Nov. 25, 2015

LOCAL TALENT

AND THERE’S FIREWORKS

HIT THE SLOPES

Van Damsel third in Peak Performance

Diwali comes to TRU

Ski season begins at Sun Peaks

It’s not what they’d hoped for, but it’s a big chunk of change to help them continue on • Page 5

TRU’s India Club hosts annual bash to celebrate Diwali, complete with fireworks • Page 9

Coldsnap makes for an early opening, and some nice conditions • Page 11

OMEGA THE

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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ISSUE 12 NO.

VOLUME 25

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NOVEMBER 25, 2015

A B Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

‘YURT GUY’: ALREADY A LEGEND

INVADING YOUR PRIVACY

Choosing the yurt for sustainable living WHAT’S IN

YOUR PURSE? What can’t you live without?

What should every student carry?

What’s the weirdest thing you have with you?

What are you carrying that best describes you?

This is Michael Jefferey. He’s a TRU student dedicated to sustainability and he lives in this awesome yurt. • Page 9

NO ONE’S LAUGHING

What have you had for too long that you just can’t get rid of?

AND A MEDIA BLACKOUT, TOO

Bomb threat empties TCC and OL building

Faculty vote allows for job action, strike

TCC and the Open Learning building on campus were evacuated on Nov. 19 • Page 2

TRU Faculty Association members have voted to allow for job action and a potential strike • Page 2

WE’VE GOT ANSWERS PAGES 6-7

NEWS

2

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Faculty Association votes in favour of job action Jim Elliot NEWS EDITOR Ω The TRU Faculty Association (TRUFA) has voted in favour of job action. Two thirds of the union’s membership cast a vote and 80 per cent were in favour of job action, which may include a strike. The vote took place between Nov. 16 and 19.

Both TRUFA and the TRU administration are tight-lipped about how negotiations have progressed. TRUFA president Tom Friedman declined to comment on the results of the vote.

The two parties met on Monday for the first time following the vote on job action. According to the TRU website, negotiations were previously set to resume on Dec. 7.

“We have set dates and we are hopeful that we can do some great work in them,” said Christopher Seguin, Vice-President Advancement.

When asked if there would be any disruption of the beginning of classes next semester

or graduation or transfers to another institution, Seguin said that it was too early to speculate, but “if there are disruptions [they] will be ready to facilitate students’ needs.”

TRU has publicized some of their initial offers they made to TRUFA in the fall. The administration is offering faculty increases in maximum salaries for faculty positions: assistant professors would see their maximum salaries go from $87,900 to $93,000, associate professors from $125,000 to $130,000 and full professors from $130,050 to $147,000. The offer also included a 5.5 per cent raise over the course of the contract.

An August 2015 bargaining update by TRUFA suggests they’re seeking more radical changes to the pay scale.

TRUFA proposed an increase in entry-level minimum salaries for instructors from $56,613 to $67,767. The proposal also promises an unspecified increase in maximum salaries for instructors, with the goal of “making TRU more competitive

among comparable Canadian universities.”

“Despite any claims they have or may make, the administration cannot truthfully claim they ‘cannot afford’ TRUFA’s proposals this round,” the proposal reads.

The university’s proposal also says that it is seeking a five-yearlong term for the new contract.

The previous collective agreement was a two-year term and expired in March 2014.

Also at issue is the rate of pay for sessional faculty. Although TRUFA has not made its proposals public, TRU has said that the union is looking for increased rates of pay and benefits for its sessional professors. In its Fall 2015 bargaining update, TRU said that it is willing to discuss salary and benefit improvements to sessional instructors, but “there would be ramifications to salary grids” as a result. The university also published a table comparing its sessional pay with 10 other Canadian universities. At TRU, sessional instructors are currently paid $5,661.33 to teach a three-credit course. Rates of pay

at other universities range from $3,506 to $6,672. On average, TRU says its rates are $515 higher than the other universities compared against.

Other areas with changes proposed by the university include policies on workload, healthcare benefits and tuition waivers for family members of faculty.

Both the TRU and TRUFA websites now feature a frequently asked questions page for students looking for information about the strike.

“At this time there is no strike and all classes are in session.

While TRU is hopeful that negotiations with TRUFA will continue and that the parties will reach a settlement, if there is a full strike all face-to-face classes will not be held and may be rescheduled at a later date,” reads an entry to the FAQ on the TRU website.

The TRU website also warns of the possibility of rotating strikes or a partial withdrawal of services.

According to a post on TRUFA’s website, “a strike vote will be followed by the parties returning to

Job action updates available online For the latest on potential job action from TRUFA, find us online: truomega.ca/strike2015

the bargaining table and working hard to reach a deal. However, a strike vote also authorizes the TRUFA Executive to initiate job action should negotiations flounder.”

Provincial law dictates that TRUFA would have to give 72 hours notice before going on strike.

According to an email from the Dean of Students’ office, the university does not anticipate a disruption of the exam schedule, but asks students to monitor their myTRU emails for further updates.

Dalhousie Rd. is seen blocked off following the evacuation of TCC on Nov. 19. (Jim Elliot/The Omega)

Bomb threat prompts evacuations, emergency alerts

The emergency showed quick evacuation, slower communication from TRU emergency plan Jim Elliot NEWS EDITOR Ω TRU’s emergency plan faced a serious test when a bomb threat was called in close to campus.

Kamloops RCMP quickly evacuated and cordoned off the Tournament Capital Centre (TCC) on the afternoon of Nov. 19 after the threat was received. The B.C. Centre for Open Learning was also evacuated.

The threat was received at 2:30 p.m. but TRU Alerts, the university’s email and text message

emergency information system, did not provide information about the threat until 3:47 p.m.

