11.5 MINUTES FOR A DOUBLE DOUBLE?
RARIN' TO GO
ON STAGE
Stuck in line for food? Consider the options
Ski and snowboard club ready to shred
Mamma Mia! reviewed
We figured out how long you'll be waiting in line at some popular TRU food service locations • Page 5
TRUSU Out Here club looking to expand this year and increase offerings to students • Page 4
Western Canada Theatre production brings a lot of life to the stage • Page 6
OMEGA Ω THE
ISSUE NO. 13
THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1991
NEW ISSUE EVERY WEDNESDAY · WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA · @TRU_OMEGA · FB.ME/TRUOMEGA
VOLUME 26
NOVEMBER 30, 2016
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JINGLING ALL THE WAY The fourth annual TRU Society of Law Students Santa Run was held on Friday, Nov. 25. Students stripped down and braved the cold to raise money for the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation. Photos Marcela Arévalo/The Omega
OFF THE STREET
CALM SEAS
RIDEALONG
Working to alleviate youth homelessness
A day in the life: Ocean the therapy dog
TRU Rideshare recruiting riders
Kamloops organization working to bring homeless youth in off the streets • Page 4
The story of Ocean, a therapy dog who helps her owner and everyone else she meets • Page 9
The TRU Rideshare program is looking for riders – interested? • Page 6
NEWS
2
NOVEMBER 30, 2016
TRU Rideshare program still trying to fill seats Since the carpooling registrations and stalls have been removed, TRU’s new rideshare program will be a more efficient option Jared MacArthur STAFF WRITER Ω The TRU Rideshare program is going is pushing for registration numbers in order to get the program up and running. In response to the need for an transportation alternative and the decommissioning of the TRU Carpooling programs, the TRU Rideshare network brings students, faculty, staff and alumni together around a common interest for alternative transportation. Brandon Dallamore works in the department of facilities and services at the university, and is currently running the TRU Rideshare program. “Carpooling parking spots don’t exist anymore, and that was because, largely, we couldn’t regulate it. So, people would come in with their roommates and sign-up, and then after that we would just see them coming in on their own.” Because the stalls couldn’t be monitored all the time, Dallamore said it was easier to just get rid of them altogether. “We had quite a good success when we first launched this last spring, but then we had some technical issue around emails and we had to step back,” said James Gordon, environmental programs and research coordinator with TRU’s sustainability department. “We had to pull back and now we’re restarting the whole thing.” Dallamore said the platform being used for the new TRU Rideshare is one that universities across Canada are using with great success, a platform recommended by TRUSU. A TRUSU parking survey revealed there was concern around
Omega staffers Jared MacArthur and Martin McFarlane along with Miranda Pham get a sense for what it's like to share your ride. (Jared MacArthur/Ω) the issue of parking and carpooling, Dallamore said. In response TRU facilities started using the “Ride Shark” platform to make carpooling more accessible for students, faculty and staff by getting the system online. The structure of the program is similar to that of an Uber account, where personalized member accounts match members schedules and locations with other members registered with TRU Rideshare.
Accounts can be made from a computer or phone and individuals can set up rides to pretty much any destination, not just to and from campus. For example, if someone was trying to get to Sun Peaks for the day, using TRU Rideshare can help them connect with someone making the same trip and travel together. In order to register an account, members must be associated with the university in some way, which
Dallamore believes brings a level of security to the platform, unlike Kijiji or Facebook forums that offer similar carpooling opportunities. The benefits, Dallamore says, are more than just economic and he believes there is also a great social aspect to the carpooling initiative, that connects TRU students, staff, faculty and alumni in the Kamloops area. But, without the registration process, the system is not as
efficient and those connections aren’t going to be made. The program, in order to really reveal its benefits, needs to reach a certain “critical mass” in order to frequently match registered members with each other. “You need that critical mass so that there’s lots of options for rides. You know if there’s only a dozen people and there is no one going in the direction you’re going, then you’re out of luck,” Gordon said.
