Nov. 2, 2016

NO VACANCY

IT'S GONNA BE YUGE

AND BEARS, OH MY

No student housing coming in new buildings

Trump or Clinton – How would TRU vote?

Tough start for WolfPack volleyball

New developments on campus won't be aimed at providing more student housing • Page 2

We asked the campus community what they thought about the coming election • Page 7

Both men's and women's teams saw action last weekend • Page 11

OMEGA Ω THE

ISSUE NO. 09

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1991

NEW ISSUE EVERY WEDNESDAY · WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA · @TRU_OMEGA · FB.ME/TRUOMEGA

VOLUME 26

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

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

The momentum of TRU's Chamber Chorus and the future of music on campus

THE CHAMBER CHORUS The budding TRUSU club has an upcoming show on November 3 – p. 5

With one lonely music class that encompasses the entire music program at Thompson Rivers University, the TRUSU Chamber Chorus club is pushing for a more musical future. Now the group has an upcoming collaborative performance with Emily Millard, a Montreal-based art-folk singer on tour following the release of her album.

Tomas Bijok is the conductor for the TRUSU Chamber Chorus and instructor of TRU’s only music class.

“We’re always looking for new opportunities, and we’re really excited about this one because it’s a premiere tour,” Bijok said.

Bijok is an acclaimed performer in his own regard, having shared his music on an international scale. His experiences touring, travelling and growing as a performer lead him right back to Kamloops.

“I’m trained as an opera singer and I sang internationally based out of Prague for six years. I sang a lot with professional choruses and toured a lot. I did that work while I was in school, and outside of school as well. I wanted to bring that back to Kamloops – that level and caliber of singing,” Bijok said.

CONTINUED page 5

IT'S LIT

MBAS TCB IN YCD

Luminocity returns to Riverside Park

TRU takes the prize in B.C. MBA Games

Bi-annual art show is a bright light for the Kamloops arts scene • Page 8

TRU's B.C. MBA Games team made a good showing in Nanaimo • Page 4

NEWS

2

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

Student housing not included in new campus buildings New residential developments won't be aimed at providing students with a place to live Jared MacArthur STAFF WRITER Ω New housing developments on the Thompson Rivers University campus will not include any affordable student housing, according to Finlay Sinclair, president and CEO of the TRU Community Trust.

“We are not building a university.

We are not building student housing.

We are building a community,” Sinclair said.

The TRU Community Trust is the private development arm of Thompson Rivers University. Its goal is to build a community with vibrant retail, residential and commercial space called The Reach here on campus within the guidelines put forward by the campus master plan.

The trust’s website says that ideal buyers of the available units will be first-time homeowners or empty nesters. Sinclair said the units will be priced to match the average Kamloops market price for condos and apartments.

“It will be stratified and it will be at a market value that is affordable to Kamloops, or in line with the Kamloops market. If students wish to live there and there’s an opportunity, I’m sure they’ll have that ability,” Sinclair said.

According to a real estate market report by Canadian Real Estate Magazine, the average cost of a condo in Kamloops is $256,950 as of August 2016, while a B.C. Real Estate Association report on housing from August puts the average new home for sale in Kamloops at a market value of more than $341,000, which is projected to rise to $349,000 by 2017.

Tourism Kamloops says the median detached home price is $419,000.

Speaking to the housing developments at UBC, David Eby, the B.C. NDP housing critic and MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey, said that because of certain factors, UBC is not subject to the same inclusionary zoning rules as other institutions in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, and he says, “if they wanted to build nothing but market housing on long term leases they could do that and that’s obviously a problem.”

While UBC isn’t subject to the same inclusionary zoning restrictions that Vancouver is, it has, however, enforced its own rules for any new housing developments on campus grounds, which say that a developer must set aside a certain percentage of a building’s units as affordable housing aimed at accommodating those in the university community.

“Some of the things that UBC and SFU did, was try to build market rental housing into their development plans,” Eby said, or in other words, “rental housing for faculty and graduate students… [so] if they were doing 100 units of housing, 70 of them would be market housing and 30 of them would be subsidized in some way for the university community,” Eby said.

Because it is the TRU Community Trust constructing this new housing and not Thompson Rivers University itself, even if there was some regulation that universities must include student housing as a part of new housing development, Sinclair says the new housing development would not be affected by those regulations.

Concept art for TRU's new neighbourhood The Reach, which won't include new student housing. (The Reach) Eby also raised concerns that if TRU is not considering an inclusionary zoning strategy for this new private housing development, it would be of great concern, especially considering the current lack of student housing throughout the province.

“I would be surprised if TRU did not have some similar ratio,” Eby said.

“The idea is that for each ‘x’ number of units, a percentage of those are affordable to the community, and set aside for the community.”

Eby said he would encourage TRU to make sure a percentage of those units that they build would be

affordable to university community members because there is no other way that housing is going to get built.

