March 8, 2017

PERSONAL SPACE

PERIOD PIECE

GO DO SOMETHING!

Major parking changes on the way

The Liar is AWT's funniest presentation yet

IDays events are on now

Come September, staff lots will be no more, but it's a lot more than just that • Page 3

TRU's Actors Workshop Theatre's The Liar runs from March 9 to 11 • Page 8

TRU's annual IDays events are on now, see schedule inside • Page 8

OMEGA Ω THE

ISSUE NO. 22

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1991

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

MARCH 8, 2017

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

FILM FESTIVAL 2017 KAMLOOPS

'BIRDS ROUT THE 'PACK

VOLUME 26

TRADED IN

CONTINUES THROUGH MARCH 11 REVIEWS PAGES 6-7

A SPREADING CRISIS

WolfPack women fall in quarter-finals

University welcomes new trades dean

Fentanyl discussion held on campus

The WolfPack women's volleyball team managed to keep it close, but UBC prevailed • Page 11

Baldev Pooni has been named dean of trades and technology • Page 2

Experts spoke in the Barber Centre last week on the opioid crisis • Page 4

NEWS

2

MARCH 8, 2017

TRU welcomes new dean of trades

Baldev Pooni appointed TRU’s new dean of trades and technology Wade Tomko CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ω TRU’s former interim dean of trades, Baldev Pooni, was appointed dean of the school of trades and technology on March 1. Pooni had served as the interim dean of trades since last September, after former dean of trades, Lindsay Langill, stepped down from the position following a vote of non-confidence conducted by the TRU Faculty Association.

Compared to his predecessor, Pooni says his style of governing the trades faculty will be both “transparent” and “collaborative.”

“I am a firm believer that my faculty are experts in what they do,” Pooni said. “So it’s a case of how do I engage those people into working collaboratively as a group for the development of programs for student success.”

Pooni believes that by fully collaborating with faculty on program developments and

changes to the school of trades, he can ensure student success.

Pooni indicated that in his five months of working at TRU, the faculty in the school of trades have been largely supportive of his method of operation.

However, Pooni says that if problems do arise, he will be the first one to notice.

“The thing is, if I came to it that I’m not really fit for the position and I’m not helping the faculty and the students here, then I would be the first one to say, ‘Maybe this isn’t the place for me,’” Pooni said. “But that hasn't been my experience to date.”

As the new dean, Pooni hopes to maximize the opportunities presented to students within the school. Formerly the dean of trades at Camosun College in Victoria, Pooni was instrumental in the development of Camosun College’s mechanical engineering technology program.

Camosun has since expanded into other areas, such as civil engineering and electrical

Baldev Pooni, TRU’s new dean of trades and technology, seen here in front of the trades trophy case. (Wade Tomko/The Omega) engineering. Transfers from Camosun to engineering programs at other B.C. universities such as UVic, UBC, UBCO and SFU have become so popular in recent years that nearly a quarter of UVic’s engineering grads transferred from Camosun, Pooni said.

With the addition of the Industrial Training and Technology Centre to TRU’s campus next year, Pooni is hoping to see something similar happen here.

“Having come to TRU, there are many exciting things to do,”

Pooni said. “With the new building and all the new programs going in there, I would like to be able to use my past experience to structure what some of these new technology programs may look like.”

With an engineering program soon coming to TRU, Pooni wants to bridge the gap between engineering and trades to create even more opportunities for students.

Pooni will serve a five-year term as TRU’s dean of trades and technology, during which

Breastfeeding and parenting room opens on campus

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society NOTICE of Special General Meeting

New room for parents located at the crossroads near Student Street on Old Main Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Thompson Rivers University has opened a breastfeeding and parenting room in Old Main at the crossroads near Student Street.

The room, which will be made available to parents who complete the university’s usage agreement form, is outfitted with a changing table, chair and a sink for washing up. It is kept locked and only accessible by a code given to those who apply.

Marian Hardy runs Cariboo Child Care here on campus. She was happy to see the room open.

“It’s a brilliant idea. I think there should be more of this everywhere for parents, because

not every parent who breastfeeds is comfortable doing so in public,” Hardy said.

Those who have a spot at the TRU daycare sometimes breastfeed there, too, and the daycare provides them with some space to do so.

“I think we should have more of this available on campus,” she added.

Hardy suggested future spots near other coffee shops on campus might be a good idea – places where parents might meet to exchange kids with their spouses or just go to relax.

