Nov. 19, 2014 by The Omega

VOTING FROM HOME Students could vote on campus for the recent municipal election, p. 2

Volume 24 – Issue 12

ORGAN DRIVE Biomedical ethics class launches organ drive on campus to raise awareness, p. 2

www.truomega.ca Ω @TRU_Omega

CO-EXISTING Local Imam holds open discussion on representation of Islam following attacks, p. 10

November 19, 2014

FOURTH YEAR CRITIQUES The final test for BFA students, p. 6-7 Artwork by Rebecca McKerchar

A SPIKE IN PERFORMANCE

WolfPack women’s season breaks 44game losing streak, p. 11

Rooftop solar installation a milestone in sustainability p. 9

OFF TO A GOOD START

WolfPack men have three wins and one loss in fresh season

NEWS

November 19, 2014

TRU votes from the comfort of home For the first time, voters didn’t have to leave campus to vote in the municipal election Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

TRU’s first municipal polling station brought 280 staff, students and faculty to the TRUSU lecture hall to cast their ballots Nov. 13. Leif Douglass, TRUSU vice-president external, said bringing a polling station to campus was first discussed in 2011 after the last municipal election and became a reality two years later in 2013. “There was a provincial polling station on campus in the last provincial election and that was quite successful,” Douglass said. “So then, based on that, this past spring we met with the city and basically worked with them to set up all the details and get a [municipal] polling station on campus.” “I think based on the response to-

day, hopefully we’ll continue to have them in the future.” The City of Kamloops hosted advanced polling stations Nov. 5, Nov. 6 and Nov. 12. The Nov. 13 polling station on campus, however, was classified as a “special voting opportunity” reserved for staff, students and faculty of TRU. “At an advance polling station, anyone from the public could come and vote,” Douglass said. Student Katie Janicki said she thinks the on-campus polling station made voting more accessible to students. The fourth-year art and communications major has been in Kamloops for the last five years, but did not vote in the last municipal election. “If you’re living on campus you have that opportunity to go, just conveniently, without having to go on a bus or go downtown or any-

Lee-Gaye Hicketts and Deb Cousineau take a selfie with their “I Voted” stickers outside of TRU’s polling station. (Alexis Stockford/The Omega)

thing, and I think that’ll get more people involved,” she said. Fellow student Nathaniel Goyet-Lamoureux expressed a similar opinion. “I don’t think I would have time to vote somewhere else,” he said. Fourth-year arts student, Blake Maicher, on the other hand, said that while he knew there was an upcoming election, he was not planning to vote. “I’m not from the city and I feel like…the impacts that this election could have wouldn’t come in contact with my time here in Kamloops,” he said.

Footprints and meet-and-greets

While election fever took over Kamloops in the last few weeks before the election, Kamloops Vote 50, a local non-profit that was looking to increase Kamloops’ voter turnout from 29 per cent to 50 per cent (or higher), paid special attention to TRU in the days leading up to the polling station. On Nov. 12, TRU voters got to come face-to-face with election candidates and ask questions during a meet-and greet-outside of Old Main. Students then arrived on campus Thursday morning to find lines of rainbow coloured footprints drawn on the sidewalks, converging on the TRU polling station. Chalk messages every few feet reminded passers-by to vote. “If you just hand out flyers and say ‘Oh yes, don’t forget to vote,’ no one cares,” Vote 50 co-ordinator Will George said, “you have to make it interesting.” George added that while Vote

Anyone walking around campus had a hard time ignoring the vote. Rainbow footprints mark the way to TRU’s first municipal polling station. (Alexis Stockford/The Omega) 50’s mandate ended with the general election Nov. 15, he hopes any effect the campaign has had will carry over to future elections. “If you have a more engaged vot-

ing population for the local election, the federal election is just around the corner, so we’re hoping [Vote 50] will be a short-term initiative with longterm effects,” George said.

Biomedical ethics class takes on organ shortage

Class looks at the ethical problems with organ transplants in Canada and how they can be solved Ashley Wadhwani ISSUES EDITOR Ω

The decision to become an organ donor is an important choice to make, and the Biomedical Ethics class has made it their duty to inform TRU students through an organ drive. Roughly 15 students being led by third-year science student Joshua Yoneda and fourth-year science student Taysia Worsfold have teamed up with the B.C. Transplant Society. The class will have booths set up handing out brochures and registration forms bringing awareness to the ethical problems stemming from the shortage of organs available in Canada. As many as 4,500 Canadians are awaiting an organ transplant, according to the most recent numbers from the government, and in 2011, 256 people died waiting for a transplant, one-third who needed a kidney. The class will be graded on the drive, as part of an “ethics in action” assignment, by professor Jeff

McLaughlin. Yoneda and Worsfold teamed up based on their shared interest in organ transplant and similar interests in medicine. The class voted on a biomedical issue and part of the criteria is how the class acts on a solution. For Yoneda, an increase in awareness is more important than the actual number of students that decide to become an organ donor at their booths. “Our main goal is not to pressure people to sign up, it’s to raise awareness on how the organ donation system works and the benefits that a transplant can provide to society. “The problem is, now the government…has to decide who needs it first. This [shortage] generates another ethical problem, where people are travelling to other countries to purchase illegal organs,” Yoneda said. This illegal purchasing of organs, referred to as “transplant tourism,” directly stems from the shortage of available organs in Canada, specifically kidneys and livers, according to Persons Against the Crime of Trafficking

Joshua Yoneda poses with a model of human organs he hopes to bring awareness to this week through his class’s organ drive. (Ashley Wadhwani/The Omega) in Humans. Those looking overseas for organs risk being exploited and are more susceptible to infection.

On Nov. 20, there will be a booth set up in the Science building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Tournament Capital Centre from

3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Computers will be set up for anyone interested in registering at the booth through the online Organ Donor Registry.

