Dec. 9, 2015

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GIVING BACK

LOANED OUT

Holiday horror in song form

Holiday volunteer opportunities

Researching payday lenders

Some Christmas albums just should never have been made • Page 4

Find out how you can help out this holiday season in Kamloops • Page 5

TRU economics researcher looks at the users of payday loan shops • Page 5

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ISSUE 14 NO.

VOLUME 25

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DECEMBER 9, 2015

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NO CLEAR SKIES

RECLAMATION PROCLAMATION

Storm on track for another division title

TRU receives funds for new research chair

Keaton Gordon (Storm) fights for a flying puck in Sunday’s game against the Wranglers. (Tristan Davies/Ω) • Page 7

STAY PREPARED

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Terror attack simlulator developed by prof

Holiday activities in Kamloops

Dr. Andrew Park’s simulator helps to predict crowd flow during terror attacks • Page 2

Your guide to everything going on in Kamloops this holiday season • Page 5

TRU has received funds from Genome BC in support of ongoing research that could help to reclaim damaged ecosystems. The funds, which totalled $250,000, will be used to create an industrial research chair position to be filled by TRU professor Lauchlan Fraser.

“It is a critical area. It has, of course regional, but also global consequences and I am so delighted to have the support from Genome BC. We have exciting things in the works,” Fraser said.

Fraser has been studying the use of genetic tools to limit environmental disturbance as a result of mining, forestry and ranching, and to repair the disturbances when they do occur.

Fraser said that he has already been researching DNA present in the tailings of the Mount Polley spill in an attempt to restore biodiversity in the area. Fraser went on to say that his project had already employed student research assistants and will continue to do so with the new funding.

CONTINUES page 2

NEWS

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DECEMBER 9, 2015

Mental Health Matters: Seasonal Affective Disorder Daniel Hicks

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

The result of the Mt. Polley mine disaster, new ground for future reclamation research. (B.C. Govt.)

A first step towards a new research centre Jim Elliot

NEWS EDITOR Ω CONTINUED (COVER) “It’s extremely important that this kind of technique be brought to bear on the challenges facing us with regard to restoration of ecologies that are disturbed by human activities,” said TRU president Alan Shaver.

TRU referred to the $250,000

pledge as the first step in the creation of a “centre for ecosystem reclamation at TRU.” The university has plans to raise more money for researching reclamation ecology.

“We need to raise $1.5 million to trigger the industrial research chair matching program federally, so this is the first of many, but immediately following the announcement we had major stakeholders have lunch with [Fraser] and Genome BC and

App review: Storehouse Ryan Makar

CONTRIBUTOR Ω Photo sharing seems to be a growing area of interest for app developers and users alike. Apps like Instagram and Pinterest make it increasingly easier to share photos with a lot of people, but what happens if you only want to share photos with a few people, say your family, and nobody else?

Or what happens if you want to create an easy collage of your weekend camping trip? That’s where Storehouse comes in.

Storehouse allows you to create simple photo collages and then share them on Facebook or Twitter, but it also allows you to share them with selected people who also use Storehouse. It is a great way to share photos from your camping trip or family vacation in one place with the people you want.

When you get started with Storehouse, it takes a minute to get oriented in the app. The first time you open the app, it will ask you to create an account. Some people discount Storehouse right away because of this step, but it is important to do because the app is cloud-based and creating the account will allow you to access your collages on the website as well.

Once you have created an account, you can get started.

Storehouse allows you to take

photos from your phone’s camera roll as well as any other albums you have stored locally on your device. From there, you can rearrange, resize and create captions for the photos before you save the completed collage.

Once you have saved the collage, it gives you the sharing options. There are a number of options on how you may want to share your photos, or you can choose to do nothing and have the collage visible only to you.

Another feature of Storehouse are Spaces. Spaces are like folders: they allow you categorize and organize your collages. Spaces are great for sharing vacation photos, but friends and family must also be using the app to see the shared Space.

