Oct. 22, 2014

HUMANS OF TRU We interviewed the student behind the photo project gaining a lot of attention, p. 8

Volume 24 – Issue 8

A TERRIBLE BEAUTY An analysis of Ed Burtynsky’s photo exhibit, now open at Kam Art Gallery, p. 5

www.truomega.ca Ω @TRU_Omega

STAYING TOGETHER Six former Team BC volleyball players have joined the WolfPack, p. 11

October 22, 2014

Kamloops Votes 2014

What you need to know about the council candidates looking for your vote

Live at TRU! Concert series continues with flamenco, latin and jazz rhythms of Servantes

CLOSE TALKER Saskatoon band plays small but intimate show in Kamloops

OPINION

October 22, 2014

Proposed changes to copyright will hurt quality of journalism in Canada Patrick Vaillancourt

THE OTHER PRESS (CUP)

If you are an avid watcher of Canadian politics, you may be asking yourself: “What happened to all the attack ads against Justin Trudeau?” I was wondering that myself a few days ago, and came across some startling findings.

It seems broadcasters have had enough of the Conservative Party’s attack ads. Not because of the nature of the ads themselves, but rather, because of who owns some of the content prominently featured in those advertisements.

For years, the Conservative advertising machine has demolished successive Liberal leaders. It began with Stéphane Dion, then Michael Ignatieff. Now, a year away from the next expected federal election, the Conservatives are trailing in the polls and it seems that attack ads meant to steer voters away from Justin Trudeau have failed.

If you believe the polls, Trudeau is poised to lead the Liberals to a historic comeback to the government benches once election night comes to a close.

This has the Conservatives scrambling to find a way to discredit the Liberal leader. After years of allowing political parties to broadcast attack ads on national airwaves, the major Canadian broadcasters got together to let all political parties know that they are calling a halt to it, saying they will not air advertisements that feature clips of their own broadcasts for political purposes without the express consent of the copyright holder. That means, should Trudeau make a gaffe during a CBC interview (as he did with the CF-18 story), the Conservatives would need to get the CBC’s permission to use the media clip in a political ad.

In response, the Harper government is planning to change the Copyright Act to remove “the need for broadcasters to authorize the use of their news content.”

Does the Conservative Party actually want to suggest stealing the intellectual property of Canadian television stations, which own clips and broadcast interviews that are widely used to attack other party leaders in the media? It’s a double standard, which, if passed,

will allow a political party to use a clip without consent, develop an ad, and send it right back to the broadcaster they stole from to have it aired nationally. Talk about insult to injury.

As a writer, I’m very passionate about intellectual property, and have an interest in preserving my rights as a producer of content. If I were producing content with the expectation that someone could just take it without my knowledge or authorization, there isn’t much of an incentive for me to produce high-quality writing. Why make the job easier for the thief ?

That is exactly what could happen in political punditry. Fearing that a segment may be used for an attack ad, journalists may stop asking the tough questions we demand answers to from our elected leaders, opting instead to have the safe conversations that couldn’t possibly be featured in a smear campaign.

These copyright changes are more than just legalizing the theft of intellectual property; it will lead to a kind of censorship in journalism this country cannot afford to have.

A dying wish unfulfilled

Ebola virus is just another reason why we should seize the day Margaret Matthews

THE OTHER PRESS (CUP)

The first Ebola patient in the United States, 42-year-old Thomas Eric Duncan, died not long after his arrival from Liberia.

He had been working there as a driver for a courier company, and had been exposed to the deadly virus.

He tested positive on September 30 and was kept in isolation at a Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where he was treated with an experimental drug. On October 8, the hospital announced his passing. While three American aid workers and a photojournalist also contracted Ebola while residing in Liberia, they were brought back to the United States and treated with

a vaccine, resulting in three recoveries; however, this was not the case for Duncan. Prior to his death, he went to the hospital and was sent home with antibiotics, which did not cure him. He was then admitted to the hospital and treated with another experimental drug, but did not survive.

No one can predict when it’s time to depart this world. Does life have to be so cruel and unfair? The Ebola virus has currently taken the lives of over 4,000 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. US President Barack Obama said: “[Duncan’s] death showed we don’t have a lot of margin for error. If we don’t follow protocols and procedures that are put in place, then we’re putting folks in our communities at risk.”

The saddest part of Duncan’s

passing was that his life-long wish of seeing his young son— whom he had not seen since the boy was around three years old, when he was taken away to live in the United States—was not fulfilled. He wanted to be at his graduation and be proud of what he had achieved scholastically, but it was not to be. It took decades for Duncan to obtain his immigration documents and to see his young son again, but when he did arrive in the US he tested positive for Ebola, thus preventing any visitors from visiting him at the hospital. Circumstances prevented them both from seeing each other. It just wasn’t meant to be.

When it’s time for one to go, there is no asking for an extension of time. There are no two ways about it.

Another year, another iPhone Evan Whitmore THE WEAL (CUP)

Apple released the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on Sept. 19, marking the eighth year in a row that the company has launched a new iPhone.

There are several important factors to consider when purchasing a new phone, especially for cash-strapped students, and the key is to establish the good aspects of the new technology, the potential negative aspects, and the price of upgrading.

In terms of the good aspects, the iPhone 6 does introduce some new features.

The first is purely superficial: the new phone has a new design. Although its look may not convince everyone to hand their money over, that new design also features a larger screen.

The aesthetic change, including the phone’s slimmer body, may end up being covered by a protective case, but a larger screen can certainly be a big plus.

That larger screen, though, is no sharper than the screen on the iPhone 5S, last year’s model.

The iPhone 6 is also faster than many previous models; early benchmark tests

by HotHardware.com put it at twice as fast as the iPhone 5 and 5C, and four times as fast as the 4S. Its speed, however, is not much greater than the 5S, with that same test finding the new phone less than 5 per cent faster than last year’s phone.

It is actually difficult to find an area where the iPhone 6 truly outshines the iPhone 5S. The camera has not changed much, with both models possessing an eight megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 lens, but the iPhone 6’s new front-facing camera will apparently let in 81 per cent more light, allowing users to take higher-quality selfies.

Battery life has only marginally improved in the 6; you will get 11 hours of browsing with the new phone, instead of only 10.

And then, of course, there is the bending.

Whether or not the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are prone to bending seems to remain up in the air.

Consumer Reports tested the bend

strength of several phones, concluding that the 6 held up to as much force as its competition, the HTC One (M8), without deforming, while the 6 Plus held up to slightly more.

The testers concluded, “we expect that any of these phones should stand up to typical use.”

It is worth noting, however, that the iPhone 5 – the same body used in the 5S – held up to almost twice as much weight as the iPhone 6 before deforming.

An article in Forbes Magazine questioned the testing done by Consumer Reports, arguing that the three-pointtest they used does not demonstrate normal use of the phone.

Apple itself reported that only nine cases of bending were reported in the first week of sales, yet the internet is filled with arguments on either side.

Cautious consumers may want to avoid the issue entirely by not buying the iPhone 6.

The 5S has been on the market for a year with no hardware scandal this large, so it may be the prudent choice simply due to this possible bending issue.

In terms of price, neither phone comes cheap.

To buy the iPhone 6, with no phone contract, will cost you $750 for just the 16 gigabyte version. The same size iPhone 5S will cost you about $640.

With a two-year contract from Telus or Rogers, the 6 comes down to $265 and the 5S costs $150.

The cost difference is not as big as we might want, given that the 5S is one year old at this point, but the lack of big differences between the two, and the possible bending issue, make a convincing argument to take the cheaper phone.