“While we are happy with the movement of people and the communications once we had good information, we’re going to strive to have better information faster in the future,” said TRU VP of Advancement Christopher Seguin. According to Seguin, the university was waiting for confirmed information from the RCMP before it broadcast anything.

Once TRU Alerts began broadcasting, it provided updates

including the all-clear message, which went out at 8:54 p.m. The all-clear message said that “the entire TRU campus has reopened after a thorough examination by a special RCMP canine unit has ensured that there is no threat to TRU facilities.”

According to Const. Epp of the Kamloops RCMP, no explosives or suspicious packages were found.

Messages on the homepage of TRU’s website were also used throughout the alert to spread information.

Information was also distributed by the TRU newsroom

Twitter account. The account sent out its first tweet about the bomb threat at 3:07 p.m. According to TRU Marketing and Communications Director Diana Skoglund, the account was primarily used to correct misinformation being spread through other sources on Twitter.

A few professors with classes as far away from the threatened area as the Arts and Education and International buildings cleared their classrooms after hearing about the threat. According to Seguin, this response was not part of the emergency

plan, but the professors acting individually.

Journalism professor Shawn Thompson encouraged students in his photojournalism class to photograph the police response to the bomb threat while it was underway. At least ten of his students were taking photos from across the street at the TCC. The scholarship and awards ceremony proceeded as scheduled in the Old Gym, across the street from Open Learning as the RCMP declared it safe, Seguin said.

OPINION & EDITORIAL

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3

Letter to the editor

TRU’s Christopher Seguin at the announcement of the Memorandum of Understanding between TRU and Kinder Morgan. (Kinder Morgan)

Growing risks in accepting private money

Some took the money, others rejected it, one rolled the dice and lost Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω The University of Calgary is in turmoil over the toppling of a $2.25-million pledge from Enbridge, with calls for investigations and administrator resignations abound. The deal would have meant the creation of the Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability, but questions over academic freedom and credibility emerged along the way, and now accusations of heavy-handed corporate influence plague the school.

On April 7, TRU became the first post-secondary institution to sign a memorandum of understanding with pipeline company Kinder Morgan. The pact stipulates that if the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is approved, TRU will receive $500,000 to be dispensed as student awards.

Over the course of the 20-year agreement, trades would receive

$200,000, the faculty of social work $100,000, research would receive $100,000 and the faculty of science another $100,000.

On June 26, Kwantlen Polytechnic University inked a similar deal for $300,000. But after criticism emerged, including opposition from local First Nations groups, KPU decided to back out of the deal in late October.

A key part of the opposition came from the Kwantlen Student Association, KPU’s student union.

“KPU’s acceptance of this money amounts to a tacit endorsement of the pipeline project.

Projects like this serve to accelerate climate change and cannot be allowed to move forward,” said union VP external Alex McGowan in a press release.

At the University of the Fraser Valley, despite meeting with Kinder Morgan, it was unclear whether or not a deal was made.

Nonetheless, the meeting brought about a response from the school’s student union. While union

president Thomas Davies stopped short of outright opposing the deal, he called for the university to fall back on its principle of being apolitical and to consult its stakeholders, including local First Nations.

“Donations to universities should not be politically or economically motivated, as is the case with Kinder Morgan, but represent an honest appreciation of the ideals and values of the institution and of education itself,” Davies wrote in a July 8 open letter to UFV admin.

Kinder Morgan’s offer also failed to take hold in Chilliwack, where city council rejected $800,000 from the company in May on the same condition – approval of its Trans Mountain pipeline. Kinder Morgan promised it would pay for a substantial amount of a $1-million footbridge project in the city. Critics called it a bribe and city council decided it wasn’t worth it.

The City of Kamloops also

Ω

signed an agreement with Kinder Morgan for $700,000 on Feb. 26.

While TRUSU has been silent about the university’s deal with Kinder Morgan, there are critics at the school, including environmental studies professor Michael Mehta, who called the deal “embarrassing” in an April 8 interview with CBC Kamloops.

On Nov. 20, a CBC article reported that Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline project could now cost as much as $6.8 billion, up from the $5.4 billion previously estimated. All of this while the price of crude oil sits at around $40 USD per barrel.

With questions over academic freedom arising as a result of Calgary’s deal with Enbridge and other universities dropping out out of Kinder Morgan’s deal, will TRU be the first in and last out, or will it keep its head down and try to dodge controversy for a relatively modest payout delivered over 20 years? editor@truomega.ca

THE OMEGA STUDENT NEWSPAPER • PUBLISHED SINCE NOVEMBER 27,1991

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Editorial Staff

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A B Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

I’d like to call upon everyone who wants to end gun violence (which I would hope is everyone, period). No matter your political views or your stance on gun control, it’s obvious that the current methods of gun control aren’t working out well at all. Government can make regulations until they’re blue in the face and there’s nothing left in my cabinet but a super soaker, but there will still be shootings (France had a ban on exactly the type of weapon used in the Paris attacks, and that didn’t save a single life that day).

Even outright bannings don’t stop them, because those who commit these horrible crimes don’t give a single damn about the regulations. So how do we take the guns out of THEIR hands?

Simple, instead of wasting time and money on “mandatory” registrations, or magazine restrictions that will be ignored by every terrorist and psychopath, police and government need to focus their efforts on the illegal trade of weapons.

Virtually every gun you will find in an evidence locker did not come from Canadian Tire, or Wholesale sports, or even The Shooting Edge, so taking them off these shelves will do little or nothing to prevent the crimes. Instead, we have to focus on finding out and stopping the flow of guns that come into our country and into the hands of unlicensed and unchecked individuals.

Sincerely, a gun owner against gun crimes.

