Feb. 10, 2016

GETTING LITIGIOUS

A GENEROUS SOUL

CAFFEINE FIX

TRU suing estate of donor Irving K. Barber

On the hunt for an anonymous beer donor

Kamloops’ new coffee shop a hit

University is seeking $1.3 million, the remainder of a pledge made in 2010 • Page 2

Who’s hiding beer all over campus? We tracked down the anonymous hider • Page 5

Reservoir Coffee makes a splash within the Kamloops community • Page 8

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CONQUERING THE EXPLORER DIVISION

FIRST TIME #1

Division title for WolfPack men’s basketball

F

or the first time in school history the TRU men’s basketball team will have a division title banner to hang from the rafters of the TCC, after a weekend sweep of the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves guaranteed the ‘Pack first place in the Explorer division of Canada West basketball.

“It really doesn’t matter whether it’s early or late to me. Last year we had to wait until the very last game to get into the playoffs.

We know you have to be in the postseason to achieve your goals and to continue playing and we know that our season will extend past our last regular season game so that’s nice,” said TRU head coach Scott Clark after his team’s 70–56 victory Saturday night.

TRU came into the weekend with lots of momentum having won their last four games in a row.

The ‘Pack have been led all season long by the outstanding play of both Josh Wolfram and Volodymyr Iegorov. The two WolfPack players are second and third respectively in points per game in the Canada West conference. However, Clark feels as though their ability to affect the game goes far beyond point totals.

CONTINUES page 11

Evan Helgason goes up for a layout in a weekend game against UNBC. (Tristan Davies/The Omega) • COVER/Page 11

OKANAGAN BRED

XOXOXO

Chipko Jones lights up The Art We Are

Staff Picks: Valentine’s Day movie

The calypso/reggae band from Vernon drew a large crowd • Page 8

The Omega’s staff offers up their insight into the perfect Valentine’s Day movie • Page 9

Points per game leader Josh Wolfram (14) drives around a defender. (Tristan Davies/Ω)

NEWS

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Looking for updates to the ongoing faculty labour dispute?

Visit TRUOmega.ca/strike

TRU suing estate of donor Irving K. Barber University is seeking remainder of $1.5 million pledge made by Barber in 2010 Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Thompson Rivers University has undertaken a lawsuit against the estate of Irving K. Barber in order to obtain funds it says were promised to the university by Barber during the construction of the House of Learning.

The university is seeking $1.275 million plus interest and damages from those who oversee Barber’s estate. The lawsuit was originally filed in August 2014.

Barber pledged to donate $1.5

million to the university in 2010 as part of the construction of the House of Learning. To date, TRU has only received $225,000 towards that pledge according to court documents.

Barber was a Second World War veteran who said he was given a second chance when he went to UBC for a forestry degree in 1945.

Following a very successful career as founder of Slocan Forest Products Ltd., Barber later became a prolific philanthropist and made donations to a number of Canadian universities, including to the University of British Columbia,

where the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre building opened in 2008 as a result of Barber’s $20 million donation to UBC. Barber visited TRU a number of times and was involved in the planning and construction of the House of Learning, including his visit on June 17, 2010, when the pledge to donate $1.5 million was publicly announced. In acknowledgment of the donation, TRU would name the assembly hall in the building the Irving K. Barber Centre.

According to TRU’s claim filed in 2014, Barber made an initial

donation of $100,000 in 2010 and another donation of $125,000 in February 2012.

On April 13, 2012, however, Barber died at the age of 89.

TRU was later advised by the executor of Barber’s estate that the estate was insolvent and that Barber’s widow, Jean C. Barber, would become the sole beneficiary of the trust that remained.

In response to the lawsuit, those in control of the trust, which was created in 2003 between Barber and his spouse, say that it is not a party to the pledge and does not owe money

to the university.

“At no time did Mr. Barber, either personally or as trustee of the spousal trust, say or do anything that led or was intended to lead the plaintiffs to believe that the spousal trust would operate other than in compliance with its terms and at the complete discretion of the trustee,” reads the responding document, which was filed at the Vancouver court registry on Dec. 14, 2015.

None of the claims have been heard in court. The most recent action taken in the case was on Jan. 19, 2016.

University purchases property on McGill Road TRU sees opportunity in Canadian Freightways closure of Kamloops operations Wade Tomko

NEWS EDITOR Ω TRU’s Kamloops campus has just gotten a little bit bigger thanks to the purchase of the property at 1120 McGill Rd. Last week, the parent company of Canadian Freightways, Transforce, said that it would be shutting down its Kamloops location on 1120

McGill Road. A day after that, TRU announced that it had purchased the property, which lies near the southwest entrance to the campus.

Though confirmation of the purchase came on Feb. 4, the university purchased the property last year on Oct. 31.

TRU VP Advancement Christopher Seguin said that the property had been on the university’s radar for a while.

“We are very cognizant of our neighbours and their holdings,” Seguin said. “We had been looking at this property for quite some time.”

Though Seguin could not speak to what the property will be used for, he described the purchase as “incredibly important,” regarding the location as a key piece of land for TRU. “It’s a gateway to the campus, so really there are many possibilities

to what it could be used for,” he said. “Once it is developed it will really help students to recognize where TRU’s campus begins and ends.”

However, with no current plans and a standing lease on the property, development of the plot of land may not come anytime soon.

“Currently, there is a lease on the property. We want to let it run its course before moving on and

deciding what to do with the land,” Seguin said.

When asked if purchases of other adjacent properties may be on the table for TRU, Seguin said that TRU was open to possibilities, though there would be no other property purchases by the university at this time.

Canadian Freightways officially closes the doors of its Kamloops location on Feb. 12.

Students’ Union building running a deficit TRUSU promises to pay off deficit at no extra cost to students Wade Tomko

NEWS EDITOR Ω At TRUSU’s annual general meeting on Jan. 28, the Students’ Union promised transparency to its members. At the very same meeting, they announced that the Students’ Union building, an extension of the Campus Activity Centre, is currently running a deficit.

Though the deficit of about $13,000 is small compared to the $1.6 million in assets the building has, TRUSU Executive Director Nathan Lane said the problem is one that needs to be tackled sooner rather than later.

“What actually happened to us was our projections on our utilities for last year were just out by a little bit and that is why the deficit happened in one year. I anticipate we will correct that for next year,” Lane said.

Currently, the Students’ Union obtains $250,000 a year from its members for their building fund, yet the cost of running and maintaining the Students’

Union building as well as the cost of the equipment within it, sits at $371,000 annually. This means, in order for TRUSU to keep up with its payments and clear the building of its deficit, it must transfer money from its operating fund.