The larger screen, the improved front-facing camera, and the slight increase in speed are assets in a phone, but the upgrades seem minor in relation to the buzz Apple generates when it releases its annual phone.

Owning the newest tech can be alluring in itself, but money-conscious students should be wary of throwing away cash on marketing schemes.

The cheapest option, of course, is keeping the phone you have.

Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr Commons

2

Voting age should be lowered in Canada The Dialog Editorial Board THE DIALOG (CUP)

Voter turnout is at an all-time low. Citizens are staying away from the ballot boxes on voting day, seemingly uninterested in who will represent their interests at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government.

In the context of the upcoming municipal election in the City of Toronto, an innovative idea designed to halt and even reverse this trend of decreasing voter turnout is that the voting age

should be lowered to 17, our reasons for this are practical.

With the elimination of Grade 13, also known as OAC, from the Ontario high school curriculum, depending on their birthdate, students can graduate from high school at the age of 17; this means they are entering the workforce or post-secondary environment without being able to vote.

The act of voting is the primary way which people in Canada affect policy, so being denied the vote while political decisions shape their futures, is unfair.

In Austria, where the voting

age has been lowered, an Austrian National Election Study found that younger voters tend to continue to vote as they grew older. The study also found that beyond the question of the level of turnout among voters under 18, the political interest of citizens younger than 18 increased after the voting age was lowered, as did their knowledge, trust and satisfaction with democracy.

These findings from Austria reinforce a paper published by Yosef Bhatti and Kasper M. Hansen in the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties which

theorized that because the “social act of voting has strong habitudinal properties, failure to mobilize youth can therefore possibly have long-term consequences for political participation.”

In Canada, the idea of facilitating greater youth involvement is not a new idea. As far back as 2005, then-Ontario Liberal MP Mark Holland told the Canadian Parliament that the “the disengagement of our youth from our political process” was a “serious problem for our country.”

He attempted to resolve this problem by introducing Bill

C-261 which would have lowered the voting age for federal elections in Canada to 16 while keeping the age for candidates at 18.

Unfortunately for the members of the Bloc Quebecois, the Liberals and the NDP which supported this Bill – it did not pass.

We are not so ambitious as to voice an opinion on the federal voting age, but we do think that the municipal voting age should be lowered to 17 – if for no other reason than that it will make politicians address the issues that affect this age group.

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 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 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.

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OPINION & EDITORIAL

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 8

Can I borrow your ballot if you’re not going to use it?

With the municipal election looming, I just wish more people cared Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

I can’t vote in the upcoming election.

Not, “I won’t,” or “I don’t want to.”

I can’t.

As a student from out of province, I don’t meet the residency requirement, which states anyone eligible to vote must have lived in British Columbia for the last six months. For the first time since I turned 18, the city around me will head to the polls and my voice won’t be heard.

I would be lying if I said that didn’t bother me.

Part of that feeling is from an honest desire to exercise my civic rights. As far as I’m concerned, voting is both a right and a social responsibility that I will never take for granted. Equally though, I find it ironic that many of those who can vote, who I would trade places with in a moment, don’t seem to care.

Just a few days ago, I listened with a sort of uncomprehending disappointment as my fellow Omega reporter, Ashley Wadhwani, told me that most of the students she spoke to about the Vote 50 campaign last week were ambivalent at best.

That night, I went home and read all the headlines of how people in Hong Kong were flooding the streets to demand the very rights we’re taking for granted.

Over the years, I’ve heard pretty much every excuse people use to convince themselves that voting is a waste of time. I’ve outlined some of the more common ones below along with why they should not be reason to avoid the polls next month.

Maybe it’s my background in political studies coming out, but I will never believe voting is not important. Despite everything people tell themselves, it is not pointless and it does not take so much effort that people should be able to talk themselves out of it.

Excuse #1: One vote is not going to make a difference.

In the most literal sense, this is prob-

ably true. Kamloops has tens of thousands of eligible voters. If even half of them hit the polls, the chances of one vote tipping the scales are slim.

But while one vote may not directly decide who sits on the city council or in the mayor’s chair, one person can have a big effect on his or her social circle.

If you get talking about the election, chances are you can get at least some of the people around you thinking about it. Every voter is the potential epicentre of a political interest snowball.

In the broader sense, one person not voting may not make a difference, but get a few thousand people thinking their “one vote” doesn’t matter, and suddenly the effect on final election results is no longer so small.

Excuse #2: No one cares what I think.

This is not a federal election or the race for Toronto city hall. This is the municipal government of Kamloops.

In a town like this, small enough that I frequently run into people I know at the supermarket, getting people to pay attention to you is relatively easy if you have something important to say.

If you want direct contact with the people running for office, chances are you can get it. If they’re at all worth your vote, they will shake your hand, talk about the issues that matter to you and give you the chance to ask the questions you really want to know.

Excuse #3: There’s no one worth voting for.

Believe it or not, sometimes I feel this way too. It’s easy to believe that all politicians are greedy or corrupt and there are days that voting feels like choosing the lesser of the evils.

That being said, there’s no lack of candidates in the 2014 Kamloops election. A stunning 28 candidates will be competing for only eight city council seats, and their backgrounds range from recent TRU graduates to activists and business owners. There are also four people are running for mayor. I find it hard to believe not a single one is worth voting for.

There is also the issue of accountabil-

ity. Even when I am most cynical about politics, I would still vote. If nothing else, it is a way of telling the people in power that they are still accountable to the people and at least one person is still engaged. Not voting is more than just one less ballot in the box. It is you telling the government that you are not watching, not interested and not paying attention.

Excuse #4: I’m too busy to vote.

No you’re not.

Even counting the line at the polling station, casting a ballot takes a tiny part of your day.

The most time-intensive part of the whole process (at least if you’re doing it any justice) is making an informed decision. It takes time to know the candidates, particularly when there are so many. It takes time to read their platforms, to know what they stand for and whether those views are in line with your own.

For those of us whom losing a cell phone is like chopping off an arm, that problem is easily solved.

The 2014 Kamloops municipal campaign is as much online as it is bootson-the-ground. Every candidate has their platform posted somewhere on the Internet. Media outlets like Kamloops This Week have entire sections devoted to keeping track of election news and Vote 50 is doing its best to keep anyone who wants to be in the loop informed with candidate contact information, events and news.

If you go on Facebook while eating your breakfast, if you have a 10-minute bus ride to campus, you can get all the information you need without making your schedule even more hectic.

Granted, a few cat videos may not get watched, but I figure that’s a small price to pay.

Come election day, I will not be at the polls, but I am unbelievably envious of anyone who is.

To those of you who are eligible, I ask that you be aware of how lucky you are.

This is not something to take for granted. It’s a privilege, and even here at TRU, it’s a chance not everyone has. news@truomega.ca

Some people are strange, maybe I’m one of them Can jerks perform acts of kindness to restore moral balance?

Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

A bewildering encounter I had last week left me confused about acts of kindness. I think it’s one of those things I’ll have to work out on the page, or at least explain.

It all started in the Tim Hortons drive-thru lineup. I had just left work and decided to grab a coffee. When I pulled up to pickup my order, the woman at the window handed me my drink and told me that the car ahead had already paid for me. I wasn’t that surprised – this has happened to me before, and to a lot of other people. The “pay-it-forward” gesture has even made the news.