Literacy grant draws criticism of B.C. government Grant for community associations leaves TRUFA concerned for Adult Basic Education funding Martin McFarlane STAFF WRITER Ω A grant for community literacy programs has received criticism from the TRU faculty association, who believes that Adult Basic Education should be expanded instead. The Ministry of Advanced Education announced on Nov. 18 that TRU will be receiving a one-time grant of $256,732 for adult literacy programs. The funding is part of a $2.4million package that is being distributed across the province to support adult literacy programs in 85 communities. TRU’s role in the program is to administer the funds and allocate them to those that apply for funding. The adult literacy programs are not operated by the university, but are run by various community organizations to aid
adults in improving their basic reading and math skills. One of the programs in Kamloops applying for funding from TRU’s literacy grant fund is Street School, which also uses its literacy program to connect marginalized members of the community with support services. The grant will go towards partially funding the salary of the program’s outreach worker. According to Peter Grinberg, coordinator of the Street School program, between 400 to 450 students are seen annually, with about 30 students graduating per year. The program is supported by both paid teachers from School District No. 73 and volunteers, who are often retired teachers. The one-time funding based on programs that rely on volunteers has made some people skeptical, including TRU’s faculty association president Tom Friedman. Friedman has concerns with the
funding and the decision to target volunteer programs instead of expanding the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. “TRU used to be funded by the ministry to allow a literary coordinator for our region to assess needs, especially in smaller regional communities, and coordinate the delivery of ABE courses in such centres as Lillooet, Clearwater, Lytton and Merritt,” Friedman said in an email, adding that the funding for that position ended several years ago. “As a result, TRU offers very few opportunities to bring much-needed ABE, especially in reading, writing and math areas, to the region’s communities.” The president of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), the union that TRUFA is a local of, criticized the government for reducing literacy support to a “hodge-podge of literacy programs
in church basements.” “It would be far better to fund institutions for these things,” said George Davison, president of the FPSE. Davison also criticized the government for having low engagement with faculty and student unions in regards to funding issues. Adult Basic Education was made tuition-free in 2007. Any student looking to complete their high school diploma or to take upgrading courses in order to enter a post-secondary program had their tuition costs covered by the provincial government. On May 1. 2015, the government made changes to ABE, making students pay tuition again, if they have already received a high school diploma and wanted to upgrade courses. Instead of the whole program being tuition-free, grants were made available to low-income students for upgrading.
Brittany Stevens/Flickr CC
Other community centres that will be receiving funding for literacy programs include the Elizabeth Fry Society, Yellowhead Community Services Society, Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy Society and the Lillooet Area Library Association.
OPINION & EDITORIAL
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Source: B.C. Coroners Service report – Illicit Drug Overdose Deaths in BC January 1, 2007 – October 31, 2016
Alarm over fentanyl deserves serious response – so does the underlying problem that enables it Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Christy Clark has an obvious interest in combatting B.C.’s fentanyl problem. On Monday, she said it was going to become “an unstoppable plague in this country.” That’s a big, dramatic statement, but there are a lot of indications that she’s right. Clark wants the federal government to declare the fentanyl crisis a national health emergency. Other ideas to combat the drug’s spread include the banning of pill presses and working with China to curb the drug’s import. So far, however, the biggest response to fentanyl has been direct and reactive, in the form of the live-saving emergency drug naloxone, administered by workers and volunteers on the front lines. Last week, Kamloops–North Thompson MLA and B.C. health minister Terry Lake spoke with Kamloops This Week and said that because this is still a bigger problem
in the west, and not in Ontario, that federal action might not be as prompt. It’s a pretty cynical idea, but likely true, too. Long before government began taking action on the matter, community support groups and activists were sounding off, warning of an epidemic that had already arrived, including here in Kamloops. According to a B.C. Coroner’s Service report, in 2016, Kamloops has seen 31 overdose deaths as of the end of October. That’s more than four times the city’s average of 7.2 per year over the past nine years. Fentanyl has made its mark in a big, bad way, and people are dying at an unprecedented rate. To address the issue, Interior Health is considering mobile safe injection sites for both Kamloops and Kelowna, although the Kamloops site probably won’t be testing drugs for fentanyl – that’s only done in the lower mainland as part of a research project. Even TRU has addressed fentanyl,
providing information on the Wellness Centre page on its website. Georgia Straight reporter Travis Lupick has been covering fentanyl since its arrival in Vancouver. Over the weekend, he interviewed a woman who had just administered naloxone and saved a man’s life at an unsanctioned safe-injection site tent in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “People know that there are very strong drugs out there. It’s society that has let these people down. These people are here not because they want to be, they’re here because of not knowing how to cope, not having a place to live, not having somebody to care about them,” she said. Her message serves as a reminder that beneath this crisis is another that fentanyl has covered up, and that although we might stop this drug from killing people, it’s difficult to consider the idea that once the numbers go back down we’ll feel like we’ve really solved the problem. editor@truomega.ca
Ω
THE OMEGA STUDENT NEWSPAPER • PUBLISHED SINCE NOVEMBER 27,1991
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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
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Contributors Jonathan Malloy
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Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Omega will attempt to publish each letter received, barring time and space constraints. The editor will take care not to change the intention or tone of submissions, but will not publish material deemed to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. Letters for publication must include the writer’s name (for publication) and contact details (not for publication). The Omega reserves the right not to publish any letter or submitted material. 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.