One downfall that users will notice right away is that there are no filters available. Storehouse isn’t really about editing your photos; its main purpose is to create photo collages. However, if demand grows for filters in the app, the developers may add them in the future.

Overall, Storehouse is a clean and fairly simple way to create photo collages to share with your family and friends. At the start, it can be slightly unintuitive to navigate, but after you begin to use it and become more familiar with the interface, it becomes a simple way to share memories.

Storehouse is available for free on iOS and Android devices.

many of them have given soft yeses. We are positive that over the next year we will acquire the $1.5 million and trigger the federal match of $3 million,“ said TRU VP of Advancement Christopher Seguin.

Genome BC is a funding partner of many research initiatives across the province. According to their website, Genome BC draws most of their funding from the B.C. government and Western Economic Diversification Canada.

This week’s article will talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression that a lot of people suffer from that is linked to the seasons. With shorter days coming in the winter, you may feel more depressed, and by spring you may feel yourself coming out of it. This is typical with SAD. I have been researching it for the last few weeks to see what causes it and what to do when you get it or have it. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember and I’ve discovered that there are a lot of things you can do to help yourself when you feel you can’t go on and when it gets worse.

What I usually do is talk to family, make an appointment

to see a doctor, or listen to music. The music shouldn’t be hard rock or too mellow, but something in between. I prefer classic Christian music because I grew up listening to that kind of music.

There are many ways to tell if you have SAD, like if you have difficulty waking up, a symptom also found in depression. You may also find yourself overeating, lacking energy or find it difficult to concentrate or complete a task. You might withdraw from family, friends and social activities that you normally like to do. These are all indications that you might need to make some changes to feel better.

Some of your options for treating SAD include light therapy, psychotherapy or medication.

Speak with your doctor to find out what will work best for you so.

TRU professor develops simulator to predict crowd flow during terror attacks Wade Tomko

NEWS EDITOR Ω With large scale terror attacks becoming commonplace in the modern world, governments and security forces are constantly trying to develop new ways to predict and mitigate the damage of these terrible acts.

Though TRU is far removed from the parts of the world where the threat of bombings and shootings are an everyday occurrence, that hasn’t stopped one professor from doing his part to try to reduce the damage done by these attacks.

Andrew Park is a Computer Science professor at TRU who has a unique interest. Despite his background, he has invested a lot of time into sociological studies, such as crowd behaviour and criminology.

“For my PhD, I met some SFU criminology professors and our topic was studying the fear of crime in the downtown Vancouver Eastside,” Park said. “I wanted to know how people behaved there, as it’s a high crime area and people might want to avoid certain places.”

Using video game technologies, Park and his colleagues were able to digitally render Vancouver’s downtown Eastside in 3D. To populate this digital world, Park allowed 60 participants to take a run through it while their data was monitored.

The result: characters (referred to as agents) with very realistic and unique traits, ranging in age, personality, emergency training and fear of the environment.

After the completion of this

project, Park was approached by TSAS, the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society, who wanted him to join a team of professionals developing counterterrorism strategies.

The team, which comprised of professors from SFU and Trinity Western, as well as Vancouver Police Department officers, even included some TRU students working as research assistants.

Using the same technology that had been used to create the virtual version of Vancouver’s downtown Eastside, Park was able to simulate multiple hypothetical scenarios.

These scenarios included re-creations of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings and the Westgate Mall attacks in Nairobi, Kenya of the same year.

Experimenting with placement of exits, security personnel and emergency responders, Park and his team worked to reduce the average response time in order to save as many lives as possible.

“When a terrorist attack happens we have to respond as quickly as possible in an organized manner,” Park said. “We want to be able to place security officers and first responders at strategic locations and see how we can help people escape or be rescued more easily, and as soon as possible.”

After running many tests, Park’s team had learned that where security personnel and first responders are in the event of a terrorist attack is crucial to reducing the number of lives lost. Yet they also found some other surprising results.

“The difference between different age groups and whether or not people have some drills or training

TRU computer science prof.