Here’s something I’ve got to admit to though, publicly: I didn’t pay for the next person’s order. I didn’t pay it forward. But I also feel like I have to defend this decision a little. The pay-it-forward thing

only really works if the lineup is two cars long, otherwise it’s just a string of people paying for other people capped by one genuine act of kindness and one recipient of said kindness. The people who really benefit would be increased if this chain was started and stopped multiple times per day rather than continuing. I’m sure there’s a philosophy paper written about this somewhere. It’s a topic worthy of further investigation, in my opinion. Anyway, that day, I decided to test the karmic waters and break the chain.

But here’s where things go awry.

Because I made off like a bandit out of the Tim Hortons drive-thru, I was able to stay close to the vehicle ahead of me that had paid for my order. No, I wasn’t intentionally following them and didn’t really have any intention of acknowledging their gift, either. Maybe a wave, or something, but I doubt they were paying much attention

to who was behind them, anyway.

But I never got the opportunity for that wave. In fact, I found myself more inclined to flip them off. You see, we were both headed down the Summit Connector at the time of day it’s typically backed halfway up the hill. I was headed downtown, so I stayed in the left lane to go straight through. The kind driver ahead of me was in that lane, too, but pulled off the jerkiest of jerk moves and aggressively cut into the North Shore lane at the last minute to jump in line.

I felt rattled. I’d only ever seen the back of this person’s car, but truly, I thought that they were better than this. Their kind act had been wiped from the scoreboard with an inconsiderate move like this. But was I right to judge them? Should we keep score? The rest of my drive was filled with a deep contemplation of the human species that I was not expecting to make on a Tuesday afternoon. editor@truomega.ca

TUNE IN/TUNE OUT Steve Leahy

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Well, it’s getting to be that time of year, the start of a new, cold and dark season. I’m not talking about winter here, because it’s actually election season. That time when we’re asked to slink out of our homes and decide who we want running our city. Only problem is, many of us don’t.

Why is that? Shouldn’t we all be invested in who’s going to be calling the shots? The privileged few who will be making decisions with our best interests at heart?

Maybe it’s because we don’t think these people actually have our best interests at heart. At least, that’s how I feel most of the time.

Just look at what’s been going on around Kamloops over the last few years. Looks to me like our municipality is trying to assert itself as a city, which I’m not opposed to.

Despite what I have and will continue to say about Kamloops, I actually do like this place and I want to see it flourish. But I’m not sure our mayor or councillors really understand what that means, at least, not in practice. From what I’ve been seeing Kamloops wants to become a full-fledged city and leave behind the small town vibe we’ve got going on. Where do I stand on this idea? That’s a solid ‘meh’ of non-commitment.

Kamloops the city? Could work, if we rebrand the town as a happening place, essentially throwing up a façade of interest over our fairly normal, laid-back atmosphere. To which I respond with a very confused ‘why?’ Shouldn’t the focus of our mayor be to actually improve the town instead of making it appear like it’s improved? We’ve won a couple ‘communities in bloom’ awards the last few years (go us!) so I think our mayor and councillors should focus on letting those communities actually bloom, instead of making everyone think they already have.

Maybe I’m an idealist, but I buy into that “if you build it, they will come” approach to creating new and exciting opportunities, but that mindset has gone passé as of late. Now, if you want to build it, you have to make sure you’ve got the right permits, grease the right palms, and make sure you’ve got enough investors in on the ground floor so that you can recoup your losses if it falls through.

Maybe that’s the issue I’ve got with politics, everyone’s too afraid of failure to actually push for success.

Anyhow, what do I want to see from our politicians? Take a serious look at our community and address its needs now. Not the future needs of a growing town, but the needs it has during that awkward transitional phase from town to city. Instead of treating Kamloops like it’s already a city, give it the minor changes, the small little local things, that will bring this town to the mantle of city. 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.

4

ARTS

October 22, 2014

Staying close with Close Talker Saskatoon band plays the Dirty Jersey ahead of its Nov. 4 album Kim Anderson ARTS EDITOR Ω

Close Talker played a small, but intimate show at the Dirty Jersey on Oct. 14.

Kim Anderson/The Omega

Saskatoon natives Close Talker took over the small stage at the Dirty Jersey on Oct. 14 after Kamloops band Bobby Cleveland.

The small crowd of about 20 people sat in the tables closest to the stage and this allowed for an intimate vibe. Close Talker took advantage of this and gave the attendees an unforgettable personal performance.

Close Talker is made up of frontman Will Quiring, Matthew Kopperud on guitar and vocals, Jeremy “Jerms” Olson on bass and vocals and Chris Morien on drums.

For a newer band still cutting their teeth, Close Talker has developed a unique style, to say the least. Their story of origin sounds like something lifted from a Hollywood script: “Mutual friends, asked us [Quiring, Kopperud and Morien] to form a wedding band,” Kopperud said. “It was a dry wedding, but Jerms wasn’t dry. He was dancing hard. He had his tie around

Live at TRU! Part 2: Servantes Sounds of flamenco, Latin and jazz come to TRU as part of concert series Kim Anderson ARTS EDITOR Ω

Servantes brought sounds of flamenco, Latin and jazz, as well as guitar paired with modern looping technologies, to the Clock Tower Theatre on Thursday Oct. 15, for part two of the Live at TRU! concert series.

Servantes took center stage and displayed his innovative skill set which fuses traditional and modern

guitar styles.

Without a word to the audience, Servantes sat in the only chair in the middle of the stage and began drumming on the body of his acoustic-electric guitar. He used his ring to create a sharper sound than what his bare knuckles made. Using unconventional methods, he looped the beat and used that as his rhythm section.

“He was building his own rhythms, he built his own bass. It was a superb and pleasant surprise,” said returning

Live at TRU! concertgoer Frith Powell. He and his wife attend the concert series whenever they get a chance to.

They believe the artists are “excellent and varied.”

Servantes walked the audience through a beautiful musical journey using improvisational rhythms and mind-altering riffs.

A focused and solemn performer, Servantes rarely took his eyes off his instrument and electronic looping control panel. When he did lift his

his head, doing the loose shoulder dance. We had an hour set planned, we milked it to about two hours. We played “Sweet Home Alabama” for about 20 minutes. It got out of hand and it was a disaster!”

The wedding show was a positive disaster, evidently, because shortly after, they reached out to Jerms and he agreed to join the band. “The rest is history,” Quiring said.

Transformative guitar solos paired with hypnotizing vocals, and percussion and rhythm played with precision, showcased the group’s creativity and heart.

Close Talker played almost exclusively new music from their upcoming album, Flux. The songs they previewed, flowed together effortlessly and seamlessly.

Jerms described Flux as “intentional,” which couldn’t be more apt. Every note, hook and riff is expertly and creatively placed to create a hypnotizing and intoxicating sound.

“Burnstick” kept an interesting pace that switched from fast back to slow without warning. With an

irresistible hook, this song lifted the audience into a musical trance.

The sheer talent of these guys is a marvel to witness. The silky combined vocals they bring to the table are nothing short of amazing.

Close Talker is a group that clearly likes to keep it light and enjoy their time on the road. “One time we were playing in Regina, and Jerms is wearing this winter jacket,” Quiring said. “We are all thinking, why is he wearing his winter coat? Matt starts the first song and Jerms rips off his jacket, and he’s wearing this jean vest with skulls, or was it cow-print?”

While the material of the vest in question is still up for debate, this points to the spontaneity and light-heartedness that this group exhibits.

Their new album will be released on Nov. 4 and the band will start their next tour on Oct. 25.

The closest they’ll come to Kamloops is in Kelowna, on Dec. 3 at The Habitat.

If you get the chance, be sure to check out this young, rising Canadian band before they hit it big.

head, it was to belt out smooth and passionate Spanish lyrics.

He hooked the crowd after the very first song, and a few people let out enthusiastic yelps of approval.

