July 22, 2015

FEDERAL TRADES FUNDING $2 million will go towards creation of instrumentation program, p. 2

EARLY CAMPAIGNING Former finance minister spoke at TRU, p. 3

Volume 24 – Issue 30 – SUMMER EDITION

www.truomega.ca Ω @TRU_Omega

July 22, 2015

GET YOUR FILL OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS, P. 4-5

Project X Theatre brings Robin Hood to life, p. 6

Riding the waves of the Thompson River, p. 5

2

NEWS

July 22, 2015

Student turned away over sexual assault report prompts change by university Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

A student who was sexually assaulted in 2012 went to report the crimes to a TRU counsellor, but says all she got was a recommendation to switch schools. Now, TRU is looking at new policies and putting together a taskforce to deal with the problem.

Jean Strong, a journalism student now headed into her fourth year, said that when she went to report two sexual assault incidents to a TRU counsellor in 2012, she was told that she should consider changing schools. The sexual assaults happened in 2012 during her first semester at the university. She booked an appointment with a counsellor in Old Main to discuss the incident.

“I was very detailed in telling them exactly what had happened,

so it’s not like there was any confusion on what had actually happened or what was actually done to me,” Strong said. “There was no mention of RCMP. There was no mention of student and judicial affairs. There was no mention of making it an official report. It was, ‘You know what, this school might not be the best for you.’”

Strong recalls being in such an “awful state” that she actually considered the advice that was given to her, rather than trying to report the assaults elsewhere.

She wrote about the incident in the Digital Times, a website created to showcase the work of TRU’s journalism students. In the time since she published the piece on June 26, she has heard from other students and friends via Facebook, who have shared experiences similar to her own.

“I’ve had so many messages from girls on campus who were

either told the same thing I was, or didn’t report it because they didn’t feel TRU was a safe place to report it. I was blown away by the number of people,” she said.

Citing student confidentiality, dean of students Christine Adam would not comment on Strong’s case specifically, but did tell the Omega that the university will put in place an “interim protocol” for dealing with student reports of sexual assaults. It will also put together a taskforce that will work on developing new policy (or changing existing policy) on sexual assault prevention and student safety.

“It’s not just about saying ‘we developed a policy’ and walking away, it’s about the whole breadth of activities that need to take place to address this,” Adam said, noting that the problem was bigger than just TRU. “This is a society challenge. It’s

one of the most underreported crimes, and we have a lot of work to do across this country to help keep our students and society safe. Jean’s article is an important part of this whole conversation.”

The university has no official policy that covers sexual assault, but in a Nov. 12 article, Adam told the Omega that there were “supports available on campus” if a student were to approach a counsellor to report a sexual assault.

In Strong’s case, whatever was supposed to happen, didn’t.

“If I come forward to a counsellor, I think I should at least be told about my options,” Strong said, adding that victims should be given the support and resources they need, including the option to report the crime to the RCMP. In the past four years, TRU has had two reported sexual assaults, but that figure does not include

“disclosures” of sexual assault made by students, which are not tracked.

“Anyone may disclose to someone, to a counsellor, a staff member, a faculty member … what’s really important to us is that we leave the decision-making power in the hands of the victim. We don’t take a disclosure and turn it into a report,” Adam said.

There are few details on specifically what the taskforce will change at this point, but Adam said that tracking disclosures is something that may be looked at.

In her article, Strong is critical of TRU’s provided figure of two sexual assaults in the past four years, and is in favour of disclosures being tracked.

“In a perfect world, whether you went to a counsellor, or a professor, or security or police, all of those reports would be counted,” she said.

Trades program receives $2 million federal grant Cooperation between trades and engineering to define program expansion Jim Elliot

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

TRU received a $2,039,000 federal grant in July earmarked for the establishment of an instrumentation engineering program and expansion of the existing instrumentation foundations course.

According to the university, the program will focus on supporting “skills training in oil and gas production and processing facilities.” The funds came from Western Economic Diversification Canada, a government agency whose mandate is “to promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and advance the interests of the West in national economic policy.”

“TRU will now be able to accommodate all levels of apprenticeship in instrumentation,” said Heather Hamilton, TRU’s industry and contract training manager. “No one else in the interior offers that.”