“Essentially, the difference between the revenue in the building fund and the cost of amortizing the building is going to be transferred out of the operating fund. So when our payments are done, the building fund will also have no deficit,” Lane said. “Which means any future money will be savings for repairs or maintenance, because this building is now getting to be twenty years old.”

Lane expects that it will take approximately five to six years to completely pay off the building. Because they are transferring money from the operating fund directly to payments being made in the building fund, students of the university will not have to pay additional fees to cover the cost.

Lane also noted that the

Students’ Union had expected the near-twenty-year-old facility to run a deficit eventually.

“It is not uncommon for a building fund to go into a big cash deficit and then into a surplus. Because what happens is while you are making the payments the fund goes into deficit and when the payments are complete, the fund catches up,” he said.

Though the Students’ Union has said that there are other options to consider, they will most likely stay the course.

“We could pay off the building quicker by transferring more from the operating fund, and making advanced payments,” Lane said. “But the challenging thing is that if we start to do that, then we start to have to look for money in the operating fund when it’s needed elsewhere.”

This, however, does not mean that the Students’ Union has been lax in speeding up the process. In a bid to decrease operating costs, the Students’ Union partnered up with TRU

The Students’ Union building. (Wade Tomko/The Omega) Environment and Sustainability last year to install solar panels on the Students’ Union building’s rooftop.

“If we can reduce the cost of our utilities and work to negotiate a better janitorial contract, those savings in the operating fund we can transfer to the capital fund and essentially

speed up the process,” Lane said.

Alternatively, Lane said that the Students’ Union could just let the building pay itself off.

In this case, the building would build up a deficit, which it would pay off in time. However, TRUSU aims to clear the deficit before another generation of students inherits it.

OPINION & EDITORIAL

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Letter: fentanyl concerns

The trouble with printing a paper

Student newspapers are up against the same kinds of problems all newspapers are facing Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Some people just love having a fresh newspaper in their hands.

They like the smell of the ink, they like the feel of the paper, they love having a physical object in their hands – something tangible. But to be honest, despite my chosen career and current job, I am no newspaper romantic. I’ve never felt too attached to reading ink on paper.

I’ve always been content reading pixels on a screen.

Nonetheless, I do understand why people aren’t keen to give it up. They know that once the switch is made, a kind of tradition is lost. Worse still, some see the loss of a print newspaper as the weakening of a civic institution. After looking at the readership numbers for large publications, I’m inclined to agree. Sure, the loss of print might not mean loss of revenue, but it might mean fewer readers,

or at least a shift in reader demographics. It’s a bit of a schism, forcing former print readers to move online.

Barring some major cultural change that pushes us back towards paper, nearly every newspaper will eventually have to make the decision to move online. Just last week, the University of Alberta’s student newspaper The Gateway opted to move its operations online, going from weekly issues to monthly issues and reorganizing its newsroom.

One factor in the Gateway’s move is the decline in advertising revenue. According to a report on the paper’s website, a 36 per cent decline is predicted for 2016 and years previous have been nearly as bad or worse.

Looking at the Omega’s operations, I can tell you that this is not an unfamiliar scenario to us. Our annual print ad revenue is 58 per cent lower than it was five years ago. Meanwhile, our print costs have increased by

approximately 10 per cent in the past two years. Thankfully, our position isn’t the same as their position. Advertising revenue comprised approximately 45 per cent of The Gateway’s budget, but for us, it only comprises approximately 25 per cent. To further soften the blow, our operating budget has slightly decreased in size over the years.

The Gateway could have held out longer. It could have continued producing a print edition until every last advertiser had left, but instead it made a bold move and forced itself online ahead of time. I’m thankful for that move as it will serve as a useful experiment in the student newspaper world. Leaving print behinds means leaving print advertisers behind, too, and giving up that huge chunk of revenue will complicate things along the way and cause dismay among print romantics.

Are you a print reader of the Omega? Your input would help, so why not share your thoughts?

Ω

Dear Editor, In this age of information and electronic communication it is usually fairly easy to stay current with anything that is going on in the community. If someone steals a bike repair station, we see it in the press and probably read about it on Facebook in a timely fashion. More seriously, if there is a cougar prowling around a neighborhood, or a series of sexual or physical assaults in Kamloops we all find out quickly through various means, and do what we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones. I am grateful for mainstream and social media when such warnings need to be circulated.

In my professional life, involved in the provision of substance use treatment I, and many others, see trends in our community and do what we can to assist those who need appropriate counselling and related services. We also do our part to inform and provide the prevention component of the substance use service continuum. From time to time there is a dangerous wave related to a particular substance. As a society we have experienced preoccupation with stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens as our human need to medicate, and in many cases ease related pain, continues.

Many people are familiar with the substance fentanyl, which depending on the information source, has been described as up to 20 times as powerful as heroin, and up to 100 times as strong as morphine. It is a painkiller that is not new to pharmacology and has always been used very carefully in medicine. Unfortunately this substance is finding its way into other substances and is also being marketed as less powerful pain killing/opiate medications in non-medical settings.

Although I work in this field,

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I am not completely sure of the number of deaths recently in our community, but I have heard from reliable sources that are very much connected to what is happening on the street, that we may have sadly lost as many as four individuals due to their use of fentanyl. I can also not speak to whether all of these individuals were fully aware of what was contained in the substance they used.

I would like to think that our society is starting to have more open dialogue pertaining to mental health and addiction issues, but many times the shame and blame around this topic disables the communication lines, and we do not hear what we need to hear about substance related deaths in the way that my previous examples are dealt with. It is not easy for anyone who has lost a loved one to such a situation, and even harder for them to speak out openly about what may have happened.

Please be aware of what is happening in our, and many other communities. We have sounded the alarm regarding crystal meth, GHB, and other substances that have had major adverse effects on so many of our friends and loved ones. An informed public can start conversations with their children, co- workers, and friends, and if just one person hesitates before using an unconfirmed substance it is worth the awkwardness of the topic. Get the word out please.

There are valuable counselling programs and professionals as well as tremendous 12 step groups ( A.A. and N.A.) in Kamloops. If you have a question or need some help please access them.

Respectfully submitted with concern for those who fight mental health and substance use every day, Patrick C. McDonald

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

NEWS

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Omar Khadr’s lawyer speaks at SLS conference Dennis Edney talks about the rule of law in an age of fear Wade Tomko

NEWS EDITOR Ω Last Thursday, TRU’s Law Society of Students invited a special speaker for their annual conference’s final keynote address. Dennis Edney, famed for being Omar Khadr’s defence lawyer, spoke in front of an audience on Old Main’s third floor.

