pack have finally signed a player from Vernon, B.C. to one of their volleyball teams. As the first Vernon product to sign with Wolf Pack volleyball in the program’s history, 6’4” Charles Oduro will likely develop into an outside hitter for the squad. Despite Oduro being relatively new to the game (he said he only started taking it seriously in “about grade 10”), he’s already made a name for himself, competing with Team B.C.’s U17 squad during the summer of 2013. Now that he has decided to dedicate himself to the sport, he’s expected by many to make great strides. Those around him say he’s very receptive to coaching and is eager to learn. His 2013 Team B.C. coach and current Wolf Pack player,

Matt Kreuger remembers that enthusiasm from Oduro when he played under his watch. “That’s what you want in a young player,” Kreuger told the Vernon Morning Star. “His willingness to work hard along

with his coachable personality will be an asset to the volleyball program and culture at TRU.” Check out all the signings made by your favourite Wolf Pack teams this past offseason at tru.ca/athletics.

Charles Oduro has joined the WolfPack men’s volleyball team and will likely develop as an outside hitter. (Image courtesy TRU Athletics)

August 2014

We’re hiring! Got a nose for news? Driven to write? A passion for storytelling? Write for us!

News Editor

Issues Editor

Arts Editor

Sci-Tech Editor

If something of interest to students, faculty or the general community happens on campus, the news editor should know about it. As the news editor, you’ll be responsible for all internal university news, including covering student government, university government and administration. You’ll develop relationships with on-campus sources and rely on them for story ideas and the latest goings-on. You’re all about keeping everyone accountable and honest and you know how to find and tell a story.

The Issues Editor will look for new information and fresh perspectives on issues that affect students and post-secondary education in Canada. Things like cost of education, student living costs and conditions, new teaching methods and technology, international students and more. If there’s an issue that affects all students, the Issues Editor should be writing about it. This position is new to The Omega and applicants should come ready with their own ideas for stories and issues to cover.

The Arts Editor’s role is to bring readers the arts and entertainment information they want and need. As the Arts Editor, you’re tapped in to what students are after. In fact, you’re already ahead of the game, and it’s your job to tell everyone what you know. You’ll review albums, films, plays and more, all with a local focus whenever possible. You’ll also stay on top of campus events of interest and be connected with the campus arts community to give readers a look at the people behind the presentations.

Our world is changing in new and exciting ways, and as the Science & Technology Editor, you know all about it. You’ll be responsible for producing forward-thinking content that examines our changing world, especially in terms of science and technology. You’ll be no stranger to those involved with science and technology at TRU, and your stories will have a local focus whenever possible, always looking for the new and interesting on campus.

Sports Editor

Copy Editor

As the Sports Editor, you’re on top of campus sporting events and news. You’ll be in close contact with the who’s who of university athletics, you’ll attend campus sporting events and you’ll seek the stories of coaches and athletes to reveal their lives outside of the sports world. Knowledge of university athletics is a plus, but a keen attitude and an eagerness to produce are even better.

As the Copy Editor, you’ll do most of your work after everyone else’s deadline has expired. Your job is to take the work of staff and contributors, edit for voice and style and work with writers to make sure they’re writing what they mean. You’ve got a strong grasp on the English language, knowledge of Canadian Press style and you know how to work with WordPress, or at least, you’re eager to learn.

About section editors All of the above section editors will also be responsible for: • • • • • •

Taking and editing photos Finding and managing contributors Editing contributor work Writing in Canadian Press style Attending weekly pitch meetings Regularly scheduled office hours

Multimedia Editor Ad Sales/Distribution The Multimedia Editor will be responsible for producing story packages in the form of videos, graphics and photos for print and web, special online-only presentations and more. As the Multimedia Editor, you’re a creative type who is comfortable with video editing suites like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere and can produce on a deadline. This position is new to The Omega and applicants should come ready with their own ideas for stories and issues to cover.

As the Ad Sales/Distribution Representative, you’re business-minded but savvy of how a newspaper works. At The Omega, you’ll also be in charge of delivery around campus and the community, as well as other minor roles, such as tracking paper pickup. On the sales side of things, you’ll be dealing with local and national advertisers and making commission on your sales. This position requires a reliable vehicle and a valid driver’s license.

The Omega

How to apply

The Omega is Thompson Rivers University’s independent student newspaper. It is published on a weekly basis and hits the stands on Wednesday mornings.

Email your resumé, cover letter and two work samples (and/or a link to your portfolio) to:

The Omega was founded in 1991, and is a registered non-profit society, governed by the Cariboo Student Newspaper Society. All students of Thompson Rivers University in good standing are active members of the Society. Find us online at www.truomega.ca

editor@truomega.ca While The Omega is thankful for all those who express interest, only candidates shortlisted for an interview will be contacted. All applicants must be students at Thompson Rivers University during the 2014-15 academic school year. Positions will remain open until they are filled. Weekly publishing will begin on Sept. 3, and production will begin one week (or earlier) before that.