Andrew Park. (Wade Tomko/Ω) was quite large,” said Park. “Of course young people are more able and can escape faster than older people, but training and drills also made a big difference as well.”

Though the simulator has came a long way, many tests are still needed to validate the system.

“Though it is definitely ready for use, we are still improving this simulation system. It’ll only get better with future technology,” Park said.

Park’s terror attack simulator isn’t the only virtual simulation he has been working on. Working alongside TRU World, Park has helped develop a virtual orientation using the same video game technology.

“The idea is that international students will see the website and be able to navigate this virtual campus, kind of like a video game,” said Park. Close to being finished, the simulator will give students the freedom to explore and interact with TRU’s campus when released.

OPINION & EDITORIAL

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Safe travels over the holidays Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Many students are from elsewhere in the province, and as soon as the exam schedule allows it, those with homes elsewhere are off in all different directions to see their loved ones for the holidays, many of them by car. No matter which direction you head in, you’re likely to encounter inclement weather and icy roads. That means you should be prepared.

The first step is to plan ahead.

This means keeping an eye on the forecast. Ideally, you’ll be able to give yourself a travel window that is at least a few days long. This means that if there’s a big storm coming, you’ll be able to dodge it by leaving before it hits, or, if your first day of travel happens to be during the storm, you’ll be able to wait it out until the mountain passes and highways are once again cleared and sanded.

Knowing those road conditions before you head out is also vital. The

provincial government’s DriveBC website not only provides road condition information, it’s also likely to have a webcam or two for your route of choice. It’ll also alert you to possible delays from construction, or more likely at this time of year, accidents.

Another things to consider is the safety of your vehicle. Before heading out, make sure you’ve got snow tires (snowflake symbol), or the lesser alternative, all-season tires marked M+S. Every highway route out of Kamloops requires winter tires, so without them, not only will you face a steep fine, you might also be putting yourself and other drivers at risk.

Another good way to avoid tickets and be safe is to drive according to the conditions, not the speed limit.

If the sign says 100, but you can’t see 20 feet in front of you or even the lines on the road, consider going a lot slower than that. Because conditions like that are fairly common on highways like the Coquihalla, the province recently announced that it will install condition-relative speed

signs on certain routes, including the Coquihalla, early in 2016. The posted speed limit will change depending on road conditions and the weather. These are a welcome addition to a road that typically boasts a 120-kph speed limit yearround, regardless of conditions.

And it’s not just on routes with these news signs installed where you can be fined for going too fast for conditions – officers can use their discretion and ticket you for going too fast even if you aren’t doing the speed limit.

Finally, you should try to learn how your vehicle handles in the snow before taking it out on a wintery highway. Make sure you’ve spent some time driving in the snow beforehand and see how it brakes, how it turns (or doesn’t turn), and how well it accelerates under icy or slippery conditions. The first time you feel your vehicle sliding shouldn’t be right before your first accident.

When in doubt, slow down. It’s better to get there slowly than to not get there at all.

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Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Omega will attempt to publish each letter received, barring time and space constraints. The editor will take care not to change the intention or tone of submissions, but will not publish material deemed to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. Letters for publication must include the writer’s name (for publication) and contact details (not for publication). The Omega reserves the right not to publish any letter or submitted material.

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ARTS

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DECEMBER 9, 2015

HO-HO-HORRIBLE Reviewing Christmas albums that should not exist Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω

In order to embark on this odyssey of awful, it was necessary to develop categories of bad Christmas music, because there is a lot to cover. I quickly disqualified blatant cash-grabs like Ally McBeal Christmas, which has nothing to do with the TV show other than the title; Christmas with Colonel Sanders, whose content has nothing to do with fried chicken; and the worst offender, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year: an album slapped together by Jimi Hendrix’s estate from old recordings. Also to be disqualified were the awful (but expected) albums by boy bands and tween pop stars.

That leaves the truly awful, so with that in mind, let’s talk about Jingle Cats, a Christmas album with meowing instead of lyrics.