OPINION

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 12

The Omega Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper Published since November 27, 1991

www.truomega.ca /TRUOmega @TRU_Omega /tru_omega

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Brady @iamseanbrady editor@truomega.ca NEWS EDITOR Alexis Stockford @AlexisStockford news@truomega.ca ISSUES EDITOR Ashley Wadhwani @ashwadhwani issues@truomega.ca SCI-TECH EDITOR Ryan Turcot @RyanTurcot sci-tech@truomega.ca ARTS EDITOR Kim Anderson @K_AndersonSays arts@truomega.ca SPORTS EDITOR Tayla Scott @taylascott3 sports@truomega.ca COPY EDITOR Rachel Wood @rachelwoood copy@truomega.ca CONTRIBUTORS Carli Berry Leah Caldow Steve Leahy

PUBLISHING BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Brady INDUSTRY REP Christopher Foulds FACULTY REP Charles Hays STUDENT REP Travis Persaud STUDENT REP Adam Williams STUDENT REP Hugo Yuen

PUBLISHING Cariboo Student Newspaper Society (Publisher of The Omega) TRU Campus House #4 900 McGill Rd, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 0C8 Phone: 250-828-5069 Advertising inquiries: accounts@truomega.ca

LETTERS POLICY 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.

COPYRIGHT 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 The Omega 2014.

TUNE IN/TUNE OUT Kamloops municipal election in retrospect – turnout, youth and change Steve Leahy

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

The municipal election has now come and gone. Many towns across B.C. now have a new mayor. Some have entirely new councils, even. Kamloops, however, went for six of eight incumbent councillors and Mayor Peter Milobar retook his seat with 78 per cent of the vote. In the end, voter turnout ended up at 33.1 per cent, besting the 29 per cent turnout the city managed in 2011, but not by much. There’s an idea out there that lack of change and low voter turnout simply means that people are content with the way things are going, but I don’t think it matters whether or not people were content before the election. Engagement, whether it’s for change or the status quo, should remain high either way. I suspect that plain old apathy is the more likely explanation. It’s not without effort. Vote 50, led by campaign coordinator Will George, was a fantastic effort that aimed to get the city excited about voting. George was smart about the campaign. He organized events, herded the candidates around the city (all 47 of them) and took creative approaches towards getting the city out and voting.

Unfortunately, the city barely budged. I would certainly attribute the 4 per cent increase to Vote 50’s efforts. They at least deserve that much credit (they deserve more, in fact). While hard facts on the demographics of those who did vote will be hard to come by, the line of 50-odd people that I was in on McArthur Island was not particularly young. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the median age was around 55. Furthermore, voter turnout on the TRU campus with its special polling station, was not particularly encouraging, with just 280 voters casting their ballots. Granted, I was not among them, and who knows how many, like me, decided to vote on the day of the General Election instead. Civic engagement is something to be nurtured, and I think we’re on the right track with programs like Student Vote, which has candidates pitching to school-aged kids and then holding a vote. Not only does it help candidates hone their pitching skills and get an idea of how they’re doing, it instills in kids that they have real voter power. Students in Kamloops accounted for 6,334 mock votes across six schools. Considering the results of their election, if they had been real votes the results of this election might be much different.

Another consideration might be the number of younger candidates running. A healthy council is a diverse one. I think we might be okay on that front, with councillors ranging from Donovan Cavers to Patricia Wallace, we’ve pretty much got things covered, but more youth wouldn’t hurt, and I think it would bring a different set of issues to the table. One unsuccessful candidate comes to mind – former TRUSU president Dustin McIntyre. I was excited to see that he had thrown his hat into the ring for this election. Even though he only received 2,867 votes and found himself near the bottom of the results list, he has vowed to run again in the next election, and I can’t wait to see how he’ll try to improve his results. In the meantime, council will bring its new members (Dieter Dudy and Denis Walsh) up to speed and they’ll get back to business. I hope that all of you will be watching closely as this new council finds its footing and debates the issues of the day. Meetings are streamed online through the City of Kamloops website and there are plenty of ways to keep in touch with what council is up to (following Andrea Klassen (@AndreaThisWeek) on Twitter is a good start). The next meeting is on Nov. 25, so don’t miss it. editor@truomega.ca

Student letter – “A new career, a new beginning” It is never too late to start something new in life, whether it is learning how to ski, learning a new language or even going back to school. I am attending TRU at 46 and so happy I chose a new path. I had a comfortable job in the same industry for over 15 years, but I realized I was no longer enjoying it. I started spending time at my son’s school in my free time, and before too long, I found my new happy place. I did a lot of preparation and research and weighed all the pros and cons before opening a new chapter in my life, and September 2, 2014 was the beginning of my new career. Choosing a new path is never easy, no matter how old or how content you are. The support of family and friends who all believed I could accomplish anything was the extra push I needed to apply at university. I researched the program and the possibilities of employment at the end of my course, and realized our community needs

educational assistants and community support workers. Now I am at TRU and there is only one thing left for me to do: apply myself and keep plugging until graduation. On the days I feel overwhelmed, I look at my son and remind myself I am doing this for both of us. I want this new career and I will do everything to excel and to make a difference in children’s lives. They need our support and knowledge to help them through difficult times. I am learning so much about children and disabilities. I feel a new sense of appreciation for my son and have been able to apply my knowledge to helping him through his challenges. I can recognize some of the material I learn when I help at my son’s school twice a week, and have applied some of it already. My TRU teachers make it so enjoyable that going to class is always exciting and I am always eager to learn something new. Next semester will be even more exhilarating when I can put all those

tools to the test in my practicum placement. I am driven by the thought that in April 2015, I will be certified to do what I love. I am now entering the halfway mark of my first semester and will not look back. The material is getting harder and so are the challenges. However, with educational support, new friendships and the continual support of a loving family, I have no doubt that I will succeed. Some people start new chapters in their lives much later in life. I became a mom at 40, and started a new career at 46. It is hard going back to university after 25 years, but I feel proud when I walk around campus with my head held high, telling myself every day “You can do this girl! Welcome to your new life!” Evelyne Murphy First year Educational Assistant/Community Support Program