Currently, TRU only offers a course in instrumentation foundations that accompanies a Level 1 apprenticeship. The certification students will earn from additional apprenticeship levels is known as “Instrumentation and Controls Technician” or “Instrumentation Mechanic.”

According to Hamilton, more advanced Instrumentation courses will begin approximately a year from now and most of the new funding will go towards equipment.

“My vision is that, if we can build with the appropriate process equipment, we can teach any course from foundations to the engineering program. Build it and they will come,” said Max Tinsley, Instructor of TRU’s instrumentation foundations course.

The equipment in question includes “lab-size operating plants,” which are scaled down versions of the instrumentation equipment used in Industry.

According to Tinsley, the expansion of TRU’s instrumentation program will benefit B.C. as a whole by reducing the long wait list at BCIT and offering apprentice tradesmen an option other than seeking education in Alberta.

An alternative to BCIT is a welcome prospect for Tim Bryant, a student in the instrumentation foundations course who called the wait list and price of accommodation at BCIT “crazy.”

Another area of the university that will benefit from the new funding is the engineering program. Dean of science Tom Dickinson said he has been working with Lindsay Langill, the dean of

trades, “to couple skills that students get in trades and academic programs.”

According to Dickinson this will manifest itself in the engineering department by giving students in electrical engineering courses access to the proposed instrumentation lab. The goal of this is to “provide a better and more hands on type engineer.”

Tinsley agreed with the need for

cooperation between the two programs and said he “expects to be working with the instrumentation engineer class.”

Another possibility opened up by greater cooperation between trades and engineering is a laddering program that would allow apprentices in the instrumentation program to transfer some of their credits into a degree in engineering.

Instrumentation instructor Max Tinsley shows off Brian Wells and Johnathon Watt’s final instrumentation project, an automated water pump. (Jim Elliot/The Omega)

OPINION

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 30

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 CONTRIBUTORS Cameron Doherty Jim Elliot Wade Tomko Ashley Wadhwani NEWS EDITOR VACANT

ISSUES EDITOR VACANT

ARTS EDITOR VACANT

SCI-TECH EDITOR VACANT

3

Youth voter turnout? First, get out of their way Students don’t need any more reasons not to engage in our democracy Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

The Fair Elections Act has had its first test in court and remains intact. Just how fair it is, however, is still up for debate among student and democracy groups.

In a July 17 ruling, an Ontario Superior Court judge rejected a bid for an injunction against a part of the Fair Elections Act for the upcoming federal election. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) along with the Council of Canadians brought a case that sought to get rid of the voter identification provisions of the Act. They argued that it would have deleterious effects on youth voter turnout, especially students.

Their claims of voter suppression weren’t entirely dismissed by

the Ontario judge, however, who noted in his ruling that he wasn’t making any kind of statement on whether or not the Act violated the Charter.

It wasn’t until the Conservatives Party of Canada’s first term in office that things changed. Before then, all you needed was to provide your name and address to vote in a federal election, so long as you were on the voters list. Since then, Elections Canada requires either one piece of government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license, or two pieces of ID with your name and name and address.

On a list of recommended pieces of identification, Elections Canada lists student ID, debit card and credit card (and many others) as acceptable for pieces with your name. For pieces of ID with name and address, vehicle ownership,

credit card statement, utility bill (and again, many others) are listed as acceptable. Surely, most students looking to vote would have these, right? You’d think so, but that’s not really why CFS took on the Fair Elections Act. CFS took on this fight to face down something that might possibly further deter young people from voting. In every federal election since 2004, statistically speaking the younger you are, the less likely you have been to vote. The 18-to-24 cohort has consistently been the least likely to show up to vote, with only about 38 per cent showing up at the polls in 2011.

It only makes sense for CFS to make this an issue, then. While it’s easy to shrug off these voter ID requirements as reasonable, student-aged people don’t need any more of a reason not to vote – put-

ting any barrier in their way, even a minor bureaucratic one like this, will have a suppressive effect.

Really, this is a desperate measure to bring youth back to the polling stations. If all students have to do is overcome a measure of petty bureaucracy to make their voices heard, and they still don’t, we’ve encountered never-before-seen levels of apathy.