Austin Schroeder Natural Resource Science 2nd year

CONTRIBUTE

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If you’re ready to get started, just email one of our section editors and pitch your story: News: news@truomega.ca News: wtomko@truomega.ca Arts: arts@truomega.ca Sports: sports@truomega.ca Or write the editor at: editor@truomega.ca

ARTS

4

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Displacement and Do It Yourself Review of Kevin Schmidt’s Commons at the Kamloops Art Gallery Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω A common theme in most of Kevin Schmidt’s work is taking things out of their expected environment and placing them in a culturally alien environment.

The selected works of his from the past decade that make up Commons, his exhibit in the Kamloops Art Gallery, are no exception.

On one wall of the gallery is a blown up image of a wooden billboard in which Schmidt etched some apocalyptic phrases from the Book of Revelations. He drove north and put the billboard up in the Northwest Passage, where it would only be seen by a handful of boats that pass through.

Another video installation, called “EDM House,” features a house built in 1905 that Schmidt covered in Christmas lights. The artist painstakingly synced the

By painting an image of a forest on a stump, Kevin Schmidt directly compares art and reality. (Marlys Klossner/The Omega)

lights to a ‘90s influenced EDM track. In the description of the piece Schmidt says that creating a digital brand today is as necessary for survival as developing land used to be when the house was originally built.

Experiencing this piece was slightly bizarre, with the juxtaposition of the house and the thumping music. Perhaps it’s a sign of my youth, but I found myself searching the description placard for the name of the looping track (it was not provided).

A subtler piece is a series of five photos of a 1984 Chevrolet Caprice. At first glance the images of a station wagon parked in front of some absolutely gorgeous landscapes seem out of place, which, as it turns out, is Schmidt’s whole point. The description card is strategically placed so that you have to pass all the photos without knowing the context.

The point of this piece is that the photos are done in the style of an ad you might see in a magazine, and Schmidt takes them out of the commercial space and places them in a museum, blurring the lines between “authentic” art and corporate productions.

All of Schmidt’s work is very do it yourself. He built his own projector and his own camera,

The “EDM House” video played in a dark room. (Marlys Klossner/ The Omega) and made the billboard by hand.

Each of the projected pieces are in self-contained rooms and he made a makeshift dark viewing room that looks a bit like an igloo because he needed one more than the space had. While the actual creations aren’t very polished looking, they are fully functional and show that you can create pretty much anything you put your mind to.

The least impactful piece for me was actually the one I most looked forward to seeing. Schmidt rigged

a homemade camera up to a weather balloon, and took a photograph of Earth from near space.

The photo is impressive, but it lacks the juxtaposition that characterizes his other pieces. There were also a series of watercolours which, while beautiful, seemed out of place and message-less.

Otherwise, Kevin Schmidt’s work is thought-provoking and just beautiful to look at.

Commons will be in the Kamloops Art Gallery’s central gallery until Jan. 2.

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS! The classic tale of Mary Poppins coming soon to the Sagebrush Theatre Jared MacArthur CONTRIBUTOR Ω Western Canada Theatre, in association with Persephone Theatre, presents Mary Poppins, the tale of a magical nanny in charge of a couple of misbehaved kids and their young siblings, who soon brings adventure and wonder into their lives and the lives of the audience in this musical masterpiece.

Since August, crews have been working to prepare the sets and the more than 200 costumes required for the play. Thirty-five people, from actors to production crew, will be on stage and behind the scenes bringing us this classic story.

For the last three weeks cast and crew have been rehearsing at the WCT building, and will be performing the play at the Sagebrush Theatre here in Kamloops from Nov. 26 to Dec. 8, with special “pay-what-you-can” matinees on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5.

Such a big performance can be daunting for any director, but when the story being brought to life is such a fun, magical one, the excitement is inescapable.

For director Daryl Cloran, the task of leading this play is

“giant,” but he’s enjoying every bit of it. Cloran said that the positive response from the community and knowing his two kids will get to experience the magic makes it all worthwhile.

Auditions for the play were held nationwide, in search of a very talented group of actors. As Cloran explains, “not only does everyone have to be a good actor, and a good singer, but there’s giant tap dance sections in this… so everyone has to be a fabulous dancer as well.”

This rendition of the story draws from author P. L. Travers’ book as well as the Disney film, being sure to include all the classic songs and magical scenes we all expect.

Local talent Sarah Baughan and Quintin Clark take lead roles as Jane and Michael Banks, the eldest children in the family, for whom Mary Poppins is responsible.

Having played lead roles in plays such as Les Misérables and having almost 20 years of experience as an actress, Diana Stradnyk was an obvious choice for the role of Mary Poppins herself.

But even for an experienced actress, the role is no cake walk.

“It’s very dense to play [Mary

Poppins],” Stradnyk said. “Not only is it vocally demanding, because of the music, but because of the magic there’s so many technical things that you have to learn… my brain feels like it’s going to explode most days.”

All magic and acting aside, Stradnyk thinks that anyone who works with children deserves a lot of respect. In the show you see good nannies and bad nannies, and there are lot of parallels to life offstage.

“Being able to be a good nanny who is loved and is fun, and a positive influence for the kids is very special,” Stradnyk said.

A small number of the cast ran through one of the scenes in the play for a small group last Tuesday at the WCT. And even without the help of lights, tap dancers or even a full cast, there was every bit of magic that one expects from Mary Poppins.

With music, dancing and of course a little magic, the play is sure to entertain the audience here in Kamloops, whether you’ve seen the film or not.

Tickets can be purchased online in advance at the Kamloops Live website or on the evening of the event at the Sagebrush Theatre.