The rapidity of his guitar playing was breathtaking. His blending and use of a loop pedal could fool a listener into thinking they are listening to at least a duo.

For the last two songs, Servantes surprised everyone when his two friends bolted down the stairs, unannounced, and joined him on stage.

Both with enormous grins, one with a saxophone in-hand and the other

with a wooden drum instrument, the two musicians complimented Servantes’ superb guitar playing.

After his last song, the audience showed their approval with generous, raucous applause.

The worn paint below the strings on Servantes’ red guitar tells a tale of many shows played and points to his incomprehensible dedication and skill.

BELOW LEFT: Servantes on stage on Oct. 16.

BELOW RIGHT: A surprise saxophonist appears on stage to join Servantes.

Photos by Kim Anderson

ARTS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 8

5

A TERRIBLE BEAUTY “EDWARD BURTYNSKY IN DIALOGUE WITH EMILY CARR” AT THE KAMLOOPS ART GALLERY pile of burning tires. But somehow Burtynsky has taken an ugly idea, a ARTS EDITOR Ω usually hidden result of our commercial need for transportation, “There is a sense of being beyond and captured it in a stunningly that wonderment period in your beautiful image. life, where everything is new and The viewer is forced to consider fabulous, into the point were evthe cost of progress and change. erything is a bit frightening when Yet, the work isn’t activism or a you see the scope and danger [of strong critique. It’s a question and the world],” said Bruce Grenville, examination of what makes a landsenior curator at the Vancouver Art scape beautiful.

Gallery and curator of the Edward “Thematically, his subject isn’t Burtynsky and Emily Carr exhibit judgmental and he’s stayed concurrently shown at the Kamloops sistent. It’s the technology that Art Gallery (KAG). has changed. It’s fascinating to see The Vancouver Art Gallery has Carr doing a similar environmencollected and organized works by tal theme,” gallery attendee Diana world-renowned CanaPratt-Johnson said. dian artists, photograCollecting and orgapher Edward Burtynsky nizing the works of one and painter Emily Carr. of Canada’s most reThe exhibit, entitled “A spected and important Terrible Beauty,” examcurrently working phoines the perspective of tographers for the exhibtwo different artists that, it was remarkably easy, speaking broadly, dealt according to Grenville. with similar subjects of “We were talking to environment and manEd about where to get kind’s influence on it. the works and how to The gallery begins think about it,” Grenville with Burtynsky’s early said. “And he says, ‘why works, including shots Curator Bruce Grenville on Burtynsky’s donation don’t I just donate everyfrom around the Thompthing you need?’ Which son-Nicola area, one is what he did! [He doentitled “Homesteads #40,” shot (in art), and melds them together. nated] 35 photographs. That, in my on Highway 5 between Merritt The vast oilrigs have taken over world is a great gift. They’re worth and Princeton, followed by Carr’s and have covered, even become almost three-quarters of a million paintings of the natural environ- the landscape. The only whisper of dollars. Ed is one of the rare artists ment being altered by logging and the natural environment left in the that would do that.” colonialism, then finally bookend- shot, is the faded, distant mounBurtynsky’s recent works are ed with Burtynsky’s most recent tains. massive in size. He captures images works.

“Burning Tire Pile #1,” is liter- from the sky, from an airplane, in Carr’s piece “Loggers’ Culls” ally a pit of smoldering tires. At order to get an incredible bird’s-eye from 1935 presents a view of the first glance, it looks like wispy fog view. He shoots with a high-end impact logging had taken on the resting on a hill or mountain. How- Hasselblad camera that boasts 64 environment. It is an almost surreal ever, with closer examination, it is megapixels. He is giving the viewer view of what was once a vast forest, exactly what the title describes: a an unconventional perspective that

Kim Anderson

now with only a few sparse, skinny trees where the logging occurred.

The work is undeniably beautiful, but it raises the question of, how much of that beauty was created by Carr? And how beautiful was the site before industry altered it?

“She [Carr] pointed to what seemed like a loss or potential disaster. He [Burtynsky] is pointing to a world that is extraordinary,” Grenville said.

When standing and examining Burtynsky’s “Oil Fields #18,” it becomes impossible to separate the man-made machinery from the natural environment. He takes two subjects that are normally separate

“And he says, ‘why don’t I just donate everything you need?’ Which is what he did!”

they otherwise never would have seen.

The works have the ability to shock and fascinate, while simultaneously making the viewer seem unimaginably small.

“It’s so strong, very strong, to see a Burtynsky in real life versus in a book or a website,” said fourth-year TRU student Heather Pratt-Johnson. “My mom and I will be discussing this show the entire drive home.”

The KAG has brought an incredible gift to Kamloops, celebrating the work of world-renowned Canadian artists Burtynsky and Carr in “A Terrible Beauty,” running from Oct. 18 to Dec. 31.

Take a break from the daily monotony, stop into the KAG and

challenge yourself to examine the “terrible beauty” that is mankind’s legacy on the environment. “[The challenge is] trying to come to terms with the content that Ed deals with. The most challenging thing is, the works are beautiful, and seductive and wonderful to think about, and really interesting,” Grenville said.

TOP: A viewer gets lost in Burtynsky’s “Markafljot River #1.”

BELOW LEFT: The experience at the gallery can be a generational one.

BELOW RIGHT: Ed Burtynsky’s “Mount Edziza Provincial Park #4” is one of many of Burtynsky’s works up for contemplation at the Kamloops Art Gallery.

Photos by Kim Anderson/The Omega

6

ELECTION CANDIDATES

October 22, 2014

Who will you be voting for?

With the 2014 municipal election less than a month away, The Omega has created a multi-week rundown of your choice for mayor and city council. We put two questions to each candidate, and these candidates responded first. Check back next week for even more candidate responses.

The city will go to the polls Nov. 15. More information can be found on the City of Kamloops website at www.kamloops.ca.

(1) What is your platform and why should TRU students vote for you?

(2) What do you feel is the role of TRU and its students in Kamloops and, if applicable, how do you feel the university can become more integrated with the city?

(1) - 25-year history as a strong community volunteer - 18 years as school trustee - Independent politician - Lifelong learner with honesty, integrity wanting to work for Kamloops citizens Platform #1 and #2 - Creditable jobs are available in Kamloops? B.C. resources manufactured in Kamloops? See www.annettegloverkamloops. com for full details.

(2) TRU staff and students have grown to become integral to our city. The student experiences, studies, research and working with non-profit CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE organizations and businesses is truly inspiring and helpful to all. I have come to appreciate the ability to reach out to TRU staff and students offering their growing knowledge to support community agencies with win/win situations. We are truly lucky as a region to be able to access and support the continuous learning occurring at TRU and should never take it or its students or staff for granted. Connections should continue to grow providing much needed data and research for both TRU, city and beyond.

Annette Glover

(1) Alexandra Proctor believes the role of a city councillor is to listen, to you her constituents and make sure your voices are heard on council. Over 50 per cent of Canadians are under the age of 44, with less than 50 per cent voting - and yet 75 per cent of those over 65 vote. I would like to see Canada better led by visionary ideas and forward thinkers.

(2) TRU and its student population have helped build Kamloops’ reputation as the Tournament Capital. Alexandra has heard your calls for clean air and clean water and believes this is essential to growing this legacy. Alexandra is thankful for the CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE interconnectedness of university students in mentoring and fostering programs with small local business and believes the best decisions are made when we come together as a community and give equal weight to all voices. She and her husband, Colin, own and operate www.madewithlove.ca , a local eco-food company in the city of Kamloops. Talk to me: I’m listening. www.facebook.com/PROCTORAlexandra - “Giving YOU a Voice”

Alexandra Proctor

(1) I believe government must operate with the highest standards of integrity, and serve and respect all individuals. We have a bright future, with nearly everything in place to expand and grow; now we need new and expanded businesses, paying decent wages, so that individuals and families can set down roots. I will support businesses, with a proven track record that will enrich the wellbeing of our residents.