A report called the Kamloops Affordable Housing Needs Assessment, released by the city of Kamloops on May 8, 2013, showed that in the 2010-11 academic year there were at least 3,812 housing units needed beyond what is offered on campus.

Currently there are 1,188 dwelling units available between Upper College Heights, the Residence & Conference Centre, and McGill Residence for the approximately 13,000 students on campus.

The wait lists are often long for on-campus housing, and for

students who opt to look to the broader community for housing, it forces students to commute long distances or rely on strained transit systems trying to accommodate the needs of university students and the broader community.

TRUSU Vice-President External Amber Storvold said in a brief email that, “student housing is an issue and it has been raised in the past, however the Students’ Union hasn’t submitted any proposals around student housing to the institution.”

The TRU Community Trust estimates it will develop more than three million square-feet of residential living space by the time the neighbourhood project is complete.

Restorative justice symposium returns to TRU Aboriginal reconciliation through restorative justice at the forefront of this years symposium Jared MacArthur STAFF WRITER Ω Next month, Thompson Rivers University will be holding its third annual Restorative Justice Symposium. The event will focus on using restorative justice to promote reconciliation with Aboriginal groups at TRU and in Canada.

Jeffrey Henley, a sessional lecturer in the school of social work and human service, will be speaking at the event along with Lisa Cooke, an assistant professor in the department of sociology and anthropology and Alana Abramson, who has spoken at past events and works closely with restorative justice.

The last two restorative justice symposiums TRU has held were all day events that touched on broader topics of restorative justice. Guest speakers included representatives of organizations who had been actively working with and practicing restorative justice, as well as individuals who had personally experienced the benefits of restorative justice.

The organizers of this year’s event decided to hold a smaller symposium to encourage people to attend.

An original painting being auctioned off at the upcoming Restorative Justice Symposium on Nov. 14. (Image TRU) “Our thought is that by scaling down the event and hosting it on a weekday evening, the symposium may be more accessible to people,” Cooke said.

Restorative Justice Week will be recognized across Canada and around the world this year starting

Nov. 20. There is a growing discussion around the need for the reconciliation of the injustices experienced

by Aboriginal peoples in Canada, and the need for our justice system to start applying these alternative justice strategies.

Being auctioned off at the event is

an original painting that represents aspects of restorative justice. It was created by a TRU student in the department of sociology and anthropology. All proceeds from the silent auction will be going to next year’s symposium.

“I would encourage anyone

interested in indigenous studies, social justice, criminology, law or indigenous-settler relationships in Canada to attend,” Cooke added.

The event will be free for all to attend and will run from 6 to 9 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14 at the Irving K. Barber Centre.

OPINION & EDITORIAL

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

3

Michel Curi/Flickr CC

Student loan changes are progress, but not a real solution Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω As of the first of November, changes to student loans in Canada mean that no one making less than $25,000 will have to make payments against their loan.

It’s progress, sure, but who is it really helping? It would seem that it only helps the most desperate of borrowers who make only a little bit more than minimum wage. It means that student loans won’t sink someone who is barely scraping by… but is that really good enough?

Another change coming into effect is that federal grant amounts increased by 50 per cent. An eligible student receiving the largest Canada Student Grant of $2,000 before would receive $3,000 now, which is certainly something that may ease borrowing in the years going forward.

While these are both good economic moves and signs of some progress, they stop short of being a solution to funding post-secondary education. Without meaningful and realistic repayment options, borrowers are still going to face some big payments after school.

As a minimum, $25,000 makes sense. Someone earning that much money should not be required to make loan payments… but what happens at $25,001? If you’re earning that much right out of school, it’s unlikely your next salary bump is going to take you to the level where you can pay the full amount.

So rather than going from requiring no payment to a full payment, there should be a sliding scale based on income. Top earners will naturally repay their loans the quickest, while low earners will take their time, easing the stress of trying to repay loans while living paycheque to paycheque.

Australia has a great model for this: their lower limit is $54,869 (C$55,977), at which point they’re required to pay four per cent of their income towards their loan. The percentage tops out at eight per cent for those earning $101,900 or above. Furthermore, all amounts are indexed to inflation, so they won’t go out of date as quickly. There is no mention by the government of doing the same for Canada, meaning if this $25,000 amount sticks, it could be below what a full-time minimum wage worker earns annually after just a few years.

So while I’m glad to see a government that has at least tried to address post-secondary funding in Canada, the proposed changes stop short of being a real solution.