The real problem might be that our democracy is built on a stale platform, and that youth aren’t engaged with it because it feels as outmoded as conventional taxi services and hotels. So how about that? Where’s the Uber- or Airbnb-style cure for conventional democracy? Which federal election will have its first app? editor@truomega.ca

Former finance minister speaks at TRU

Goodale’s presentation leaves some questions concerning students unanswered Wade Tomko

SPORTS EDITOR VACANT

COPY EDITOR VACANT

PUBLISHING BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Brady INDUSTRY REP Christopher Foulds FACULTY REP Charles Hays STUDENT REP Kim Anderson STUDENT REP Mason Buettner

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.

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Across the country, Canadians are gearing up for a long election season, and Kamloops is no different.

What is now a steady trickle of party advertising will turn into a raging torrent come later this summer. As such, politicians from all parties have been going city to city, province to province to garner support months in advance. So the reason for Ralph Goodale’s stopover at TRU should come as no surprise.

At the Irving K. Barber Centre, local Liberal candidate Steve Powrie opened up for the former Finance Minister. Powrie blasted the policies of the Harper Government, calling them “incompatible with today’s complex society.” He went on to say, “What I hear most from people, is the need to take Canada back.”

This was Powrie’s and Goodale’s central theme as they urged the audience to do what is “right for Canada” in the upcoming election.

Well, what is right for Canada?

Those in the audience would have to wait a while before finding out as Goodale followed up on Powrie’s Harper bashing almost immediately. Although the anti-Conservative rhetoric was definitely high, Goodale did bring up some very important points about the failings of the Harper Government.

Goodale claimed that “No Prime Minister has had a worse record for growth than Harper, with the exception of RB Bennett in the 1930s.”

Which few can argue with given the 4 straight months of GDP decline and a youth unemployment rate just under 14 per cent. Though Goodale may have overstepped when he said that under Canada’s last Liberal government we experienced “balanced budgets and the strongest fiscal performance in the western world.” While not completely untrue, many Canadians have not for-

Former finance minister Ralph Goodale spoke at TRU on June 26. (Wade Tomko/The Omega)

gotten how Chretien achieved those years of surplus: by hiking taxes and cutting billions in social services and education.

Perhaps this is what scares Canadians the most about the Liberals. But if Goodale can be believed, middle class families can expect tax cuts of up to 7 percent if Trudeau gets into office. Despite tax cuts for families, Goodale promised the business owners in the audience that there would be no hikes to the corporate tax rate, which currently sits at 15 per cent. Something the NDP, on the other hand, is adamant on increasing.

To offset a decrease in taxation, the Liberals will be looking to “invest in infrastructure, as it is the most cost-effective investment government can make to increase growth and create jobs,” which is part of their plan for a “sustained and sustainable” economy. How a sustainable, eco-friendly economy will be created and how the Liber-

al’s environmental policy will differ from the Conservatives however, Goodale never explained.

The former Finance Minister also unveiled the Liberal’s new child benefit plan which would reduce the cost of raising a child by nearly $30,000. This new plan, unlike the current one, will be related to income, will be tax-free and will be indexed. Unfortunately, when asked about the Liberal’s plans for making post-secondary education more affordable, the only response was to wait and see as they plan on slowly proposing policy changes right up until the actual election.

When it came to discussion period, many in the audience seemed on the fence whether to vote NDP or Liberal. A bad sign for both parties, as the splitting of the progressive vote in the last ten years has led to the Conservative majority that now neither of them seem to be able to defeat.

Many saw the Liberal’s support

for Bill C-51 as a betrayal to Canadians, and they aren’t likely to forget that in just three months. Goodale did speak up to defend the bill however, believing that “C-51 has had a material impact in preventing recent terrorist attacks on Canadian soil.”

Though he admitted certain amendments needed to be made.

Goodale’s praise for Trudeau seemed endless as well. Knowing the Liberal leader hasn’t had as much experience as Mulcair or Harper, he instead promoted Trudeau as an outgoing family man, whose youth and vigour could create a new Canada. Not everyone bought it. They came to see what policy alternatives the Liberals could offer, but instead got a little second-hand boasting.

Even so, the crowd was receptive to the end, for many of them expect this to be Harper’s last election. And with a good alternative policies and a great leader, perhaps it will. Whose policies those are and who that great leader will be is so far undecided.

4

OUTDOOR LIVING

July 22, 2015

Fresh air for amateurs: a short guide to B.C. hikes

Some things to consider to get the best out of your summer treks Ashley Wadhwani CONTRIBUTOR Ω

This summer I put away my party shoes in exchange for some sturdy runners and decided that free fun would take over my weekends rather than visiting cramped bars and buying expensive drinks.