We love letters. Why not send us one? We’d love to hear from you. Share your experience, voice your concerns, get something off your chest. If you think it’s something everyone needs to hear, we can be the ones to help you make that happen. If you think there’s something we should be looking at that we’re not, if there’s a perspective you don’t think we’ve heard about, let us know. Student, faculty and staff voices from the TRU community need to be heard. Make contact: editor@truomega.ca

I’ve been watching a lot of foreign TV lately, partly because I enjoy it, but mostly because I find it to be far superior to North American programing. I find the characters and situations (plots) far more engaging, fun, and actually dealing with real world situations, or at least mirroring real world scenarios. Whereas I find most North American programing propagates hegemonic ideas, and are all too similar to each other, with almost no interesting characters or situations. There’s almost no imagination left in television, except for a few notable exceptions: the Supernatural series, Breaking Bad, or Hell on Wheels. Walking Dead sits on the fence here, since it’s based on the comic series, so it’s not really original television. Almost any BBC show is far superior, and that’s because of how the shows treat the audience: as intelligent beings. North American programing is, in my mind, something given to the masses to occupy their time and make sure they’re not thinking too freely (name a sitcom). But the BBC produces programming for a thinking audience (Dr. Who, Luther, the reboot of Sherlock) that actually have plots and characters that entertain their audience instead of just giving us the same old jokes and tired setups that we’ve seen fifty times over already. Or maybe they do, and I don’t have the proper frame of reference since I’ve been brought up with North American ideals, and European stereotypes are fresh and new to me. Where is this going? Well, we need to critique every single thing about our culture instead of just accepting it. Who knows what we’ll find if we do that. Maybe we’ll realize that some of the shows, movies, even music that we enjoy, love, or hate actually has a deeper message then we think. And I don’t mean hidden messages in programing, I mean the things we blindly accept merely because they’re normal: how characters behave, what’s important to them, worthless to them, and how and why they go about things. That’s what we should really be looking at, because maybe then we’ll actually be able to figure out how the people who greenlight these shows, movies and music regard us. Do they think we’re thinking, feeling people who like complex ideas and situations? Do they think we’re an unthinking majority who will simply take what we’re given and be more than happy to do so? I’d like to say “the first one, obviously, since we are thinking, rational people that enjoy a few complexities in what should be mindless entertainment.” But I highly doubt that to be the case. Why do I say that? Because I can only rarely find that kind of complexity in North American programing. And that’s why I’m at a loss for where we are culturally. Maybe I’ve got a more European mindset, but that’s just pretentious; an attempt to look cool. The truth is our culture isn’t self-reflective with a critics’ eye. If we were, then we wouldn’t fill our television programs with stupid, time filling shows about nothing. I’m looking at you Big Bang Theory. leahys112@mytru.ca Stephen Leahy is a third year philosophy student who has been attending TRU since 2011. He has been living in Kamloops for 21 of his 23 years.

November 19, 2014

NEWS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 12

Crowdfunding effort underway to support university staff member who lost house to fire Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

Members of the TRU community are opening their wallets after a fire claimed the home of a TRU Open Learning director on Nov. 7. Brian Lamb, TRU Open Learning director of innovation, was in Australia at the time of the fire, attending meetings of the Open Educational Resources University, a project launched at TRU last year to create a cohesive international learning environment online. Lamb’s wife and son were home when the fire broke out, but were able to escape with only minor injuries. The family’s dog Dexter did not escape the blaze and most of the family’s possessions were lost. “The house is a total write-off,” said Ed Lund, head of the Paul Lake Fire Protection Association. The Paul Lake Fire Protection Association responded to the fire at about 1 a.m. on Nov. 7. Lund said he was told that a house was burning down by a friend who, in turn, had heard about it from another friend on the north shore of the lake. “We did it with just some borrowed pumps and stuff like that. We’re not authorized to go over to that side of the lake because it’s out of jurisdiction,” Lund said. He added that there is no fire protection on the north side of Paul Lake. “As a community, we feel horrible,” said Ronda Olds, TRU Open Learning assistant to director of curriculum development. “We just feel devastated for what their family is going through

and just want them to be encouraged by the people who care for them.” Clint Lalonde, open learning manager for BCcampus, posted on online fundraiser in support of the Lamb family on Nov. 11. On Nov. 14, TRU interim vice-provost Katherine Sutherland circulated an email to the TRU community, urging them to contribute to the campaign. The fundraiser has collected more than $6,000 in its first five days. “I think TRU and the Kamloops community and the Paul Lake community are made up of people with incredible hearts that care about the health and wellbeing of our comrades, and it just encourages me to know that this is where I live and these are the ways people are willing to help to support our own,” Olds said. The online campaign is available on FundRazr, a Canadian crowdfunding site, at http://fnd.us/c/3tmVf or by scanning the QR code in this article. Olds is also collecting gift cards and donations on behalf of the Lamb family and can be reached at 250-8286851.

The TRUSU Eco Club held its “Take, Leave, Swap” event in Old Main on Nov. 14. (Ashley Wadhwani/The Omega)

“[It’s] encouraging students to buy less, and think about up-cycling, which is reusing things differently than what they were intended for … as well as encouraging people to donate their stuff.” Racheal Estok TRUSU Eco Club secretary

Scan this QR code to visit the crowdfunding website.