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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:
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NEWS
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NOVEMBER 30, 2016
Ski and snowboard club stepping it up for the new season Students already hyped for the season can save some money and join other students on the slopes this year Jared MacArthur STAFF WRITER Ω What started as a concept for a class project in the fall of 2015 has turned into a campus subculture around a common passion for shredding slopes blanketed with snow. The TRUSU Out Here ski and snowboard club will be expanding this year and putting together trips to Sun Peaks, Revelstoke and Whistler. Myles Williamson, Carmen Ruiz, Julia Thrift and two others drew up a communications plan and website for the ski and snowboard club last year for a communications course here at TRU. But, soon after the project started, it became more than just an idea according to Williamson and Thrift. They decided to take the class project a step further and present the club’s plan to the Sun Peaks marketing department, who were sold on the idea. Out Here ski and snowboard club was able to secure deals with Sun Peaks for special rates on rooms and lift ticket packages for the “Night of the Living Shred” events. This year there will be only one or two events up at Sun Peaks, as the club plans to expand its reach and travel to new mountains resorts like Revelstoke and Whistler.
The club has already been fundraising to make the trips more accessible. The Canadian Ski Patrol ski swap brought in almost $400 and the latest fundraising concert at Padlock studios raised more than $1,500 and drew a crowd of about 120 people. “Skiing is a hard sport to afford. It’s expensive to get to the mountain, expensive for the equipment, expensive to just ride for the day for a day pass and if you’re trying to stay the night it’s next to impossible for a student. So that’s what I’m trying to do with the club, is make it more accessible for students,” Williamson explained. Sun Peaks has made a deal to allow the club to sell tickets at student rates of $65 per lift-ticket, compared to the average student rate of $77. Another campus club, the TRUSU Adventure U Club has partnered up with Out Here. “It’s based around the big events, but what I’m trying to do is partner with Adventure U on this and have Thursday nights at Harper Mountain. So, it’s affordable, plus splitting the cost of the bus between 20 people will keep the cost pretty low,” Williamson said. Students can’t sign-up, per se,
Out Here ski and snowboard club students getting air in the terrain park at Sun Peaks. (Submitted)
for the ski and snowboard club but those who’ve registered their email with the club will be notified of any events or trips being planned. “I always keep it relaxed, because a lot of clubs try to have a sign-up fee. Other ski and snowboard clubs like SFU and UBC, you pay like $20 at the start
of the season, maybe more,” Williamson said. There are also plans in the works right now for a big air competition to be held here at TRU put on by the Out Here ski and snowboard club in partnership with Red Bull and Sun Peaks. The competition would be put on in front of the HOL, CAC
and International buildings, and would have local snowboarders and skiers competing in it. The forecasted season couldn’t be better for the club, that saw a decent season last year but all-inall wasn’t anything to write home about. It is predicted that we will see heavy snowfall throughout the winter months across B.C.
Providing A Way Home for homeless youth in Kamloops Veronica Kos STAFF WRITER Ω The first homeless youth count in Kamloops is being conducted this year with the results expected to be public in February. “In 2013 there was a survey done and they identified 292 youth experiencing homelessness,” said Katherine McParland, a youth homelessness manager with Interior Community Services and the creator of A Way Home. “In the same year a street survey identified 20 youth who were sleeping outside every night.” It isn’t easy to determine the exact number of homeless youth, however Stan Dueck, the executive director of New Life Community said, “in a lot of cases they may be homeless, but either couch surfing or staying with friends on and off. They’re a lot harder to find.” Often when youth age out of foster care at the age of 19, they find themselves with nowhere else to go and end up on the streets. Although Kamloops has services for these young people, the organizations were fragmented in their structure, making it difficult for them to receive all the different services needed. McParland has dealt with the situation first hand. “As a youth, I grew up in foster care and when I turned 19 I aged out of the system,” McParland said. “At 19, the system shuts the
door on youth. They lose their housing and are just given papers for income assistance. Over 3/4 of these youth end up homeless,” McParland said. At a young age, McParland had to resort to a life on the streets. While doing so, she reconnected with 30 other foster siblings to find that they were in similar situations. Realizing this was not an individual fault and instead a failure of the system, she knew something needed to be done. Years laters, after finding housing and graduating from TRU with a Human Service diploma and bachelor’s degree in social work, McParland gathered a group of professionals together to start discussing possible changes. At this time the city of Kamloops was also one of five communities chosen all across Canada to receive funding for a youth homeless plan. With the city’s action plan and McParland’s group of passionate individuals, A Way Home was created. Since then, it has skyrocketed. Launched in May 2015, the organization has housed 92 kids aged 13 to 24. Their success can be credited to a completely new approach. Instead of having several agencies with individual services, A Way Home has combined these organizations to work together in helping homeless youth. As a result, the organization is split up into different sectors offering prevention,
Katherine McParland, youth homelessness manager with Interior Community Services and the creator of A Way Home. (Veronica Kos/The Omega) housing and support. “For prevention, their focus is preventing youth that are aging out of foster care from ever experiencing homelessness,” McParland said. “The supports team has done a lot of awareness with educational seminars, and housing is where it’s really taken off and been recognized across the country.” A Way Home has several different housing organizations working together, all offering different homes specific to individual
youth’s needs. Youth are also given specific services they need. “It’s really to help youth stabilize themselves from their addictions or mental health issues. We put all the services and all these agencies together to give them support. They might need a counsellor or a cultural worker, so we get a team from different agencies that will actually follow them through housing,” McParland said. A Way Home also assists youth with their education and future
employment, helping them every step of the way to becoming a completely self-sufficient member of the community. “The goal is to act like family,” McParland said. “It’s so amazing having so many people on board to help, it just shows how much our community really cares about these kids.” A Way Home encourages the public to get involved with the movement in any from of contribution possible.