In turn, the views and experiences have been so gratifying. I look forward to feeling a burning sensation in my quads now – a feeling I never thought I would long for. Living in B.C. has turned my interest in hiking into a frequent hobby.

There’s almost no way you can get bored with roughly 70 designated hiking trails across the province and tons of other hidden adventures that have been found and shared over the Internet.

Hiking is a flexible hobby, whether you’re after an easy 30-minute trail like Peterson Creek in Kamloops or a 75-kilometre trek and a break from cell service on the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island. Either way, if you’re okay with breaking a sweat and are looking for something that won’t give you a hangover, then hiking is most likely for you.

With any sort of hobby, there are factors to be considered, steps to manage risk, and preparation necessary for optimal enjoyment.

pletely inexperienced and that really isn’t the case.”

According to the Kamloops Search and Rescue website, the most common mistake to be avoided is “believing that ‘it could never happen to me.’” Even the most experienced hikers can find themselves in unpredictable situations where aid is required.

The way I look at pre-hike preparedness is similar to going to work or school for the day. In the morning, you pack what you need – your textbooks or briefcase, a lunch or snack, a water bottle or beverage, and whatever else your job or day entails.

Your day becomes inconvenient the moment you are sitting at your desk and realize you forgot something you need. Now imagine that in the middle of an eight-kilometre hike, but it’s a first aid kit because you cut yourself on a stump you didn’t see until your shin hit it.

Hobler suggested visiting Adventure Smart’s website (adventuresmart.ca) before any outdoor adventure. This could be your 20th hike this summer, but it’s always useful to read a list incase you took the pocketknife out of your bag earlier that week, or need to replace some gauze in the first aid kit.

Alongside the essentials, a trip plan is something to consider passing along to a friend or family member before venturing out on the trails.

Trip plans should include who’s going on the trip, the destination and planned route, the vehicle details of how you’re getting to the trail and if necessary a description of your tent and other gear.

Leaving a trip plan with someone you trust and on the dashboard of your parked car near the trailhead saves time if search and rescue is needed.

“A lot of what we do for searches are for people who either didn’t tell somebody where they were going or went to a different location,” Hobler said. “We spend a lot of resources looking for them in the wrong spot.”

On top of trip plans, free notification services like KiteString or Deadman allow you to create a trip plan online with the time you are expected to be home and a list of emergency contacts to be reached if you don’t respond to prompts.

According to your arrival time, you will receive a text from the service asking if you are safe. If you’re safe you simply reply and all is well. If you don’t reply within a certain time frame, the service

will text your emergency contacts notifying them of your lack of response. From there, your emergency contacts can try to contact you or contact emergency services for help.

On the trail

You’re a few minutes in from the trailhead and on the trail. If you’re a beginner, sticking to hiking locations with clear trails is advised, unless you can follow instructions thoroughly with a compass. Popular trails will have some kind of marking system, like decals on trees every few hundred metres, to ensure you are on the right pathway.

Another important factor when hiking is the change in weather. The seven-kilometre Enderby Cliffs trail reaches 2,200 feet vertically with the summit being 1,200 metres above sea level, swerving into the trees and out to the cliff side.

Even on a muggy day, the winds are more intense near the summit than they are within the trees, which can cause muscle fatigue and stiffness. It’s important to not only drink water the day before the hike, but throughout the entire hike. Drinking water can be a pain, and bringing a bigger bot-

The pre-hike prep

The prep work for a hike varies, but regardless of how short of a hike you’re going on, preparation is always worth a thought.

Where are you planning to hike and is there cell service? Are you planning on bringing your phone or leaving it in the car? Have you hiked this route before or are you relying on a map? What time of the day are you going and have you checked the weather for the next few hours? Are you going with a group, a partner or alone?

Risk management sounds like a dramatic necessity for just a hike, until something goes wrong.

“I found people in Kamloops for the most part are pretty outdoor savvy,” said Alan Hobler, president of Kamloops Search and Rescue.

“Most of the calls we go out for are people that are mostly well prepared or are experienced in the outdoors, however they forgot one minor little detail. There’s a little misconception that the people we have to rescue are stupid or com-

Hikes throughout the province often have a payoff just as beautiful as this one, atop the Enderby Cliffs. (Ashley Wadhwani/The Omega)

tle may force you to drink more in order for your backpack to get lighter.