(Western Canada Theatre/Submitted)

ARTS

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Van Damsel takes last of three in last of competition

Kamloops locals take home $50,000 in final year of Peak Performance Project Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω

After months of performing and networking as part of the PEAK Performance Project, the placing of the top three musicians has finally been announced.

“We’re a little disappointed. We hoped we’d do better than third, but it’s still so great to have made it that far and it’s something we can be really proud of,” said Sebastian Ste Marie, Van Damsel’s lead singer.

Their third place finish netted them $60,000 to put towards their music. Van Damsel also entered the competition in 2013, but didn’t place.

“This was our second time in the PEAK so we were better prepared this time around. It’s an amazing experience. I haven’t heard of anything that’s equivalent, that’s on the same level of resources and what they do towards artist development,” Ste Marie said.

The PEAK Performance project started in 2009 as a seven-year program to foster talent in British Columbia, put on by 102.7 The PEAK radio station and the Music BC Industry Association. The goal of the project is to give emerging artists a boost and provide them with networking opportunities.

This was its final year.

Although previous years have had 20 finalists, this year and last have amped up the competition with only 12. All the artists who made the final cut received development funding of $5000 to “fill the gap or gaps in the artist’s

career,” according to the PEAK Performance Project website.

The first part of the project was a boot camp where the musicians were paired up with other artists who are not competing and given the challenge of writing a song on the theme “Hello, Goodbye.”

The boot camp ran from Aug. 27 to Sept. 3 and was held in Rockridge Canyon, Princeton. The songs were all recorded in pop-up studios. All of the products of these collaborations are available for free download online on the PEAK Performance Project’s Soundcloud.

“They essentially train you in every aspect of what being a professional musician is, which is amazing because you get to actually network with people who are actually in the industry,” Ste Marie said.

Bed of Stars from Vancouver snagged first place, winning $102,700 (a play on the radio station’s frequency) and JP Maurice, originally from Victoria, won second and $75,000. The artists are judged by a panel of industry professionals who factor in their performance in public online voting.

“Of course, it is competitive, and when things are competitive they ultimately just make you better. I think the project has made everybody in it better,” Ste Marie said.

The top three musicians learned their placing after each of them performed in the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on Nov. 19.

“The finale show went well. There was a fairly large crowd who really seemed engaged in what we were

The Kamloops band Van Damsel placed third in the PEAK Performance Project. (www.vandamsel.com) doing,” Ste Marie said.

Past winners include Good for Grapes, Rykka, Dear Rouge, Current Swell, Kyprios and We Are the City. Van Damsel was the first and only band from Kamloops to participate.

Although the BC chapter is over, another PEAK Performance Project launched last year for Alberta artists, which will continue until 2020. The two competitions unite for the boot camp, but are otherwise independent.

As for Van Damsel, they dropped a new single, “Sophia” on Nov. 20 and will release a self-titled album next year, towards which they will put their winnings.

Past Peak Performance Project Winners 2009 – We Are the City 2010 – Kyprios 2011 – Current Swell 2012 – Dear Rouge 2013 – Rykka 2014 – Good for Grapes 2015 – Bed of Stars

Album review: Justin Bieber’s “Purpose”

Pop sensation Justin Bieber is going for a new sound on his latest album Rachel Wood PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ω Justin Bieber sure has come a long way since “One Time” and “Baby.”

The release of Justin Bieber’s much-anticipated album “Purpose” in early November made big waves throughout the music industry.

The album has been widely viewed as a sort of apology for Bieber’s reckless behaviour in the past few years – an olive branch for his fans that stuck with him through his moments of negligence.

Bieber ditched his usual bubblegum-pop persona on “Purpose,” instead opting for an edgier sound that reflects his growth as an artist.

An essential part of this growth was whom Bieber chose to feature on his tracks; the predictable high-profile choices like Usher and Ludacris took a seat for this one.

“The Feeling” features Halsey, the 21-year-old rising electropop star, while “No Sense” exhibits a breathy rap verse from Travis Scott with just a hint of trap. Bieber’s carefully

curated feature list undoubtedly appeals to an audience looking to hear more from emerging young artists, all similar to where Bieber started out just a few years ago.

Bieber’s change in featured artists sparked a major shift in sound. It is refreshing to hear this side of Bieber, and although many of the tracks follow the same theme of his previous work, he mixes some sassy lyrics in with his archetypal songs of love and heartache. Bass-heavy dance tracks are balanced out by softer melodies featuring emotional piano solos and falsetto notes. Bieber dips his toes into an EDM sound by pairing up with DJ/producers Skrillex and Diplo on the hit track “Where Are Ü Now,” which set the tone for the rest of the dance tracks on the album. Skrillex left his mark on seven songs on the album as producer, and his heavy dubstep background gave Bieber’s smooth vocals a fresh boost. “Children” and “Hit The Ground” seamlessly meld together both Bieber’s vocal talents and Skrillex’s electronic production skills.

Many of the lyrics consist of Bieber looking inside himself and addressing his own personal struggles. The title track “Purpose” and “All In It” both feature spoken audio clips of Bieber himself, quoting “I always felt like I had to be the best at everything / Cause I just didn’t think I wasn’t good enough” and “You can’t be hard on yourself for these were the cards that you were given.” These clips make it seem like Bieber is desperate in trying to get his apology across, whether it be to his fan base or an ex-girlfriend; Bieber is undeniably more convincing when he’s crooning his lyrics than attempting a motivational speech midway through a song.

“Purpose” was the make-orbreak element in Bieber’s career, either allowing him redemption from his rocky past or solidifying that 2012’s album “Believe” was his peak. We were ready to hear a new sound from Bieber, and that’s exactly what he provided on “Purpose.” It’s safe to say that Bieber has recaptured the world’s attention.