The Cariboo Child Care Society has just 12 spaces for babies and demand is always greater than available space, so Hardy is glad to see any new space for parents on campus.

he says his main focus will be to foster recognition in the local community.

“I would say probably for the next three-to-five years, we will really be getting these programs off the ground and getting them known in the community,” Pooni said. “Also we want to build a reputation for these programs so that students will want to come here to do them.

I think that that is a significant undertaking that will massively expand the faculty of trades and technology.”

The Cariboo Student Newspaper Society, the registered society that oversees The Omega student newspaper, will hold a special general meeting (SGM) on March 15, 2017 at 5:30 p.m.

The new locked room is located near the Old Main crossroads, just off Student Street. (TRU)

This meeting will concern Article 6, section 3.8 of our constitution and bylaws. The meeting’s sole motion will propose a change to the term limitations for the newspaper’s Editorin-Chief position.

NEWS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

3

Major parking changes coming in September University will convert staff lots to permitted premium split 70/30 between students and staff Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Changes to parking are coming to the Thompson Rivers University campus after the university considered proposals from student and staff unions on campus and considered its own master plan.

“It is time for us, as members of the TRU community, to reconsider how we use transportation and parking resources,” wrote Matt Milovick, vice-president of administration and finance, in a letter to the TRU community.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2017, parking lots on campus will no longer be divided into staff and student lots. Instead, existing staff lots will become “premium” lots where students can purchase reserved permits for up to 70 per cent of the spaces in that lot, with the remaining 30 per cent being made available to employees.

Right now, parking spaces fall into one of three types: general, staff and reserved. With the new system, spaces (and lots themselves) will fall into five types: economy, general, premium and gated premium.

Campus’ general lots, which are first-come, first-served for both students and staff, include lots on the north side of campus, a lot in the north east corner, a lot on the corner of Summit and McGill and another on the corner of Campus Drive and McGill.

Premium lots are closest to buildings and include lots on either side of Old Main, behind the library and near the Ken Lepin science building.

Existing gated lots will become gated premium lots, including lots by the Clock Tower, behind Old Main and beside A&E. There is only one economy lot, Lot N, located behind the Residence & Conference Centre.

Visitor parking will remain unchanged.

Both students and employees will pay the same reserved space permit prices of $1,050 per year.

General parking will remain at $5 per day, except Lot N, which will be $4 per day and offer a half-day rate of $3.

In a statement released by TRUSU, union president Brian Chiduuro said, “It is encouraging that, after our long years of raising concerns and

promoting alternatives, TRU has recognized that the current parking system isn’t working for students.”

TRUSU and CUPE both entered proposals regarding changes to parking.

TRUSU’s proposal included eight points, including opening employee lots to students, introducing variable rates ($4 for two hours, $5 for three hours, $6 for four or more hours), increasing the price of reserved spaces to $1,440 per year and charging for parking in the evening and on weekends.

CUPE’s nine-point proposal called on TRU to maintain rates and available spaces until viable alternatives to parking were available. It also called for TRU to introduce a progressive parking rate scale “to assist CUPE employees in lower pay scales who already find it difficult to make ends meet,” and to create a shuttle service to serve employees and students on and off campus. It also called on TRU to construct a $21-million parkade that would demand a reasonable rate to sustain the building.

More information is available on TRU’s parking website.

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 Jennifer Will Siddhesh Rajam

Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief Sean Brady Arts Editor Jennifer Will

Staff Photographer Juan Cabrejo Contributors Teshu Agarwal Sadhika Burman Jonathan Malloy Brendan O'Brien Wade Tomko

c fb.me/truomega d @TRU_Omega

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.

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.

CONTRIBUTE

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

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

MARCH 8, 2017

Panelists discuss dangers of fentanyl

Experts talk about preventing overdoses amidst an opioid crisis Wade Tomko CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ω Last week, Thompson Rivers University was host to a discussion on the fentanyl crisis that is hitting all of Canada, but B.C. especially.

Experts from addictions therapy clinics, Interior Health and the Phoenix Centre were in attendance in addition to family members of

overdose victims.

While the main focus of the event was on how to recognize, prevent and minimize future opioid overdoses, attendees also had the opportunity to learn how to use naloxone themselves.

Members of the audience were also encouraged to take home one of the many free naloxone kits available.