Finally, always have a snack in your backpack, whether you plan on eating it or not. If you were ever to find yourself in circumstances that cause you to stay longer in the wilderness than planned, a high-protein bar can maintain sugar levels and calm nerves.

The aspects of hiking we never consider

With GoPros and smartphones having the ability to take crisp high quality photos, we all are always keeping an eye out for those interesting and rare shots. With hashtags like #pnw, #exploreBC and #BChikes, sharing your shots with other like-minded hikers is a social expectation for all adventures.

But as easy as it is to get caught up enjoying your hike through the screen of your phone, don’t forget why you went on the hike in the first place. Enjoy the company of friends or family, enjoy the fresh air and smells of fresh trees and dirt. Photos of BC’s forests and trails can never be captured as if your viewers were really there, anyways. Happy trails!

OUTDOOR LIVING

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 30

5

Students take waves on the Thompson

One student’s experience in an International Student Activity Program adventure

Wade Tomko

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Stepping off the bus and into the beautiful sunshine of the B.C. interior woke me up like no cup of coffee ever could. My exhaustion from the combined forces of a late night beforehand and a long bus ride to the Kumsheen Rafting Resort was instantly replaced by an aura of anticipation.

Muhammed Al Johani is a TRU business student from Saudi Arabia, and unlike so many others on the bus, he was no amateur. “I went last year,” he told me. “Waiting to hit the big waves is the best part. I heard about this trip a few months back and have been excited ever since. If I’m at TRU next year, I’ll be one of the first to sign up for another day of river rafting.”

Looking out the side of the bus, you could see monstrous rapids below the craggy cliffs. Seeing the whitecaps and swirling eddies down below invigorated me with a renewed surge of adrenaline. With the temperature almost reaching 40 C, I wanted to be one of the first in the water.

Once off the bus, International Student Activity Program (ISAP) coordinator Jillian Folk marshalled us to the back of the resort, where we were supposed to gear up in wetsuits.

The heat that day proved too much, and our Kumsheen guides decided against making us suffer in the black Neoprene water gear. Instead they encouraged us to just wear our bathing suits. Getting a little too enthusiastic, I stripped down to the pair of board shorts I brought – something I later regretted, with peeling sunburns.

It would be a little while before we set out. I killed the time playing frisbee with TRU students Louis Ritchie and Vincent Gagui, both of whom had caught rafting hysteria. “$30 to go river rafting – you can’t say no to that. A deal like that is as good as it gets,” said Ritchie.

At our launch location we would put on the necessary safety equipment (life jackets and helmets) before joining a few of the family groups on the beach for further instructions.

The surplus of river gear Kumsheen

Students in the ISAP group on the Thompson River, launched from the Kumsheen Raft Resort near Lytton. (Photos by Wade Tomko/The Omega)

had brought along did little to quell the fears of one student. Anya Densmore had never been white water rafting before and personally admitted that this would be her first time on a river, whether in a boat or not.

But the bravery of her friend, Rebecca Jean Ascah, would prove strong enough for the both of them and soon Anya would be at the forefront of our group, not wanting to give up this special opportunity.

The first half of our day would consist of paddle rafting down the Thompson until we reached Nicomen Falls for lunch. But before we could paddle away down the Thompson, Willis, the most experienced of Kumsheen guides briefed us on how to work as a team and what to do in the event that you go overboard. How to pull someone back in the raft was something that would come in handy multiple times on our quest down the Thompson. Though I found Willis’ humour and insistence on using himself as an example quite entertaining, I could see that some of his darker jokes distressed more rafters than it reassured.

I was lucky enough to get in a raft

with all the friends I had made that day. Louis, Vincent, Muhammed and I added a warrior spirit to our boat as we were determined to be the first ones to Nicomen Falls even if we were the last to leave. And the last to leave we were. Natalie, our boat’s guide, wanted to make sure we could properly row as a team before setting off.

Our inexperience showed, much of the trip to the first set of rapids involved us floating backwards. But once we were in the more turbulent waters of the Thompson, our enthusiasm and utter fearlessness prevailed over any lack of skill. Amongst the rushing rapids we would pass another boat full of ISAP students. We made our victory well known with some timely cheering as we drifted by them. Unfortunately it was the only boat we overtook that day, as we hit slower waters before making up the distance to the next boat.