Heroes Pub survey a step to regaining student interest Students can submit their feedback on the pub’s events, hours, atmosphere and purpose Carli Berry

NEWS COLLECTIVE INTERN Ω

An unofficial survey regarding student interest for Heroes Pub is a step towards “rebranding” the pub, according to third-year communications student, Nic Zdunich. Zdunich created the survey so students could provide their opinion for the on-campus pub. “This is what the people are saying, this is what they want,” Zdunich said. “I needed support to know that I’m not the only one complaining about things,” he said. Zdunich was hired as a student liaison for Ancillary Services, which looks after the food services and bookstore at TRU, to determine what the student issues were with Heroes. His goal is to make the pub appealing for students and a place they want to be. The survey contains 10 questions that vary from how many times students have visited the pub in the past year, to satisfaction with hours of operation. As of Nov. 14, 173 students have taken part in the survey. Zdunich’s goal is to reach 200 students. The largest cohort of respon-

dents (33 per cent) said they visit Heroes just three to five times per year, but 22 per cent visit the pub on a weekly basis (either once per week or three to five times per week). When asked why students chose Heroes: 60 per cent said they went for drinks with their friends, 50 per cent went for lunch, but only 33 per cent went for the nightlife. Among the things students said they wanted in Heroes “ASAP” are more drink specials (78 per cent), more live music (48 per cent) and more live DJs (40 per cent). Ancillary Services is also experimenting with the pub’s hours of operation. The survey showed that 47 per cent said the hours of operation were “Alright,” which falls between “Good” and “Brutal” on the survey’s scale. “We would stay open until 11 every night if we had 30 to 40 people sustaining it,” he said. The pub is looking at how to utilize specials, adding decorative elements, getting rid of security overhead charges, using social media to advertise and bringing in an in-house DJ to improve the atmosphere of Heroes. ”We’re trying to figure out the perfect way to have the pub acces-

Nic Zdunich, third-year communications student and student liason for ancillary services at Heroes Pub. (Carli Berry/The Omega) sible to students when they need it, when they want it … students just felt like there wasn’t love for them, and other establishments in town saw that and said ‘well, come here, we will offer you bet-

ter service and give you more for less,’ and it was taking business off campus.” Zdunich said. “Having a thriving on-campus pub is so important to the university experience. It’s a place you go

to socialize with friends or have a drink or bite to eat with a professor,” Zdunich said. “It’s really about ideas and creating community and we’re really trying to create that again.”

ARTS

November 19, 2014

Amber Pattie Dawson Creek, B.C.

Can you name a real-life experience that has inspired your artwork? In the summertime, when I went to the Nowa Bug Museum in Japan. What are your goals for your last semester here at TRU? I just want to be more comfortable and specific in my own artwork and really define myself with my own style. Where do you see yourself in five years? Still in school. Hope to be doing a masters, at any school that will accept me! I’m thinking out east, hopefully. How have you grown as an artist since your first year? Not as naive, I suppose. I’m more serious. When I first started here, I wasn’t fresh out of high school, but working with teachers who have worked in this field for a prominent number of years has made me a bit more serious about what I’m doing. I just came here to study art. I had no idea what I was thinking about. Tell us about your piece on display today. I’ve got three sculptures and one drawing of bugs that I created out of electronic parts. I’m trying to emphasize the fact that these electronic parts are made out of computers and typewriters and motors. Things that we created as human beings, at the time they were created, they were the best of the best, and five years later you get a new one, and these are garbage. Then we have these insects that everyone seems to hate, and they’re gross that no one seems to like them. No matter how much we evolve as a human species they’re always here. This expensive computer is now trash, but there’s this thing in your house, that you don’t even like, and it will never go away. Can you name an artist that is inspiring your work? One artist in New York named Ben Snead. His are more of murals and paintings. His work with insects has made me want to be more direct and specific with my insects. They are strictly done out of books, so if a biologist were to look at it they would recognize it. It’s inspired me to research and learn more. A push to learn more about them, not just what they look like.

Rebecca McKerchar Kamloops, B.C.

Can you name a real-life experience that has inspired your artwork? I do a lot of writing, so a lot of my art comes from my desire to write, I suppose. Because I’d rather really write than do art, but people don’t want to read long things in galleries. What are your goals for your last semester here at TRU? Honestly, I just want to be done. I don’t really want to be an artist, I want to be a writer. Where do you see yourself in five years? Hopefully writing. I’m interested in young adult, modern fantasies, kind of. I think a lot of my art stems from that. How have you grown as an artist since your first year? It’s good to be exposed to a lot of different ways of doing art. I did a lot of sculpture in my first couple of years and I’ve been developing my painting a little. Exposure to new mediums really changed how I do art. I think I’ll continue with digital art. Tell us about your piece on display today. This is dealing with the idea of gods, of little things, like animism, spirit, energy of things. Kind of modern gods that no one would really pray to, but they still exist in some way. Can you name an artist that is inspiring your work? No, not really.

Heather Pratt-Johnson

Salmon Arm, B.C. (Tappen, technically.) Can you name a real-life experience that has inspired your artwork? I used to take these photos at my grandmothers pool during Thanksgiving or the summertime. I’d use my sisters as my subjects. I was 16 or so. I had a lot of underwater cameras at that time and I still have them. What are your goals for your last semester here at TRU? To accomplish an art gallery-ready exhibition. To have made art that doesn’t just speak for itself, but has a lot more depth to it. Where do you see yourself in five years? I don’t know and that’s a good thing. I don’t want to know yet. How have you grown as an artist since your first year? A lot! I had no idea what was going on then. Basically you didn’t even know what fourth-years were doing. Or the intensity that goes into it, or even the type of work you can produce. I didn’t even know we had etching when I got here. Tell us about your piece on display today. It’s about the movement of the body in relation to water. It’s not specifically about this one person. It could be about anybody. I want to translate the experience to the viewer, to see the pleasure of water. Can you name an artist that is inspiring your work? Emma Critchley and Bill Viola. They are water-based photographers and cinematographers.

Alyshia Mudford Kamloops, B.C.