People who make it through Jingle Cats’ entirety should either get a medal or a straightjacket. There are three albums in the Jingle Cats’ repertoire: Meowy Christmas, Here Comes Santa Claws, and the non-Christmas-themed Rhythm and Mews. I sincerely wish I was joking. Jingle Cats keeps the integrity of its feline vocalists and leaves the meows undoctored. Unfortunately, without Auto-Tune, the meows don’t totally fit with the actual tones of the songs. This makes

an already terrible concept seem sloppy.

In the same category of annoyance is Crazy Frog’s Last Christmas. Technically, this only has one song, so can’t be considered a full album, but for sheer unnecessariness, it doesn’t get much worse.

The last time we even thought about Crazy Frog was ten years ago when “Axel F,” the song that sounds like a ringtone, became inexplicably popular. This time the party amphibian we all love to hate throws in a few grating dings in between an actual singer’s mediocre rendition of “Last Christmas.”

The sad part is that this song is utterly forgettable when compared to the other songs on this list, so it can’t even annoy properly.

Next up is Christmas on Death Row, the Christmas album featuring artists signed to the iconic rap label Death Row Records, founded

by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight and The D.O.C. While a lot of the songs are R&B covers of traditional Christmas songs, the gems on this record are the original songs like “Party 4 Da Homies” and “Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto.” As a fan of the genre already, I found Christmas on Death Row thoroughly enjoyable and of great comedic value.

Judged alongside the crew’s usual work, the actual music doesn’t have the same production quality, but that clearly isn’t the point.

Death Row’s Christmas tunes are surprisingly heartwarming.

David Hasselhoff is not a name

anyone expects to be linked to music in general, let alone Christmas music, but apparently Hasselhoff’s five albums warranted both a greatest hits album in 2004 and a best-of album in 2010, although it’s unclear if this was due to actual audience demand or ego.

In a shocking twist, Hasselhoff’s voice is actually decent. His low register fits the classic Christmas songs on his album The Night Before Christmas, and the album isn’t that bad, just boring. The worst offender is “Feliz Navidad” which has a section of obvious and terrible Auto-Tune in the middle for no good reason.

Continuing with the trend of has-beens is William Hung with Hung for the Holidays. Back in 2004, William Hung got fifteen minutes of fame when the world became obsessed with his awful American Idol audition where he butchered Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” with enthusiasm. Hung for the Holidays is just sad, because it is clear that Hung doesn’t really understand that the joke’s on him.

His singing talent has not improved at all. Whoever gave Hung false hope by letting him near recording equipment should definitely get coal in their stocking.

There are a few country artists who failed at creating some holiday cheer. Conway Twitty’s album A Twismas Story deserves disapproval based on the name alone. Kenny Chesney’s All I Want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan

is just as awful as it sounds. The title track features bongos. Enough said.

Keith Sweat’s A Christmas of Love is not an album you want to listen to with your relatives in the room. Sweat’s Christmas songs are all slow sex jams, and have the effect of making you immediately uncomfortable. No one wants to have sex with Santa, and the double entendres will make sure you can never again hear the words “Santa’s coming” the same way again.

Twisted Sister’s A Twisted X-Mas is so far from the band’s brand it’s ridiculous. The rockers have a hard time reconciling the values of a hair band and the values of Christmas. A cover of “Come All Ye Faithful” is followed immediately by a track called “Burn in Hell.” The joyful quality of Christmas music gets lost when every word is screamed.

Ever wondered if the stars of the original Dukes of Hazzard TV show are good singers? Me neither. But I found out: the answer is no. Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, and John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, released Home for Christmas just last year, making it the newest album in this list. The former Duke brothers are mediocre

singers, and it’s clear the album is more for them than the listeners.

The biggest sin they commit with this album is that there are several tracks that are just the two of them chatting about nothing.

The next time you hear an acapella version of “Silent Night” for the twentieth time, keep in mind it could be worse. We wish you happy holidays, hopefully free from these abominations.