(Def Jam)

FEATURE

6

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

PEEPIN’ IN PEOPLE’S PURSES

by Annie Slizak

What can’t you live without?

What’s been in there too long but you just can’t get rid of it?

Mangoes. I need my mangoes. (Gavin Hayes, post-­grad TESL) My coral lip gloss. Number one beauty product for full­-on gorgeousness. (Lori Burns, post-­grad TESL)

Nintendo noisemaker. There’s no real reason and it’s annoying as hell. (Suvi Haapala, Architecture (Finnish International Student))

I need all of these things! I need pens in case one runs out of ink, I need lipsticks in case I need to change colours, I need my wallet ‘cause it has a little bit of money, I need my phone to call my ride... The mirror I can live without. (Pam Erikson, fourth­-year English)

All the lip gloss. (Alex Severn, first-year Police and Criminal Justice) On one of these keychains, I don’t know what two of the keys are. (Cassie Schneider, sixth-year Human Resources)

My wallet because it has my birth certificate in it and without that I don’t have an identity.

I don’t know who I am anymore. (Hayley Wuschke, second-year Human Services)

Too many keys. I am not sure what they all open! (Lori Burns) This key, I don’t know what it’s for. It might be from when I lived in Victoria but I’m not really sure. (Pam Erikson)

My phone. I’m an international student and my mother is going to think something happened to me if I don’t talk to her every morning. (Nashtha Sharma, first-year Finance (Indian international student))

I need everything in my bag and that is why it’s there. (Justine Kerluck, fourth-year English)

My water bottle because it brings me one of life’s most basic needs any time of the day or night. (Scott Turner, fourth-year English)

What’s the item that best describes you?

Probably my keys because without those I can’t escape the school. (Travis Flaherty, fourth-year History)

The contents of Bogdana Bakurova’s bag

Cards Against Humanity because I’ve carried it around in my bag since the beginning of high school in case there’s a group of people. It’s a constant. (Davis Majcher, second-year undeclared) My journal because it’s full of my creative writing and stupid moments in life. No one can read it because it’s so damn unreadable. (Suvi Haapala) Dictionary, because I don’t know English very well so it’s really helpful. (Mai Otani, ESL (Japanese international student)) My iPod. I’m very into music. If you listen to the music you can say something about me.

(Bogdana Bakurova, first-year Marketing (Ukrainian international student)) The lip gloss. When I put it on I‘ve got gorgeousness. (Lori Burns) My water bottle because its design shows that it’s from camp (Gardom Lake) which is my career choice and it always reminds me where I’m going. (Scott Turner)

Lori Burns’ bag

WHAT’S IN THEIR BAGS? 33%

27%

22%

17%

IPOD, GLOVES

NOTEBOOKS

FOOD

PHONE

WALLET

KEYS, PENCILS

39%

BUS SCHEDULE, SUNGLASSES

44%

GUM, CANDY, LIP BALM

50%

MEDICATION, TEXTBOOKS

56%

BINDERS, EARPHONES, MAKEUP

72%

OF 18 STUDENTS SURVEYED...

11%

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FEATURE

7

Suvi Haapala’s bag.

What should every student carry?

What’s in there that doesn’t need to be?

A flask. For those very hard days. (Martina Doucet, fourth-year Sociology-Theatre)

Change purse. I’m like a grandma, I carry a change purse. (Viki Santamaria)

Printer paper. (Suvi Haapala)

Most of it. My sunglasses in particular right now. (Teagan Lauriente)

Mangoes. Because they are delicious and nutritious. (Gavin Hayes) Things to study. (Mai Otani) Headphones to block out the sound of other people’s conversations when you’re trying to study. (Viki Santamaria, fourth-year Human Resources) Snacks so you don’t spend all your money on the terrible, expensive food here. (Cassie Schneider) As a nerd, I will say textbooks and whatever you need for studying. (Bogdana Bakurova) At least a Leatherman [pocket knife] because you never know when you’re going to need it. (Teagan Lauriente, fourth-year Psychology) I feel like we all love coffee, so a mug. A flask full of Bailey’s for your coffee. (Travis Flaherty)

What’s the weirdest item?

The mints. They’re the worst but I still have them, ‘cause they’re mints. (Davis Majcher) The donut or battery. (Alex Severn) A variety of pills for every problem – mine or others’! (Lori Burns) Matches. I took them camping with me and never took them out. (Martina Doucet) The Warhead [candy] because I got it at Ruckers but I hate them. (Hayley Wuschke) The quarter by itself. (Travis Flaherty)

I need all of this! (Jenna Lindley, first-year Psychology) One of my lipsticks I don’t use. I don’t even like the colour. (Nashtha Sharma) The business card. I’m going to throw that out right now. (Scott Turner)

If the zombie apocalypse started today, how would you use these items to survive?

I would use the three keys on my lanyard as makeshift brass knuckles, fashion my pens into deadly blow darts, and keep entertained while reciting Shakespeare. (Martina Doucet) I would use the mangoes to catch and eat wild animals. I would compose music on the blank sheet music to keep myself sane, and I would then store it in my neck wallet to keep it safe from zombies. I would use the stiff paper of the notecards to make makeshift shurikens to fight off the zombies.

(Gavin Hayes)

Viki Santamaria’s bag.

I’d spray them with my silver spray to see if they were made of bacteria and collapse.

I would stuff tissues in their mouth, cover their head with my scarf,and stab them with my keys. And if that didn’t work, I’d see if they went into anaphylactic shock from the lipstick and hand cream. If that didn’t work, I’d throw my keys or money in the opposite direction to distract them. (Lori Burns) This metal pen is pretty sharp. I could probably stab a brain with it. It would probably be pretty gross because I’d have to get very close. (Pam Erikson)

Mai Otani’s bag.