Edney covered an array of topics in his hour-long address, including his experiences with Khadr, though the theme behind Edney’s speech on Feb. 4 concerned something else entirely.

Edney came to TRU with the specific purpose of challenging young university students to question whether the concept and the practice of justice is truly being carried out in their name.

“It is a depressing fact, that the world today faces great challenges to the rule of law and to human rights,” Edney said. “Through what I would suggest are ill-conceived responses to terrorism, many achievements in the legal protection of human rights are under attack.”

Edney went on to explain how in a post-9/11 world many countries have adopted new counter-terrorism measures that seemingly go against their international obligations. He added that some countries

have used this post-9/11 climate of fear to justify long-standing human rights violations as well.

In particular, Edney listed United States’ National Security Agency as an example where national security has trumped civil liberties and human rights.

“In limiting civil liberties, you just have to take for example the NSA, who have been accused of overstepping its boundaries in recent years. Its activities are not simply confined to eavesdropping on terrorists and potential security risks,” Edney said. “Instead it is spying on the everyday lives of average Americans.”

Edney also noted CSIS’s attempts to limit civil liberties here in Canada.

“The 2015 Anti-terrorism legislation, Bill C-51, allows for unprecedented and excessive powers to CSIS in collecting and sharing extensive information and details about citizens without them even knowing about it,” Edney said.

“In a climate of exaggerated fear, we have now changed our domestic spy agency CSIS into something that disturbingly looks like a secret police force.”

Edney went on to further warn about sacrificing our civil liberties over national security, saying that in many ways preserving our liberties is how we preserve our democratic

Keynote speaker Dennis Edney addresses TRU law students. (Wade Tomko/The Omega) way of life. Only by the rule of law, Edney said, can we as citizens of a democratic society define the boundaries of permissible and legitimate government action.

Of course the only way to do this, Edney believes, is to hold politicians accountable for their actions. “We elect them, we don’t work for them.

They work for us,” he said.

Later on in his speech, Edney touched on his experiences during the trial of Omar Khadr. He described, in gory detail, the abuses carried out on Khadr, who was only

15 when he was captured. Between his internment at both Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Bagram, Afghanistan, Khadr survived interrogation techniques that have killed fullgrown adults.

“He would be threatened with snapping dogs, while ropes were tied so tightly around his neck that he started to choke and panic,” Edney explained. “After this, Omar would be taken into a different interrogation room, where different interrogation techniques would be tried on him, and this happened to

every detainee.”

Despite all this, Edney finished his speech on a positive note, claiming that Khadr holds no grudges over his torture and internment.

“Omar Khadr is an example to all of us in an age where we have been confronted with hatred and violence every day, because Omar has retained his humanity,” Edney said. “He bears no anger to anyone, he just wants to get on with his life, and stop the abuses he went through from happening to anyone else.”

Career Education Department

Thursday, March 3 • 10 am – 3 pm Grand Hall, CAC

Graduate Summer Part-time Temporary Positions Something for all students!

Maximize your time at the Job Fair with free workshops from February 23 – March 1.

Sponsored by

TRU.ca/JobFair

NEWS

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Hot on the trail of TRU’s anonymous beer fairy We tracked down TRU’s original beer scavenger hunt organizer Jim Elliot

NEWS EDITOR Ω It was about 6 p.m. on a chilly Tuesday evening when I saw the first clue posted on a popular anonymous posting app. It was a photo of TRU’s House of Learning building with a caption which read “handicapped accessible” followed by a beer glass emoji. I had heard about some charitable soul hiding cans of beer around campus, but dismissed it as a prank and envisioned the poster watching from afar as thirsty and unaware scavengers searched for an icecold beer that wasn’t there.

Despite my assumptions, I decided to set out in search of the hidden beer. The clue seemed straightforward enough.

I walked a quick lap of the House of Learning, examining the access ramps and handicapped entrances. A small mound of snow on one of the ramps caught my eye. Carved into it was the cylindrical recess left by a can of beer. I was too late – this time. Now realizing just how real this was, I set out to find the person who set this contest in motion and collect as much free beer as possible along the way.

My search continued the next day. A new post on the app alerted me to a new opportunity.

It pointed to a periodical in the HOL library called the Fibonacci Quarterly. I feared that my quest for beer might be cut short by my sub-par math skills, but the next clue was scrawled on a scrap of paper tucked beneath the stack of soft-cover journals.

The clue sent me across campus to the main library in search of a book entitled Malleus Maleficarum. After a brief conversation with one of the librarians in which I both obtained the book’s catalog number and artfully deflected questions about why I needed

a 15th-century treatise on the persecution of witches, I found the next clue tucked between the pages.

The clue directed me to another book in the HOL library, so I crossed the campus once more, vaguely suspicious that there would be no reward at the end of the increasingly complex scavenger hunt. I found the book (a large and heavy culinary encyclopedia) without much difficulty and found a scrap of paper inside telling me to post on the app for my last clue. I referenced the recipe on the page marked by the clue in my post and sat feverishly refreshing the page until the poster replied.

The poster said that the beer was hidden near the Fibonacci Quarterlies where my search began.

I located the prize of the scavenger hunt, a can of small batch wheat ale and left the library with it bulging in my jacket pocket. The original poster must have been nearby to hide the beer on such short notice, as I left the library with the impression that I was being watched.

Now that I knew that whoever was posting the clues was more interested in filling people’s glasses than pulling their legs, the next step was to make contact with this dedicated individual. I planned to leave behind my contact information after successfully finding another beer, a kind of “dead drop” ripped from the pages of a Cold War spy thriller.

The original poster kept a steady pace of hiding two or three beers per day, but other searchers were so fast that it was a few days until I was able to find another beer and leave behind my phone number.

The poster contacted me quickly and wished to remain anonymous, so we decided on the topical pseudonym John Molson to help him share his story with TRU. Only two of his friends know that he is the one

hiding the beer, Molson said.

“I’ve actually seen one of my good friends pick up a beer that I hid and he had no idea that it was me. He was pretty excited about it and said he was going to go hide one somewhere else,” Molson said.

“I’ve had [the app] for about three months now and other than people saying some funny stuff, there wasn’t much going on. I decided to have some fun with it and get everyone together as a community almost. People are picking it up – I’m not the only one hiding beer now, so we’ll see how it goes,” said Molson, when asked about his motivations for organizing the scavenger hunts.