We can only hope that the next federal budget includes even more changes to make post-secondary education more accessible. editor@truomega.ca

Ω

THE OMEGA STUDENT NEWSPAPER • PUBLISHED SINCE NOVEMBER 27,1991

Publisher and Board

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society TRU Campus, Old Main, OM2691 900 McGill Rd, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 0C8 Phone: 250-828-5069 Advertising inquiries: www.truomega.ca/advertise or email accounts@truomega.ca

Publishing Board

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF INDUSTRY REP FACULTY REP STUDENT REP STUDENT REP STUDENT REP

Sean Brady Christopher Foulds Charles Hays Wade Tomko Vacant Vacant

Letters Policy

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

Opinions expressed in any section with an “Opinion” label do not represent those of The Omega, the Cariboo Student Newspaper Society, its Board of Directors or its staff. Opinions belong only to those who have signed them.

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief Sean Brady Arts Editor Jennifer Will

Staff Writers Jared MacArthur Martin McFarlane Veronica Kos

Staff Photographer Marcela Arévalo Copy Editor Zain Bakhtiar

Contributors Distributor Jonathan Malloy

c fb.me/truomega d @TRU_Omega

f instagr.am/truomega Õ www.TRUOmega.ca

All material in this publication is copyright The Omega except where otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without the expressed consent of the publisher.

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

CONTRIBUTE

WRITE FOR US! We’re always looking for contributors.

If you’re interested in writing for us, make sure you check out our contributor guidelines found at:

truomega.ca/contribute First timer? Don’t worry – no experience is necessary and we’ll give you as much help as you need.

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

4

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

TRU victorious at B.C. MBA Games in Nanaimo TRU faced four other universities in case studies, fundraising, dodgeball and canoe races Martin McFarlane STAFF WRITER Ω A group of 21 TRU graduate students have come out on top of other schools in British Columbia’s second annual competition for MBA students.

The B.C. MBA Games, held from Oct. 21 to 23 at Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, featured a variety of competitions.

Competitors worked on case studies, did community fundraising and also competed in athletic activities including dodgeball and canoe racing. The teams came from TRU, VIU, UVic, UBC and SFU. Yash Thakker, TRUSU graduate student representative and member of this year’s winning team, said that the group feels ecstatic because they “put TRU on the map.”

“People didn’t know where TRU

was,” Thakker said, adding that they were given the opportunity to network with Bill McKay, mayor of Nanaimo.

This year, the community competition focused on supporting families with children fighting cancer, with the Childhood Cancer Foundation being their provincial partner. The keynote speaker for the event was Sportsnet anchor and cancer survivor Faizal Khamisa, who was diagnosed with cancer when he was 16.

In the fundraising competition, the TRU team raised more than one-third of the posted donations.

According to Thakker, of the $15,000 raised by the event, TRU contributed $6,500 thanks to the support of students and sponsors such as iTel Networks and ESL tutor Tacey Ruffner.

Last year, TRU’s team for the games came second with only a team of 12, coming in behind VIU.

Thakker believes that the reason TRU came out on top was because of more time for preparation this year, with practices starting two months ago.

“When you’re competing against SFU, VIU, UBC, UVIC, you’re tested to the next level especially when you’re in a course that is 11 years young,” Thakker said.

Shamir Mangalji and Steffi Thomas were team captain and co-captain and had led and organized the team over the past summer and fall.

Recalling the moment that TRU was announced the winner of the games, Mangalji described a scene of “black noise,” where students were jumping over chairs to hug each other and waved a TRU flag around the conference hall.

“We knew we had the talent to do it, but just finally hearing it come out just overwhelmed the both of us,” Mangalji said.

The entire MBA Games team gathered for a photo following the win. (Submitted)

Thomas said that it was a good opportunity for the team to apply what they had learned in classes outside of the safe atmosphere of the classroom.

Not only did the team have a variety of skills, but they had diverse backgrounds as well.

“We are a very diverse school.

We had 21 unique individuals and for all of us to come from all different walks of life was pretty cool,” Thomas said.

The team was composed of 16 international students and five domestic students representing eight countries.

Thakker, Mangalji and Thomas believe the support from faculty coach Nancy Southin was vital to their win.

“Nancy was a great coach,” Mangalji said. “Anything we needed, she would point us in the

right direction from fundraising, to accounting help, to spirit ideas.”

Southin believes that not only did the team win because of their preparation and effort put into the competition, but also because they never at any point thought that they could not win.

“They prepared, practiced, knew their strengths,” Southin said, adding that the win further proved that TRU can compete with schools in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

“It’s so exciting to see people who worked hard do well.”

Now that TRU holds the trophy, the university will be hosting next year’s B.C. MBA Games.

“It’s appropriate to have the games at the Tournament Capital,” Mangalji said.

VIU will be hosting the national MBA Games in 2017.

Campus talks pending Canada-EU trade deal Agreement is controversial, but economics professor believes it will greatly benefit Western Canada Martin McFarlane STAFF WRITER Ω A historic trade deal between Canada and the European Union is hanging on by a thread. Faculty here at TRU are split on whether or not Canada has a good deal.

