Nov. 18, 2015

AN OPEN BOOK

BUILDING UP

CANADIAN TALENT

TRU hailed as open textbook leader

High hopes for engineering at TRU

An interview with Dan Mangan

Open textbook program prompts visit from the Minister of Advanced Education • Page 2

An increase in interest could mean big changes for TRU’s engineering courses • Page 4

The Vancouver-born musician talks music and his new movie • Page 8

OMEGA THE

ISSUE 11 NO.

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

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LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ

Showing solidarity with France Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

Following the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, where a series of bombings and shootings left 129 people dead in France’s capital, TRU issued a statement in solidarity with the French people.

“We are all shocked and saddened by the attacks and resulting tragic loss of life in Paris yesterday. On behalf of TRU I extend our sympathy to all those affected,” said TRU President Alan Shaver in a campus announcement email.

A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

Beirut, Lebanon was also the site of terror attacks, where 40 people were killed in suicide bombings.

University flags were flown at half-mast until Tuesday, Nov. 17. The French Tricolore flag and the flag of Beirut were the only international flags flown. Additionally, Old Main’s exterior lighting was modified to the French blue, white and red.

“We have reached out to our students here from Lebanon and France and those studying there, and also to any faculty and staff there, and we believe they are OK,” Shaver wrote.

MIRACULOUS

Visiting temples in Thailand

Russia swept in Western leg of Super Series

Our arts editor discusses her experiences at the elaborate temples in Thailand • Page 7

Kamloops was host to the final game of the western leg of the Canada Russia series • Page 11

Championships mark end of cross country season

A

nother season is in the books for the TRU cross country team, and for a team that competed in the CIS for just the second year, it was a season of growth and experience gained.

Five runners were selected from the WolfPack’s roster of 20 athletes to journey out to Guelph, Ont. and compete in the CIS national championships that took place on Saturday, Nov. 14. There are no official qualifying times in cross country, so TRU head coach Carmin Mazzotta made the call on who would be attending nationals based on the runners’ performance throughout the eight runs and multiple practices that the team participated in throughout the semester.

CONTINUES page 11

NEWS

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Animal health technology program adoptions begin Over 30 animals from across B.C. looking for a new home Jim Elliot NEWS EDITOR Ω Those looking to add a new four-legged family member have a new adoption option to consider.

The TRU Animal Health Technology (AHT) program opened their kennels to the public on Nov. 9, and is in search of homes for 20 cats and 11 dogs.

All of AHT’s dogs and cats come from rescue and shelter groups from across B.C., according to AHT instructor Erica Gray. The animals have been with the program since September, and are fully prepared for adoption by the program’s veterinary technicians in training.

Students assist with spaying, neutering, deworming, tattooing and microchipping the animals.

“It’s a part of our learning.

In September and October we learned how to get into surgery and do it properly,” said AHT student Marnie Deyotte.

According to Gray, a veterinary doctor performs the surgeries themselves, but students assist them. “We’re overseeing the monitoring of the vital signs and anaesthesia and inducing and [pre-medicating] them and checking up on them afterwards,” Deyotte said.

Alongside the physical preparations, the animals also go through some behavioural training. “Some of them are fantastic, some of

them need just need a little bit more help. It really depends on the cat or dog,” Gray said. “I find it to be so rewarding to work with them, not just from a medical aspect but the behavioural aspect is fascinating. To watch them come into the program and become socialized animals and really great members of someone’s family eventually,” Deyotte said.

AHT hosted its first adoptions in 1980, and according to Gray, has never encountered problems finding homes for their animals.

Many are adopted by former students of the program and previous adopters often return for another animal.

The department’s website showcases the wide variety of animals they have up for adoption. Dogs range in age from one to six years old and are from a variety of different breeds. Cats that are up for adoption range from six months to seven years old.

Detailed descriptions of the animals as well as their unique behavioural quirks are featured on the website. For example, Scarlett is described as “a high energy Vizsla mix that loves going for walks and playing with other dogs,” but comes with the disclaimer that she is sometimes nervous around men.

According to Gray, adoptions will stay open until all of the animals have found a home. To qualify to adopt, prospective

AHT student Marnie Deyotte holding Penny, a seven-year-old cat currently up for adoption.

(Jim Elliot/The Omega) adopters have to be interviewed beforehand to ensure their new pet is a good fit for them. The process is similar to that of the SPCA’s.

“They come in first to meet the dogs and fill out an application form, and we chat with them. A lot of people will come in three times to meet the dogs

and make sure it’s a good fit.

The things we’re looking at are lifestyle, whether or not they have kids, things like that,” Gray said.

TRU hailed as a leader in open textbooks Open Textbook program prompts visit from Minister of Advanced Education Jim Elliot NEWS EDITOR Ω TRU was praised as a leader in the use of open textbooks by visiting Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson, but only a relatively small number of professors and students are using the freely available books.

The already serious financial strain of paying to attend university is aggravated for most students by the high cost of textbooks.

Some TRU professors have opted to ease the strain on their students by offering the use of open textbooks – course materials that are openly licenced (typically under Creative Commons) and available free of charge. They can also be shared,

Some professors at TRU are using open textbooks in lieu of traditional textbooks. (BCcampus_News/Flickr Commons)

changed or duplicated for free.

TRU sociology professor Ron McGivern uses an open textbook for his Intro to Sociology class.

According to McGivern, the textbook began as an American Intro to Sociology textbook, but it has since been altered to better suit Canadian students. McGivern was involved with making changes to two of the book’s chapters. He estimated the price of the typical textbooks replaced by the free open one at $160 per student.