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Stuck in line for food? Consider going elsewhere Tim Hortons and Starbucks run lines, but many other options remain line-free Martin McFarlane STAFF WRITER Ω Looking for a place to grab a quick coffee and muffin before class? You should be able to squeeze a food stop in between classes at most spots on campus, but the more popular choices like Starbucks and Tim Hortons may make you late. We decided to put wait times to the test, making 38 visits to five different spots on campus. Sample times were taken from Nov. 22 to 25 for Tim Hortons, Starbucks, The Upper Level Cafe/ Bento Sushi, Common Grounds and the International Cafe. We waited in line at various spots between 12:10 and 1:10 p.m. Times only include how long it took to reach the till, and do not take into consideration wait times afterwards for hot food or specialty drinks. The longest wait times recorded were 11.5 minutes for both Starbucks and Tim Hortons. The average wait times were 4.5 minutes for Starbucks and seven minutes for Tim Hortons. While Tim Hortons and Starbucks often saw lineups during lunch, the other establishments, including The Upper Level Cafe, Common Grounds and the International Cafe were almost always ready to serve whoever walked by.
The longest wait time recorded of the three was 1.5 minutes at The Upper Level Cafe. Glenn Read, director of ancillary services, said that wait times are an issue at the more popular establishments. Read believes that the campus is on its way to resolving congestion and that it has improved over time, also noting that food services have had record sales this semester. “I’ve actually had some positive feedback from both students and faculty where they said that they have noticed an improvement,” Read said. Both Tim Hortons and Starbucks have taken steps to improve wait times, including bringing in each company’s district managers to review their practices. The managers then wrote reports with recommendations on how to improve food service, according to Read. Ancillary services also takes feedback from staff and students into consideration. According to Read, the increased hours for Tim Hortons came from community feedback. While long-term solutions are still unknown, Read said that it is possible that Tim Hortons could be expanded. However, that is only an idea at this point, and would also depend on acquiring more space.
According to some students on campus, the wait times could use improvement. However, they are divided on whether the wait times usually acceptable. “I don’t care about them,” said Moeka Mizutani, an ESL student, when asked about the wait times on campus. “If I have a class and I find a line, I [leave] the line.” Brody McLaughlin, a first year science student, thinks that at most times the lines for food service are acceptable. “Typically it’s not too bad,” McLaughlin said, while waiting in a Tim Hortons line. He also added that the line plays a part in whether or not he gets something before class. Hailey Laycraft didn’t like the Starbucks lines. “I think they’re pretty bad. Sometimes I go to the Starbucks off-campus because I think it takes less time to get into my car and drive,” Laycraft said. When asked what a possible solution could be, most agreed that there should be more outlets. “The general consensus from what I’ve been hearing around is just more options,” McLaughlin said. Laycraft suggested that there should be multiple outlets for popular establishments. “I think it would be helpful if [food options] could expand or make another Starbucks somewhere,” Laycraft said.