Can you name a real-life experience that has inspired your artwork? A lot of what I do is based on feminism that’s happening today. I do like to focus on rape culture and victim blaming. While I am not a victim myself, I have known multiple people, family and friends who have been victims. It hits really close to home, and I feel like art is a good way to convey those messages. What are your goals for your last semester here at TRU? A degree? I want feminism that’s happening today to be taken more seriously and not just as radical feminists, I want to get rid of that negative connotation. [I want to] bring things to view that people just shrug off. Like, rape jokes and rape culture. I want to bring all that attention to the forefront. Standing up for women’s rights isn’t a bad thing. Looking for equality doesn’t mean that we aren’t all nasty, scary, unshaven people. We are not evil. Where do you see yourself in five years? I’d like to be still working in art, hopefully through exhibitions. As well as selling some other artwork that I do, which is more digital based. I’d like to move, to a more art-based city. How have you grown as an artist since your first year? So much. I have really branched out in style and technique. Before I’d never even think of painting. And that’s all I want to do now. Before I was into graphic art and cartoon, while I didn’t go into realism, it’s been a much more advanced form of art. Tell us about your piece on display today. “Asking for it” is basically referencing the 30s-50s, mainly because when I bring up topics that include women’s rights today, I’m told that it isn’t the 50s anymore. It’s like an advertisement; it’s in your face. I chose a modern issue of victim blaming. I have a girl in revealing clothing on the left, and one with more modest clothing on the right. I want to raise the question of which one is asking for rape. The viewer has to make a choice, and hopefully they reflect on that choice and why they made it. I wiped off my makeup every day for a month in October; it’s on little sheets of flannel. It’s the way I choose to present myself to the world. My preference is, this is how I want to look to the world. I find putting on makeup almost therapeutic and artistic and it doesn’t make me any less of a women’s rights activist. Can you name an artist that is inspiring your work? Jenny Holzer. Her way with words is so incredible. She’s able to take the most simple statement and convey it into a complex way. Anyone can write something, but to actually make it have an impact is so much more [difficult].

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 12

ARTS

The final test for BFA students

a look into the fourth-year critiques Interviews and photos by Kim Anderson The fourth-year bachelor of fine arts students are taking part in the first of three intensive critiques. Students work to create a piece and visual arts faculty, along with fellow students, hold a formal critique session and provide feedback to the artist. The artist can answer questions about their work and get valuable insight from colleagues and teachers. I spoke with four of the thirteen fourthyear students, photographed their artwork and got a sneak peek into the artistic process, behind the scenes inside their studios. Above: Rebecca McKerchar’s work presented for her fourthyear critique, dealing with “ideas of gods of little things.” Left: Amber Pattie works with old technology and comments on our throwaway culture. Middle left: Heather Pratt-Johnson worked with cyanotype prints of underwater photography. Bottom left: Pattie’s creations on paper. Middle right: Alyshia Mudford’s month’s worth of makeup. Bottom right: Mudford’s work comments on rape culture and refernces the 30s-50s views of women.

NEWS

November 19, 2014

Addressing the stereotypes and misconceptions of Islam

Local Imam holds open discussion following Ottawa shooting and what followed Ashley Wadhwani ISSUES EDITOR Ω

Roughly 80 TRU students, faculty and Kamloopsians gathered on the afternoon of Nov. 12 to hear local Imam Mazhar Mahmood speak on the “(Mis)Representations of Islam.” The presentation discussed the politics of reporting on terrorism in Canada, specifically in response to the shooting in Ottawa that occurred in October. Mahmood called for understanding and urged the public and media not to link actions of crime, justice and terrorism to any religion. “This is an injustice to the beautiful pristine not only of Islam, of Christianity, of Judaism, and of any divine religion,” Mahmood said. He suggested that Canadians look at the recent shooting, not as an act of religion, but an act of crime. “In the case of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, this person had nothing to do with Islam since day one. He had a history of crime, drugs, even presenting evil acts to his own local [mosque],” Mahmood said. “The actions that he executed were not the actions of Islam.” As some mosques were vandalized after the Ottawa shooting, Mahmood said he received negative letters from people who “didn’t understand the reality of what happened.” The message Mahmood continued to present to the crowd was a logical one: being educated, and understanding the religions around us will allow

Canadians to coexist among other religions. This presentation was sponsored by the TRU Faculty Association equity committee and intended to begin dialogue at TRU and identify the social tension that minorities face being a part of their own religions within Canadian culture. “The stereotyping by the media and some Canadians of all Muslims, and there are millions of them all over the world, as terrorists or radicalized people is unfair, illogical and only serves to instill fear in the minds of some Canadians,” said Gail Morong, equity committee co-chair and moderator of the presentation. In a later interview with The Omega, Mahmood said that events like this are important for TRU students, and for all religions, not just Muslims. “Many of us will start seeing the common factors and the common practices which are found in all religions. This will be the standing point to help our community and help the students make a foundation of unity amongst one another,” Mahmood said. The TRU Intercultural Council focuses on the coexistence of all TRU students through events like the campus leaders social that was held last year, intended to talk about inclusiveness on campus. “My faith believes something else, and maybe you don’t even have a faith or another person is a part of a different faith and when they come together there is bound to be conflict,” said

Imam Mazhar Mahmood, speaks to those gathered on how we can find a way to co-exist amongst eachother, despite different religious beliefs. (Ashley Wadhwani/The Omega) Idah Msiska, TRU student and member of TRU’s Intercultural Council. “But if you respect that this person is coming from a different background where you don’t know what they know or how they’ve been brought up then you are better able to understand.” The atmosphere on campus is welcoming, according to Fahad Alfaraj, a third-year business student. “I have lived here in Kamloops for three years...I’ve never faced a racism experience in my life. Everyone’s been

very good here in Kamloops. But what I think is that people need to learn more about Islam so that they can understand what our goals [are], and what we want to achieve in our lives. We are not about violence or fighting.” Mohammed Alotaibi, second-year computer science student, agrees that Canadians should learn more about Islam, but hasn’t had a negative experience at TRU. “Even in my country, Canada has a good reputation about respecting oth-

er cultures,” he said. “There were a few times but it was at a minimal level where a student portrayed a negative behavior to them so they came to get some good-heartedness…If [students] do come with such queries to present what Islam is in its bold form...clarify what Islam is to them,” Mahmood said. “I don’t think it ever happens where it has to be taken to the legal authorities, because people are very understanding over here.”