(2) I believe that TRU is already an integral part of our community. With the trades training facility, it is graduating hundreds of students for jobs in our region and elsewhere. TRU has recently added a new law school, which is attracting CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE even more people from all over Canada, and with a great reputation throughout the world, it enrolls hundreds of international students every year. The University has world-class sports and Olympic swimming facilities that bring in thousands of visitors every year, including teams such as the B.C. Lions, because of its growth and partnership with the city. In all, TRU enjoys an excellent partnership with the City, and the feeling is mutual.

Peter Sharp

(1) My goal on council is to make life more livable for those who are facing the hardest economic circumstances. I will work towards reducing or eliminating fees for publicly operated programs and facilities, including public transit. In a country with so much wealth, there’s no need for so much poverty.

(2) TRU’s faculty and students should be accessed more regularly to help foster greater debate and discussion about the direction of our city and our society. There’s no larger institution in our area that is entirely focused on the dissemination of information and ideas. The interCITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE national flavour of TRU can help bring forth philosophies and practices from abroad that, in turn, should help bring about a better understanding of our different cultures while also helping recognize the similarities in our collective desires. I would like to see city council address poverty, which is an issue too many students face every day.

Peter Kerek

(1) TRU students have an economic impact of over $350 million annually to the Kamloops economy and I believe we need to invest back in our students. A key piece of my platform is investing back in our students by way of a new pedestrian crossing under the Summit Drive Connector and providing more housing options for students by way of legal basement suits. For more details on how I plan to invest in TRU students, please visit www.oreilly2014.com

(1) I have served as a city councillor for the past three years and as a school trustee for 18 years before that. My record in office shows that I make evidence-based decisions in the best interests of the majority of Kamloops residents. I believe in job creation, lower taxation, sport tourism and affordable housing. Visit my website at www.kenchristian.ca, and vote for Ken Christian.

(2) TRU has been a great addition to Kamloops.

It has helped us shift from a resource based economy to a knowledge based economy. My daughter is a current student in nursing and my son a former CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE student in business. I was a former arts student and I have received the Alumni Achievement Award for Community Service. I support a potential downtown campus for TRU and I feel that will help integrate the university and its students with the greater Kamloops community.

Ken Christian

(2) I believe the number-one way to integrate TRU students more with the city is the creation of a new downtown TRU campus. This will alCITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE low students to be more integrated in the professional business community. Along with a new downtown campus, there would need to be a new direct bus route from the downtown campus to the McGill campus. I not only believe in this idea, but I have been working on this idea as a board member for the Downtown Business Improvement Association.

Mike O’Reilly

ELECTION CANDIDATES

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 8

7

Don’t forget to vote on Nov. 15. More information: www.kamloops.ca (1) I intend to work to bring more doctors to town, I have stood in the drop-in clinic lines and I know how stressful it is seeing a doctor who doesn’t know your name. I believe creating a denser downtown core will improve the livability of Kamloops for students and keep TRU graduates in Kamloops. As a former TRUSU president, I know what it takes to represent students of TRU and I want to continue to do that in the Kamloops community.

(2) Having just graduated from TRU, I know better than any other candidate what students mean to Kamloops. We not only strengthen the economy, but we also bring culture. I am pleased CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE the city of Kamloops is listening to TRU students and is putting an early polling station on campus. I think Kamloops offers many amenities invaluable to TRU students, for instance, the partnership between TRU, TRUSU and the city of Kamloops at the Tournament Capital Centre. I want to build on these partnerships to provide students with more access at a reasonable cost.

Dustin McIntyre

(1) I will work to expand the biking, hiking and walking paths within Kamloops in an attempt to link all areas of our city with the downtown core and the university. I support projects that will bring employment opportunities for current students and future graduates.

(2) TRU’s role is to educate people in marketable careers. It is the work of city council to create a prosperous city that is able to provide those jobs. I support an environmentally approved Ajax, which could employ future graduates of dozens of TRU programs. I will also work hard CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE to improve tourism within our city by focusing on development of our waterways and the property near the Rayleigh sports fields. It is my hope that by expanding employment opportunities, TRU students will look to stay, play and live in our city.

Cheryl Phippen

(1) I believe that campaigns should be about ideas and issues. My platform has three pillars that encompass this guiding principle: support for small business, good governance and growing a healthy, vibrant community. I am promoting the creation of a small business committee and the appointment of a senior’s representative. I believe that a full panel review of the proposed Ajax mine is required. I am opposed to the mine’s location.

(1) I believe in fiscal responsibility and business development! As the past president of the Chamber of Commerce, I understand the importance of working as a team to build, grow and prepare our city for 2020 and beyond.

(2) TRU has become not only one of the largest employers but a great ambassador for Kamloops. I believe that as we develop and enhance new public buildings (such as the arts centre) we should partner with TRU to make the facility multi-use and have the ability for TRU to expand their programs to use the space. I also think CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE the city should look at the business district directly around TRU (McGill corridor) and focus energy on attracting business that can work with and support TRU - both the facility and the students (e.g.: technical companies, research firms, etc.)

Bob Dieno

(1) I am new; I am progressive, and I consider all options and ideas. As a Graduate of TRU, nothing would make me happier then to see more programs offered, more affordable student housing available and more value for your tuition.

(2) TRU is an economic driver in Kamloops.

Students and professors from all over the world come to visit, learn, and teach. I believe wholeheartedly that Kamloops is a university city. The closer the city of Kamloops and TRU align, the CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE stronger we both become. I would like to see more city resources such as the Stuart Wood School allocated for TRU usage to harbour expansion and stimulate economic and community growth.

Andrew Miller

(2) Universities are integral to building a strong democratic society, yet universities have been the victims of funding cuts year after year. In B.C., students pay the highest student loan interest rates CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE in the country.

These issues are within the provincial and/or federal jurisdiction, so why would a candidate running for council raise them? − Because an elected official is an advocate. I believe that post-secondary education should be accessible and affordable. I support a closer relationship between the city and the university and am open to engaging in dialogue about proposals such as expanding TRU to the downtown.

Glen Thompson

(1) In 2012, I led the successful addition of 7500 hours per year to the transit system. If re-elected, I will push for a fresh look at a weekend night bus between TRU and downtown. I pledge to have the Summit Drive Pedestrian Overpass, designed to go from Upper College Heights towards Old Main over Summit Drive, built within the next term.

(2) Decisions that benefit students and faculty almost without question benefit everyone living in Kamloops, things like attracting local green jobs, increased transit service, enhanced pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, etc. In the short term, there are two areas I foresee tremendous potential for CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE an enhanced relationship between TRU and the city. First, the possibility of expanding the TRUSU Pride Parade celebration of diversity to encompass a wider cross-section of the community, and second, the real possibility of a downtown satellite campus at Stuart Wood. Both ideas have been discussed and if re-elected I will continue to help facilitate them both.

Vote on-campus Nov. 13!

Donovan Cavers

(1) I seek re-election to continue on with the work I’ve completed in my first term: - Rebuilt the relationship with the agriculture industry and helped address the city’s main entrance points.