This calm did give us an extended period of relaxation, though, and provided an excellent opportunity to dive in for a swim. We took turns jumping off the prow of our raft, diving in the silliest of ways. After one

too many cannonballs, Natalie decided to teach us something new: the Salmon. Which turned out to be not so much a cool new trick to show off at pool parties, as it was practice for swimming up river.

We floated into the inlet below Nicomen Falls due to Natalie’s extreme skill more than anything else.

Louis and Vincent were the first two to get out. Climbing onto the rocky shore, they held the boat in place until the rest of us could get out. Slowly, we made our way up the road towards the famous Nicomen House situated perfectly between the river and the falls themselves. The view of both from the old hotel was absolutely stunning, and an excellent place to stop for lunch.

Our respite didn’t last long though, after a hearty helping of Caesar salad and an over-stuffed burrito, we were on our way back to the inlet.

During our feast, our Kumsheen guides had pulled the paddle rafts out of the water and put in the motorized power rafts. In a rush to get back into the water and out of the sun, I got split up from my original group and found myself with a completely new

crew led by the little-bit-crazy Willis.

Wanting to take the initiative, he had us out of the inlet before the other boats even had the chance to start their motors.

Hungry for the biggest waves, our guide led us through what could be termed as “hell and high water”. More than once I thought we would capsize with our raft becoming almost vertical on the more intimidating of waves. Unlike paddle rafting through the calmer rapids, where you wouldn’t necessarily get soaked, the deluge of water here was unavoidable. With horsepower instead of manpower at our backs we raced from rapid to rapid. Few times in our trip to down the river to Lytton was our boat not violently rocking from side to side. For some of us it was a struggle just to hang on, but my ego had me holding onto the safety rope one handed; this was just too much fun.

But before I knew it, the muddy waters of the Fraser River were in sight and I knew my trip was at an end. After beaching ourselves where the Thompson meets the Fraser, we sat down for some well-deserved water and congratulations. As the certificates we would get back at the resort would say, we were fully accomplished “Kumsheen River Rats.”

As my first ISAP trip, this was much more than I could ask for. The ISAP is a phenomenal initiative, possibly one of the greatest things our university has to offer. And don’t think for a second that it is exclusively for international students – domestic students are just as welcome.

Folk’s commitment to the program and the students she takes with her make every ISAP adventure incredibly unique, though ISAP will be back to Kumsheen again.

“This is our third year with Kumsheen. They’re perfect because they do paddling and power rafting,” she said.

Other ISAP events planned include a visit to local Okanagan wineries, rock climbing and possibly ziplining in Chase. ISAP updates its Facebook page with upcoming events, or students can stop by their kiosk in the International Building.

6

ARTS

July 22, 2015

“The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood” bad guys Andrew Cooper as Guy of Gisborne and Stephen Sawka as the Sheriff of Nottingham. (Cameron Doherty/The Omega)

Project X lands a bullseye with Robin Hood Cameron Doherty CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Project X Theatre Productions is back in Kamloops for a 10th consecutive year and their latest offering. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood had the near-capacity audience at Prince Charles Park enraptured. The audience was treated to a winning combination of edge-of-your-seat excitement and over-the-top hilarity.

Written by Jeff Pitcher and directed by Heather Cant, the play offers another version of the famous Robin Hood story that we all know and love. The script hits

all of the notes expected from a tale about Nottingham’s most famous bandit: Robin steals from the rich, an archery competition for a golden arrow, and a certain Maid Marian ends up falling in love with our titular hero. However, it is the different way this play goes about maneuvering its characters into the expected places that makes it appealing.

The 12-person cast of Mack Gordon as Robin Hood, Kelsey Gilker as Maid Marian, Stephen Sawka as the Sheriff of Nottingham, Brooke Ballam as Alan-a-Dale, Andrew Cooper as Guy of Gisborne, Dušan Magdolen as Friar Tuck, Wyatt Purcha as Little John, Meagan

Petrie as Will Scarlett, Chanelle Renee as Justine the Seer, Christopher Seguin as the Knight, Joel Feenstra as Forester 1/ Merryman 1 and Lukas Vanderlip as Forester 2/ Merryman 2 all combined to create something that is very entertaining. The joy with which each actor approached their respective roles radiated from them and quickly infected the entire audience.