Amidst the mounting cost of keeping the thirsty masses out searching TRU’s many nooks and crannies, Molson said that he’d like to see more people pitch in and expand the scavenger hunts, because everyone involved is having fun.

Molson said that he selects hiding spots that are out of the way, but still easily accessible so everyone can participate.

He sees his scavenger hunts as a positive community-building activity that is opposed to the negativity often found on the anonymous messaging app, and on social media in general.

“You’re brightening someone’s day and everyone’s having fun. It’s better than having all these negative comments about people in New Rez and various groups around campus. The nursing students have been singled out and same with cheerleaders and the guys’ baseball team,“ Molson said.a Those with a little time on their hands and an appreciation for a good treasure hunt can save their beer money, and those with a little to spare can brighten a stranger’s day.

With the beer scavenger hunt on, who knows what hides behind the most obscure of library tomes? (Jim Elliot/The Omega)

Students get tips to stay safe and avoid accidents

Accidents can happen at any time in students’ day-to-day lives Natalie Stewart

CONTRIBUTOR Ω “Accidents happen” is often used as shorthand for the idea that misfortune can be inevitable, however, while it is true that students are in the age group most prone to accidental injury, most accidents are preventable. At the same time, young people tend to think of accidents as things that happen to other people, but in fact, persons between the ages of 15 and 24 are the most significant risk group for accidental injury.

On campus, most accidents occur during program studies, where

students are using potentially dangerous equipment such as knives, or are performing a strenuous activity on a regular basis.

“Despite best attempts to mitigate these risks, if you’re working with knives all day [it’s more likely] you’ll get a few nicks,” said TRU’s Safety and Emergency Services Manager Stacey Jyrkkanen.

Stress also accounts for a significant portion of student injuries.

“They get so worried and stressed that they forget to eat and they actually end up fainting,” Jyrkkanen said. “But the thing is, you don’t get to choose where you pass out, and you can end up hurting yourself.”

Jyrkkanen adds that students need to make sure to look after themselves, and that pushing your body too far only increases stress.

The TRU Wellness Centre is an excellent resource for helping to cope with stress and anxiety while still making time to eat and rest.

Another common injury during the winter months is the slip-fall, which often occurs because people are distracted from their surroundings. “’Wexting’, or walking and texting, is part of this,” Jyrkkanen said. “You need to be aware of your surroundings, and of course wear the appropriate footwear.”

If you carry on a text conversation

while walking, it is better to “pull over” to send a message, especially if it’s snowing or below freezing outside.

“The walking paths on campus are usually kept pretty clear,” Jyrkkanen notes proudly, but cautions that outside campus the sidewalks and paths are often more slippery, and that students should keep their wits about them when walking.

Distraction accounts for many injuries in the workplace as well.

WorkSafe BC occupational safety officer Patrick Davie says removing the distractions can help you stay alert. “Even a momentary lapse of attention can cause injury,” he

warned. “Make sure even if [the job is] repetitious that you concentrate on doing it right every time.”

Davie says that workers who don’t think they need to worry about accidents happening to them need to think in the long term. “Remember you’ll be in the [working] community for 40 plus years, working,” he said. Davie recommends that young workers can stay safe by educating themselves on prevention and safety measures, adding that “a lot of people don’t know what a valuable source of direction WorkSafe is,” and invites them to call their safety officer at the local office if they have any questions.

FEATURE

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Acting on climate change at the local level

How will increasing temperatures and unpredictable precipitation affect local businesses?

by Sierra Rae

F

orestry, fisheries and other is that a lot of forestry operations are than the minimum of reforestation. local resources are facing operating in smaller communities “They only invest what they have a battle against a changing where they are the major employer. to, and rightfully so. In most cases climate. Inconsistent precipitation If there is less wood to be harvested, they will invest in reforestation and an increase in temperature could they may have to shut down. to get the plantation up to what is force industries into becoming more “I think the industry is still relacalled “free to grow” and then once sustainable. Several TRU science pro- tively strong, but I would like to see it reaches that stage they can sign fessors agree that climate change will more diversification, and to see the off on it. Then it’s the government’s cause numerous challenges for local mills work harder to find different responsibility to see it all the way to businesses and that it’s important to uses for their wood products,” he growth completion,” Karakatsoulis start looking at sustainability right said. said. now.

Karakatsoulis said that options for “Right now, any industry relying “I think climate change is going product diversification are available, on natural resources has to look to change everything,” said Brian such as strand board, which is used at what might be happening in Heise, an associate professor at TRU to create fibres and panelling. Mills the future... We tend to make the who specializes in fisheries assumption that the climate 10 management. to 20 years from now will be very Heise explained that the similar to today, but the evidence rising temperatures in lakes is showing that it’s going to be mean that fewer local fish will be different, and we don’t know available. what those differences are going “It can have an effect on our to be, but we are basing it on local tourism industry. Many the best models that show that Brian Heise, associate professor at TRU people come up from [Vancouthe average temperatures are specializing in fisheries management ver and the surrounding area] going to get a little higher, and for our lakes, and a lot of recrewe can anticipate warmer, dryer ational tourism comes from the summers, and warmer, wetter number of days people are able winters,” Karakatsoulis said. to fish,” Heise said.

Tom Pypker, a TRU professor Heise also pointed out that salmon also make dimensional lumber, sheet with a speciality in ecosystem proare a major attraction, and an import- boards, pulp and paper. However, cesses and ecophysiology, said that ant keystone species in the southern it’s a matter of choosing to make the natural resources we currently interior. the right products with the wood rely on for business might be very Without lakes that have healthy available. different in the future. populations of fish, less fishing will “If they don’t find ways to diversify “We might be able to plant species be available. Local businesses could their wood products, three shifts to grow better under future climate lose revenue and support if fishers become two shifts, then become change conditions, and this could have to go to other areas for the sport. one shift. They will need less people, provide good opportunities for local Another big issue Heise menand people will be unemployed. agriculture. There may even be a tioned was the implication of These are the social and economic competitive advantage to grow a drought. The future of water ramifications from climate change,” management in the southern interior Karakatsoulis said. may include modifying the flow of Right now forest ecologists are water for our smaller lakes to make looking at the “waste-wood” that is sure they stay filled with water. This left out in the forest, such as burn could be done by building small piles, in order to use it for sustainable dams, or by helping to build up extra or renewable products. snowmelt, Heise explained.