Lineups for food services on campus typically only appear at Starbucks at Tim Hortons (pictured). Other on-campus food services are usually free of lines at lunchtime. (Martin McFarlane/The Omega)
The time that I… drove 13 hours to ride a camel in Morocco Exploring unique study abroad experiences from TRU students Veronica Kos STAFF WRITER Ω A few days ago I met with Nolan Chapman who is a Study Abroad Ambassador here at TRU. Nolan went to study in Lyon, France during his semester away. While there, he often made weekend trips to different countries. One of his most memorable trips was to Marrakech, Morocco. “I always thought riding camels in the Sahara would be an amazing experience,” Nolan told me, “so when I learned that a friend of mine knew someone who went on a similar trip, I asked him if he could help me to organize the excursion. He was taking care of it and I didn’t know any details, but it looked promising so a few of my friends and I booked our plane tickets and flew to Marrakech.” I asked Nolan where they slept. He told me they stayed in a hostel. At first glance it apparently looked like a hole in the wall, but ended up being an elaborate place with weaving hallways and stairwells and a open ceiling on the top floor. The next morning was the day of the excursion. This is how Nolan described the trip: “We woke up at roughly 4 in the morning and were told to wait for a taxi. We found our driver and were off. During the entire time we were
never given any details about the trip. Only simple instructions like “show up here, someone will drive you, pay at the end.” We had no idea how long this drive would be, we thought about 4 or 5 hours but in the end we were driving for 13 hours.” Nolan told me that it was a strange feeling not knowing where they were going or how long it would take, and that they began joking around and thinking, “are we being kidnapped?” Eventually, they arrived at a house in a tiny village. They got out of the car, waiting to see what was next. “The guide then turns to us and says, “walk out to the desert with this guy.” At this point my friends and I are thinking, “oh this is it. We’re toast.” There were no camels in sight, and it was night time now. We began walking across the sand dunes, when suddenly we see a guy standing with 8 camels waiting for us. So I think “ok! this is actually it, holy smokes we waited 13 hours for this.” Nolan then described the most peaceful experience in his life to me. “We got on the camels in complete darkness with a huge starry sky above us. It was so incredibly beautiful and zen-like. We travelled for roughly 30 minutes before we arrived at a tented settlement. There were other people who had done the trip the day before. They were from all over the world, and we all shared stories and
Nolan Chapman, second from the front in a blue hoodie, riding a camel in the Sahara. (Submitted) experiences while we enjoyed a big feast that was prepared for us.” Nolan admitted that the least enjoyable part of his trip was sleeping in the desert. It got really cold and he wake up absolutely freezing. Eventually, morning came and everyone enjoyed sand surfing on a mini snowboard before riding the camels back to the village.
After breakfast they started the 13 hour long road trip back. Up until now, no one had asked Nolan or any of his friends to pay for anything on this trip. Nolan told me he was anxious about how much it would cost. After all, they drove over 24 hours in a vehicle, rode camels, were given a big feast in the evening, breakfast in the morning, and a place
to sleep. In the end, it was only 80 euros. When you study abroad you have the opportunity to meet new people and create life-long memories. Although Nolan’s trip was originally about riding a camel, in the end meeting the Moroccan people that took such good care of them during the entire trip was just as memorable.
ARTS
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NOVEMBER 30, 2016
Mamma Mia! really is a whole lot of fun The dancing queen takes Sagebrush theatre with style and comedy Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω Advertised as “the most fun you’ll have in theatres,” Western Canada Theatre’s (WCT) newest production Mamma Mia! keeps that promise. Directed by Ron Ulrich, this classic Broadway musical came to life. Mamma Mia! is the story of a 21-year-old Sophie Sheridan and her single mother Donna Sheridan living on a small island in Greece. Sophie invites three men that could be her potential father to the island that night before her wedding. She hopes to find out which one of them is her dad, but her mother Donna is no help and doesn’t want to talk about it. When the three men show up, old feelings come up between each of the men and Donna. Sophie thinks that when she sees her dad she’ll just know who he is, but when they arrive, she is still unsure of who will give her away at her wedding in less than 24 hours. Starring Katie Kerr as Sophie Sheridan, Kerr offers a charming version of this beloved character. She gives Sophie a real sense of innocence and sometimes naïve decision-making, that we learn to forgive because she just wants to know who her dad is before she ties the knot. Cailin Stadnyk shares the stage and plays the role of Sophie’s mother Donna Sheridan. Stadnyk steals the show, giving one of the most hilarious and raw performance’s I’ve seen in a WCT
A shot from Western Canada Theatre’s newest production Mamma Mia! (Barbara Zimonick/WCT) production. She gave a measured and soulful performance that made her character the strong single mother that anyone can look up to. Along with her excellent voice that carried us through the disco-infused tunes, Stadnyk gives us empathy for her character while making us laugh out loud.