Local artists interpret the work of Kamloops photographers

Artists inspire each other for local collaboration displayed in Old Courthouse Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω

The Old Courthouse Gallery is hosting “Kindred Spirits,” an exhibit that unites local artists with the Kamloops Photo Arts Club.

The artists all chose a photo taken by a member of the club to

use as inspiration for their own piece. Some of the artists directly translated the photos into other mediums, like watercolour and ink drawings, only changing the scale and a few details. Others went in a totally different direction, making sculptures, scarves, necklaces and even dolls in reaction to the original photograph.

Most of the pieces are inspired

The artist interpretations are displayed below their inspiration photo for comparison. (Marlys Klossner/The Omega)

strictly by the aesthetic. Two of the sculptors took a different approach, however. One sculpture was inspired by the nostalgia that seeing a clothesline gave the artist, reminding them of their childhood. The result is a small figure of a contented woman with her washing on her lap.

Another artist chose a photo of some mushrooms in a forest and imagined that fairies were hiding underneath, which she exposed in a clay wall hanging.

While all the work on display is beautiful, it is these pairings that have the most actual impact because of the emotional connection to the initial photograph.

The more creative interpretations, like the dolls and scarves, also steal some of the attention from the paintings and drawings.

The local connection is very evident in the display. Many of the works are of places easily recognizable to a local, and I recognized some of the jewellery as the product of regular vendors at the farmers’ market.

The fact that the artists had to really inspect the photos to find inspiration encourages the viewer to do the same, and details like lighting and

Inspired by a photograph by Frank Dwyer, Patricia Hall sculpted “Monday is Always Washday”. (Marlys Klosner/The Omega) perspective seem more important. Because most of the photos were taken in the area, it makes the viewer take closer notice of the landscapes they see all the time.

What this exhibition shows is the amount of artistic talent

in Kamloops as well as how supportive the art community is here.

All of the art on display is for sale, ranging from $40 to $350, and will be in the Kamloops Arts Council main gallery in the Old Courthouse until Dec. 18.

NEWS & EVENTS

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TRU researcher looks at effects of payday lenders Wade Tomko

NEWS EDITOR Ω

A likeness of Noah’s ark leaving the unicorns behind at Wildlights in 2012. (Oriol Salvador/Flickr CC)

A wonderland of events Jennifer Will

CONTRIBUTOR Ω The lights, music and traditional festivities are the most anticipated part of the month of December. The City of Kamloops has a jammedpacked schedule for this season, most of which will definitely make it onto your holiday bucket list, so grab a cup of hot cocoa and a sweater and get ready for the best Christmas yet.

The Woodward Family Christmas Tree Farm invites everyone to pick up their Christmas tree and join in on some fun too, every day until Dec. 20. A day of fun is to be had with rides, singalongs and a bonfire to cozy up with. You may want to get out your jingle bells for this one. The farm also has a tasting room this Christmas season at Privato Vineyard and Winery, for the adults. Go taste some delicious wine, and find your new favourite for the season.

The farm is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day this season.

The B.C. Wildlife Park will be showcasing its Wildlights Festival,

where you can be sure to expect a spectacular show. Go solo or bring your family and friends along; the show will be on from Dec. 11 to Jan. 3 every day from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The park has lots of other awesome things going on that you won’t want to miss! They will be holding their second annual gingerbread house contest. The first place prize winner will receive a private animal encounter and four day passes for the park.

The second place winner will receive a $35 gift card to the Naturally Yours gift shop. They have lots of other activities going on such as a mini train, a holiday maze and “Elf on the Shelf” story time.