Work with open textbooks

by McGivern and others at TRU led to a visit from B.C. Minister of Advanced Education Andrew Wilkinson on Nov. 10. Wilkinson referred to TRU as “a big leader” in the use of open textbooks in B.C. Wilkinson went on to say that university students are a captive audience for textbook publishers and that their choice in the matter is limited.

“We’re trying to push back on that. In 2012 our government decided that it’s time to use the resources of people like Ron McGivern to actually put together our

own material. There are now 120 open textbooks available online for free. They are used in 29 different courses here at TRU, saving students at TRU something in excess of $10,000,” Wilkinson said.

When asked about the practical application of open textbooks, Wilkinson said that they were best suited for standardized introductory courses. He mentioned that 50 different open textbooks were being successfully used in adult basic education and trades programs, as well.

While acknowledging open textbooks have applications at earlier levels, Wilkinson does not foresee a situation where open textbooks could apply to fourth-year or graduate courses because they are too specialized.

Wilkinson also acknowledged the greater workload that the use of open textbooks places on professors. Professors that use standard textbooks are given free study materials, online resources and exam banks by the publisher, while those using open textbook have to generate their own content.

“We’re trying to do this to make your education more relevant to you [and] more affordable. It does put more workload on your profs, but we think it’s as good or better than buying it from some big fancy publisher,” Wilkinson said.

The Ministry of Advanced Education invested $1 million in open textbook development in 2012. According to Wilkinson, the money went towards developing distribution structures and paying authors.

Adoption of open textbooks is becoming more common, but Wilkinson called it “a guerilla movement” at this point.

“Further adoption will be at the initiative of individual faculty members,” McGivern said.

Students also have a role to play in lobbying for the adoption of open textbooks. According to Wilkinson, the Ministry of Advanced Education is “working with student associations around the province and suggesting that they put pressure on their institutions and on their profs.”

OPINION & EDITORIAL

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Any reaction of empathy is one worth tolerating Following the attacks in Paris, many didn’t know how to react, and things got unnecessarily messy online Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Following the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris, a disturbing trend of people trying to police how others are reacting has emerged online. Granted, it’s only social media and doesn’t really matter much, it’s an interesting and concerning trend.

Facebook allowed its users to superimpose the French Tricolore overtop of their profile picture to show solidarity. It was there as a quick and easy gesture to show support for France when its people were shaken. Unsurprisingly, some people on the Internet have a problem with this, calling it narcissistic or

only an attempt to get “Likes” from fellow friends.

To these people, I say “So what?”

I’m all for narcissism and “Like” grabbing if it also serves to make others aware of what is going on. Unless these people are somehow finding a way to exchange “Likes” for cash, what does it matter? If their profile photos are changed out of genuine support and heartfelt sympathy or just because it’s the trendy thing to do, is the end result any different?

It reminds me of those who were critical of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge when it ran last year. The main criticism then was that at some point of popularity, the challenge became

less about ALS and donating money and more about dumping a bucket of ice on your head.

Maybe that’s a fair comment, but it’s also irrelevant after the fact. The Ice Bucket Challenge brought in nearly $100 million for the ALS Association and increased fundraising by some 1000 per cent.

To say that “the ends justified the means” is an understatement, considering at worst, some people dumped a bucket of ice water on their heads for no reason.

In terms of Paris, my complaint is similar – so what if people are using the attacks to leverage their “Like” count on social media? If behaving like a compassionate person is

what pulls in attention on social media these days, I’m all for it.

Another complaint was that Facebook only offered the French flag to impose over profile pictures and ignored the concurrent attack in Beirut, Lebanon.

Additionally, there was no safety check-in feature activated for Beirut – it was activated for Paris.

Facebook is only acting reactively here. They saw an outpouring of sympathy for France and quickly created a way for people to show their support. France simply had more attention. Now, obviously two concurrent events should not compete against each other for attention, and if they’re both serious enough, they should both set off Facebook’s

safety check-in feature.

And well, there’s the simple fact that Facebook is a Western company, and a gross disruption of peace in Paris is more noticeable than yet another bombing in Beirut. It’s true that both deserve similar attention, but simply untrue that both will receive similar amounts of attention. Lebanon has seen 23 bombings since the beginning of 2014 – something I learned on the Wikipedia page “List of attacks in Lebanon,” which is telling and disturbing in its own right.

Any expression in the face of terror attacks that is based on empathy is one that deserves a place in our social media lives. editor@truomega.ca

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Healing and understanding through Restorative Justice Emotional presentation by parents of murder victim at TRU’s Restorative Justice Symposium Upon walking through the door, Ian decided to give the young perpetrator a hug. “When CONTRIBUTOR Ω he walked in the door he was Forgiveness is not easy, but petrified… the first thing I [did], TRU’s Restorative Justice SympoI hugged him,” Ian said. sium guest speakers managed to “You really have to have a do it when they met one of the face-to-face meeting. If you don’t perpetrators of their own son’s get that opportunity, resentment murder. and hatred will build up in you,” Ian and Marlyn Ferguson Ian said. shared the story of their son, Ian recommended taking Graeme Andrew Ferguson, the opportunity to use the and how restorative he was justice brutally system to murdered be able to “You really have to just ten forgive. have a face-to-face days “A lot after the of people meeting. If you don’t family had say ‘how get that opportunity, assemcould you bled for a forgive resentment and hatred wedding. somebody will build up in you,” Two for someyears thing like Ian Ferguson, father of Graeme after the that,’ and Andrew Ferguson, who was murdered murder, I say that’s the Ferguwhere sons got your the chance healing to meet starts.” with one of the seven perpetraMarlyn said that after meeting tors. “The only thing we wanted with the young offender and to know was what actually finding out where he came from, happened,” Ian said. “it was like a load was taken off

Carli Berry

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Marlyn and Ian Ferguson spoke at the Restorative Justice Symposium on Nov.13. (Carli Berry/The Omega) of our shoulders.”