This show gave many other great performances including Alana Hibbert as the sassy and glamorous Tanya Cresham-Leigh and Kevin Aichele, who charms us into forgiveness by reminding us that no one is perfect in his role as Sam Carmichael. Although, the choreography by Jeff Dimitriou is what
put this production over the top, and often puts us in a time warp. The sets on this production were not only well made and practical, but down right picturesque. Including a gorgeous moon that dominated the background while casting its illuminance over the characters as they filled the stage
with song and dance. The production was produced in association with Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario. Mamma Mia! runs from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. until Dec. 6 at the Sagebrush theatre. Student tickets are $19 each, and their will be a pay-whatyou-can matinée on Dec. 3.
Bringing comfort: a day in the life of a therapy dog Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω The St. John’s Ambulance dogs make an appearance every Thursday at TRU to offer stressed-out students some much needed TLC. However, for some of the dogs, TRU isn’t their only stop Chris Redekop, a St. John's therapy dog handler and her dog Ocean, are one of the volunteer teams that come to TRU to offer some therapeutic stress relief. Redekop got into the program before owning Ocean and adopted her so she could continue spreading the love. “I’ve been involved in the program for about six years and my old girl [Ivory] was physically unable to do the job. So, I retired her in January and I was looking for a new dog that could be my partner so I could continue on with the visitation program. I adopted Ocean about eight and a half months ago and we’ve been a volunteer team since March of this year,” Redekop said. Before a long day of offering cuddles and kisses, Ocean likes to
get ready by having some down time and getting out extra energy. “We get up and we go for a really good walk, we usually go up into the hills and just get out some of our energy. [Then] go home, have our breakfast, I groom her up, and then we head off to whatever our facility is,” Redekop said. Along with being a weekly volunteer at TRU’s Therapy Thursday’s, Ocean likes to volunteer wherever else she is needed throughout the week. “Ocean and I, we do a reading program for special needs kids once a week. We also visit at the senior facility once a week, and we come here. So, we spread the love at a few different places each and every week,” Redekop said. Redekop says that after a long day of running around, cuddling and playing, Ocean is usually ready for some down time. “We usually go for a nice long walk, and then she’s pretty tuckered out. So, she has a nice long nap after our visits,” Redekop said. Redekop adds that this program has been very meaningful for her.
This is Ocean. She's one of the therapy dogs that takes part in Therapy Thursdays here at TRU. (Jenn Will/Ω) The dog’s have a calming effect and have been proven to relieve stress. “It’s just so rewarding. I got into the program because I struggled
with some anxiety and depression issues and having a dog made such a difference for me. I decided I wanted to share it, share her with others,” Redekop said.
If you're seeking some relief to stress and anxiety, you can cuddle with Ocean and all the other dogs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday in Old Main.
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Gilmore Girls: A year in the life review Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω Leading up to its release, this Netflix original four-part mini series was my most-anticipated release of the year. I held this release up on a pedestal, hoping it would compare to the original series and be a continuation of the characters I had grown to love. Each episode is written and directed by Amy-Sherman Palladino, who has carefully crafted the four seasons of a year (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall) to give us the ending we deserved. When Edward Hermann, who plays the beloved Richard Gilmore, passed away in 2014, I knew this series could not be the same with such a big piece of it missing. However, this revival series did not disappoint me but rather helped me to grow with the characters. The last episode of the original Gilmore Girls series aired
on May. 15, 2007. It has been nine years of wondering if Luke and Lorelai ever got married or where Rory went with her career. This series was not like the original, we got four 90 minute episodes in this revival compared to the average of 22 episodes in seven seasons, each comprised of approximately 44 minutes. This series gave us answers to some of our biggest questions, but then threw a handful of new questions back in our face. Was his name Paul or Pete? This new series gave us closure on a variety of things, with at least one reference to Richard in every installment, it almost felt like he was there. It used our nostalgia from the original series in a subtle and smart way, but was unafraid to explore the various ways their lives have changed. The three Gilmore girls Lorelai, Rory and Emily played by Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel and Kelly Bishop, were all uncensored, raw and strong. These
Film review: Moana Disney's latest is visually stunning, but is the plot anything new? Jonathan Malloy CONTRIBUTOR Ω The leaps and bounds that animation has come in two decades is astounding. You have to wonder how long before the photorealistic computer generations replace the standard of actually filming something. The years of work put into Disney’s newest film stands to show their commitment to creating the most detailed and beautiful worlds possible to gawk at even if their stories can become somewhat stagnant over time. Now don’t get me wrong, the character work and themes are outstanding and combined with the visuals, it’s hard not to recommend, yet I wish the script had taken the plot further than the stereotypical fare. Following the adventure of the young woman Moana, we catch her as she dreams of leaving her tropical home and venturing past the reef that she has never seen past. Along the way she must save her world, as she knows it by working with Demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and her chicken sidekick, as they cross the ocean to their goal. Filled with heaps of heart and a lighthearted edge, the film carries a love of the Polynesian/ Hawaiian mythology translating it into a spectacle, as a story of redemption and discovering one’s true purpose. Finding further momentum in
giving young women a strongwilled character to look up to, directors John Musker and Ron Clements have created such a character with Moana. This isn’t the princess to be saved of yesteryear but a crafty, lovable and strong female that shatters the formula seen still too often. I wish the need to shatter what is formulaic had also been applied to the script. While the movie takes its time setting the story up, arguably the best aspect of the film comes from it’s gorgeous and thoughtful first 25 minutes, the middle chunk of the movie feels very standardized to a fault even with the likes of the great Alan Tudyk, as one of the many well designed monsters. The finale acts as a pretty well crafted send up to the story, yet I still feel somewhat let down by its simplistic plotting. This is made up for by the catchy songs that sprinkle throughout the film, with Hamilton breakout Lin Manuel Miranda both co-writing and performing many of the songs that add a really well implemented through line of discovery and hope that hasn’t been seen in many movies of late. The stunning animation alone is worth the price of admission, yet the simplistic story does leave some of the potential of the film to the imagination, if only the film had been the slightest bit more open that it could have elevated it to a higher piece of filmmaking.