Unlike other versions of the story, the Robin Hood brought to life

by Mack Gordon is a full and realistic character. Beginning the story as a brash and arrogant youth who seems equally concerned with his own notoriety and his urge to help the downtrodden folk of Sherwood

Cast and crew of “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood” poses after its opening show on July 16. (Cameron Doherty/The Omega)

Forest, the audience is able to see him grow into the legend that we all know so well.

Allowing a character to undergo a full arc was not something limited to Robin Hood however, as Kelsey Gilker explained.

“I play Maid Marian, and she starts off very righteous in her beliefs about law and order, and then this madcap character called Robin Hood comes in and starts to cause a bunch of hysteria amongst her and kind of dishevels her beliefs a little bit. And at the end… she changes her mind a little bit, let’s say.”

All of the character growth did not come at the expense of humour however, as the three main sources of laughter throughout the show were static and consistently funny.

TRU alum Andrew Cooper provided a standout performance and almost every line he delivered in an outstandingly funny French accent was greeted with a roar of laughter from the audience. Likewise, Stephen Sawka had the crowd in stiches every time he was unable to stomach saying the name Robin Hood, and as Dušan Magdolen explained, his version of Friar Tuck is a simple man.

“I just want to party, just roast some deer and give me some ale and all is well in the world,” he said about his character.

This love of food is readily apparent throughout the show, and Magdolen returning to scenes just to tuck food into his robes gets more and more funny each time.

Taking place in the corner of Prince Charles Park, the play incorporated its outdoor setting into the action to great effect. The trees around the set acted as a natural extension of the Sherwood Forest that the actors performed in, and the set itself was versatile, changing

from a dingy dungeon to a forest clearing with only a few footsteps to the right from the actors necessary for the transformation.

Of course, this being a play about perhaps one of the most famous archers of all time, arrows were constantly zipping through the air and sprouting up in some very unexpected places.

That the effects were so believable is largely due to the work of Travis Hatt and Gal Minnes, who are, respectively, the technical director and production manager of the show.

“What we are in charge of is taking all of the concepts, all of the designs and ideas, making sure they are feasible and then realizing the designs. Our jobs are multi-faceted and they change day-by-day,” Minnes said.

Amongst all the action and humour there is also a little bit of romance taking place, too.

“My favourite part of the show, especially right now as we are just getting into it, is finding the moments between Marian and Robin, because the romance is there but it’s not there a lot,” Gilker said.

A major theme throughout the play was the importance of faith, and much to the annoyance of Friar Tuck, not necessarily a faith in a higher power, but rather a faith in your fellow man. After watching The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, I certainly have faith in Project X to put on an entertaining show.

X Fest 2015 continues until August 1, with performances of the Shakespeare Show and the Merry Adventures of Robin Hood on alternating days at 7:30 p.m. in Prince Charles Park. Visit www. projectxtheatre.ca for ticket and schedule information.

NEWS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 30

Campus news in brief Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

New provost and VP academic named TRU has named its new provost and VP academic. Christine Bovis-Cnossen will take on the role beginning Sept. 1. Bovis-Cnossen hails from OCAD University (formerly the Ontario College of Art and Design), where she has been serving as the provost and VP academic since 2012.

Ulrich Scheck held the position for five years as the university’s provost and VP academic before deciding he would not stand for a second term.

He has since returned to his faculty position.

Piggin named to Canadian U-19 team

Last year she was a WolfPack rook-

ie, and now she plays basketball for Team Canada. Emma Piggin joined the U-19 Canadian team in Europe for the 2015 FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship.

In her debut game against Mali, Piggin went four for eight in field goal and had three rebounds.

The women’s basketball team captain Scott Reeves also joined the national team as an assistant coach.

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Emma Piggin was named to Canada’s U-19 team. She, along with WBB head coach Scott Reeves, are currently in Europe competing in the 2015 FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship. (TRU Athletics)

B.C. Government’s cuts to adult basic education hurt most-marginalized Don’t Close the Doors lobbies New Westminster for support Lauren Kelly

THE OTHER PRESS (CUP)

NEW WESTMINSTER – On June 1, Don’t Close the Doors campaigners Jenelle Davies and Ruab Waraich attended a meeting at New Westminster City Hall and presented with the goal of gaining the city’s support for their campaign. They are responding to Christy Clark’s Liberals and their decision to both cut $6.9-million from Adult Basic Education (ABE) in BC and allow schools to charge tuition fees for it.