By the end of the heartfelt presentation, the majority of the audience was in tears.

“I actually forgave him [the offender] for what he had done,” Ian said. The Fergusons said that they also want to meet with the other offenders eventually.

After Graeme’s death, Marlyn started the first support group for homicide in B.C. at the Valley View Funeral Home in Surrey. She is also a member of the Advisory Committee for B.C. Victims of Homicide.

“It’s never too late to mend your ways,” Marlyn said while recounting her visits to jails to perform healing projects with offenders.

Alana Abramson, a TRU faculty member who gave the symposium’s keynote address, said Restorative Justice is “justice [that] is more than a prison sentence,” it’s an opportunity to “tell each other how you were affected.” Abramson said this way of thinking can be applied to both small and large conflicts, and those involving criminal activity.

The symposium took place on

Nov. 13. Features included keynote speakers from faculty, presentations from students, guest speakers and circle discussions. It is the second time the event has been held at TRU and Camilla Sears, assistant professor at TRU, said that the turnout was roughly the same as last year.

“It’s nice to see a mixture of faces – students, staff and community,” she said.

A Restorative Justice class is offered at TRU in the summer semester and has been running for the past two years.

Engineering offerings will adjust for job prospects TRU’s increase in demand for engineers could mean a bigger and better engineering program Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω Following the sunny prospects put forth by a local market study, the university is looking at the different directions it can take its engineering program.

Although expansion from a first-year transfer program to a complete degree program within the next few years is unlikely, the university wants to strengthen its current engineering offerings in anticipation of a job market boom.

A labour market study commissioned by Venture Kamloops was released on Oct. 30. It claimed that by 2025, there will be 6,110 job vacancies requiring university degrees in the Kamloops region. In addition to this, there will be another 1,344 job vacancies requiring trades training.

These numbers coincide with a study conducted last year

by TRU dean of science Tom Dickinson. Dickinson’s study predicted that by 2017, there will be a crossover between supply and demand in engineering fields throughout the province. Dickinson believes this is the result of the typical career cycles of engineers.

“Many engineers go from doing the groundwork themselves to becoming managers

within their organizations, and some even become company leaders. It’s why you see so many people follow up their engineering degrees with MBAs,” Dickinson said.

Despite this, Dickinson has said that even with such a large amount of applicants to the university’s engineering program, the program is doing fine and is not overburdened.

“Many students, when applying for an engineering program, apply elsewhere as well. So many of these applicants that didn’t get into TRU likely went elsewhere. The real problem arises when engineering programs throughout B.C. become too saturated,” he said.

TRU’s Faculty of Science is looking to form an advisory committee to offer guidance and suggestions to the university on what direction its engineering program should take.

This committee will be comprised of local engineering professionals, many of whom had come to Dickinson in the past to voice their support for a better engineering program in Kamloops. “They will be able to tell us what professions we would need to produce to satisfy the local job market,” Dickinson said.

Although forming a regional committee is certainly a first step in improving upon TRU’s

Tom Dickinson, Dean of Science. (Wade Tomko/ The Omega) existing engineering program, any changes to the program will then have to be approved by regulatory bodies at both the provincial and national level.

“Part of a service plan we’re currently working on cites the need for engineering faculty to teach across curriculum and start hiring people based on what roles are needed in the region,” Dickinson said.

Because of this, Dickinson has

focused his hiring for engineering-relevant courses specifically on professional engineers or engineers about to achieve certification.

Dickinson also plans to pursue the strengthening of some of TRU’s most popular engineering-related programs.

Electrical, software and computer engineering are all to be run as often as possible and be taught by professional

engineers. These three areas will also be the first to gain additional program years at TRU when the program expands.

Dickinson said that with the new Federal Liberal government’s plan to improve infrastructure and encourage innovation and research, as well as an increase in interest in sciences across the country, these changes will likely happen sooner rather than later.

ARTS

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Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω TRU trades faculty have issued a vote of non-confidence in their dean, Lindsay Langill. All 30 fulltime trades faculty could voice their opinion in the October vote, and of the 24 ballots cast, 20 were votes of non-confidence.

“A vote of non-confidence in an academic leader, especially a dean, is a serious issue,” said TRU Faculty Association president Tom Friedman. “Faculty have indicated to me that many of them don’t trust the dean and believe he has failed to act in an academic way.”

Although trades faculty refused to comment on the issue, citing it as a private, internal matter, Friedman said some of the specific problems listed in meetings with trades faculty include a lack of consultation, a lack of accountability and unilateral decision-making without adequate support from faculty.

TRUFA originally got involved when trades faculty started coming to the union early this summer to discuss what Friedman called, “a lot of serious problems within the school of Trades and Technology.”

Trades faculty asked TRUFA to get involved specifically to conduct the vote. This was done to make sure the polling would be anonymous and conducted externally. They also wanted to make sure that part-time trades faculty wouldn’t be eligible to vote, believing that they have not had enough experience with the dean to make legitimate decisions. This was also done to protect their vulnerability within the institution, as they don’t have the job security that full-time faculty have.