Gilmore Girls is the latest series to be revived as a Netflix Original Series. (Netflix) characters are all very different but they are all Gilmores. The mythical last four words that Palladino said she had always intended to end the original series with, seemed so elusive and the four final words ended this revival. At first, I was
taken off guard, then I was angry that after nine years this is what we were left with. Yet the more I thought about the final Gilmore installment as a full, Palladino's final words made sense. As much as I hate to admit it, they bring the entire series (new and
old) full circle. Overall, this series was filled with emotions of nostalgia, sadness, happiness and everything in between. It was the perfect ending to one of my favourite shows, we even got a second film by Kirk.
CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM Campus & Community Radio Kamloops, B.C. Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to November 24, 2016 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist 1) Duchess Says* - Sciences Nouvelles (Bonsound) 2) Big Dave McLean* - Better The Devil You Know (Black Hen) 3) Hello Moth* - Slave in a Stone (Independent) 4) A Tribe Called Red* - We Are the Halluci Nation (Pirates Blend) 5) Diana Braithwaite/Chris Whiteley* - Blues Country (Big City Blues) 6) Alexis Baro* - Sugar Rush (G-Three) 7) Cliff Stevens* - Grass Won't Grow (Independent) 8) Ancient Highways* - Until the Cow Comes Home (Independent) 9) Donald Ray Johnson - Bluesin' Around (Independent) 10) Duotang* - New Occupation (Stomp) 11) Charlotte Day Wilson* - CDW (Independent) 12) Peppermoth* - Now You Hear Me (Big Mind) 13) Preoccupations* - Preoccupations (Flemish Eye) 14) Sunshine and the Blue Moon* - Welcome to the Future (The Hand) 15) Snowblink* - Returning Current (Outside) 16) The Fretless* - Bird's Nest (Independent) 17) Jack Garton* - Move This Mess Around (Independent) 18) Andrew Collins Trio* - And it Was Good (Independent) 19) We Are Wolves* - Wrong (Fantome) 20) Jimmy Bowskill/Carlos Del Junco* - Blues Etc. (Big Reed) 21) Lang Lang - New York Rhapsody (Shining Star) 22) Sebastian Owl* - Captain Tomorrow and the Dream Orphans (Independent) 23) The Rhythm Express* - Kingston Blues (Independent) 24) Zelmer* - Zelmer (Exit Sign) 25) Trampoline* - Sometimes a Song is Just a Cigar (Independent) 26) M.I.A. - AIM (Interscope) 27) Mentana* - Inland Desire (Independent) 28) Dearly Beloved* - Admission (Aporia) 29) Hewson Grey* - Montes et Mare (Sometimes) 30) A La Mode* - Perfection Salad (Independent)
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Lumière parade a vibrant event in dark hours Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω With the sun now gone from the sky by 4 p.m., having downtown lit by lantern is a welcome beacon of light. The Lumière Lantern Festival paraded downtown on Nov. 24 with lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Kathy Sinclair, the executive director of the Kamloops Art Council, said that the festival has been running for nine years and used to be on Canada Day. “It gets so dark so early around this time of year and the Downtown Business Association has the lighting of the Christmas tree. So, we decided to partner up and move the event to November,” Sinclair said. This is the third year the event has been brightening downtown in November and the festival is all about community, whether you are an artist or not. “It’s just a really great way to get together with the community and creatively express yourself by making a lantern. Also, it’s a great way to light things up during the darkest time of the year, there is kind of a neat vibe when you have everyone together with their lanterns,” Sinclair said. The parade starts in Lansdowne Village and moves its way to St. Andrews Square. With the cover of nightfall, all sorts of lanterns can be found. Participants are encouraged to make whatever kind of lantern meets their hearts desire. Sinclair adds that some of the workshops leading up to the festival included parasol and top hat lanterns. “It’s just really cool and magical and it brings some creative vibrancy to our community,” Sinclair said.