Santa’s alpine visit to Sun Peaks Resort on Dec. 12 may be something to write home about. If free pictures with Santa doesn’t get your holiday spirits up, perhaps the festive music and meeting his elves will. Check some things off your shopping list by visiting some of the onsite vendors. Get the true Canadian experience right here in Kamloops and eat some deliciously authentic maple taffy made on the snow. Save

some money on postage, and don’t miss your chance to put in any last wish lists with the big bearded guy in the red coat.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train turns on its engine again this season and is making a stop in Kamloops on Dec. 17. Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable goods and make monetary donations to the local food bank. Although the train is visiting over 150 communities, all donations made in Kamloops will be used locally. The train will arrive promptly at 5:05 p.m. at the north side of the Interior Savings Centre on Lorne Street, so be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes prior. Each ride on the train will include a boxcar stage and a lineup of awesome musical talent.

There are lots of other holiday-themed events planned throughout the city. Be sure to check out www.tourismkamloops. com for more events such as the Senior’s Christmas Light Tour at the Sandman Centre on Dec. 10, holiday shopping at Harper’s Trail on Dec. 12, and many more.

Volunteer opportunities for the holiday season Jim Elliot

NEWS EDITOR Ω

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army Kettle Campaign is a holiday institution, and they are in need of volunteers.

The kettles receive donations from Nov. 16 to Dec. 24. According to The Salvation Army’s website, money from the kettles goes towards supporting programs that benefit local children, families and seniors as well as funding the Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts. The website also said that hours for kettle attendants are very flexible. According to Salvation Army employee Christine Kirby, anyone can volunteer, but they must provide two references, such as friends or previous employers.

Those wishing to volunteer can get more information by calling 250-819-0017 or by sending an email to salvationarmykamloops@ gmail.com.

Snow Angels The Snow Angels program is an initiative by the City of Kamloops

and Oncore Seniors Society that provides snow clearing services for local seniors. Snow Angels matches volunteers with seniors or residents with mobility issues in their neighbourhood. Snow Angels organizer Keith Bonnan said that there are currently approximately 120 seniors still waiting for volunteers in their neighbourhood to help them.

He also said that 100 seniors are already being helped. When asked if the program was able to find enough volunteers in past years Bonnan said that “there is always a bit of a need.” The Snow Angels organizers can be reached at 250-828-0600 or info@ oncoreseniorssociety.com.

Operation Red Nose Operation Red Nose is a designated driver service which operates by donation on weekends during the holiday season.

Operation Red Nose 2015 is already operating, with upcoming dates on Dec. 11, 12, 18, 19, 26 and 31. Volunteers are needed for driving and navigating positions, said Operation Red Nose organizer Katie Klassen. Drivers must be

21 or older and have a valid class 5 driver’s licence. Navigators, who also handle paperwork and collect donations must be 19 or older. All volunteers must submit to a criminal record check, which Klassen said can be done for free at the RCMP station on Battle Street.

Donations received by Operation Red Nose go to Pacific Sport Interior BC to support amateur athletes. This year’s Operation Red Nose marks the 19th consecutive year that the program has run in Kamloops. Operation Red Nose can be reached at 250-320-0650.

Putting yourself further in debt is hardly the best solution for getting out of poverty, but for some people, it’s the only option available.

When economics professor Laura Lamb conducted her research into who uses payday loan companies and why they use them, some of the results were not what she expected.

In 2012, Lamb sat on a committee tasked with looking at financial issues in Kamloops. In the committee’s meetings, fringe finance institutions like payday loan companies became a recurring theme. Often, because of their high interest rates, these institutions are rarely seen as a good thing.

Though many studies have looked into loan company use before, research into their use in the Thompson-Okanagan was lacking.

“Over time there has been more of them in Kamloops,” Lamb said. “They have been growing in numbers and we were starting to wonder who uses them and why they are using them, and that ultimately led to the study of their use here.”

In order to tackle the issue, Lamb needed data. Over a period of three weeks, Lamb, with the help of two of undergraduate students, interviewed 105 people on their banking habits, attitudes towards financial institutions and financial literacy.

“What my research did that past research had not, was add on a financial literacy quiz, the same one used by Statistics Canada,” Lamb said. “All of these other studies mention financial literacy programs as solutions, but there never seems to be any actual proof that financial literacy is the issue, it just seemed to be an assumption.”