The deal, called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), was signed on Oct. 30 by Justin Trudeau. But just a few days earlier, it was almost thrown out due to opposition by Belgium's Wallonia region who feared competition from cheaper Canadian beef and pork imports. The deal still has to be ratified by the European Parliament.

The agreement between Canada and the European Union will eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs.

According to Belayet Hossain, an associate professor in economics, CETA would also allow for not just tariff elimination, but has systems in place for better investment, government procurement and

regulatory cooperation. This differs from the agreement Canada has with Mexico and the United States through NAFTA, in that NAFTA focuses on tariff elimination and not other benefits offered by the European deal.

Hossain believes that the deal is good for Canada as it would give Canadians preferential access to a market of more than 500 million people. It will also diversify Canada’s trade, meaning the nation can rely less on the American market.

“Overall, the prairie provinces and B.C. benefit highly from this deal,” Hossain said, adding that the EU wants Canada’s forestry, seafood, minerals and agricultural products.

Hossain also believes that the agreement could potentially allow for more competition in the telecommunications sector, which is largely run by only three companies in Canada.

Although Hossain says it’s a beneficial agreement, there are concerns to be had, particularly with the domestic market on

cheese and wine.

“EU cheese and wine will enter the Canadian market,” Hossain said, potentially threatening wine producers and Quebec cheese.

Political science professor Derek Cook is skeptical about CETA, believing that the agreement will give corporations more power and the government less control.

“From the corporate perspective, these trade agreements are to tie the hands of government so that corporate profit-making interests are not obstructed by the will of the people interested in health or the environment,” Cook said via email.

The agreement would also mean that patent regulations in Canada will change to match European standards. Hossain said that while a patent made in Canada would automatically be protected in Europe, patents will remain in place longer than they have in the past. This is because the agreement allows for a two-year “patent term restoration” addition to patents, according to a report by the Canadian Centre for

Economics professor Belayet Hossain believes the CETA agreement will benefit the western provinces of Canada the most. (Photo TRU) Policy Alternatives.

According to the government of Canada, CETA will bring an extra $12 billion in revenue for Canada and increase trade by 20 per cent.

CETA has been in talks since

2009 and is Canada’s largest trade agreement since NAFTA. The EU is Canada’s second largest trading partner after the United States and has a combined GDP of almost $20 trillion.

NEWS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

5

The TRUSU Chamber Chorus rehearsing for their collaborative concert with Emily Millard. (Jennifer Will/The Omega)

A campus choir, and exploring the idea of music at TRU that would be subsequent courses to our current first year course.

The work that I have been doing ARTS EDITOR Ω in developing them is hopefully CONTINUED (COVER) just about to be approved. It has been years since we’ve been able to TRU only offers one music class, develop a single other music course taught by Bijok. here at this institution,” he said.

He said the TRUSU Choir Club Will Primrose, a second-year club got started when a group of chemical biology student and one students approached him, wanting of the group’s original members more music and to keep the mosays it’s unfortunate that TRU mentum going from what they had doesn’t have more options for learned in his class. musicians.

“Last year in October, a group “Science is what I’m working on of students approached me and as far as my major goes, but music asked, can we sing better than we has always been a passion of mine. can currently in the courses that With the amazing artistic comare being offered? So, I said ‘well munity we have in Kamloops, it’s why don’t we form a chamber unfortunate that we don’t have that chorus and form a professional much of a musical representation ensemble group?’ I said go do it, on campus,” Primrose said. and I will conduct you for free,” Primrose adds that the club has Bijok said. grown quite a bit since the group Bijok added that the club just started a year ago, going from 12 started as an outlet for those who members at the end of last April to wanted to sing and didn’t necessar30 members now. ily know how.

As one of the original “When we started, we were members, Primrose says that just people who wanted to he wants the club to keep "We have a lot of talent sing and didn’t really have any growing and getting bigger choral singing background,” after he graduates. However, here, and we have a lot Bijok said. he still holds out hope to see of people who really However, Bijok said that the club succeed before grad. now the group is taking on “The eventual goal would be want to grow," bigger aspirations in hopes to take this group and perform Tomas Bijok, TRUSU Chamber Chorus of creating a respectable and elsewhere in B.C., elsewhere in conductor and campus musician professional group on campus.

Canada and elsewhere in the “Even what we were able to world,” Primrose said. accomplish in the first year Emily Miller, a second-year was pretty impressive. What bachelor of arts student, is we are doing now is blowing another one of the group's my mind. Some of the sounds that University. That is what we are original members. She says she are coming out of the choir in redoing here,” Bijok said. joined the club to help her expand hearsal, they are not always there, Bijok adds that creating more her knowledge and become more but they are sounds that come out music classes, and hopefully one in tune with her inner musician. of professional ensembles. That’s day a full-on program, has been his “I wanted to further my vocal the kind of work that I’m trying to goal for a long time. capacity, in the sense of growing as do here with the chamber chorus.

“For the past three years I have a person and an artist,” Miller said.