However, Karakatsoulis men“We can water-manage, we can tioned that there needs to be a good work locally. It’s much easier to focus balance between the economic on local climate change than global possibilities and the forests we are change. It’s all interconnected,” Heise leaving behind afterwards. stated.

“If we start over-utilizing what’s John Karakatsoulis, a TRU out there, we aren’t going to be professor and program administrator leaving much behind for habitat. It who specializes in forest ecology, all has economic implications down has observed similar climate change the road in terms of how viable our effects in his area of expertise. communities are in the southern “The government certainly is interior,” Karakatsoulis said. telling forest companies to prepare Karakatsoulis also pointed out that for less wood available,” Karakatsouthere’s not always a big incentive for lis said. forest companies when they utilize Karakatsoulis thinks the problem Crown land to do anything more

“

“I think climate change is going to change everything,”

wider variety of food here, which we used to a long time ago and no longer do.”

Pypker agreed that a changing climate will impact forests either way.

“It will probably have the biggest effect on the regeneration of our forests. The good years for regenerating certain species could become less frequent. It starts by reducing growth and altering harvest rotation lengths of our forested areas… so we have to look at the types of plants we are planting for the future changes.”

Pypker, Heise and Karakatsoulis all agree on the importance of our future water availability and management.

“A lot of it will circle around how much water we have and how much the temperature will increase. Established forests may be able to persist on the landscape [despite rising temperatures], but if something happens will they be able to be re-established again?” Pypker asked.

Karl Larsen, a professor at TRU who specializes in wildlife management, said that if temperature or precipitation levels change, there are going to be major changes within any environment.

“If we are stressing our existing ecosystems we are going to make them more vulnerable to invasive species and susceptible to damage,” Larsen said.

Larsen believes there are still a lot of questions that need to be asked.

“If ecosystems start to change at

an accelerated rate, is that going to change ecosystems in ways that make them less resilient to invasive species? All species go through fluctuations, so are those fluctuations going to become more erratic in response to different climate?”

“Hopefully students go forth with a bigger and broader awareness of things, so they can think about the longer term, realize that there are a lot of things that are connected and worry about ecosystems as a web instead of a linear function,” Larsen pointed out.

Heise, Karakatsoulis, Pypker and Larsen all believe that there is a lot that consumers can do to help.

When asked what students could do to combat climate change, Heise said, “Force industry to be sustainable. Whenever you go to a restaurant [or] grocery store, pay attention to the labels on food. There are a number of different certification programs, Oceanwise for example.

You can even get an app for your phone that tells you recommendations about different species and how they were caught.”

“Students need to start thinking about where they put their money and about where their products come from. I think we often misunderstand who actually creates the carbon footprint. It’s not just big industries, it’s all of us who are consumers and who might be willing to buy a product even if it’s not sustainable,” Pypker said.

FEATURE

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Living and dealing with

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PTSD

A nationwide mental health epidemic striking Canada’s front line

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by Jennifer Will

ost Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is recognized throughout the world as a legitimate and serious problem, but it’s often one that goes untreated for fear of scrutiny from other men and women in some stressful occupations. Canadians rely heavily on our first responders to protect our society from injustice and provide safety on a regular basis, although they regularly face injustice on a day-to-day basis themselves.

One problem that is often overlooked in this field is the emotional wear and tear that these professionals face and the traumatic stress that they encounter each time they put on their boots and leave the station. The education for PTSD provided to first responders when they enter the field as a rookie and as they progress in their career is severely lacking, according to some. The topic is very important because they are the first responders of Canada – they are men like Shannon Pennington, who has dedicated a lifetime to protecting the country they love while also combating the daily terrors of living with PTSD. Pennington started his professional firefighting career in September 1976 and was discharged in January 2002. His career on Canada’s front line began in the armed forces where he served as a Warrant Officer and was bestowed the Legion of Frontiersmen Exemplary Conduct Medal before being later awarded the Exemplary Fire Service Conduct Medal for Canada. For 26 years he held a membership for the Calgary Fire Department Honour Guard, and was elected as president, maintaining that position for seven years. In March 2002 he was appointed as Executive Director of the North American Firefighter Veteran Network. Pennington was diagnosed with PTSD in 2000.

He’s still struggling with the traumas that haunt him every day. He describes PTSD from his own experience by saying “nervous, anxious, dark, hyper, vigilant, not happy, anger and exhaustion, the usual suspects. It takes the firefighter veteran

out of life and places them in a struggle for their own identity after it beats the crap out of your mind, body and soul. Never will you be the same as you once were; the new you has to be worked on and formulated. That is if you have access to the rehab tools that only a clinician can guide you to and work with you to develop.”

Pennington talks about how getting to the step of recovery is one of the hardest.

He explains that it is often hard to admit that there is a problem. When asked if he believed there was a stigma, he said: “Yes there is definitely a stigma within the community of firefighters. The ‘suck it up’ mentality in the crews and mainly the lack of understanding and awareness at the senior levels of the command structure.

The stigma, simply put, is the revelation that you’re a weak person and have a flaw in your character. It is difficult to keep the PTS private if you use department assets such as EAFP (European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy) which is limited. Using the web resource under presumptive legislation keeps you from accessing the most current and up-to-date treatment for PTS.” The EAFP is an organization that is continually working to improve current medications for those afflicted with the disorder. The combination of medication, treatment and psychological aid overlap to provide the needed support many first responders require.

Pennington understands why there is a stigma around this topic and why it is a sensitive area for many. However, he believes that more education, for rookies and those still in practice, could bring a better future to those who struggle with their mental health. “Education is lacking and needs a complete review and formal instruction on stress management. It should start with testing at the recruit level and continue on to all levels of promotion in the system: screening on a yearly basis for trauma exposure by visiting a psychologist for two or three sessions or more for trauma reactions over the preceding year.” He also

Artwork by Dion Fortie

understands the symbiotic relationship he must have with the illness. Each day would be a struggle if not for the mental preparation undergone to work with the PTSD and function as a member of the society he once protected.

“You live, eat, sleep, breathe and work with death every time you go to work.” This grim mentality has plagued Pennington and many others afflicted with PTSD as suicidal thoughts and actions have become a major contributor to the death toll of firefighters and other first responders. “When you report a PTS you’re considered weak

and untrustworthy and no longer wanted in the crew you risked your life with, to the point that you should not be there if you’re not there in body, mind and spirit. The work will not and should not tolerate the weakness.” He urges anyone dealing with these thoughts to seek professional help and treatment.