- On the Police Committee, a sounding board to Kamloops’ mental health crisis - Developed the new five-year strategic plan for Venture Kamloops, economic arm - A TRU alumni, I understand the importance of creating economic diversity to offer our graduates high paying jobs! Please visit: www.nellydeverkamloops.com

(1) The great opportunity of serving on city council is that you can be independent and broad based in your work. My platform, at a glance, has these broad categories: responsible, accountable governance; a resilient, vibrant business sector; a healthy, socially responsible Kamloops, and a zero carbon, green community. Read the whole platform at www.yourkamloops.com.

(2) I think TRU has a critical role to play in the community. In my six years on council, we have had much more cultural diversity in Kamloops with our large international student population. We have CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE had amazing TRU mentorship for our technology sector and TRU tech grads have start businesses locally. We’ve had wise speakers speak, hosted by the business school. We have had TRU faculty host dialogues on important issues such as the Ajax mine proposal. Going forward, one way TRU could be more integrated into the community would be through a new downtown campus.

Arjun Singh

(2) Relationships with TRU, TteS, Kamloops airport, business associations and Interior Health are vital to economic sustainability and growth. Over the past 20 years, CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE TRU has become a sought after university. Education sectors such as, but not limited to, trades, nursing and law have created opportunities that have manifested into job creation. Developers and business owners feed off of the university programs. As such, the university also feeds off of the demands from the community and the city of Kamloops – win/win relationship.

As an incumbent, I’m extremely excited about the possibility of having a downtown campus. Growth and expansion are signs of success. Students inject an enormous amount of money into our economy.

Students also bring about them an excitement of unlimited possibilities.

Nelly Dever

8

NEWS

October 22, 2014

Connecting a campus, one shutter click at a time Ever wonder who the thousands of other TRU students are? “Humans of TRU” will show you Ashley Wadhwani ISSUES EDITOR Ω

The Humans of TRU Facebook page has been active for just 12 days since its creation on Oct. 10, and is already seeing a strong following. With more than 700 likes, Eric Rankin, a second-year psychology student, at first had little expectation that Humans of TRU would be anything more than a portfolio for his photography.

“It’s just blown up so fast, like initially it was just to expand my portfolio. Honestly, I’m kind of curious about my classmates. Sometimes I just walk in and wonder what a person has to say, so it’s a way to get to know the students and a way for students to get to know their fellow students.”

Humans of New York is the original photo blog created in 2010 by Brandon Stanton, initially to share the diverse population that inhabits New York City. Since then, Humans of New York has changed to a worldwide focus, and others have begun similar photo blogs for their cities.

“One thing I’ve noticed about TRU is that we’re pretty diverse, and have students from all over the world,” Rankin said. The description of the Facebook page reads, “Connecting the students of Thompson Rivers University one photo at a time.”

With support from his close friends, Rankin launched the page including short tidbits of his friends with a photo he took of them on campus with his Nikon D3200. The selftaught photographer has now posted more than 15 entries and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Rankin, who called himself an introvert, has always had a particular interest in people, but finds talking to strangers a challenge.

“Taking a picture can be kind of intimate – it’s your picture and you have something to say, and tons of people are going to see this, so I’m trying to make it as least awkward as possible with me being awkward to begin with,” Rankin said.

As Rankin develops confidence in his interviewing skills, he recalls his first interview with a group of strangers to have been the most awkward experience so far. Feeling nervous about the initial approaching of the students, Rankin began to talk himself out of pursuing the project. His friend felt all he needed was a little push. “[My friend] walks over and is like, ‘Hey can my friend take a picture of you guys? He’s doing this Humans of TRU thing and is too scared to ask his first stranger.’ He totally embarrasses me like right there,” Rankin said.

After the embarrassment passed, Rankin took their picture and asked them his questions. Wanting to work on his conversational skills, Rankin has also faced the challenge of the business of midterm season where students don’t have time to chat.

“The first ones were pretty dry,” Rankin said. He added that his interview with Jordan Bloomfield, a fourth-year social work student, was his first in-depth interview. Bloomfield was sitting outside of the IB Building when Rankin approached him and asked the question, “Who inspires you?”

Bloomfield answered, “I’m studying social work specializing in international social work, so I like to think big. I would say Nelson Mandela, Shane Koyczan, and Shane Claiborne,” according to the Facebook post Rankin wrote on Oct.16.

Rankin has yet to be rejected by someone not interested in participating, but recognizes that it’s bound

to happen. Keeping his expectations low has led to him feeling shocked by TRU’s response.

“We have thousands of people on campus. If someone doesn’t want their picture taken, it’s cool,” Rankin said.

Rankin hasn’t decided whether he will open up to the broader area of Kamloops, as he balances his full course load and work while trying to remain consistent with his posting.

These two photos represent just a small sample of Rankin’s work with his “Humans of TRU” project.

RIGHT: Jordan Bloomfield, who shared his inspirations with Rankin, along with a portrait.

BOTTOM: Katie Doherty and Natalie Metz, captured here by Rankin on Oct. 15.

Photos by Eric Rankin

Mother-focused education explored TRUFA-sponsored documentary highlights non-profit’s teach-awoman-to-fish education philosophy in the developing world Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

A free documentary screening coming to TRU this week hopes to tug on both heartstrings and purse strings.

“Heart to Head: How Amarok Society Women are Teaching the World’s Poorest Children” is set to show at 5:30 p.m., Oct. 23, in the International Building.

Brought to TRU by the Rotary Club of Kamloops Daybreak and the TRU Faculty Association Status of Women Committee, the film promises a behind-the-scenes look at the Amarok Society, a non-profit organization training women living in Ban-

gladeshi slums to be neighbourhood teachers.

Amarok founders Gem and Tanyss Munro began opening schools for children in Bangladesh over eight years ago alongside their four children, but quickly realized the demand was outpacing their ability to meet it.

“There is great difficulty in raising the resources to open schools as quickly as children are being born in the developing world, so what we decided to do was create a solution that was growing in the same multiples as the problem itself,” said Gabriel Munro, one of the first Amarok Society school teachers and the guest of honour at Thursday’s documentary showing.

In 2006 the society opened its first school focused on educating mothers with the idea that those women would then spread what they had learned in their own neighbourhoods.

According to Munro, focusing on mothers rather than children also challenged gender inequality in an area where women are often discouraged from getting an education.

“We always like to give the women tests and then prizes and certificates, things like that,” Munro said. “So one of the women whose husband had been beating her and been very violent, after she did well on her test, he became her most fervent supporter.

He went through the slums bragging to everybody that his wife came first

“Heart to Head” documents the Amarok Society’s work educating women in the slums of Bangladesh.

(Image courtesy the Amarok Society) in her exams.”

TRUFA Status of Women Committee co-chair Gail Morong said she is inspired by the Munro family’s work and hopes the documentary will drum up financial support for the Amarok Society.

“Any dollar that you put into educating women, you’re going to get a lot of benefit for your money, as opposed to educating men,” she said.

“I do believe that’s the way to go, because the women bring up each generation right? The women bring up the children, male and female, so if you focus on the woman, like [the Amarok Society] did in this case − it’s a good strategy.”

The Amarok Society operates about 20 schools in Bangladesh and is considering expanding operations into Pakistan and Nigeria.

FEATURE

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 8

9

The sext-ual revolution: The era of dirty picture sharing and its dangers Sasha Curry

THE PHOENIX (CUP)

case of the nude celebrities scandal, they certainly constitute private information.

But once that privacy has been violated and photos are mass-shared via social media, it’s like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube—it just doesn’t work. Trying to hold online providers liable for a wrong committed by a hacker client is a stop-gap measure at best.”