It’s my dream to eventually have been working on curriculum devel“Music is also good for the soul. a music program at TRU that can opment for two new music courses, It’s nice, amongst your heavy

Jennifer Will

produce professional performers,” Bijok said.

With a lack of a music program to cultivate professional performers, the chamber chorus is taking on the responsibility.

“I think that it’s long overdue, and putting the chamber chorus together was a step [towards] demonstrating what we can do with our existing student body. We have a lot of talent here, and we have a lot of people who really want to grow,” Bijok said.

As for the choir’s future, Bijok sees hope for the upcoming years in helping students go pro before graduation day.

“I would like to see the TRU chamber chorus as a unit continue to grow and develop. To become more selective in its membership, to take on far greater challenges and I’d like to see them go on tour.

That is the goal, to have a professional ensemble that is associated with the name of Thompson Rivers

course load, to have a course where you can sing, and be able to express yourself. It’s nice for students to have a place where they can grow as people, as musicians and build a musical community on campus. I think it's really important.”

The club is spearheading the lack of music at the university, and is on the way to making more music for future students. Miller says that the

chamber chorus is here to stay.

“I hope people get the idea that this is a serious group and pay a little more attention to us,” Miller said.

The TRUSU Chamber Chorus will be performing alongside Emily Millard and Aerialists on Nov. 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. at St. Andrews on the Square. Tickets are $15 each or $10 for students.

“

Tomas Bijok conducts the TRUSU Chamber Chorus and teaches TRU's sole music class. (Marcela Arévalo/The Omega)

NEWS

6

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

TRU seeks to restore Astronomy Walk Model of the solar system and beyond spanned hundreds of kilometres before being removed Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Planning is underway to restore Thompson Rivers University’s Astronomy Walk, a signed tour route that once stretched from Old Main all the way to Merritt and beyond.

The tour was made up of the sun, nine planets (including Pluto), a nearby star and several galaxies.

It was officially opened in 2006 – an event that included an acknowledgement by sci-fi author and inventor Arthur C. Clarke, who supplied a recorded message that was played at the tour’s launch. A viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Clarke wrote with Stanley Kubrick, followed the launch.

The walk started just outside of Old Main, with the distances between planets to scale, stretching all the way across campus.

Beyond campus was Proxima Centauri near the Millennium Trail on the North Shore, Leo I and II in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House, the Large Magellanic Cloud in Ashcroft, the Small Magellanic Cloud in Merritt and Ursa Minor in Chase.

“It’s one thing to learn facts and figures about the universe, but

quite another to actually experience the scales involved. This is where the Astronomy Walk makes a big difference: it gives us a sense of perspective as nothing else can,” said Clarke via a message he recorded at home in Sri Lanka played at the 2006 launch of the event.

Although the walk began with great fanfare, it soon fell into disrepair. By 2014, many of the planets and features were cracked or broken, some were vandalized and some were completely missing.

The surviving features on campus were removed earlier this year, but plans are underway to restore the walk to what it once was.

Brandon Dallamore of TRU Facilities has been working with science faculty to come up with a plan for a new Astronomy Walk.

“We’re looking to tie-in students to help us design the best locations for the new planets. Maybe some arts students to help us design them – hopefully something sustainable that would last for a long time,” Dallamore said.

The group met for the first time on Oct. 20.

“We really look forward to having it back. The science

The cracked Sun, a part of the now-removed Astronomy Walk that was launched in 2006. (Adam Williams photo) faculty was a bit dismayed when we had to get rid of it, but then they took a closer look and realized it was pretty decrepit,” he said.

The group has started with

a small budget and is seeking further funding through various university departments.

Although planning is still in the very early stages, the current timeline will see the project

completed by summer 2017.

Students interested in contributing ideas or research to the project can contact Brandon Dallamore at bdallamore@tru.ca to express their interest.

Students voice concern over parking crunch We hit up the parking lots on campus to hear from students about upcoming changes Veronica Kos STAFF WRITER Ω In the spring of 2017, the university will begin construction of new residential housing developments here on campus. This new space will be built on what is currently the student parking lot behind Old Main, one of the most frequently used parking lots on campus. These buildings are part of the campus master plan that seeks to expand and improve TRU’s campus space over the next 60 years.

However, many students worry that the newest construction plans will cause a big inconvenience to them on a daily basis, and for little return.

To find out what students thought, we caught up with them in the parking lot to hear what they had to say.

Caitlyn Childs, a second-year biology student, says that student parking is already in high demand.

“It’s pretty bad, especially in the mornings. If you come between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. you’re almost guaranteed to not get a spot anywhere close to your building.”

Samantha Hayes, a fourthyear student of Journalism, has similar claims, stating that even earlier than 8:30 a.m. is

“a struggle” when trying to find parking.

Adam Elwakeel has missed classes because of it.