Avalanche survivor takes a hard look at guide culture A former TRU instructor shares his experience surviving an avalanche, and the aftermath that followed Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

Former TRU instructor Ken Wylie speaks on human error and the avalanche that killed seven people in 2003. (Alexis Stockford/The Omega)

Ken Wylie was one of the lucky ones. In January 2003, he was one of six pulled from the snow alive after an avalanche hit the backcountry ski group he was guiding, killing seven. His book, “Buried,” which Wylie presented on campus last week to the public and adventure tourism students, explores how his own human error played into the events of that day. Wylie was working for Selkirk Mountain Experience as an assistant guide when he and lead guide Ruedi Beglinger, a well-known guide with an unblemished 18-year safety record, left for a week-long trip into the backcountry outside of Revelstoke. The 24 skiers were on their third day when trouble hit. Wylie said he had doubts about La Traviata, a technical slope the group had been eyeing, before he even began to climb. “The terrain was steep and imposing and rock studded, and rocks mean that there’s weaknesses embedded into the snow pack,” he said. “It’s kind of like drilling holes in a piece of plywood and then you can snap it along those holes.” That, plus stories from other local guides and awareness that the weather earlier in the winter may have led to unstable layers underneath the snow,

made Wylie suspicious of the ground under his feet. Despite his doubts, he said nothing to Beglinger. That silence, Wylie told the 40-person audience gathered in the Alumni Theatre on Nov. 11, was due in part to his desire for Beglinger’s acceptance, a disconnect between the two guides that made Wylie reluctant to speak, a lack of social courage to go against authority and the hierarchical guide system where the lead guide had final say over where the group would go. “I see that as a deadly dynamic,” he told his audience. “We weren’t working as a team.” Terry Palechuk, a mountain guide and adventure studies instructor at TRU, said he has never personally experienced the sort of rigid hierarchy that Wylie described. “Anything that I’ve been involved in, even with some very old, experienced guides – we would have discussions. We would go ‘Well, what do you think?’” he said. He also said that he tries to foster that collaborative attitude when he takes clients into the backcountry and when he is in the field with TRU students. “It’s a learning environment, always,” Palechuk said. “So I want to know what they’re thinking and I [tell] them, ‘If you’re not sure, I want you to ask me. In this group, I have one set of eyes, but amongst eight of us, we have eight sets

of eyes and we can see more.’” According to Palechuk, the role of lead and apprentice guides should create an environment where apprentice guides benefit and learn from the lead guide’s experience, although he also said that some guides are more prolific in their mentoring roles than others.

The snow clears After recovering from his brush with death, Wylie came to TRU as an instructor in the adventure studies department, later developing stress-related health problems. He left the university in 2007. Some have said that the avalanche in 2003, as well as another in Glacier National Park less than two weeks later that killed seven high school students, helped change back country guiding, but Wylie said he does not think those changes are industry-wide. “There have been some changes,” he said. “Some guides have embraced change. Some guides have worked better as teams, and yet there’s some work to do.” He encouraged current adventure studies students to take their time through their education, gain as much real-world experience as possible and spend time in self-reflection. “Through knowing themselves and knowing their biases and knowing their faults and knowing their Achilles heels, they’ll make better decisions,” he said.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 12

Solar power strides made on campus

CAC rooftop installation provides first electricity generated on campus Ryan Turcot

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Ω

water and have at least 10 per cent of their energy demands powered by solar electricity.” Gudjonson is also looking into wind turbines as another alternative energy source. “We haven’t started yet, but we are going to study the wind here locally (for a year) to see if a wind turbine makes sense. That will probably take a year of studying that data to determine this, because turbines are expensive. If the payback isn’t as fast as solar, for example, we would stick with solar power,” he said. The plan is to install an anemometer on a hill behind the trades and technology building. Gusjonson said the area TRU has in mind for this research has steady access to wind and is not obstructed by buildings. “We want to measure the wind speed during all four seasons. You don’t want too much wind, but you want a steady wind to keep it spinning.” Increasing sustainability is currently one of TRU’s five strategic priorities. In addition to reducing energy use by 25 per cent for 2017, Gudjonson said TRU has a 2022 target to reduce energy consumption by 33 per cent.

Bat-killing disease bad news for North America’s ecosystems Ryan Turcot

SCIENCE & TECH EDITOR Ω

A disease that emerged in Albany, NY in 2007 has killed over 5.7 million bats in North America to date, and it is spreading west, potentially towards British Columbia. White Nose Syndrome inflames the wings and mucus membranes of bats, causing them to awaken from hibernation prematurely and starve to death. The syndrome is caused by a fungus called pseudogymnoascus destructans, or PD, that produces fuzzy white fungal growths around a bat’s nose. TRU researchers are working hard to find out when White Nose Syndrome could hit bats in Western Canada because it would hurt not only the bat population, but also the balance of our ecosystems. “Bats play a major role in pollination and agricultural pest control,” microbiology student Laura Smylie said. After receiving an Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) earlier this year, Smylie spent her summer collaborating with TRU faculty

to detect the presence of PD in the Horne Lake Caves in B.C. and Rat’s Nest Cave in Alberta. These caves are popular among tourists and cavers who could potentially carry and spread the PD spores to other caves they visit. “I worked to isolate fungi found in environmental soil samples collected from the caves and extracted DNA present in the soil,” she said. The soil samples and DNA were processed in laboratories, where researchers attempted to grow the PD fungus. Doing so would confirm the presense of PD in the sampled caves. “We want to get some baseline info for our Western caves,” said TRU microbiologist Naowarat Cheeptham. Cheeptham supervises the UREAP research projects of microbiology students like Smylie. According to a document she produced this year, “all [of the] sampled sites displayed a negative result for the presence of P. destructans.” In the summer of 2013, microbiology student Baylee Out conducted a UREAP-funded study on the seven Nakimu caves within Glacier National Park, which is roughly 75 kilometers