NEWS

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NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Working towards sustainability in Kamloops While world leaders meet in Paris, there are plans, projects and rallies here at home, too Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference will begin in Paris on Nov. 30. The nations of the world will negotiate a universal agreement on climate change and what should be done about it.

Yet while world leaders discuss what should be done, both TRU and the City of Kamloops are actively taking steps to improve sustainability and reduce emissions throughout the region.

One of TRU’s main priorities when it comes to improving the sustainability of the institution is reducing greenhouse gases.

The university has had a plan in place to do so since 2009.

TRU’s director of Environment and Sustainability Jim Gudjonson has said that since the plan’s enactment, the university has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent, despite

A wood biomass boiler at the Integrated Biomass Resources facility in Oregon. (Oregon Department of Forestry/Flickr Commons)

growing by 15 per cent.

The sustainability office is still actively looking for ways to improve, though Gudjonson said there is no “silver bullet” solution for climate change.

“Everybody has their own regional assets in terms of what they can do and what energy they can use,” Gudjonson said.

“For us, our electricity is relatively clean here. It makes more sense for us to focus on our heating plans, because we use gas to do that, and 93 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions are from our heating loads.”

Focusing on the university’s heating plan, Environment and Sustainability has already begun the process of installing the Williams Lake campus’ wood biomass boiler. It is set to be commissioned in March, and is expected to reduce the Williams Lake campus’ emissions by 90 per cent; 10 per cent of TRU’s total.

There is also the possibility for a similar system on the Kamloops campus. A mini district energy system could have wood biomass boilers in key locations around campus. These key locations will most likely be in the campus’ largest buildings and any new structures that are built. Smaller structures will be linked into the system as well so they can feed off of the same grid.

Meanwhile, the City of Kamloops has a new solar field on the table. The West Highland Community Centre is being redeveloped to house 96 solar panels on its rooftop. These panels will produce 27,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power two homes.

Glen Cheetham, the city’s energy management coordinator, hopes this will be enough energy to power both the community centre and the surrounding park.

A group of supporters and organizers for the Kamloops Climate Action Rally holds a banner with a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who will be in Paris on Nov. 30. (Kamloops 350) “Realizing these energy savings will be great, but this project is also meant to engage the community on energy issues,” Cheetham said. “We need to get people thinking. Just because we live in B.C. doesn’t mean we have dams in our backyards.”

The city is also looking at how to make water distribution more efficient; 37 per cent of the city’s energy use stems from water distribution and treatment.

Engineering firms have been hired to look at new technology and control strategies that could be implemented, but Cheetham said it is still a work in progress.

However, one energy solution currently being considered is the trapping and flaring of methane gases coming from the Sewage Treatment Centre.

“In the future, we will also hard about the way we get be looking at ways in which we ourselves around. If there are can use the methane from the opportunities to improve sustreatment centre to produce tainability, take them,” Gudjonelectricity,” Cheetham said. son said. “Try to start slow, even For walking or keeping taking the individual bus once emissions a week down, helps.” both KamCheethloops will am and be host to Gudjonson its own Glen Cheetham stressed version of Energy Management Coordinator the importhe Global City of Kamloops tance of Climate not letting March on your Nov. 29 at vehicle a climate idle too rally at the long, especially with winter Riverside Park Bandshell. The approaching. event is scheduled from 1 p.m. to “All of us need to really think 2 p.m. and is family-friendly.

“

“Just because we live in B.C. doesn’t mean we have dams in our backyards,”

Transitions to postsecondary giving Aboriginal students a head start TRU and School District 73 host an event to familiarize high school students with campus Peter Navratil CONTRIBUTOR Ω On Nov. 17, almost 150 Aboriginal high school students from School District 73 visited campus to get acquainted with a school they may be attending in the future. The visit was part of TRU’s tenth annual Trades and Transitions Day. “Today is your day, be you, who you are matters … This is the first day of the rest of your life,” said Paul Michel, TRU’s Executive Director of Aboriginal Education, welcoming students to the event.

The first event of the day was a welcome ceremony in the Irving K. Barber Centre, and included a

drum performance, an opening prayer and welcoming speeches.

The welcome ceremony also featured a student panel made up of Aboriginal TRU students and alumni from various years and disciplines of study.

Panellists Adrienne Boyce, Marissa Eustache, Jeffery McNeil-Seymour, Mackenzie Manuel and Bruce Fleury were happy to offer the knowledge they have gained over their time at TRU and give a student perspective on coming to university.

The panel gave useful school advice like “always take the opportunity if you need to talk to your teachers … Don’t be intimidated, they are there to help you and they will give you really good

advice,” Eustache said.

McNeil-Seymour offered personal advice to students experiencing discrimination by saying “take up all those issues of homophobia, or classism, or racism and take them as a challenge. Don’t take them to heart and keep pushing forward.”

Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to partake in campus tours. Groups of students were able to see the Trades buildings and the different programs and resources that are available in Trades, while other groups explored other buildings on campus to see what else is available.

The students were treated to career workshops that were geared towards helping them find

careers suited to their interests.

A lunch was provided for the students and then a continuation of the event included a talk from TRU Aboriginal Services Coordinator Joanne Brown encouraging students to “explore the avenues for academic success.”

A resource fair was set up, giving students an opportunity to see what is offered at TRU in terms of athletics, Open Learning, the library and much more. Students could talk to the people involved in these additional resources that are available on campus and get to know what they are all about.

“Our hope is that by transitioning students throughout the years their comfort level will be better and they will be more prepared,”

said Cheryl Sebastian, district principal for Aboriginal Education in School District 73.