Since Statistics Canada conducts a financial literacy quiz as part as their national survey, Lamb had no shortage of data to compare to her results.

“Of the people on the survey who use fringe financial institutions, their average [financial literacy quiz score] was lower than the Canadian average,” Lamb said. “Yet when I adjusted for education and income levels, there wasn’t any statistically significant difference between those who use fringe finance and those who do not.”

Despite 76 per cent of the respondents having mainstream bank accounts, many of them cited their use of loan companies as a result of having no other options. Many payday loan users, as Lamb put it, enter a “vicious cycle” of having to continually take out loans to make ends meet.

Lamb’s research also discovered that fringe finance use is much higher amongst the Aboriginal population than the non-Aboriginal population.

“Unfortunately our Aboriginal population falls in the lower demographics for income and education, so I did expect it to be higher than the 10 per cent representation of the city, but the fact that 42 per cent of respondents were Aboriginal was quite surprising,” Lamb said.

Though Lamb is still looking into solutions, she is sure that heavy regulation won’t fix the problem.

“In some states in the U.S., the strategy was to set maximum interest rates. The max interest rates were low enough that these companies couldn’t make a profit and left, and that forced people into the hands of loansharks,” Lamb said.

“I think the solution is to provide a better service at a more reasonable cost. To regulate these institutions out isn’t helping the people who use them.”

In the eyes of the Manitoba Government, however, regulation is key to helping consumers make better financial decisions. In October 2010, Manitoba passed some of the strongest payday loan legislation in Canada in order to help prevent borrowers from falling into a cycle of debt.

Unlike B.C.’s maximum fee limit, which sits at $23 per $100 borrowed, Manitoba’s maximum limit is $17 per $100 borrowed. In cases where a payday lender issues a loan to a borrower within seven days of another payday loan in Manitoba, the maximum limit is dropped to $5 per $100 borrowed.

Though B.C.’s current legislation is not sufficient to protect public interests, Lamb suggested that any further regulation needs to be looked at with caution.

“Perhaps a better way to go is credit unions, because their policies are set at the local level,” she said.

“Because they are local, unlike chartered banks, they’re able to make better connections with people.”

Kamloops Food Bank The local Food Bank is gearing up for their busiest time of the year and are looking for volunteers. The volunteer page of the Food Bank’s website advertises “a fun environment” and “the opportunity to give back.” The website also said that scheduling is flexible and lunch is provided for volunteers.

More information can be found by contacting the Food Bank at 250-376-2252 or volunteer@kamloopsfoodbank. org.

Economics professor Laura Lamb. (Wade Tomko/The Omega)

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6 COMICS & PUZZLES DECEMBER 9, 2015

SPORTS

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Ryan Chyzowski of the Kamloops Storm gets the stick flexing in a shot during Sunday’s game against the 100 Mile House Wranglers. (Tristan Davies/The Omega)

Storm on track for back-to-back division titles Cameron Doherty

SPORTS EDITOR Ω The Kamloops Storm may just be Kamloops’ best kept secret. In a town that is absolutely sports crazy, the Storm, who plays in the third tier of junior hockey (Junior B) in B.C., is often overshadowed by bigger events like Blazers or Broncos games. But if they keep playing the way they are now, the people of Kamloops are going to have no choice but to stand up and take notice.

Playing in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) the team is comprised of players 16 to 20

years old, with many growing up and learning the game right here in Kamloops. The league is a unique mixture of teams from bigger areas along with teams from smaller towns where the Junior B team is the main attraction. From Chase and Fernie to Kelowna and Nelson, almost every town in the interior of British Columbia is represented in the league.

Kamloops currently sits in first place of the Doug Birks division of the Okanagan/ Shuswap conference with an impressive record of 20 wins, 8 losses and 3 overtime losses.

Having won both their division and conference last season, the

Storm came up just a little bit short, losing the league championship in six games to the Kimberley Dynamiters.