Greg Lambertus, Natalie Yao, Dylan Robinson, Jim Gudjonson and Ben Giudici stand near newly installed panes on the CAC roof. (Ryan Turcot/The Omega)

“ The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

outside of Revelstoke, B.C. Out obtained 29 soil samples and 26 environmental swabs from them and identified close relatives of the PD fungus within some of them. There is still much to be learned about the White Nose Syndrome and PD fungus, according to Cheeptham. “Now we’re trying to figure out where this fungi came from. Where did we see it before 2006?” she said. PD is common in European caves, but Cheeptham said the bat population there does not suffer from it the same way North American bats do. “Did it come from tourists in Europe? Do our bats here have a weaker immune system in North America? Maybe we use too much insecticide or pesticide, which kills their main source of food.” These are questions that remain unanswered, but could provide valuable insight into how to respond to the PD outbreak in North America. Another TRU student, Mitchell Johnson, recently began research to determine environmental factors that affect the winter activity of various B.C. bat species.

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Tri-colored bat with visible symptoms of White Nose Syndrom from Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia. (National Park Service/Flickr Commons)

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By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Environment and sustainability director Jim Gudjonson is no stranger to solar power. The Campus Activity Centre, Culinary Arts and Old Main buildings all began using it to heat water under his watch. But 40 new solar panels on the CAC rooftop are expected to begin producing electrical power for the building as early as this week, and Gudjonson said this marks a new achievement for TRU. “This is the first time we’ve actually generated electricity on campus,” he said. The new solar voltaic system, implemented in partnership with TRUSU, will provide enough electricity to power all of the lights on the student union’s side of the building. Ben Giudici, who designed the system, explained that there are 40 panels on the CAC rooftop that produce 260 watts each. Collectively, the panels will produce 10.4 kilowatts of electrical energy. A watt is a unit of power that mea-

sures how quickly electrical energy is produced or consumed. A 100 watt lightbulb, for example, will consume energy at a faster rate than a 60 watt lightbulb. “The panels are configured in four strings of 10 and, under good light conditions, they produce about 300 volts [of direct current],” Giudici said. “That DC power is routed to an inverter, which converts it to three-phase AC and connects it into the building.” Gudjonson explained that sustainable energy sources like solar energy could be the next big step in TRU’s plan to reduce the campus’s energy consumption. “We have a target to reduce our energy use by 25 per cent [below 2010 baselines] by 2017,” he explained. “Right now, compared to 2010, we’re about 15 per cent below. “We want to study the CAC panels for a year and see how they perform.” Gudjonson hopes that if they perform well, TRU will add solar power to the existing buildings as resources allow. “As we move forward and build new buildings, we would like to add both the solar hot water system for domestic hot

NEWS

November 19, 2014

TRU students weigh in on proposed international students-only college

Rohan Badwaik

Post-bacc, International Business International student My English is not very good, but ultimately, because of my Canadian friends, I am learning and improving. It’s helping me. I don’t know exactly what the point [is] of not allowing domestic students to study in that building. A lot of international students come to Canada wanting to stay. To settle and work in the Canadian culture you need to know the way they speak, you need to know their slang, which you can’t study in the classroom. You need to have Canadian friends and Canadian culture around you.

Ali Webster

Jen Brown

The first thought that came to mind was, why would international students come to Canada if they didn’t want to be integrated into our culture? That kind of stands out to me as an issue. Would there be enough of an interest for a separated school? If kids are coming from overseas to go to a Canadian institute, it would seem like they would want to be a part of regular school instead of something that’s separated. Although it could be beneficial because [the university] could support the individual needs of the international students better. Obviously they have different needs than domestic students. They need a little more help with language barriers, stuff like that.

I think implementing that institution kind of depletes the purpose of international students coming overseas and trying to immerse themselves into our culture and meet new people. I think that it restricts them and has them in their own world, so I really don’t think it’s the best idea. I can see for money matters it could be worth the institution doing that because international students do pay more than Canadian students do.

Second year, Business

Third year, Arts

The University of British Columbia recently announced Vantage College, an international students-only college with a focus on language assistance. We spoke to TRU students about their thoughts on this new project. by Leah Caldow

Nelly Tazhetdinova Post-bacc, Human Resources International student

Since it’s a university, students are coming to dive into this environment. So, I think it’s a bad idea because international students are going to only be surrounded by international students and they won’t interact with domestic students. They wouldn’t get to improve their skills and they won’t get involved with the culture.

Julia Thrift

Third year, International Business I believe in some aspects it would be beneficial. I’ve been to a few universities over the past years and I’ve seen where international students struggled to learn a language. Maybe if there was some sort of crash course, it might help out everyone in the future. It’s going to sound bad, but it keeps class sizes down, [and] when you don’t have a teacher answering simple questions, it doesn’t hold back the rest of the class.

KAMLOOPS MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS MAYORAL CANDIDATES

COUNCIL CANDIDATES

Candidate Votes Share Peter Milobar * 17006 78.11% Pierre Filisetti 2941 13.51% Benjamin James 1040 4.78% Dallas Paisley 786 3.61%

Candidate Votes Share Ken Christian* 12473 8.11% Arjun Singh* 10939 7.12% Dieter Dudy* 10399 6.76% Donovan Cavers* 8957 5.83% Denis Walsh* 8549 5.56% Marg Spina* 8380 5.45% Tina Lange* 8374 5.45% Patricia Wallace* 7483 4.87%

SCHOOL TRUSTEE CANDIDATES Candidate Votes Share Joan Cowden* 9265 13.48% Kathleen Karpuk* 8759 12.75% Joe Small* 6776 9.86% Gerald Kenyon Watson* 6338 9.22% Meghan Wade* 5467 7.96%

VOTER TURNOUT Eligible voters Ballots cast Voter turnout

68410 22672 33.1% *Elected Results are not yet official.