First-year students who already know about the various resources and are familiar with the campus are a step ahead of students who have not had an experience like this in high school. Vernie Clement, who is the Aboriginal Mentorship Coordinator at TRU said “the whole hope of the event is to inspire [students] and take out the mystery of” post-secondary.

For Bruce Fleury, a second-year student in the Human Services program and a volunteer, this is “an opportunity to succeed.”

There is hope to see more events like this in the future.

NEWS

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The student who makes a yurt his home Wade Tomko NEWS EDITOR Ω At the base of Mount Paul on the north side of the South Thompson River, lives Michael Jefferey, a TRU Adventure Studies student. What makes Jefferey unlike many other TRU students isn’t his location, but the abode he has decided to reside in while studying at TRU. Most people who drive by Jefferey’s place of living on Shuswap Rd. East might mistake the dwelling as a tent meant for weddings and outdoor markets, and although the assumption of it being a tent is close, in reality it is something much more unique.

Yurts are traditional Mongolian tents meant to fit the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian tribes. They are extremely portable and can be taken down or set up with ease, but still provide enough room inside to stand up and move around.

Usually covered with animal hide and felt, these portable houses offer excellent protection from the windy and cold Mongolian steppes.

“I’ve done quite a bit of travelling throughout the last ten years. Throughout my travels I’ve almost always found myself living close to nature, and I love building stuff,” Jefferey said.

“I think living off the land is a more effective and efficient way of living. Considering how high rent is in the city, living there doesn’t make sense to me.”

Jefferey however, doesn’t live completely rent-free. He is currently renting the area from a landlord, though the rates he pays are still “a lot less” then what he would be paying in the city. “It’s pretty much like camping,” he said.

Jefferey originally got the idea to build the yurt while staying in Regina. Taking a break from hitchhiking across Canada,

Jefferey stopped in the city to work as a mentor for at-risk youth.

“I had a friend in Regina who was a pastor, he gave me access to his woodshop for working with these at-risk kids. I would spend days with these kids on probation, and on days when they wanted to skip school, we had access to this wood shop,” Jefferey said. “Eventually I got the idea that I could build a yurt while I was there, all the while keeping these kids engaged.

After that I’d have a place to live while studying at TRU.” When Jefferey was ready to come to Kamloops, he simply packed up his yurt into his quarter-ton truck and headed for Kamloops. With his father, Jefferey was able to create a sub floor and footings for the yurt and set it up in less than a day.

Like many traditional Mongolian yurts, Jefferey’s yurt is round with accordian-style walls.

However, instead of using hide or yak felt, Jefferey made the yurt’s cover from recycled billboard vinyl, something he said was far more cost-efficient.

Wanting to live the full, natural experience, Jefferey has few amenities that most Canadians are accustomed to. Besides his phone and his camping stove, there are not many things in his yurt not created by him.

“Canadians are so weird. We live in such a cold place, but spend 95 per cent of our time in 30 degree plus buildings,” he said.

Though don’t be fooled, Jefferey hardly wants to freeze in the winter, and as such, he is installing a custom-made, wood-burning stove. His stove, actually a barrel, has tubes running under a clay bench.

“When it gets very cold, I’ll probably end up just sleeping on the bench with a blanket,” he said.

This simple way of living, connected to nature, is exactly what Jefferey loves. He needs little

Top: An outside view of Jefferey’s yurt, made of wood and recycled billboard vinyl. Bottom left: A modest kitchen setup. Bottom right: Jefferey’s wood stove and clay bench. (Wade Tomko/The Omega) more than his guitar, his bow and the entirety of Mount Paul to keep himself entertained, though he still finds himself spending a lot of time in town.

“I really value living in a community, but I don’t know if my landlord would be cool with other people living here. I might give it two years and move somewhere else,” he said.

Living isn’t the only thing Jefferey does sustainably. On days he doesn’t work, he bikes from

his yurt to TRU, taking him, on average, 45 minutes. In warmer weather, he’ll even kayak across the river and catch a bus up to the university. He explained that his truck is only there for getting to and from work.

Jefferey still works with at-risk populations, and is just as passionate about social work as he is about outdoor sustainable living. After his second year at TRU, Jefferey is planning to build a bachelor of individualized

studies, with which he aims to get into the field of adventure wilderness therapy.

“I think being in nature is key for me. My vision is to work with at-risk populations in nature,” he said. “For example, I might take drug-addicted youth camping in the deep woods for three months.

They build confidence and gain experience while also self-reflecting and healing, and eventually becoming better members of society.”

A DAY FOR DIWALI Students highlight multicultural event by TRUSU India Club Jennifer Will CONTRIBUTOR Ω TRUSU hosted the India Club’s Diwali bash on Friday, Nov. 20, in the Old Gym. It was a night to remember with delicious food, fireworks and performances by students. Bill Sundhu and Kamloops MP Cathy McLeod made appearances at the event.

The night began with food and a symbolic game of bingo to determine if luck will be on your side for the upcoming year. Two lucky winners took home cash prizes, one of those winners being Bill Sundhu.

Diwali, also known as the

Festival of Lights in India, is a multicultural celebration where people come together to celebrate for their own reasons but as a large community. It is an ancient Hindu celebration that signifies the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. People celebrate this victory by dressing up in their best attire and decorating with candles, lanterns and lights of all sizes. It is an important event spiritually, as well as being the brightest and biggest within the Indian culture.

It is important to celebrate Diwali in Kamloops and at TRU because “it’s in alignment with TRU’s strategic goals of sustainability and interculturalization”

said a member of the India Club.

The university itself has made many strides towards creating a multicultural atmosphere for the 1,750 international students that attend each semester from over 85 countries across the globe.