“I was here half an hour early and still couldn’t find a spot,” Elwakeel said.

When asked about what students thought of the new construction plans, many had mixed feelings.

Childs stated that she looks forward to the new buildings, but thought that taking away so many student parking spots in the process doesn’t seem very efficient.

“There is space in Lot N right now, but if you displace these, that one will be full and there won’t be any parking left.”

Tristian Jones, a first-year law student, was quite passionate about the matter, stating that he has seen issues like these at other universities. His biggest concern in particular was about parking passes. He is doubtful the university will adjust and decrease the amount they plan to sell to students.

“Selling overlapping permits is really frustrating,” Jones said.

“It’s borderline immoral because the university is making so much profit [at students’ expense]. I guarantee they’re not going to decrease the amount of permits they sell.”

Jones believes that the

university should take action and try to find solutions for this inconvenience.

“Ideally they should encourage people who are living on campus to not bring vehicles and facilitate some kind of incentive for people to bus or bike to school.

The fact that it costs less isn’t much of an incentive in this city where it takes 10 minutes by car and northwards of 20 minutes by bus. Having to wait for specific bus arrival and departure time as well… it’s just a huge lack of convenience,” Jones said.

The university said it plans to announce changes to parking in January, but it hasn’t elaborated on what those plans are.

> Adam Elwakeel (top right) says that he's missed classes because parking is so hard to find sometimes. > Samantha Hayes agrees, and says it's often a stuggle to find a space.

NEWS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

7

Trump vs. Clinton – how would TRU vote?

Veronica Kos STAFF WRITER Ω This year’s U.S. presidential election has been, to say the least, one of the most colourful yet. With new stories and scandals about each candidate being brought at the forefront by the media, Canada is always hearing about the latest from their southern neighbour. It’s hard to not have strong opinions about either candidate.

With Election Day looming, we caught up with people on campus to ask for their thoughts.

Vladimir Ivanovich, a first-year student of computer science says Donald Trump is “selfish,” and “egocentric.” Ivanovich said he was personally offended by Trump’s racist comments towards Mexican immigrants, which started back in 2015 and have continued since, as Ivanovich is Mexican himself.

When asked about Hillary Clinton, Ivanovich said at least she was “better than Trump.”

Ben Markwick, a first-year student of engineering said Trump was “like a child trying to run for president. He’s just a joke.”

Whereas Clinton, “could be a terrible presidential candidate, but I wouldn’t know because Donald Trump is that much worse.”

Overall, Markwick stated neither

option was very appealing.

Alex Spice, also a first-year engineering student said, “she’s not the best candidate ever, but next to Donald Trump she looks pretty good.”

However, some staff on campus don’t see Clinton the same way.

Elizabeth Rennie, one of the librarians at TRU says she thinks Clinton is “incredibly qualified for the position. I don’t necessarily agree with every aspect she is about, but she has a plan.”

Rennie adds that she is more concerned about the “level of discourse and the kind of opposition in the environment that is going to be left, even after the election is over,” referring to the many American citizens that have been very vocal about their loyalty to Trump.

Allister Grapes, a fourth-year psychology major said he recognizes the reasoning behind Trump supporters.

“I understand the perspective where he is outside of the establishment. I am personally inclined to agree with a lot of the voters who are supporting him in saying that there is something seriously wrong with the election. However, as a person, he is not a good idea for the United States. If I were to pick an anti-establishment candidate, he would be my last pick,” Grapes said.

The United States Presidential Election will be held on Nov. 8. (Photos Gage Skidmore and Michael Vadon) Mark Wallin, a dual-citizen and professor here at TRU, has a unique view of the election from both an American and Canadian perspective.

“I think [Donald Trump] would be a disastrous president,” he said.

Polling shows that a Clinton

presidency is likely, however, so Wallin doesn’t think Trump’s presidency would become an issue. Instead, he highlights the problems of conservatism in the United States.

“Donald looks to be fragmenting the Republicans, and the system

isn’t conducive to a fragmented ideological system.

“Hillary isn’t my ideal candidate, but she is significantly more qualified than the alternative,” Wallin said.

The U.S. presidential election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

TRU Marketing Association invites you to hear from Aleece Laird From Bohdana Bakurova, TRU Marketing Club member and marketing student: Once sitting at the desks of Thompson Rivers University, now Aleece Laird has a successful career in Marketing. Having graduated from TRU in 1998, she has already achieved the career some might only dream about. She is also actively involved in the Kamloops community.

Aleece Laird has become a role model not only for those working in marketing, but also for everybody who is looking to build a successful business career and at the same time contribute to society and enjoy their personal free time.

Laird is going to visit TRU and tell the story of her success. She will outline the challenges she faced in the beginning of this path and share her experience of working for different marketing companies. She will also share her secrets of time and task management and talk about how she balances her life.