Even though the Storm has jumped out to such an impressive start to the season, they still find themselves in a close battle for first place in their division with the 100 Mile House Wranglers just one point behind them.

Those same Wranglers were in town Sunday night, and the battle of the top two teams in their division did not disappoint. While the Wranglers were able to eke out a 4–3 overtime win, the Storm will be buoyed by the fact that they were able

to fight back from being down multiple goals early on in the game, including a goal from the Wranglers that found its way into the net just 45 seconds into the contest.

Every team in the KIJHL struggles with a high turnover in roster from year to year due to the age limit as well as the high amount of hockey playing opportunities that exist elsewhere for the players. This makes the fact that head coach Ed Patterson has this team fighting for backto-back division titles, despite only one of their top five leading scorers from last year seeing significant playing time this year, all the more impressive.

With just two weekends left to play before heading into the Christmas break, the Storm has reached the midway point of their season, and so far all signs seem to be positive for the team.

Defending a title is never easy, but if the Storm can play as well in the second half of the season as they have in the first, then not only should they be in line for another division championship, but also some much deserved recognition from the Kamloops sporting community.

The Storm’s next home game is on Sunday, Dec. 13, at McArthur Island Park arena, when the Revelstoke Grizzlies come to town.

The World Juniors: the best Christmas tradition Cameron Doherty

SPORTS EDITOR Ω The Olympics are great, the playoffs are fun and the new World Cup format looks promising, but when it comes to watching hockey, it’s the World Junior Championship that reigns supreme.

The International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) under-20 world championships have become an annual holiday tradition for me that is just as, if not more, important than decorating a tree, spending time with family or anything else that I do in December.

A roster of 22 of the top 19-and-younger hockey players from across the country get chosen to disrupt their respective junior seasons for two weeks to

spend their holidays thrilling a nation.

Whether it’s the gold medal won at the tournament by an underdog Team Canada in ’82, the infamous lights-out brawl in Russia in ’87, or guys like Jonathan Toews and Jordan Eberle becoming household names before ever hearing their name called in the NHL draft, this is a tournament that has produced some of the best moments in the history of Canadian international hockey.

One of the main reasons so many great Canadian moments have happened at the tournament is because of the perfect balance in talent and unpredictability that the age limit forces on the teams.

With the top teenaged players in the world getting together to do battle for their countries, you get a sneak peek at the future stars of

the NHL. This shows in the high quality of hockey that is played throughout the tournament as the all-star teams put together by Hockey Canada and the other top hockey federations can feature NHL quality depth throughout the team.

The other thing that youth brings to the tournament is the idea that absolutely anything can happen.

By the time players are old enough to crack an NHL roster most of them have been so moulded and formed from all of the coaching they have received that they are interchangeable keys in a cog, making the smart play ten times out of ten as well as speaking and acting mainly in platitudes.

That is definitely not the case with this tournament. Despite the

insane amount of talent that is out there on the ice, these players are still just teenagers and make all the mistakes to prove it. This leads to games played at a frenetic pace, in which it seems like the teams fear that making a high percentage play like safely dumping the puck in the corner would somehow be the biggest mistake they could ever make.

So while Canada captured the 2014 Olympic gold medal in hockey by relying on a strong defense that stifled opponents and did whatever it could to take all sense of flow out of the game, this tournament often sees wide-open affairs with five goals finding the net in a single period.

The other type of mistake made more by the young than anyone else is letting their emotions get the best of them, something that

happens more often than not when Team Canada is involved.

Nearly every game they play is against a team that is a heated rival of Canada, and watching these players try to find the balance between setting the tone of the game physically while simultaneously trying to adapt to the stricter rules of international hockey only adds to the sense of unpredictability inherent in the tournament.

Canada comes into this year’s tournament as the all-time leader in gold medals won at the tournament and will return three players from the team that won gold in Toronto a year ago.

The 10-team tournament gets started in Helsinki, Finland on Boxing Day, and with it the best Christmas tradition of all begins again.

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THE OMEGA

DECEMBER 9, 2015