Simply having a kit on you

Kirstin McLaughlin, TRU faculty of Nursing, teaching naloxone application procedures. (Juan Cabrejo/The Omega)

or in your car could save a life, said Mandy Manak, the medical director of the Interior Chemical Dependency Office.

“Remember that Narcan (naloxone) is a life saving measure.

It won’t save your life if you are using, but it can save the life of the people around you,” Manak said.

The current crisis, which turned into an epidemic in 2015, has only grown worse with the recent introduction of an even stronger opiate, carfentanil.

“Fentanyl is an opiate drug that is used safely when prescribed by a health care provider for pain management,” said Tracey Beharrell, a TRU nursing student and one of the panelists. “On the other hand, carfentanil is an elephant tranquilizer which has never been intended for human consumption.

Carfentanil is one hundred times more powerful than fentanyl, and a fatal dose is twenty micrograms.”

While fentanyl is still much more common, Interior Health confirmed the presence of carfentanil in two separate tests last week.

One of the positive tests stemmed from imitation oxycodone pills.

Cutting street drugs with fentanyl and carfentanil is what has many addiction counsellors and physicians worried. During Thursday’s discussion, Manak claimed that nearly 80 per cent of heroin on Kamloops’ streets contains fentanyl.

Yet opiates aren’t the only drugs being mixed with fentanyl.

“Fifty per cent of people thought it was cocaine, but it was mixed with fentanyl,” Manak said. “Thirty-four per cent of the time people

“Facing the Fentanyl Crisis” took place in the Barber Centre on Thursday, March 2 (Juan Cabrejo/The Omega) thought they were doing crystal meth.”

While abstinence from drug use is preferred, experts like Patrick McDonald, the Phoenix Centre’s program supervisor, know that addiction isn’t something easily escaped.

“The opposite of addiction is connection,” McDonald said.

“Many times those that are using are looking to find a personal connection, a connection to something that means something to them and the substance gets in the way of that.”

McDonald, who came close to losing his nephew to fentanyl, admitted that the current crisis is like nothing he’s seen before in his years of addiction counselling.

“There were times when there were lots of deaths from tainted heroin, there were times when there was a lot of concern. But

I’ve never seen it in the public eye like fentanyl is this time around,” McDonald said. “Yet nothing will be forever, this will pass.”

While the panelists unanimously agreed that there has never been a more dangerous time to be a drug user, Kirsten Roche, an overdose prevention nurse with Interior Health, stressed that even recreational drug users should practice harm reduction techniques.

“Get trained. Get your own kit.

It takes only five minutes to learn,” Roche said. “If you use drugs, any drugs, recreationally or otherwise, use it with another person.”

Roche also said that, although it might sound harsh, it’s safer for one person to try the drugs first, so that if an overdose does occur, the other person can offer aid.

“Stigma kills and when we don’t talk about these things, that’s when trouble happens,” Roche said.

Industrial Training and Technology Centre is on its way New $30-million facility will expand and co-locate trades and technology programs Wade Tomko CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ω Last month, construction began on TRU’s new Industrial Training and Technology centre. The $30million project aims to add 550 full-time equivalent student spaces (FTEs) to trades and technology programs at TRU. The new building, which is directly located behind the existing school of trades and technology, will host a variety of new programs that will bridge the gap between fields such as engineering and trades, according to new dean of trades, Baldev Pooni. The building will also help the school of trades in the expansion of existing programs.

TRU president Alan Shaver hopes that with the new addition of this facility, TRU will be able to provide education students need to survive in local industries.

“This new facility will enable Thompson Rivers University to co-locate trades and technology programs, a move that supports our university’s contribution of

relevant education and research to various industry sectors in Canada,” said Shaver on the first day of the facility’s construction.

Despite the facility’s $30-million price tag, much of the project’s finances came from outside sources. The federal government contributed $13.25 million through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, an initiative that aims to enhance and modernize facilities on Canadian campuses and improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

Another $7.03 million was provided by the the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. TRU contributed an additional $8 million.

While the last $2 million came from a Western Diversification Equipment grant that the university applied for several years ago.

Once completed, the building is expected to have a low operating cost of $100,000 a year, says TRU VP finance, Matt Milovick.

“The operating cost will be fairly low because of the sustainability features we are putting in the building,” Milovick said. “We

Campus stakeholders were on hand to break ground for the Industrial Training and Technology Centre in early February, including Kamloops mayor Peter Milobar, TRU President Alan Shaver and MLA Todd Stone. (BC Gov) expect the new building to be much more efficient than the old one, based on new technologies.”