The event was hosted by TRU students and members of the India Club Tailwinder Kaur and Gunveet Singh. The two tied the whole evening together with their charm and presentation.

The evening was concluded with a captivating firework show and a dance presented by Aftershock Roadshow.

TRUSU’s India Club has many more events planned for

TRU students performing a dance in celebration of Diwali on Friday night. (Jennifer Will/The Omega) the future including Holi (the festival of colours) that will take place at the beginning of the summer. Diwali is the biggest event the club has put on and

one of the biggest events put on in association by the university.

The event had many sponsors, including Kami Cabs, the club’s biggest sponsor.

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COMICS & PUZZLES

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT DRAWING YOUR OWN? WE TAKE CONTRIBUTIONS. Write to editor@truomega.ca with some of your work!

SPORTS

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WolfPack’s Emma Piggin puts international experience to use Cameron Doherty SPORTS EDITOR Ω You can’t get much further from Kamloops, B.C. than Chekhov, Russia, but that’s where Emma Piggin of the women’s basketball team found herself spending eight days this past summer.

Piggin, who plays point guard, didn’t have time to visit St. Basil’s

Cathedral or the Kremlin while she was behind the Iron Curtain; she was too busy making some history, becoming the first TRU women’s basketball player to ever represent Canada, when she played in the FIBA U19 women’s world championships.

While Team Canada struggled in that tournament, finishing eighth out of 16 teams, Piggin was able to gain some basketball knowledge

Emma Piggin on the court this weekend. (Tristan Davies/The Omega)

and experience from the trip to Russia and is now applying that to great effect on the court wearing the white and orange of TRU. “Playing overseas was unbelievable. I loved the competition. There are so many great players out there and I got to guard some of them and it was such a great experience,” Piggin said.

The 19-year-old Piggin played a key role on the WolfPack team that won their first ever CIS division title last year. Beginning the season coming off the bench, the Kamloops native played so well that, even as a first-year, she worked her way into the starting lineup by the end of the season.

The two main things that Piggin says she learned from playing overseas are patience on the court, and that she has the ability to step into more of a leadership role both on and off it.

With all the experience gained from playing for Team Canada as well as the growth that comes with being another year older, Piggin is someone that the team now relies on to not only carry the ball up the floor and direct the offense but also to put up her own points on the board. Through five games this year she has proven that she can do it all, sitting second on the team with 13.6 points per game, while also leading the team in assists and rebounds.

The change into more of a leader for the ‘Pack is something that will take some time for Piggin to settle into. “It hasn’t been an easy transition. It’s a huge learning curve and I think playing over the summer really helped me, because I improved just playing against those players defensively and offensively so I’m really fortunate for that, but I’m still learning.

Emma Piggin battles with Alyssa Bridgeman. (Tristan Davies/Ω) Head coach of the WolfPack Scott Reeves was on the coaching staff of that U19 Canadian team and he feels as though that kind of exposure on an international level is “invaluable, you’re dealing with the best athletes, coaches and systems in the world so you can’t put a price on it.”

Piggin was again dominant on Saturday in TRU’s latest game, a 75–60 loss to the Grant MacEwan

Griffins. She put up 20 points, adding ten rebounds and seven assists to finish just three helpers shy of a triple-double.

Sunny days for Sun Peaks opening Miranda Smith CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Chaos unfolds as the ball is nowhere to be seen during a game of bubble soccer. (Cameron Doherty/The Omega)

Variety of alternative sports on display at TCC Cameron Doherty SPORTS EDITOR Ω The Tournament Capital Centre gym was full of shouts of excitement this past Saturday as community members tried their hands at some new sports.

High jump, cup stacking, ping pong, fast pitch, floor hockey and tee ball stations were all available for people to try out, but most of the excitement was coming from the wheelchair basketball and the bubble soccer areas.

Wheelchair basketball offered participants the chance to roll out on to the court and try something that, while seemingly familiar, is completely different from what they were used to.

Balls were raining down from everywhere and the loud clangs of wheel to wheel action could be heard throughout the gym.

The other main area of interest was the bubble soccer court. A variant of regular soccer, bubble soccer involves all of the players immersing their head and the upper half of

their bodies in a large bubble of transparent plastic. The thing that appeared to be causing the most joy was the fact that bubble soccer is a full-contact sport. The soccer ball was often ignored completely with both teams taking the opportunity to run full speed into one another, sending them both flying in opposite directions, their plastic bubbles bouncing off the hardwood court.

“It was the best, even playing against the little kids. I had this one little guy, half my size,

running into me and pushing me down,” said TRU Adventure Tourism student Tieg Friede.

The idea behind the event, which the Kamloops Adapted Sports Association helped put on, was to showcase some different sports for people and to help them learn new abilities.

While the participants were mainly children, Tara Salm, who was working at the event, pointed out that everyone was having “so much fun, even the parents [were] trying it, which is the best.”

With 65 runs across all three mountains open, Sun Peaks welcomed the 2015-16 season this past weekend.

Sun Peaks had a sneak peek opening on Friday and unveiled several runs, however the entire resort was fully up and running on Saturday. Families, avid skiers and boarders gathered for the beginning of a new season.

Lift tickets were 25 per cent off over the weekend and snow lovers took advantage of the discount.

TRU student Cara Karpluk said conditions were perfect. “All the runs that were open had really good snow to ride. Even the groomed runs felt really nice and smooth.”

She started her season on Friday and explained that, because the slopes opened early, they were not busy yet with the weekend crowd.

Sun Peaks’ Toonie Day will be held on Dec. 7. The price of a lift ticket will be a toonie along with a non-perishable food donation.

All proceeds and donations will be given to the Kamloops Food Bank, no pre-registration is required.

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NOVEMBER 25, 2015

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