Aleece was excited when we asked her to give a speech to students. Not only is she going to talk about her life, but also a big part of the event will be dedicated to her recommendations for those who are considering working in branding, promotion and advertising.

The event will take place on Friday, November 4, at 12:30 pm, in Barber Centre in Brown Family House of Learning. Come and meet one of the most successful TRU graduates!

UPPER COLLEGE HEIGHTS Located at 704 McGill Road, Kamloops, B.C. (Across the street from TRU & Superstore) Our office is open Monday to Friday from 9am-1pm & 3pm-5pm. Come in & view our Show Suite on site! *Discounted Summer Student Rooms available for immediate rental May 2 –Aug 5/16 only $1075 *Fall/16 & Winter/17 semester (Sept 1/16 to April 21/17) $3800 (*plus $250 security deposit).

For payment due dates and more information please visit our website www.uppercollege.com Email: uch@uppercollege.com. Phone: (250) 372-0207 during office hours

HOUSING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES FOR 25 YEARS!

ARTS

8

Light up the night with Luminocity Wander in the dark to discover a variety of light projections scattered throughout the city Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω Luminocity is a nine-day event showcasing video projections, new media work and public events. The event is hosted by the Kamloops Art Gallery every two years and is curated

by Charo Neville. It is brought together by 20 different local artists, showcasing works from artists like Monica McGarry, Pascal Grandmaison, Lynn Marsh, Matt Smith and many more.

Events begin after dark, with different projections and features sprinkled throughout Kamloops’ downtown core. Auxiliary Glow takes place on four of the nine nights and closes the entire festival on Nov. 5, featuring an Edmonton exposé on the closing night.

Auxiliary Glow is a collection of art installations, all put together in Riverside Park. The event has several clips from art house inspired films along with large scale projects. The works displayed in the park all vary in presentation and style but are similar in their sense of despondency.

Auxiliary Glow features a piece called The Deep Dark by artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett. The piece is composed of a series of lit-up

doors, with the intent of illuminating the space between life and death. It explores what is on the other side after we cross over from our world to the next. This is shown by the use of artificial light juxtaposed against nature and the dark night. As people walk through the exhibit, they will notice these doors looming in the distance, awaiting them.

The festival is an unique way to present art outside of the regular walls of the gallery. It looks to embrace the urban environment that Kamloops has to offer, and to use each space to its fullest potential, from projections on trees in Riverside Park to installations in shop windows.

The events work to encompass a variety of media forms that would leave almost any pedestrian in complete awe.

Luminocity takes inspiration from other popular public art events across the world, particularly from events like Nuit Blanche, which has been recreated by many different cities and is a night time art festival that uses the host city as its venue to create an one big performance piece.

Luminocity kicked off on Oct. 28 and runs until Nov. 5. A list of events can be found on the Kamloops Art Gallery’s website.

All nine of the events presented in Luminocity are free to the public.

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM Campus & Community Radio Kamloops, B.C. Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to October 27, 2016 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist 1) Tanya Tagaq* - Retribution (Six Shooter) 2) July Talk* - Touch (Sleepless) 3) Harrison Brome* - Fill Your Brains (Nettwerk) 4) Peppermoth* - Now You Hear Me (Big Mind) 5) Preoccupations* - Preoccupations (Flemish Eye) 6) Royal Canoe* - Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit (Nevado) 7) Michael Kaeshammer* - No Filter (Independent) 8) Crystal Castles* - Amnesty (I) (Last Gang) 9) Tracy K* - What's the Rush? (Independent) 10) Boreal Sons* - You and Everyone (Independent) 11) Snowblink* - Returning Current (Outside) 12) Hidden Roots Collective* - Come Up, Honey (Independent) 13) The Wolfe* - The Wolfe (Independent) 14) Bear Mountain* - Badu (Last Gang) 15) Joseph - I'm Alone, No You're Not (ATO) 16) Coco Love Alcorn* - Wonderland (Independent) 17) Delhi 2 Dublin* - We're All Desi Remixed (Westwood) 18) Tropic Harbour* - Glowing Eyes (Independent) 19) Jojo Worthington* - Two Lines (Epoch Tapes) 20) The Trackmarks* - Planet Anarchy (Independent) 21) Charlotte Day Wilson* - CDW (Independent) 22) Empire Associates* - Legacy of Light (Independent) 23) The O'Pears* - Like Those Nights (Independent) 24) Taylor Holden* - Home (Independent) 25) TUNS* - TUNS (Royal Mountain) 26) Okkervil River - Away (ATO) 27) The Distillery* - The Distillery EP (Independent) 28) Royal Red Brigade* - On Crimson Shores (Independent) 29) Brendan Canning* - Home Wrecking Years (Arts and Crafts) 30) K-Man and the 45s* - K-Man and the 45s (Stomp)

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

ARTS

9

COMICS & PUZZLES

10 Puzzle of the Week #8 — Snakes Snakes are not so darling to most of us, but may well be prone to disappearing. They went off to find some place warm. You have been busy trying to find them.