Not everyone feels the need to use nude photos to entice their partner.

One UBCO student in a long-distance relationship from Australia to Kelowna says that her boyfriend repeatedly asks for nude photos from her, but she has never given in. She claims that she trusts him, but doesn’t like the idea of a picture of hers being “out there”. “What if his phone is stolen,” she said, “what if it ends up on the internet?”

Not all men are nude photo fiends, either. A couple of male UBCO students explained their own responses to girlfriends offering to text them nude photos: “What is the point? Most likely I’ve already seen you naked. Like, am I supposed to masturbate to that?”

“I respect a girl that is true to herself and doesn’t send them,” the other said, “but a guy’s not going to not like a naked pic.”

Asking to remain anonymous, one UBCO student shared her story with us about her own nude photo being leaked to her high school peers: A few years ago, Emma (name has been changed) stood in the break room of her work, texting her longterm boyfriend on an old flip-phone. Based on their conversation over text, she made the decision to send a nude photo of herself to her boyfriend that she had previously taken and had saved on her phone. Little did she know, a younger co-worker who attended the same high school as her caught a glimpse of the photo over her shoulder.

After her break, Emma put her phone in her bag in the break room and returned to her shift. WithPhoto Lynnette Oon/The Phoenix out her knowing, the same on her personal computer, meant for co-worker who had seen the photo on someone whom she trusts, is released her phone, entered the break room afon the Internet for all to see by a com- ter she had left, reached into her bag, plete stranger who hacked into her and sent the photo to himself. He then privacy. Suddenly, the whole country forwarded it to numerous students and their mother are shaking a finger from their high school. The next day, at Jennifer Lawrence, and having din- Emma received a text from a friend, ner table debates about what a horrible the nude photo meant for her boyfriend “mistake” she made. Now, these nude with the words, “Is this you?” Heartphotographs have become ammunition broken, Emma naturally assumed that to slut shame these women. So, whose it was her boyfriend who had leaked fault is it really? her photo, but after help from many I asked Paul Marck, UBCO’s Man- of her peers, she was able to trace her ager of Media Relations (Paul has also photo back to her co-worker’s phone. worked for thirty years as a journalist Although the high school reputation and editor, as well as written extensively that she had built was never the same about media issues and telecommunica- after the incident, Emma says that most tions), about copyright associated with importantly it didn’t change her morals. personal images, and if there is any legal I asked Emma if she would ever send action that someone could take against a nude photo again. “Yes,” she said. “I’m their own personal photographs being currently in a long-distance relationship distributed freely amongst internet us- and I trust my boyfriend. If you lack the ers: sexual relations—he’s over there and not “Digital media has really taken the here, it’s not really an intimate relationbite out of copyright.” Marck compared ship anymore as much as a friendship.” the issue of nude photo sharing to muHer advice to other university stusic file sharing: “much of which largely dents is not to share photos with violates copyright issues as people free- someone on campus or in the area. ly trade an artist’s copyrighted work “Definitely a concerning factor for first online.” He claims that enforcement years—everyone’s new and wanting regarding these issues is nearly impossi- that first-year experience.” ble. “Whether high art, sexting, or proShe says that if you are going to enfessional portfolio photos, these may in- gage in things like that, make sure that deed be copyrighted images. And in the you do trust the person, and “Even if

you think you do – second-guess it. You don’t know if they’re going to save it forever. In my experience with keeping things on your phone… Do not keep things on your phone!”

Emma laughs, “I still have nude pictures of ex-boyfriends on my laptop from old phones that I’ve backed up.”

In response to the celebrity iCloud incident, Emma says “there’s an emphasis on individuals’ bodies these days—on physical appearance.

What’s important is being happy with yourself and your body. Most people have taken naked pictures even if it’s just for themselves, it’s part of our culture—especially with technology and long-distance relationships. It’s part of being able to be together without being physically

together.”

Overall, Emma’s thoughts on nude photos are the following: “I don’t think its wrong. I think it’s totally normal.” Furthermore, her view on Snapchat is that people use it too often, “It almost seems that this app was made for privacy, but at the same time now actually makes hacking people’s nude photos easier.”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking a naked picture, the problem is with the fact that people don’t respect each others bodies—one’s body should be one’s own privacy. There’s nothing wrong with taking a picture of that. There’s something wrong with sharing that picture without that persons consent, though.” At the end of the day, Emma says “As long as you’re okay with you – that’s what matters.”

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

“Send me a pic,” he texts. You’re both busy, in different places, and there’s no mistaking what kind of photograph he’s referring to. Maybe you’re both struggling to stay invested in a long-distance relationship, or maybe it’s simply that you’re both workaholics whose physical intimacy has fizzled due to time restraints. What happens when someone who you love and trust asks for a nude photo favour? Long-distance could lead to forever—so, maybe it’s a good idea.

But what if you end up hating each other’s guts one day? Someone catches a glimpse of that photograph from over his shoulder? What if he loses his phone? Nude photo sharing has become a hot trend of our time. Sexual Snapchatting, Skyping, and plain old picture texting are all regarded with a surprisingly blasé attitude among twenty-somethings of today. It’s an especially prominent trend among those attending colleges away from home, resulting in, often times, being away from a significant other.

In August 2014, personal nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Arianna Grande, and a number of other female celebrities were released through a hacking of iCloud by unidentified persons and posted on the Internet forum 4chan. In response to the incident, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook denies the company’s servers were to blame. Furthermore, Cook informed The Journal that the hackers most likely provided correct answers to the security questions asked when one forgets a password, or were victims of a phishing scam.

Who is to blame for the scandal? Is it the people who had saved nude photos of themselves on their own computers in their own homes? In response to the incident, Lena Dunham tweeted, “The ‘don’t take naked pics if you don’t want them online’ argument is the ‘she was wearing a short skirt’ of the web. Ugh.” The act of having nude photos of yourself or your partner has become an almost naturalized, accepted aspect of modern intimacy it seems. Cosmopolitan.com has an entire section of their web content allotted to sexting. One article header reads: “Sexting: Naughty Ideas to Try Today,” furthermore, the section byline states that “The best sexts are like great foreplay—they’re spicy but still leave a little to the imagination.”

The section goes on to explore which celebrities allegedly do it, and include other “facts”, such as “Science: Sexting is totally normal”.

Speaking to college-age girls at UBCO and elsewhere (all of whom asked to remain anonymous), the commonality of this internet/mobile intimacy trend is only further confirmed.

One young woman sent her (now ex) boyfriend pictures in the past. She told me that she doesn’t regret it because “he’s a trustworthy person—in that sense”.

Living in the same city, only a few minutes apart, I asked why she made the decision to hit send: “I wanted a naked pic in return,” she explained. Her advice to other young girls considering doing so? “I wouldn’t do so with anyone that I wasn’t in a deep relationship with, and who I knew cared as much about me as

I did for them, in return.”

Another girl answered yes to the question without hesitation, clarifying that she was six months into the relationship. She explained that it was because of long distance, and “to remind him,” or make sure that he would still be attracted, despite their time and distance apart. Her advice to other girls: “I wouldn’t send it to anyone I didn’t one hundred per cent trust.” Another young girl explained that she wouldn’t consider sending one to a guy that she wasn’t dating just because “he would be more likely to show his buddies”. She recommended, “For future young ladies, I’d say not to put your face in it, send it to a guy you have been seeing for a long time and you have an emotional connection with, and pray to God it doesn’t get sent around. Oh yeah, make sure he sends you one first. Deal breaker [if he won’t].”