Top left: A young girl gets in on the light dancing at the parade. Top right: Sarah Sondergaard and Leah Bojey showing off their lights. Bottom right: A round of Christmas carols before the tree is lit. Photos Marcela Arévalo/The Omega
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WEEKEND RESULTS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL Game 1 (Nov. 25) WolfPack @ U. Calgary Dinos Win – 3-0
25-21 25-21 25-20
– Iullia Pakhomenko 18 kills in 37 chances, 4 service aces, 11 digs, 1 solo block – Mikayla Funk: 7 kills in 17 chances, 3 digs – Kaitlin Lomas 4 kills in 8 chances, 3 digs
Game 2 (Nov. 26) WolfPack @ U. Calgary Dinos Loss – 1-3
22-25 25-17 25-22 25-20
– Iullia Pakhomenko: 11 kills in 18 swings, 3 digs – Morgan Kolasa: 9 kills on 19 opportunities, 1 service ace, 4 digs, 1 solo block, 2 block assists – Kaitlin Lomas: 5 kills on 8 chances, 1 assist, 4 digs, 1 solo block, 3 block assists
Game 1 (Nov. 25) WolfPack @ MacEwan Griffins Loss – 1-3
28-26 19-25 25-22 25-22
– Randy Grundmann: 24 kills in 44 chances, 1 service ace, 12 digs, 1 block assist – Daniel Eikeland Rod: 15 kills in 59 swings, 9 digs – Tyler Pomietlarz: 46 assists, 1 service ace, 13 digs, 3 block assist
Game 2 (Nov. 26) WolfPack @ MacEwan Griffins Loss – 2-3
22-25 20-25 25-23 25-22 15-12
– Randy Grundmann: 18 kills in 34 opportunities, 1 assist, 3 digs, 5 block assists – Daniel Eikland Rod: 11 kills in 39 chances, 2 service aces, 7 digs – Tyler Pomietlarz: 35 assists, 9 digs
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Game 1 (Nov. 18) WolfPack @ UofA Pandas Loss – 49-60
– Emily Kanester: 17 points, 8 rebounds (7 on defense), 1 assist – Claire Elliot: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, 4-4 (FT-FTA) – Chloe Kennedy: 10 points, 6 rebounds (4 on defense) 1 block, 2 steals: 25 minutes
Game 2 (Nov. 19) WolfPack @ UofA Pandas Win – 67-60
– Emily Vilac: 17 points, 6 rebounds (all on defence) 1 assisst, 1 block, 1 steal 38 minutes – Michelle Bos: 14 points, 6 rebounds (3 each), 4 assists, 1 steal – Emma Piggin: 14 points, 8 rebounds (5 on defense), 1 assist, 2 blcks
MEN'S BASKETBALL Game 1 (Nov. 25) UBCO Heat @ WolfPack Win – 78-75
– Derek Rhodes: 25 points, 4 assists 36 minutes – Volodymyr Iegorov: 20 points, 9 rebounds (7 on defence), 6 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 35 minutes – Jeff Tubbs: 11 points, 3 assists in 25 minutes.
Game 2 (Nov. 26) UBCO Heat @ WolfPack Win – 68-53
– Volodymyr Iegorov: 22 points, 14 rebounds (9 on defense) 2-2 (FTFTA) 4 assists, 1 steal, 26 minutes – Joe Davis: 19 points, 8 rebounds (5 on defense), 2 assists, 1 steal, 28 minutes
WolfPack swimmer Jagdeesh Uppal has received the Canada West Community Service award. On top of his school work, his athletics and his research on the detection and tracking of Alzheimer's disease, Uppal also volunteers at Royal Inland Hospital and St. John's ambulance. (Don Voaklander photo)
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 5–5–0
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL 2–8–0
Next game: Jan. 17, Calgary
Next game: Jan. 17, Calgary
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2–6–0
MEN’S BASKETBALL 3–5–0
Next game: Dec. 2, TCC
Next game: Dec. 2, TCC
WINS, LOSSES, TIES
WINS, LOSSES, TIES
WINS, LOSSES, TIES
WINS, LOSSES, TIES
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NOVEMBER 30, 2016
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