As it stands, any further action would be conducted by TRU’s senior administration. However, the process has been an arduous

one, according to Friedman. Right after the vote, TRU President Alan Shaver said he would immediately have the Provost, Christine Bovis-Cnossen, look into the matter.

“It took almost three weeks, but the Provost and vice-president academic eventually agreed to meet with trades faculty and us in late October,” Friedman said. “Despite the delay, when I sat in on the meeting, Provost Christine was very attentive and the meeting had a fairly positive outcome. I have confidence they are taking this seriously.”

Bovis-Cnossen is currently investigating the issue, and as such, all remaining action is out of the hands of the faculty association.

Senior administration’s vice-president advancement, Christopher Seguin, refused to comment on the issue due to administration’s belief that this is a personnel matter.

Tom Friedman however, thinks differently of the situation. “Their position is that this is a personnel issue. But this has to do with bigger issues, such as accountability and governance. This is about

how the university operates,” he said.

“The faculty and dean would obviously like this resolved as soon as possible, because it really isn’t good for the university to have this uncertainty hanging over us,” Friedman said. “I’m hoping it will be thoroughly investigated and we can come to a resolution we can all live with.”

This isn’t the first time a vote of non-confidence has been issued within the department of Trades and Technology, either. Twenty years ago, TRU (then University College of the Cariboo) was embroiled in a similar situation, where a vote of non-confidence was also issued in the department’s dean. Similar issues were cited back then as well, such as a lack of accountability and consultation. That dean later left the institution and was replaced.

Though the situations are similar, Friedman isn’t willing to speculate on what will happen this time.

Current dean of trades Lindsay Langill could not be reached for comment for this story.

You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness.

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

Trades faculty vote no confidence in dean

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› Thomas Edison: The world’s most extraordinary failure never gave up.

Thank goodness.

open. online. everywhere. go.athabascau.ca/online-courses

TRUFA President Tom Friedman. (Wade Tomko/The Omega)

Student caucus puts forth proposal for parking fix Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω Earlier this year, students listed parking as one of their top concerns in the TRUSU annual budget consultation. Now TRUSU’s student caucus is taking action to improve TRU’s current parking system.

In the report that followed the student budget consultation, TRUSU found 91 per cent of TRU students who had completed the survey had ranked parking among their top three concerns.

“Students cited their top concerns with parking as being price and convenience. We aim to fix both,” said Melissa Gordon, TRUSU president.

Given the amount of empty

parking spots in staff parking and distant lots, Gordon believes that TRUSU’s parking proposal “makes the most sense, when considering the current parking circumstances.”

Some of the changes in the proposal include opening up staff lots to students. TRUSU has said this will make 541 more parking spaces available to students. They also want to provide by-the-hour rates in central lots.

These by-the-hour rates would be $4 for two hours, $5 for three hours and $6 for four or more hours.

Distant lots and the overflow Lot N will see their prices cut down to $3 per day. Parking passes will also see their rates slashed, though this will be dependent on the lot.

Domestic students who live beyond the Kamloops transit

system will be eligible to receive a 20 per cent discount on long-term parking passes, as well.

To make up for their decrease in parking rates across the board, TRUSU has proposed that longterm discounts be eliminated from parking passes and that the university extend paid parking to weekends and evenings. Rates for reserved spaces are also expected to increase.

In addition to this, Lot V, which was originally staff parking, will be turned into metered visitor parking.

Part of the fees collected, $100,000 a year, will be going towards the university’s Parking and Transportation Improvement Fund. The fund aims to help TRU make more public transportation and parking opportunities available

Will the $5/day flat rate become a thing of the past? (File photo) to students in the future.

Though the proposal has been submitted to the Parking Appeals and Advisory Committee, it is still under review. Despite this, Gordon believes the proposal will be a success, given how big of an issue

parking is amongst TRU students.

After their review, the committee will make recommendations directly to TRU’s VP Administration and Finance, Matt Milovick. From there, Milovick will decide on what changes will be implemented.

NEWS

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Remembering at TRU

Speaker Lt.-Col. Kevin Tyler speaks about his experiences and career

Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω LT.-Col. Kevin Tyler, former commanding officer of the Rocky Mountain Rangers, spoke at the university on Tuesday, Nov. 10, on his experiences as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces. Tyler served in both Bosnia and Afghanistan in his 35-year military career.

Bosnia, Tyler said, reminded him of a “Godfather” movie. He attributed this to the unpredictable and tension-filled atmosphere of the mission, as well as the inclusion of some very unique, yet violent individuals.

In the Bosnian Conflict, Tyler was in command of a mechanized rifle company of 120 soldiers. They were part of the NATO plan to reintegrate Bosnia’s three main ethnic groups (the Serbians, the Muslim Bosnians and the Croatians) back into their communities.

Assigned to Drivar, Tyler’s company would oversee the return of Serbs to what had become a Croatian town. Drivar was the test case

for the Dayton accord, a remedy prolonged strife and restore the region to its former self. In the end, the accord failed.

After a month’s stay in Drivar, Tyler’s company made their way back to the CAF’s main base. Five hours later, they would be sent back to Drivar. A massive riot had broken out, with the city’s Croatians trying to push out the remaining Serbs.

Even though his company stayed a month longer, Tyler was able to find little information on what caused the riots. Eventually the Croatian ambassador would be outed by one of Tyler’s men as the organizer of the Drivar riots. This happened just by chance, however.

Tyler’s soldier was on leave and just returning to Bosnia from Germany, when he met a man matching the ambassador’s description on his flight. As it would turn out, the ambassador was just a political science professor from New York, who had been dragged in the conflict by his people.

