October 2, 2013

Page 1

Longboarders to get a new venue from city

The Omega Pages 1, 2

Editorial & Opinion Page 3

Volume 23, Issue 5 October 2, 2013

Ω

Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper

News

Pg. 8

Life & Community

Arts & Entertainment

Sports

Pages 5, 8

Page s 6, 7

Page 11

Pop-up yoga brings breast cancer awareness to TRU students Ashley Wadhwani Ω Contributor

said “They were a lot of fun, I have never done yoga before.” If students didn’t want to participate in yoga, they could spin the True or False Breast Cancer Wheel and learn the truth behind common breast cancer myths. Amanda McNally, community relations specialist for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the coordinator of the pop-up yoga event, worked the information booth passing out pamphlets, pink pens, pins and fingernail files. McNally said that the event is intended to inform women 18 to 25 about how they can reduce their risk and help them understand what they should be looking for to spot breast cancer early. One of the essential ways of reducing risk of breast cancer is early detection. McNally recommended that women check themselves once a month and

have their doctors do exams once a year. She also said that once women are of-age, they should participate in regular screening mammography. The Wellness Centre, located in room 1462 in Old Main, offers one-on-one health and wellness planning and education sessions that can be scheduled through Chelsea Corsi, TRU wellness coordinator. “If a student does find something suspicious, they can go see the doctor on campus, all they need is their health care card,” Corsi said. Health Services is also located in Old Main room 1461, and further information can be found on TRU’s website. “We are hoping to do it [again] next year,” McNally said, “We have seen really great success so far.” For more information about the “Don’t Forget to Check” campaign visit www.dontforgettocheck.ca

TRU students grabbed a yoga mat and released some stress at TRU safety officer Gordon Maurits monitors students exiting the a pop-up yoga event on Friday library during a fire drill on Sept. 26. TRU is planning an active Sept. 17 as part of an awareness campaign put on by the Canadian shooter exercise similar to fire drills and is considering using a zombie apocalypse scenario to practice emergency response. Breast Cancer Foundation. The pop-up yoga event is a new ( Jessica Klymchuk/ The Omega) addition to the “Don’t Forget to Check” campaign and has been held at 16 of 22 planned campuses throughout B.C. Due to rainy weather, the event took place inside Old Main at Student Street. Students were welcomed to pick an empty yoga mat and participate in two 30-minute yoga sessions instructed by Tracey Mourre, a local yoga instructor from The Yoga Loft. Samantha Baker, a second-year Jessica Klymchuk were a year ago,” she said. nursing student, participated in Another initiative includes the Run, both yoga sessions. When asked Ω News Editor Hide, Fight program, which aims to how she liked the classes, Baker The TRU Alert system is only one prepare students for a shooter on campus. aspect of TRU’s growing safety plan. It includes educating the community on Evacuation drills and active shooter emergency preparedness and response, drills are among the university’s plans but will also include exercising those for keeping students prepared. skills. The TRU Alert system was “Everyone is worried about ‘what implemented in May 2013. The if there is a shooter on campus?’” said emergency notification system is a Jyrkkanen, adding that there are many combination of desktop and mobile things to consider during such an event. alerts meant to relay key information to Jyrkkanen is in the beginning students and staff during an emergency. stages of planning an active shooter Alerts can be set up to reach mobile exercise, which many other universities devices through text messages, emails have done. The exercise is currently or phone calls. Desktops connected planned for May 2015. The RCMP to the TRU network, digital signage, and Emergency Management BC TRU’s Facebook and Twitter account are also being consulted to decide and the TRU website will also relay what the exercise will look like. It is messages. currently planned to include reactions The system’s first test in May went by emergency response teams and may out to the 524 people who had signed also involve Royal Inland Hospital. up for mobile alerts. More have signed Because of all the components up since then, with 1,259 people set to involved and the seriousness of this receive the mobile alerts. exercise, the TRU community will be “That’s low,” said health and safety thoroughly notified in advance. manager Stacey Jyrkkanen. “It’s double In the end, Jyrkkanen said the what it was in May but I had hoped that education, preparation and exercise we would be higher than that.” should educate students on proper The decision was made over the responses during any number of summer to make the mobile system emergencies or evacuation drills. compulsory, since desktop alerts can “You have to keep exercising it, you only reach a minority of the TRU can’t just have one big one and that’s it,” community. Right now the safety she said. “So, what I’d like to do is two department is just trying to educate years down the road from [the active people about the system, but in the shooter exercise] we’ll do the zombie future singing up will go hand-in- apocalypse. It’s practicing those same hand with registration according to skills but on a lighter tone.” Jyrkkanen. To sign up for TRU Alerts go to Tammy Forsyth, Samantha Baker and others copy instructor Tracey Mourre in low lunge pose. (Ashley Wadhwani/ The Omega) “We’re further ahead today than we www.tru.ca/alerts.html

TRU Alerts only one part of safety plan University prepares for evacuations, active shooters and even the zombie apocalypse


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