There are ten of them. Some have red bands, some yellow, and some blue. They each have at least one colour of bands and maybe more. There are no more than three snakes of any colour combination. There is at least one snake of each one-colour combination, and all one-colour combinations have a different number of snakes.

There are seven snakes which have either red or yellow banding (or both), but not all three colours.

There are six snakes which have either red or blue banding (or both), but not all three colours.

There are five snakes which have either yellow or blue banding (or both), but not all three colours.

The highly-poisonous red-yellow-and-blue-banded variety is commonly misunderstood and just wants to be left alone.

In this case, alone with your aquarium where it is warm, and there are fish to chow down.

How many of the red-yellow-and-blue-banded snakes are there?

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.

SUDOKUBREAK 9 6

1 2

1

8

9

2

8

7

4 3

4

6 9 8

2

6 3

8 3

2

5

6

7

4 2

8

8

1

4

5

2 9 4

YOUR COMIC HERE WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR STUDENT CARTOONISTS. WHY NOT GIVE IT A SHOT? EMAIL EDITOR@TRUOMEGA.CA

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

SPORTS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

11

Volleyball teams pounced on by Bears and Pandas Highly ranked visiting University of Alberta teams spoil the WolfPack's home openers Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω The visiting men’s and women’s teams from the University of Alberta (the Golden Bears and Pandas respectively) made the WolfPack volleyball teams’ opening weekend a tough one, with both losing to the University of Alberta.

The start of the season for the men was a tough one: the visiting Golden Bears are ranked number one in the U Sports (formerly CIS) top 10. The men lost 3-0 in sets, but managed to keep the game somewhat close, losing 25-23, 25-16 and 25-15.

TRU’s Tim Edge had seven kills in 16 chances, an ace serve and one dig. Daniel Eikland Rod had six kills in 21 swings, an ace seven digs.

“I think we knew that our middles would be a strong offensive force. I thought Tim (Edge, 3rd year, outside hitter, Langley, BC) did a good job, especially in that last set. He was our only pulse. He does a good job of

understanding who he is as a player,” said Mike Hawkins, TRU’s interim head coach.

In their second game, the men kept it even tighter, going 3-1 in sets in Saturday’s game against the Golden Bears. They went 25-18, 18-25, 25-17 and 27-25.

Tim Edge topped the scoring once again, delivering 11 kills in 25 chances with a dig and a block assist.

“After the way things went last night, it would have been really easy to come into tonight and expect the same result. For a young team we showed a lot of resolve. Even though they jumped on us in the first set, we did a great job bouncing back.

It was a pretty good brawl,” Hawkins said.

The women were up against a similar challenge: the Pandas are ranked number two in U Sports.

Unfortunately, the women saw similar results, too, losing 3-2 in their first game and 3-0 in their second.

On Friday’s game, the women came out swinging with a strong first set, winning it 25-13, but

the Pandas came back to win the next two 25-19 and 25-18. The third was the closest bout of the night, with TRU losing 24-26. The tiebreaker set went to the Pandas, 16-14.

“They came back like we knew they would in the second and the third. In the fourth, we did a good job pushing back. They had a lead and could have closed out the match but we scored a couple of big points. We let it go in the fifth,” said Chad Grimm, head coach for TRU. In their second game, the women came out strong again but let it slip away. They lost their first set 25-23, their second 25-11 and their third 25-12.

“There is going to be some ups and downs. Obviously last night was a difficult one. We had hoped that we could regroup and let that go. We did for the first set and then after that we kind of lost it,” Grimm said.

The women are back in action on Friday, Nov. 4 to face the Brandon University Bobcats in Brandon, Man, in back-to-back games.

TRU's Tim Edge up over the net at this weekend's games. (TRU Athletics)

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 0–2–0

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL 0–2–0

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL* 3–6–0

Next game: Nov. 4, Brandon, Man.

Next game: Nov. 4, Brandon, Man.

Next game: Nov. 4, TCC (season opener)

MEN’S BASKETBALL* 2–2–0

MEN’S SOCCER 6–9–1

WOMEN’S SOCCER 1 – 12 – 0

Next game: Nov. 4, TCC (season opener)

Season ended

Season ended

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

* DENOTES EXHIBITION REORD

THE OMEGA

12

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

Nov 17th at 6PM

in the TRUSU Lecture Hall details at trusu.ca/events

Need a study space?

Book rooms in the TRUSU Building online

trusu.ca/bookaroom

Grant Information Sessions Find out more about how you can apply for funding at attend a conference, host an event, or hold an on-campus lecture!

• Conference Grants - Nov 23 at 4PM • Event Grants - Nov 24 at 4PM details at trusu.ca/events trusu.ca

/TRUStudentsUnion

@TRUSU15

@TRUSU15