Tyler also spoke on his experiences in Afghanistan, where he had helped local police forces

Lt.-Col. Kevin Tyler speaks at TRU on Nov. 10. (Wade Tomko/The Omega) professionalize themselves.

Though Tyler’s main goal was the creation of new police stations and the training of new officers, death still surrounded him. He recounted on how he knew an American captain, who was winning hearts and minds in his

assigned community, but was killed by an IED blast. As it would turn out, the captain’s death would be in retaliation for a special forces raid the night before.

“In Bosnia there was a lot of shooting and whatnot, but very few people got killed,” said Tyler.

“[In Afghanistan] I personally wondered about my mortality, and whether or not I would make it out or not. Definitely wasn’t the thing I wanted to discuss with my wife.”

On Remembrance Day, Tyler will be on parade with his Rangers in downtown Kamloops.

Riverside Park Remembrance Day Ceremony Photos by Tristan Davies

TOP: Two RCAF CT-155 Hawks conduct their annual flypast over Riverside Park on Nov. 11.

LEFT: Veterans stand at attention in commemoration of the fallen in 2015’s Remembrance Day Ceremony at Riverside Park.

ARTS

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TEMPLES IN THAILAND

What's on at

The number of wats in Thailand is a blessing and a curse

TRU?

Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω Buddhism is by far the most popular religion in Thailand.

Over 93 per cent of Thailand’s population is Buddhist, and as of 2004, the country has over 40,000 temples, or “wats.” Most houses and businesses in Thailand have small shrines where they leave sugary drinks and blessed flowers as offerings.

The temples are shiny, colourful beacons, and most are open to the public. The best experience I had in a temple was in Ayutthaya. In a case of being in the right place at the right time, we were blessed by the monks. Monks standing at the top of a giant likeness of Buddha tossed down bolts of fabric that were the statue’s robes. Everyone present kneeled on the ground, holding the fabric over their heads, while more monks splashed blessed water on everyone.

Ayutthaya is best known for the beautiful ruins, still well

Nov 18 Urban Theorist Richard Florida Cities will flourish if they are able to attract the “creative class” and persuade them to be long-term residents.

What do cities need to attract these rising stars of the 21st century? Presented by TRUSU Common Voices Lecture Series. Grand Hall, 7 pm

Nov 20 Basketball Home Openers Experience Kamloops’ highest calibre of basketball when your hometown WolfPack hosts the MacEwan Griffins from Edmonton. TCC, women 6 pm, men, 8 pm

Nov 25 Films For Change Series Environment and Sustainability co-hosts Unnatural Selection and some shorter films. A lively discussion will follow the main movie. Alumni Theatre, 7 pm

Nov 26 Live At TRU Music Series

preserved, from the Burmese invasion in the 18th century. Compared to the flashy gaudiness of Thailand’s modern temples, the ruins are a breath of fresh air. As we walked the old walls, I noticed another section of ruins that was in the process of being restored. It seemed like a shame, because the untouched nature of the ruins is what makes them stand out from the thousands of other temples.

Because they are so numerous and respected, Monks get special treatment. If a monk’s robes so much as brush a woman, he is supposed the discard them completely. In airports there are private rooms for monks to wait for their flights away from the regular folk.

On my last day in Bangkok, my friend May said that she had to deliver papers to a temple. Her father had racked up thousands in credit card debt without her mother’s knowledge. Their house was now on the line if he didn’t pay, but thankfully all the credit cards he used were only in his name. To avoid the responsibility

of supporting his family while paying off his debts, or perhaps to try to absolve himself, May’s father ran off to a temple and pledged to become a monk. May now had to go to the temple to serve him divorce papers. This is an outrageous exploitation of the whole point of the temples.

Another problem with the prominence of Buddhism in Thailand is that there isn’t much room for other religions. Some Muslim friends of mine had such a hard time finding halal food near campus, that some of them decided to just forsake that aspect of their religion for the sake of eating regularly.

Temples are centres of traditional Thai culture, and not just for religion. Because most of them are meant to be open to anyone, children will play soccer on the grounds, and women will conduct dance classes.

While the open nature of Thailand’s temples does leave them open to abuse, it also ensures that they become not just a symbol of religion, but of the Thai people and their resilience.

Gordie MacKeemon and the Rhythm Boys from PEI fuse bluegrass, Western swing, Celtic and southern country in the Alumni Theatre, 12:30 pm

Nov 26-28, Dec 3-5 Actors Workshop Theatre: Mail Order Bride Chronicling three generations of prairie life at the turn of the 20th Century, this story also looks at another challenge many settlers faced—finding a wife.

Black Box Theatre, 7:30 pm

Nov 26 Science & Technology Info Night Faculty members, current students and program coordinators will be on hand to answer your questions about TRU’s science and technology programs. Geared towards Grade 10-12 students, parents, counsellors and teachers. Lepin Building, room S 203, 7 pm

Nov 30 A New View On A Steep Street Journey San Francisco’s famous Filbert Street and its many neighbourhoods through images and text created by visual arts faculty member Ernie Kroeger. Presented

by Arts Colloquium Series. TRUSU Lecture Hall, 4:30 pm

Find out more:

MC120501

events.tru.ca

TOP: Thai Buddhists receive blessing at a temple in Ayutthaya. (Marlys Klossner/The Omega) BOTTOM: A traditional Wat in Thailand. (Tim Jackson/Flickr Commons)

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

(Dave Lichterman/Creative Commons)

An interview with Dan Mangan

Indie singer/songwriter talks about his latest album, backing band and scoring a film Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω Dan Mangan is a singer songwriter from Vancouver who has won two Junos, scored the Simon Pegg film Hector and the Search for Happiness, and occasionally written for Huffington Post Canada and The Guardian’s arts section. In January, he released his fourth LP Club Meds. Mangan will play the Coast Hotel Kamloops Theatre solo on Nov. 22, the fourth stop in a cross-country tour. We got a chance to interview Dan before his weekend show.