Pennington is now in the process of writing a memoir to help other first responders in similar situations. The book is graphic and dives into the heaviest of content – details from his experiences on the front lines and his life with PTSD.

TRU partners with BCIT in pilot project to add mining diploma Jared MacArthur CONTRIBUTOR Ω

Students interested in mining technologies training that don’t want to move to Surrey will soon have the option of starting that training here at TRU. A BCIT diploma in Mineral Exploration and Mining Technologies has until now only been offered to registered BCIT students and offered only on BCIT campuses.

The pilot project is meant to make the diploma more accessible for students across B.C. interested in becoming professionals in the mining industry.

Students will be able to complete the first year of the diploma here at TRU before having to relocate to a BCIT campus for the remaining two years of the diploma.

Dean of science Tom Dickinson recently signed a memorandum of understanding initiating phase one of the pilot project, which aims to align BCIT curriculum with the other post-secondary institutions involved.

The implementation of the program could be a reality as soon as September 2016, according to Jill Tsolinas, Executive Director at

BC Centre of Training Excellence in Mining (CTEM).

Because of the courses already offered by the university and the Open Learning Centre, “TRU is very well-aligned” for a project like this one, Tsolinas said.

Eight of the 17 courses needed to complete the first year are a mixture of science and communications courses already offered at TRU. The remaining courses will be offered

by TRU Open Learning, according to Bryan Daly, Academic Director of Science and Technology at TRU. Although there is potential for TRU to implement a similar diploma in the future, they have not seen any high demand for it, Daly said. A joint project like this offers students something that would otherwise not exist.

TRU is one of four post-secondary institutions involved in the pilot project; The College of New Caledonia, Northwest Community College and Okanagan College are also a part of the agreement, according to Tsolinas.

The collaboration between institutions present in the agreement with BCIT is a trend that may become a more common practice in B.C., explained Tsolinas. There is a growing

realization by the industry partners and training institutions that greater access to training is more beneficial overall, especially for an industry that predicts a massive demand for a workforce in the next decade.

Increased access to training in mining may also draw the attention of individuals reeling

from the recent hardships suffered by the oil industry.

Research has shown that almost 50 per cent of the mining industry’s workforce will be at retirement age by 2022, Tsolinas said, making the need for trained professionals even greater.

Dean of Sciences Tom Dickinson (2nd from right) meets with CTEM representatives.

(B.C. Government)

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Atmosphere on offer at new nearby coffee shop Annie Slizak

COPY EDITOR Ω You may have noticed there is a new addition to the Landmark Building across from TRU. I myself didn’t notice it until one of my professors suggested we go off-campus for a meeting, and we ended up at Reservoir Coffee, Kamloops’ newest addition to the coffeehouse scene.

Upon entering for the first time I immediately liked it. The place has a very welcoming atmosphere, and although it was busy at the time, I was able to find a seat at the bar by the window.

Every time I’ve been there since I’ve felt the same chill vibe that is reserved for these kinds of coffee shops.

Unfortunately, Reservoir is usually quite noisy. But what can you expect from a successful new coffee shop right across the

street from a university? There always seems to be no shortage of students gathering to pass time or do homework together. Every once in a while however you can catch the place in one of its quiet times, during which the relaxing music can be more easily heard and you can enjoy your snack and a relaxing game of chess (thanks to the wooden board that sits next to the comfy red couch) in peace and quiet.

Regardless of how often Reservoir is crowded with students, I firmly believe its location is one of the best choices for such a business. After all, who drinks more coffee than a university student? And with a convenient corner spot, their sign is easily seen from both Summit Drive and McGill Road. Furthermore, these streets are also easily seen from the inside, making a window seat in Reservoir an ideal place for people-watching.

The menu board (AKA a plank with products and prices burnt into it) currently has an empty column with the heading “summer.” When asked about this, barista Luke Nieman told me that they will probably be serving “traditional iced drinks,” but they are also planning on serving affogato, which is “espresso over gelato.” I don’t know about you, but summer can’t come soon enough for me.

Reservoir’s prices are reasonable. It’s not the cheapest place out there, but I usually expect to pay a little more when the barista draws a heart on my latte with milk. My sister and I were able to purchase two drinks, a croissant, a breakfast wrap, a hot pretzel and a slice of vegan blueberry pie all for about $20.

The blueberry pie was the only vegan food available when we were there, but Nieman said that they “hope to add more

The view from inside Reservoir, a new coffee shop that is TRU adjacent. (Annie Slizak/The Omega)

gluten-free and vegan choices” in the future.

My recommendation? Go in the late afternoon, when most students have

already gone home for the day, and order a chai or London Fog latte. As far as food goes, get the hot pretzel. On second thought, get two.

Chipko Jones brings beach vibes to The Art We Are Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω

The Art We Are was already packed to gills before Chipko Jones even took to the stage.

Families played Uno in the booths while newcomers combed the room for any unclaimed seating and the women working the counter rushed to get everyone coffee and snacks.

The band harmonized well, and sounded very polished. The combination of Waseem Hakhroo on drums, Moot Murphy on guitar, Jacob Chatterton on bass, Jen Millan on trumpet and Anessa Lang on alto saxophone brought a cleanly-polished sound that coffee shop shows often lack.

Listening to Chipko Jones’ music makes you feel like you should be sitting at a beach bar on vacation and not in an artsy coffee shop hiding from the tail end of winter and Hockey Day in Canada crowds. The music had a chill energy that had everyone swaying in their seats. The lyrics are all about peace and love, man.

Chipko Jones would perhaps be better suited to a larger venue where listeners would actually have room to dance, or at least all sit. Considering the enthusiasm of the audience, the limited space of a coffee shop seemed a little restrictive.

From the beginning, the audience was very appreciative of the band, clapping and cheering after every song. Although Chipko

Jones intended to end their set at 8 p.m. the audience cajoled them into playing an extra half hour.

“Wow, thank you guys for being so friendly,” said Moot Murphy on vocals and guitar.

After two years of playing at smaller events like festivals and open mics and hosting their own gigs, Chipko Jones is in pre-production of their first record, to be released later this year.

Their unusual-sounding name was inspired by the Chipko movement, a forest conservation protest in India in the 18th century that grew into a prominent ecofeminist movement.

The next show at the The Art We Are will be Jay Semko, guitarist of Saskatchewan band The Northern Pikes on Feb. 14.