SPORTS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 12

Basketball is back and better than before

Men’s basketball season sees personal improvements in players and ambitions for post-season Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

The WolfPack men’s basketball season is off to a solid start, with three wins, one loss and all players making progress. Josh Wolfram, who is in his second year with the ‘Pack and fourth year of eligibility, scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds in the ‘Pack’s opening game against the UNBC Timberwolves on Nov. 7. This was a personal best and a big improvement for Wolfram according to head coach Scott Clark. “My teammates put me in great situations to score and then I’ve just put in a lot of work over the summer,” Wolfram said. The ‘Pack beat the Timberwolves twice on the weekend of Nov. 7. On Nov. 14, the WolfPack beat the MacEwan University Griffins by a score of 77-67. They lost to the Griffins the next night with a score of 65-63. In the weekend games, Brett Roualt, who plays guard, scored 21 points. Wolfram scored 11 points and had 11 rebounds. Wolfram is currently the third highest scorer in men’s basketball in the Canada West league, averaging 21 points per game. He also has the second highest rebound rate in the league, averaging 11.8 rebounds per game. This is an improvement for Wolfram, who last season averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds per game. Another player making progress this season is Tallon Milne, who is in his second year with the

‘Pack and his fifth year of eligibility. Milne is currently fifth in the league for his .60 field goal percentage. “Even last year to this year, we’ve grown huge as a team,” Milne said. “The team’s been working on rebounding and not turning the ball over. Our defensive schemes need to improve for us to do well.” “It’s our goal to win our league so that’s what our standard is and anything less than that will be kind of a disappointment,” Milne said. Joe Davis, who started with the team straight out of high school this year, is trying to keep up with the faster league. “The game is a lot quicker physically and mentally, but I’ve noticed a lot of mental improvements. The coaching staff and the players are always giving you information and you’re trying to take it in all the time. You’re always learning,” Davis said. “It’s been rare that I’ve ever seen a freshman come in and be able to make a huge difference. He does a great job, he shows up physically and mentally everyday,” Clark said. “He’s worked well in the off-season.” When Clark took over as head coach in May 2010, the WolfPack had yet to see a post-season. “I never cut anybody, I just said ‘okay, if you want to return here’s what is expected of you,’” Clark said. “It starts by explaining what you want and not tolerating anything less than what you expect. If guys don’t measure to those standards, it might sound harsh but you have to get rid of those people.” The team made it to the post-sea-

son for the first time in TRU’s history last season after placing third in Canada West’s Pacific division. They were knocked out after losing their first two post-season games against the University of Saskatchewan. “In essence it probably did take three years to get turned around. I think that they had lost so much that the expectation was that you’re going to lose,” Clark said. Since Clark took over the team he has been focused on recruiting talented players and developing their skills. Clark believes that players with good attitudes and work ethic are building blocks for the team’s success. “They never miss a practice. The number one thing in our core values is show up everyday,” he said. “On any one night it wouldn’t surprise me if any of eight guys led us in scoring. That’s nice to know because you’re not reliant on just one guy. It takes pressures off.” This year basketball is part of a new division in Canada West called “Explorer.” The WolfPack will play against the five other of the newest teams to Canada West: the University of Northern B.C., University of British Columbia Okanagan, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University and the University of Fraser Valley. The WolfPack is currently second in the explorer division. There are 16 more games to go and then the top three teams in the division will move on to post-season. It’s Clark’s goal for his players to compete in playoffs again.

Tallon Milne battles to sink one against the UNBC Timberwolves during the ‘Pack’s opening weekend. (TRU Athletics)

A spike in performance

Women’s volleyball finally seeing some success Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

Kaitlin Lomas playing against the Wesman. (Tayla Scott/The Omega)

After two straight seasons of nothing but losses, 44 in total, the WolfPack women’s volleyball team is playing a season they can brag about. The ‘Pack has won six and lost six since the season opened on Oct. 10. They received an honourable mention in the Canada West top 10 rankings for their progress. “It feels damn good,” said Morgan Kolasa, who is in her second year of eligibility with the ‘Pack. “It’s amazing. It doesn’t even feel like the same team anymore. The whole atmosphere is completely different,” said Julia Niemczewska, who is in her third year of eligibility. Kolasa and Niemczewska said that beating Brandon University in three sets on Nov. 8 was an accomplishment, since Brandon at the time was undefeated and ranked first in the Canada West league. Iuliia Pakhomenko contributed substantially to the win over Bran-

don. During the game Pakhomenko set a Canada West record when she got 26 kills out of 44 chances in three sets. Getting 26 kills was a personal record for Pakhomenko as well, which she attributed to working hard. Pakhomenko is currently averaging 4.58 kills per set, which is the highest in the league. She has been named Canada West Athlete of the Week twice, receiving first star and second star status. Pakhomenko was recruited from Northwood University by head coach Chad Grimm. “She’s been outstanding for us, not only producing on the court but competing in practice and giving our group some confidence with a person that we know is going to put the ball away when the score is close,” Grimm said. “The girls seem happy to be at the gym and when they start to get a little bit of success I think that breeds some confidence.” Grimm believes a positive atmosphere and some new faces on the team has contributed to the turnaround, while Kolasa and Niemczewska agree that the new coach-

ing staff is the main contributor. Grimm, who took over at the end of last season when the previous head coach Keith Lundgren was released, brought in Nathan Bennett, Robbyn Dalin and Sara Petterson to be assistant coaches. Kolasa and Niemczewska said that having the extra hands and eyes at practice has helped individual players to improve. Grimm said there are a number of players doing well this season. “Both Brianne [Rauch] and Alyssa [Wolf ] have brought some good leadership to our team and

done well as far as passing the ball and bringing us some stability in the back court,” Grimm said. “Kaitlin Lomas had an outstanding weekend [on Nov. 7 and 8]. She was good both offensively and at blocking. Kara Twomey has done a good job coming back after a couple years off and running her offense at the centre position.” The WolfPack, which is currently ranked as sixth out of the 13 Canada West teams, will play 12 more games before the season ends. To qualify for the playoffs, the ‘Pack must remain in the top seven teams.

November 19, 2014