It seems that most can agree that digital nude photography has joined the category of foreplay, being considered by most to be an acceptable aspect of intimate relationships. However, just one month ago, a young woman’s photograph that she snapped in the privacy of her own home, that resides

10

COMICS & PUZZLES

October 22, 2014

Puzzle of the Week #7 – Haunted Yard Plans You are planning a haunted yard for Hallowe’en. You have a lot of what you require already, but money is tight. You have $20 to spend. You have come up with a list of scary stuff with each item’s cost and scariness (per occurrence): 1. haunted doorbell (one only): $3, 2 scary points 2. tombstone: $2, 1 scary point but doubled if 5 or more tombstones 3. scary tomb: $10, 5 scary points 4. vampire figure: $15, 5 scary points 5. vampire costume and makeup: $10, 10 scary points 6. small, carved pumpkin: $3, 1 scary point 7. large, carved pumpkin: $5, 2 scary points You do not want an insipid haunted yard so it must have at least three items and at least 20 scary points.

How many different haunted yards can you come up with if you do not repeat any items? How about if you can repeat items as much as you can afford (except for the one marked “one only”)? (You do not have to spend all of the money.)

This contest is sponsored by the Mathematics and Statistics department. The full-time student with the best score at the end of the year will win a prize.

Please submit your solution (not just the answer but also why) by noon next Wednesday to Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net>. Submissions by others are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in my blog (http://genew.ca/) and in the Math Centre (HL304). Come visit: we are friendly.

SUDOKU

Because you’re probably not doing enough math

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8 4 Contributions Have something to contribute? We’re always looking for comics, jokes, or anything entertaining you can think of. If you’ve got something in mind, fire off an email to editor@truomega.ca.

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SPORTS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 8

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Playing together, again Six Team BC players have reunited by joining WolfPack men’s volleyball Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

Joining a new team can be scary, especially for anyone joining a CIS team straight out of high school.

Thankfully for six WolfPack rookies, the transition was made a lot easier because they played and trained together on Team BC in the summer of 2013.

The team of U-17 boys was split into two teams. Team A, which placed first in the Western Elite Championships, was coached by Nathan Bennett, assistant coach for WolfPack men’s and women’s volleyball, and Matt Krueger who is a team captain and fifth-year WolfPack player.

“I think they still look at me as a coach, but I’m trying to take that away a little bit. We have that relationship so they have that comfort level to come to me with their problems and issues, if they have any, or if they just need help, volleyball-wise,” Krueger said.

Sometimes the rookies will still call Krueger “Coach Matt.”

“I don’t tell them that they’re

calling me that. It kind of makes me smile a little bit,” Krueger said.

Charles Oduro is one of the rookies coached by Krueger.

“I still see Matt as a coach. I learn from him every day. He’s a big inspiration to me,” Oduro said.

Oduro was joined by Denham O’Reilly and coached by Krueger and Bennett on Team A, while Isaac Smit, Cole Hanson, Douglas Groenendijk and Keel Haldane played for Team BC’s Team B, and now all play together with the WolfPack.

“I figured some of them were going to come. I didn’t think that many of them were going to come at the same time. I guess they had a fun time together that summer with us and they just wanted to come back,” Krueger said.

Although the rookies signed at different times, already having a relationship with each other and the coaches was a motivator for joining the WolfPack.

“Pat [Hennelly] talked to me at Team BC and I knew Krueger on the team, and the fit was just perfect,” O’Reilly said.

“Through Team BC I got to

know the Kamloops lifestyle and what the university is like. Pat also talked to me and Matt Krueger gave me great insight of how the team bonds,” Oduro said. “It seemed like a good idea and a perfect fit for me.”

“You’re not as pressured and you’re not as nervous since you have teammates that you played with before and you know pretty well,” Oduro said.

“It’s been good for them that they played together. That was a building block for them. The base level skills that they need to have and the preparedness that we gave them in the summer time has kind of carried over,” Krueger said.

The ‘Pack has 21 players, four more than it had last season. This makes it a challenge for the rookies to get game time.

“It’s tough for them because they’re coming in as the youngest guys, so they have to work the most to get playing time,” Krueger said, “but they’ve shown up to practice every single day, they’ve worked hard and some of them are competing to play during games, which is awesome.”

Charles Oduro, rising here to spike the ball during a WolfPack practice, is one of the six that joined the ‘Pack from Team BC. (Tayla Scott/The Omega) “Just to play at Team BC is a high level so you have that experience, you have that drive to keep getting better and better.”

“It’s a big change in the amount of practice times, the intensity of practice and how fast and how much harder everything is,”

O’Reilly said. “It’s a lot different than what I was used to, but I still manage.”

Despite the adjustments the rookies still have to make, spirits remain high for the tight-knit team, which is still looking for its first win of the season.

Supporting from the sidelines Two former WolfPack players find opportunities to help out Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

Last year, Jared Mitchell and Catherine Jordan were WolfPack athletes, but this year they’ve found a way to support the team from the sidelines with Kevin Brechin, the WolfPack’s athletic therapist.

Mitchell and Jordan began their training with Brechin at the beginning of October and have since been getting their first hands-on experience dealing with injured athletes.

“We’ve learned to tape; taping ankles, wrists, thumbs, which is big in sports and big in physio,” Mitchell said. “We learned stretching. If Kevin was ever out of town and if somebody playing went down, we could help them stretch out.”

Mitchell first started playing WolfPack volleyball in 2011. He began halfway through the season, but left almost immediately due to a broken wrist. He re-joined the WolfPack for the next two seasons.

This year, Mitchell supports the players from the sidelines of the court.

“I want to go into physio school at UBC so I figured job shadowing and getting some experience related to physiotherapy would look good on the resume,” Mitchell said. “It’s really tough to get into, so I’m hoping this will help a lot.”

“It’s something that I can see my-

self doing in the future. I wouldn’t like to sit at a desk. I like more hands-on things. This way you’re always interacting with people, you’re always helping people out.”

Mitchell is in his last year of the bachelor of business program and plans to transfer to UBC for his masters in physiotherapy next year.

Jordan played basketball with the ‘Pack last year, but suffered an injured disc in her back and was unable to play this season.

“I wanted to be involved with the team in another way,” Jordan said.

“My mom is masseuse and physiotherapist, so I’ve taken a lot of courses for her. I’ve been working in her office since I was 15,” Jordan said. “That allows me to work with the athletes in a more in-depth way.

I can actually give them massages and I know quite a bit about the types of injuries that happen, especially because I’ve been an athlete, too.”

One of the unique opportunities Brechin’s assistants have is to travel with the WolfPack to away games.

Jordan spent her first weekend away in Calgary with WolfPack volleyball on Oct. 17 and 18. It was her first time working alone. She taped a few ankles before the games and remained on the bench as the only therapist on-hand for the WolfPack.

Jordan said she was a little bit nervous on her own, but felt comfortable with the support she re-

ceived from coaches.

“Kevin said that I’ll probably be assigned to the volleyball teams.

So whenever they’re at home I’ll get to sit on the bench with them and whenever they travel I get to go travel with them,” Jordan said.

Looking to the future, Jordan said that she would like to continue her education, but won’t be able to stay at TRU, despite wanting to.

“I want to go to med school. I either want to be a pediatrician or I want to join the Canadian Forc-

es and work for them as a doctor,” Jordan said.

Injuries pushed both players to the sidelines, but both have found ways to continue supporting WolfPack teams and work towards their career goals.

Jared Mitchell, seen here taping up Jaydene Radu, has found new ways to contribute to the WolfPack that also will help advance his career goals.

(Tayla Scott/The Omega)

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October 22, 2014