Jen Millan, Anessa Lang, Moot Murphy, Waseem Hakhroo (behind) and Jacob Chatterton of Chipko Jones played to a full house on Feb. 6. (Marlys Klossner/The Omega)

Film review: Theeb Marlys Klossner ARTS EDITOR Ω

Theeb is a young Bedouin boy who lives a simple life in the Arabian Desert in 1916 until he decides to follow his older brother as he escorts a British soldier and his guide to a well. This starts a sequence of events which forces him to take his survival into his own hands in this stunning drama/coming of age/survival/road trip movie.

Although warned by his guide and Theeb’s older brother to turn back, the British soldier refuses to abandon his search for his regiment, and leads them into a canyon known as a trap laid by bandits. Unsurprisingly, there is a scuffle with the bandits leaving Theeb alone. Theeb eventually makes an uneasy alliance based on mutual need with one of the very same bandits, who has been shot in the leg.

The only professional actor in the film is Jack Fox, who plays the British

solider, but the rest of the cast do a pitch-perfect job. Most impressive is Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, 15, as Theeb himself.

I cannot say enough about how gorgeous this film is. Every other shot looks like something you wouldn’t mind hanging on a wall.

The desert is a dynamic and beautiful place, and the filmmaker knew it.

Theeb was filmed in part in Wadi Rum, the Jordanian desert valley Lawrence of Arabia once trekked through.

The audio is as carefully-chosen as the visuals, as best demonstrated in a scene where chanting, taunting bandits use the echoes of a canyon to intimidate Theeb and his brother out of their hiding place.

The standout skill director Naji Abu Nowar displays in Theeb is an incredible touch for suspense. Music is used sparingly in the film, and there are times when the music stops and you know something dramatic is about to happen. Nowar does a great

job of letting the long silences speak for themselves and doesn’t rely on gimmicks. Sometimes the suspense pays off and leads to some scares, but other times the tension just fizzles out. Not knowing which way each moment will play out makes them way more effective.

Because Theeb is a boy with little knowledge of the greater politics of the time, the history unfolding around him is given little explanation, and is the background and the stage that set the events of the story in action. As the bandit and Theeb attempt to reach a settlement, they ride past the slaughtered bodies of the British soldier’s regiment. They ride along the new railway, which has put Mecca guides out of business, and is the reason the bandit had to turn to a life of crime.

Everything is not resolved for Theeb in the end, but by the end you feel as though he has matured greatly and is probably going to be alright.

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Date night flick picks for a lovey Valentine’s Day The Omega’s staff shares their personal picks for date night DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012) WADE TOMKO - Ω NEWS EDITOR

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest movie buff. But that doesn’t mean however, that there aren’t a few exceptional movies that I would recommend for watching on a date.

In my current relationship, Django Unchained was the first movie we ever saw together. Though it may speak to our twisted sense of humour more than anything, Quentin Tarantino’s western masterpiece resonated with us more than most rom coms and chick-flicks that come out these days.

Looking past the blood, guts and excessive profanity, at its heart Django is still a love story, one about a man who would go through hell just to see his wife again.

So whether you’re on your first date or your millionth, Django is the perfect movie to look at your partner and say, “I’d go through all that for you too.”

HAPPY GILMORE (1996) CAMERON DOHERTY - Ω SPORTS EDITOR

I’m going to go off the board with my pick for the perfect date night flick and say Happy Gilmore.

An Adam Sandler movie from before he became intolerable, Happy Gilmore follows a failed hockey player turned pro golfer that falls in love while trying to save his grandmother’s house.

The movie is just one joke after another and can be used as a litmus test for whether your date has a sense of humour or is the kind of terrible person that prefers Grown Ups to a cinematic triumph like Happy Gilmore.

Pretty much if the “mister mister” lady getting crushed by a falling air conditioner doesn’t make your date laugh then the question of whether a second date is in the cards or not has already been answered.

As an added bonus, Happy Gilmore is currently available on Netflix Canada, so start working on tricking a family member into telling you their password now. Combine free entertainment with a willingness to get creative with the food choices and you can find yourself going on a successful date for the right price!

HITCH (2005) RACHEL WOOD - Ω PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Hitch is a classic rom-com with Will Smith starring as Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, a matchmaker for awkward, single men in the thick of Manhattan’s cutthroat dating world. His personal downfall? He’s constantly making a mess of his own love life, pursuing the girl of his dreams but consistently making a fool of himself.

Hitch is a great date night movie for couples looking to break the ice with a good laugh and relatable storyline for both parties. Chances are you’ve had at least one bad date in your life, so watching Hitchens’ failures will make your current date feel like the best one ever. Laughing together at the ridiculous situations doesn’t hurt either.

With its combination of witty humour, relatable scenes and subdued romance, Hitch is a surefire way to break the ice and share some laughs with your special someone.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) MARLYS KLOSSNER - Ω ARTS EDITOR

Mad Max is the perfect date movie because it’s a fun, unexpected pick, but also wellloved by the masses, so chances are your date will like it too.

Mad Max has comedy, loads of action and likable characters, and will keep you entertained without having to think too hard.

If your date is going poorly, at least people of all preferences will have some eye candy to take their mind off things, be it man, woman or machine.

If the date is going great and you get a little “distracted,” the plot is simple enough that you won’t miss anything crucial.

Without an over-the-top romance to live up to in the film, you can make your own.

If your date doesn’t approve of your movie choice, there probably shouldn’t be a second date anyway.

SCOTT PILGRIM vs. THE WORLD (2010) SEAN BRADY - Ω EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Picking a date night movie that stars Michael Cera – yeah, some might think that’s a risky move, but I stand by my choice. The film has an incredible cast (Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and more) and oozes with style.

There’s also the music, which was mostly written by Beck and performed by a number of artists, including Broken Social Scene, Metric, cast members themselves and Beck himself. For songs that were just made for a film, they’re all incredibly catchy and very well-produced and performed.

I had never read the comics that came before the film (and I still haven’t) but I feel like this is probably the best film based on comics ever made, and yes, that includes the modern run of endless high-budget superhero flicks.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is definitely an enchanting film best enjoyed with another.

NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994) JIM ELLIOT - Ω NEWS EDITOR

Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers is a bullet-riddled and blood-soaked vehicle for both a ham-fisted satire of the way the media portrays criminals and a love story more poignant than it has any right to be.

The film follows Mickey and Mallory Knox: attractive, young, murderous Bonnie and Clyde analogs who leave a trail of destruction across the American Southwest and become media darlings in the process.

Despite the heinous acts they commit throughout the film, Mickey and Mallory are portrayed as two profoundly damaged individuals who are incomplete without each other.

Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis star as Mickey and Mallory, with a strong supporting cast including Tom Sizemore, Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Downey Jr. The rapid-fire dialogue courtesy of a script

by Stone based on a story from Quentin Tarantino has the potential to fill any awkward first-date silences, but due to the film’s extreme violence it might be better to reserve this one for viewing with a longterm partner whose movie preferences you are familiar with.

THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981) ANNIE SLIZAK - Ω COPY EDITOR

What’s not to love about The Cannonball Run? If you or your partner haven’t seen this 1981 car racing film, go and find it immediately. It has cars that are both fun to look at and fun to watch crash, as well as a supercharged all-star cast.

The Cannonball Run isn’t exactly like others of its genre, for the simple reason that its main goal (as far as I’m concerned) was to be the most ridiculous spoof of other car racing movies. Mega-stars such as Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, Roger Moore and still others all appear in this film, and so many of them play parodic caricatures of other characters they have played.

The plot isn’t that difficult to follow, so you and your date don’t really have to pay attention (if you know what I mean), but make sure you look up every once in a while to catch a glimpse of some pretty cars and some pretty people doing some pretty stupid things.

COMICS & PUZZLES

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FEBRUARY 10, 2016

Undergraduate Research Experience Award (UREAP) program Receive a $4,500 scholarship to complete your own research project.

Deadline: Feb. 29, 2016 at 4 p.m. tru.ca/myresearch Puzzle of the Week #15—The Princess’s Mousies Her Royal Highness, Princess Precious Petunia Picky-Eater of That Comfy Chair is the proud owner of twelve toy mousies.

Some are white, some are brown, and some are red. She has bitten the tails off exactly one-half of them. There is at least one mousie in each of the six, possible combinations of colour and tail(less)ness. She has more white mousies than red mousies. The number of mousies of each colour is prime. If she has two tailless, brown mousies and more tailed, white mousies than that, how many tailed, white mousies does she have?

This contest is sponsored by the Mathematics and Statistics department. The full-time student with the best score at the end of the year will win a prize. Please submit your solution (not just the answer but also why) by noon next Wednesday to Gene Wirchenko (<genew@telus.net>). Submissions by others are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in my blog (http://genew.ca/). Come visit the Math Centre (HL304): we are friendly.

YOUR COMIC HERE WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR STUDENT CARTOONISTS. WHY NOT GIVE IT A SHOT? EMAIL EDITOR@TRUOMEGA.CA

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TRU Head Coach Scott Clark addresses his team during TRU’s 70–56 victory Saturday night. (Tristan Davies/Ω)

Cameron Doherty

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

CONTINUED (COVER)

“They are pretty good players, so they draw a lot of attention.

It’s hard for competing teams to deal with them in one-on-one situations, so lots of times they draw secondary defenders and other guys get shots because of that,” Clark said.

The common thread between the two standout performers for TRU, besides an uncanny ability to pile up points, is the fact that both Wolfram and Iegorov are highly versatile players that defy being placed into the standard definition of their positions.

The six-foot-10-inch-tall Wolfram, a Kamloops native that has excelled for the WolfPack

for the last two years, often finds himself playing in the paint as TRU’s inside presence.

While he is more than capable of banging down low, most of Wolfram’s points come from further out; his impressive speed for someone so tall allows him to get out from underneath the hoop and drag the other team’s largest defender into a speed mismatch in space that the defender has no chance of winning.

Like Wolfram, Iegorov is a player that does more than one thing out on the floor for the ‘Pack. Coming in at six-footseven-inches tall and weighing over 230 lbs., Iegorov is a player that has the size of a CIS power forward but the skill set of a small forward, allowing the ‘Pack to line him up at different positions and take advantage of

mismatches almost every time he is on the floor.

“They’re strong, tall and can rebound, there’s a lot to like there,” Clark said about his two offensive dynamos.

With four games left in the regular season TRU has already been named champions of the explorer division, something that not only gives TRU a division title banner to hang from the rafters of the TCC but also a bye straight through to the second round of the playoffs.

This is the third straight year that the team has qualified for the playoffs.

The WolfPack will get the chance to improve on their 14 and two record on Feb. 12 and 13, when they travel to Abbotsford to take on the second place University of the Fraser Valley Cascades.

TRU skaters represent Kamloops at nationals Cameron Doherty

SPORTS EDITOR Ω For Sylvie Lloyd and Thom Keijzer this past weekend was all about improvement and gaining experience. The two students from TRU competed at the junior Canadian long-track speed skating national championships in Winnipeg and had a successful weekend.

Lloyd competed in the 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m events. She had her greatest success in the shortest race of the weekend, the 500 m, in which she finished 21st out of the 42 skaters that competed. Lloyd, a bachelor of arts student, is on the ice at least four times a week and is a veteran when it comes to national championships. “My mom is a coach and she was a skater so I’ve been

doing it my whole life. I’ve been competing in national competitions for a few years so this is just another one,” Lloyd said.

Keijzer, meanwhile, competed in all of the events that he qualified for: the 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m and the 5,000 m. His best finish came in the 5,000 m race where he finished 20th and he doesn’t feel as though competing in so many events wore him down over the weekend.

“Well you get a two-hour break between races so it’s long enough and you come all the way to Winnipeg to skate, so you might as well do all the events,” Keijzer said.

Born in the Netherlands, Keijzer began skating at a young age and credits the prevalence of the sport in his home country with getting him involved. “I had five ovals within half-an-hour

from my house, so there are lots of ovals over there.”

Coach of the Kamloops Long Blades, Sandi Vyse was pleased with the skaters from TRU coming into the weekend, saying that while they may not be competing for race wins yet, it is constantly improving that is important.

Vyse said that Lloyd and Keijzer are “not in the top realm yet but they’re still developing,” and that the goal for them this weekend was to “keep improving and move up the rankings.”

While both of the skaters stressed the desire to go out on the ice and try their hardest, a personal best time was never really achievable for either of them due to the fact that the Winnipeg competition takes place outdoors and on a slower ice surface.

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

Thank goodness.

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

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

WolfPack clinch division title You don’t have to sit in Men’s basketball secures division title with four games left to play school to stand among greatness.

Kam Kam Film Film fest fest 2016 THE OMEGA

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$5 movie tickets

FEBRUARY 10, 2016

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exclusively for tru students!*

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victoria » March

Celebrating ♥ 20 Years

march 3–12, 2016

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at the Paramount theatre

$5 Pint / $12 Jug of festival beer anD 25% off one aPPetizer

with your film ticket.

tickets only available at * Discount the trusu Desk with a valiD uPass

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