Adult Basic Education refers to classes for people who have either not graduated high school and wish to upgrade their high school classes to meet post-secondary requirements, or who are seeking to improve basic literacy and numeracy through developmental and ESL programs.

With the new laws in place since January 1, post-secondary institutions can charge ABE students

$1,600 a semester, or $320 a course, for all upgrading courses before ancillary fees. With these fees, each course can cost nearly $500.

“When this cut happened, the ministry assured us that adults would be able to take these classes through the school districts,” said Davies during the presentation. “And then they cut the funding for that as well.”

Since May 1, school districts that offer free upgrading courses for adults no longer receive funding from the government.

Those seeking ABE are people in the most marginalized groups: 58 per cent are women, 18 per cent are aboriginal people, 20 per cent are parents, 55 per cent are employed, and 79 per cent have graduated high school and want to be able to enter post-secondary. Seventy per cent of students continue their studies after ABE. ABE programs are essential for many adults who hope to start careers, but do not have the requirements.

COMMUNITY EVENT CALENDAR

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TRU law alum breaks ground

TRU law graduate Miranda Schmold is one of the first Lheidli T’enneh First Nation members to become a lawyer. Schmold was called to the bar on June 25 in Prince George.

While at TRU, she worked to establish the TRU Indigenous Law Students’ Association and was its founding vice-president.

“Now being closer to my community, I hope to get more involved with community events and become a role model to Lheidli youth,” she told TRU.

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There is an Adult Upgrading Grant that covers costs for schooling.

If you are a family of one, you must make less than $11.40 an hour, or about $23,000 a year, to qualify. “We know from talking to folks in the community that making $11.40 an hour doesn’t leave you with so much extra money that you can pay nearly $500 for one course,” countered Davies.

The government had previously instated fees for ABE courses, and this prompted students to lobby. In 2007, they were abolished and for the last seven years, ABE students could attend school without having to worry about not being able to support themselves and attend school.

“We’re asking the government: ‘What’s changed since 2007?’”

The campaign, supported by many teachers’ federations, students’ unions, and poverty coalitions, has now added their first, but likely not last, city to that list: New Westminster.

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Kamloopa Pow Wow July 31 to August 2 Secwepemc Pow Wow Grounds The annual Kamloopa Pow Wow is one of the biggest First Nations celebrations in Western Canada. See dancers perform in their traditional regalia and experience First Nations culture and heritage.

Campus garden tours August 5, 12 and 19, 6:30 p.m.

TRU Horticulture Gardens Each week explores a different theme in TRU’s guided garden tours. See a wide variety of horticulture in TRU’s beautiful gardens. Bring your camera and watch out for mosquitoes.

Hot Nite in the City August 7 to August 9 Kamloops Downtown See street rods, customs, American muscle cars, sport compacts, vintage, collector cars, bikes, racers and more in Kamloops’ Hot Nite in the City event. The show ‘n’ shine event is free for all ages.

Ribfest August 7 to August 9 Riverside Park It’s going to be hot and there’s going to be meat and music. This should be all I need to tell you, but in case you need more, this rib cook-off features five champion barbecue teams fighting to take home the top prize. If you love barbecue, there’s plenty to be had.

Music in the Park Daily Riverside Park

Jenelle Davies and Ruab Waraich tried to get the City of New Westminster on board to restore ABE funding. (Photo Douglas Students’ Union)

Experience music in the park starting at 7 p.m. every day over the summer. Upcoming acts include: Totally Tom Petty tributes, Pat Benatar tributes, Mo Marley, Paul Filek, Mip Power Trio, Jay Juatco, Harpdog Brown, Caitlin Goulet, Brisas del Palmar, Darlene Ketchum Quartet, Sister Speak, Buck Wild,West My Friend, Dodie Goldney’s Instamatics, Shattered Blue, James Wolf, The Blues Mules, Doc & The Disorderlies, Scott Cook, Paisley Groove and Devon Coyote & The Midnight Howl.

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COMICS AND PUZZLES

July 22, 2015

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