Marlys Klossner: Where did the sedation theme for Club Meds come from?

Dan Mangan: It’s funny, I think for every one of my records when I first start working on it I don’t have a huge intention or angle on it, and then after the

songs are put together I start noticing patterns and lyrical connections. I’ve been an opinionated person for a long time, but when I was younger I didn’t put those opinions into songs. I had a little bit of a softer touch.

With this record, as I got into it, I found myself not angry, but incensed with a lot of things that I see in myself and in the world.

There’s a natural tendency for us to waver back and forth between feeling incredibly connected and aware of the streams of thought and energy around us, and other times having our eyes closed, head in the sand, and just focusing on the next task.

I think we all do that and if we were to spend too much time at either end of the spectrum that wouldn’t be helpful for us.

MK: For Club Meds you had a sort of re-unification with your band Blacksmith, with whom you share top billing for

the album. How did that come about?

DM: These are the same guys I’ve been working with for many years, but the writing process has definitely been a little more collaborative than it was in the past. Before I used to have a song pretty much fleshed out and they’d play along. This time around when we got together I had lyrics and melodies but I hadn’t totally figured out how the song was going to sound, and so the guys’ musical expertise held a lot of weight onto how the songs were put together. I think if you know me and the other guys in the band quite well, you can kind of hear everyone’s different personalities come through in certain songs. Everybody really gave it everything they had. I think because I gave the guys a little more responsibility with this record, they took that responsibility head on and

really wanted to make sure to give it their best.

MK: Do you have a favourite place to play?

DM: We have our spots. I love playing at home in Vancouver, of course. Germany’s been really great for us, we love touring in Germany. We’re consistently overwhelmed by the response over there. They have a particular kind of way of being really attentive and listening at shows and it’s really normal over there for people to drive two or three hours to go to a gig. That’s been a sort of second home to Canada.

Great shows can happen anywhere at any time, so there’s not really one place.

MK: What was scoring a movie (Hector and the Search for Happiness) like?

DM: It was a lot of work, sort of humbling in a lot of ways.

I had operated in a space of getting my own way creatively

all the time and feeling like I knew what I was doing. Being in a scenario where I was very much the rookie and having to prove myself was good for me.

I learned a lot. I hadn’t been in a situation where I was collaborating on a project that was way bigger than my part of it. It was really fun. Getting to hang out with the actors, getting the behind-the-scenes scoops – also just creatively it was a really fun task. I probably wouldn’t want to do it all the time but every couple of years would be a trip.

MK: It seems like almost every year you put out some new music. What can we expect from you next year?

DM: Right now I’m working on a little EP, not a full record.

It’s kind of stripped down, going back to my solo roots.

I’ve been in the studio messing around, but no full-length album anytime soon.

Revived club to host film premiere ahead of upcoming ski season Peter Navratil CONTRIBUTOR Ω Registration has been reopened for a club that was sorely missed at TRU. After being dormant for close to three years, the TRU Ski & Snowboard Club has seen a revival that is expected to snowball in the coming ski season.

Myles Williamson discovered the TRU Ski & Snowboard Club had not been active when he and a few other classmates were assigned a graphic design project.

Williamson, an avid skier himself, and his group decided to reinvigorate the club.

“It started just for a class,” said Williamson of designing the logo and writing the blog that inspired the revival of the club. “We got more and more into it, and got more passionate about it and said ‘let’s actually make this into a club,’” Williamson said. A month after its reactivation, the club already has social media outlets, toques sporting their logo and a movie event coming up at the end of this month.

When asked about the club, Williamson said he wants to establish “a community of students who share the same passion for skiing and snowboarding … [I want] everybody to have a good time.”

Williamson also made it clear the club is not just an elitist group for those who are already heavily involved in the ski scene.

Williamson called the club “totally open to the whole student body, anybody that wants a ride up to the mountain can join it.

Whether you are a beginner or

not you should probably join the club.”

Williamson has been in contact with Oronge Board shop in downtown Kamloops and Sun Peaks Mountain attempting to negotiate discounts for club members. “[We are] talking to the sales manager at Sun Peaks, and the club is hoping to get a discount,” he said.

According to Williamson the club is negotiating discounts at Sun Peaks which will likely apply to shuttles, lift tickets, lessons and rentals. “Being a student you have to be able to budget as best

as you can,” he said.

The first event that the TRU Ski & Snowboard Club is involved in is a movie night co-hosted by Oronge Board Shop. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 20 at the TRU Clock Tower with four ski and snowboard movies being shown. The club is calling their movie night “Get Shred Stoked for Slaying PowPow.” Admission is done entirely by donation to the Bluebird Day Fund which supports disadvantaged individuals in the pursuit of their sport.

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James Bond retrospective How breaking stereotypes will make a better Bond Jonathan Malloy CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Film review: Spectre Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω Spectre is a good film, but it doesn’t reach the level of Casino Royale and Skyfall, and the formula has started to feel tired.

While Bond got a boost with the last four films by going the gritty reboot route, and benefited from the advancements in technology to create great action sequences, the story hasn’t changed a bit. Spectre is a fun film, but it’s incredibly predictable. The people you think are going to be evil are evil. Bond is tortured by the villain before breaking out at the last second, and there’s a timed trap where Bond has to choose between saving the girl or saving himself and getting the bad guy, all of which he does. It’s impossible to spoil Spectre because we can see every twist coming and the stakes aren’t very high. Obviously, Bond is not going to die.

The most refreshing part of Spectre is Monica Bellucci. The Bond films follow a specific formula that has been mostly untouched for the superspy’s past 23 iterations.

Seeing Bond with a woman who is actually age appropriate is amazing. In a series that is always setting up the very sexualized older Bond with even more sexualized younger ladies, it’s good to have some visual reassurance that Bond isn’t repulsed by anyone remotely near his age. Bellucci, 50, and Craig, 47, have great sexual chemistry. Léa Seydoux,

as the younger woman Bond actually ends up with, is an awesome Bond girl, but doesn’t have quite as much chemistry with Bond as Bellucci does.

As a villain, Christoph Waltz is not used to his full potential. Everything in the film beats you over the head with the fact that Spectre has been pulling the strings in Bond’s life, including the opening credits. Waltz’s character mentions it at least twice for every minute of his limited screen time. What would be much more effective is if the film showed us instead of told us.

The inevitable torture scene involved drills to the brain, a concept done much more effectively in Australian horror flick The Lucky Ones. The scene just looks too clean. While these drills might have more debilitating effects than a more primitive and visual torture, like the genital-bashing rope in Casino Royale, they just don’t look very intimidating.

The Bond films are known for their stylishness. Spectre is no exception. It’s shot beautifully, giving every scene a luxurious aesthetic. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, whose last project was Interstellar, plays with shapes and perspective beautifully.

In the end, it’s good that this film retires Daniel Craig’s Bond, because some restructuring is definitely necessary. Spectre is entertaining, but the next film will need some revitalization to avoid an otherwise destined decline in quality.

The name is Bond, James Bond. That simple phrase is a defining characteristic of the Bond franchise. With over 24 films, spanning almost 50 years and six different iterations, the series has ventured from serious to campy and every shade in-between, as the franchise has transitioned from debonair Cold War assassins to the modern day chilly international badasses.

While the aesthetic of the series has changed remarkably, thanks to the various directors and production crews, the overall craft has remained partly intact and barely seems to challenge creator Ian Fleming’s original stories.

Since the beginning there has always been a British Bond, an M, be they male or female, and enough gadgets, cars and women to fill an abandoned Spectre warehouse. This stagnation provides the basis of how we perceive the British spy. I mean, what kind of Bond movie would it be if he didn’t sleep with as many women as possible while narrowly escaping death? Obviously those tent poles make it enjoyable to come back and watch every few years as the series pushes forward, but what exactly might the Bond experience be like if it had a drastic change?

Would it even be a Bond film?

I believe the problem is us; the audience. How would we react if the next iteration of Bond was gay, or black, or even a woman? Seeing how the box office is dominated by strong white men that never turn down a challenge, I believe that the market isn’t sustainable to make the needed change at the moment. Characters who stretch outside the painted lines fare substantially worse in bringing in audiences, unless they are provoked

by an inner guilt (I’m looking at you, 12 Years a Slave). For the Bond series to grow it must be shown that audiences will bring their money to see a different 007, that the change will not be reluctant, but assured due to audience demand.

George Lazenby offered the first real change to the status quo in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Starting off as a model and being the first person to take up the mantel post Sean Connery, he brought a slightly more intimate look into the psyche of Bond, all the while taking the character to a very melancholic and wholly dark ending that has yet to be surpassed on an emotional chord since the 1969 film. Many view Lazenby’s portrayal as one of the worst in the series due to the radical departure from the suave gentleman that Connery provided, but I still believe it to be a great starting point for those new to the series.

The next radical change didn’t occur until 2012’s homosexually lenient villain Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem, was introduced, adding another layer of reality to the slowly stagnating series.

Things have further developed in the series by offering an age appropriate bond girl with Monica Bellucci’s character in Spectre. I believe that the only place to go is further into new territory.

Many have speculated that Tom Hardy will be the next to take the roll after Daniel Craig’s contract is up, but I am rooting for the underdog. British actor Idris Elba would be the next logical step for the series to take it into uncharted territory where the suave debonair attitude, rarely seen in Craig’s films, would cross with the recent brutality to create a unique, Timothy Dalton/Pierce Brosnan combination. While Ian Fleming stated that he would never live to see a black Bond, the only thing I have left to say is, I guess you don’t always live twice.

Film review: Steve Jobs Jonathan Malloy CONTRIBUTOR Ω It’s hard to truly understand the power of great writing in films until you hear that perfect rhythm of argument-counterargument between two people who you believe fully understand what they are talking about.

This is the fine line that writer Arron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle bring to what is assuredly a high point of both men’s careers in the furious, pulsating Steve Jobs.

Following a literal three act story structure focusing on Jobs (Michael Fassbender) and his crew before the launch of three separate products in 1984, 1989, and the release of the iMac in 1998 is a story more about the personality of the man when faced with setbacks, stress and the acceptance of becoming a father.

Known for his fast talk and walk style, Sorkin delivers a script that bounces from idea to idea on a breakneck pace that only seems to lighten when the times change.

The dialogue is powered through by Fassbender who takes Jobs and presents him as honestly as seen so far on screen. The real time sections presented in the format take the viewer and show the carrying faces of its lead role as an inspiration, tyrant and abusive and captivating leader. Fassbender digs deep into the role along with outstanding performances from Seth Rogen and Kate Winslet who may very well be seeing praise this awards season as Apple’s “The Woz” and head of marketing respectively.

Boyle has seen praise before in such films as Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours and works brilliantly here leaving his pastiche for quirky and jarring direction behind to

deliver a film that is extremely confidant and assured. One aspect not wholly given praise in the film is its inspired, intricate editing. Elliot Graham edits with an attention to detail that works as an accessory to the rapid fire dialogue, weaving an already lucid film into three distinct segments that all play to their own strengths, all the while taking the wind out of the viewer.

Performing at a very low outcome for the talent and passion put into this masterful work, I implore people to see the film as they sit and read this while listening to their iPod, typing up their homework, or downloading the new OSX like I shall be doing after finishing this review. The film is top notch in delivering an intimate if spacial view of the myth of Steve Jobs and is a must watch for any tech or film lover this fall season. 5/5 Loops.

(Universal Pictures)

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COMICS & PUZZLES

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Puzzle of the Week – #10 Secret Number This is the last puzzle for the semester. Best wishes for the holiday season and on your exams.

I am thinking of a three-digit number. Of the numbers that fit the other clues, the solution is the one with the largest prime factor. The sum of two of the digits is equal to the third digit. None of the digits are 1, prime, or 0. What is the number?

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/). Come visit the Math Centre (HL304): we are friendly.

SPORTS

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Kamloops product Ryan Gropp cuts across the blueline during the Super Series game on Nov. 10 in Kamloops. (Cameron Doherty/The Omega)

WHL downs Team Russia in Kamloops

Canada sweeps Russia during the western leg of Super Series Cameron Doherty SPORTS EDITOR Ω Henderson in ’72, Lemieux in ’87, Eberle in ’09, and now Jayce Hawryluk in ’15. The latest chapter in one of hockey’s most storied rivalries, Canada vs. Russia, was written in Kamloops on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and it was once again Canada coming out on top by a score of 4–2.

The CHL Canada Russia series pits the top junior players in Russia

against all-star teams of Canadians representing the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The team from Russia plays two games against each of the league’s all-star teams and after getting pasted by the WHL 7–3 Monday night in Kelowna, they came into Kamloops looking determined to put forth a better effort.

That changed as the game

went on however, with the teams trading goals.

The WHL starting lineup had a distinct local flavour to it: Ryan Gropp and Joe Hicketts, both born and raised in Kamloops, started the game, as well as Colin Shirley and Deven Sideroff, who both play for the Kamloops Blazers.

Neither team was able to take control of the game in the first period, both teams seemingly content to sit back and wait for the opponent to make a mistake

rather than attack and potentially open themselves up.

That changed in a back and forth second period that saw both teams score two goals, including one scored on a nice pass from Shirley that set up his Blazer teammate Sideroff to make sure that the game remained tied heading into the third period.

It looked like the game was headed into overtime and possibly a shootout, when with just three minutes left to play, Hawryluk gathered a loose puck in the neutral zone, flew past the

Russian defenders and unleashed a picture perfect shot that beat Russian goalie Maxim Tretiak.

These games are also used as an opportunity for the coaching staff of the Canadian under 20 World Junior Hockey championship team to scout potential players. One name that is almost guaranteed to be on the roster is Kamloops local Joe Hicketts. He was on the team that captured gold last year and was given the honour of wearing the captain’s “C” during Tuesday’s game.

Cross country season ends with championships in Guelph Cameron Doherty SPORTS EDITOR Ω CONTINUED ( COVER) Rachel Lobay and Alesha Miller were the two women of the WolfPack that ran in Ontario, competing in a field of 144 runners over a distance of six kilometres. Lobay finished a team high 63rd on the day, with Miller crossing the line in 133rd. Mazzotta was very pleased with his top finishing runner saying that Lobay “had such a great season and exceeded expectations,” while also pointing out that as a first-year competitor she still has a lot of room to grow and improve.

Tony Kiprop, Brennen Smith and Conlan Sprickerhoff were the male

representatives of the WolfPack at nationals. They ran a 10 kilometre race in a field of 150 runners.

Kiprop finished 133rd, Smith in 137th and Sprickerhoff wound up 141st on the day.

It was just the second race of the year that Smith wore the orange and black of TRU as he competes for the team despite the fact that he lives on Vancouver Island. A competitive triathlete, Smith is eligible to compete for TRU because he is enrolled in Open Learning classes and also competed for TRU at the B.C. championships that took place in Nanaimo.

It is an unorthodox coach-athlete relationship to say the least, as Smith trains in Victoria primarily under the tutelage of Carolyn Murray with Mazzotta being in

contact with Murray to check in on Smith’s progress. The biggest reservation that Mazzotta had about letting a runner on his team that lives almost 450 km away was “how is this guy going to blend in with the team as we go to meets?

But the more I was in contact with him I thought it would be fine, he’s a good guy.”

With Smith only being in his first year, Mazzotta says that as the relationship grows he “may be in a bit more contact with him about the training specifics of what he’s doing,” but that right now he’s a believer in “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Men’s captain Sprickerhoff had what Mazzotta called “an off day at the wrong time,” but he also feels that Sprickerhoff was the most

Tony Kiprop racing at the CIS nationals in Ontario. (TRU Athletics) consistent of all of TRU’s runners this season and that he is poised to come back stronger in 2016.

That is a sentiment that can be extrapolated to the team as a whole, with many of these runners still

having multiple years of eligibility left to run. This is a team that can take the lessons learned from a year of tough competition and use them to return stronger and faster in 2016.

NEWS

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

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