Besides expanding the school of trades at TRU, Milovick expects the project to be economically beneficial to the region as well.

“Economic spin-offs direct and

indirect are about $20 million,” Milovick said. “The project will create 244 full-time equivalent jobs as well.”

The existing school of trades and technology will still be well used, however. While new programs may be moved into that building,

Milovick says the development of TRU’s engineering program must be completed before any decisions are made.

Construction of the facility is expected to finish up next spring and will hopefully be ready for use in the fall of 2018.

NEWS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

5

Empower conference runs Wednesday, March 8 Diana Igumnova CONTRIBUTOR Ω International Women’s Day is globally celebrated on March 8 every year. This event demonstrates respect and appreciation towards women.

It promotes discussions on things like gender equality, equal rights and roles of women in modern society.

On Wednesday, March 8, the TRUSU Gender Equality Club headed by its president Emiko Ohama, will host the Empower Conference. The conference will reveal the topics of gender equality.

The conference will feature guest speakers who are known internationally, including entrepreneur

Courtney Kirschbaum, who is known for her rebelling career strategies and who empowers people to take actions that will lead to success.

Those in attendance will have an opportunity to ask Kirschbaum academic or professional career questions.

“Kirschbaum specializes in clarifying ‘I’m not sure’ situations, provides the know-how to get your version of success, and can give you the confidence to make tough choices,” Ohama said.

Kirschbaum is a former leader with KPMG and her presentation is titled, “Rebellion, Rule-Breaking and Respect: A How-To Guide to Unconventional Success.”

The Empower conference will also

feature Steve S.J. Lee, who is a United Nations policy advocate, climate change activist and global speaker.

Students of all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds are welcome to attend the conference and get inspiration on topics that concern them most. Such an inclusive conference will give all attendees an opportunity to highlight vital topics.

“Empower is a community event for men and women that brings business professionals, community organizations, retired community members, educators, WolfPack athletes, and both university and high school student leaders together,” Ohama said.

Ohama has put in a lot of work organizing the conference and

establishing her club. Some of the factors that drove her to organize the conference were incidents she experienced last year, including once being assaulted by three men, and also being bullied by an older male colleague she had.

“It affected me on a hormonal level and I spent the majority of August in bed sick. I only got up in the evenings for a couple hours to work because I still had to make a little bit of income. Fall semester was extremely challenging. This event was planned while I lay in bed feeling unwell,” Ohama said.

Ohama said that her attack and subsequent events changed her perspective on everything. She could remain strong enough and

implement ideas for establishing a conference that would address gender equality issues.

Ohama herself will be leading a presentation on proactive aging, as well as behaviour change theories.

Additionally, Ohama will touch on wellness aspects like nutrition and portion distortion.

“Everything that we are going to talk about has been created to be presented very innovatively, so everything is novel. Everyone will learn a lot from coming. It is not just regurgitated information – it is stuff that people do not know about that we have researched to present,” she said.

The event runs Wednesday, March 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Inservice day presentation delivers climate change reminder Teshu Agarwal CONTRIBUTOR Ω Thompson Rivers University’s annual Inservice Day was held on February 22. The day was dedicated to educating university staff and faculty about the future of sustainability.

The keynote speaker was Alex Steffen, an award-winning writer, speaker and futurist. He spoke about how in the last century we have contributed towards environmental issues like global warming and excessive carbon emissions and

what the future holds for us.

Steffen talked about the most researched and “infamous” environmental topic: global warming.

Studies show that since 1850 the planet’s average temperature has risen by 1.5 degree Celsius. He commented on this study that we are running on a tight budget of how much climate change we can afford and we have already used two-thirds of that budget.

“The longer we wait, the higher the penalties will be,” Steffen said.

Steffen connected with the audience and did not let the much-discussed topic of global warming

become monotonous. He spoke about the future, and the fact that “the future is here.”

A few decades ago there were researches by futurists who talked about cheap and readily available alternate sources of power, driverless cars, energy-efficient homes and shared resources.

Today most of these predictions are turning into a reality and creating alternatives.

“We might not see and feel it but we are a part of a paradigm shift which is a result of technology,” Steffen said. Per the International Energy Agency, by 2030 renewables

will be the world’s primary power source. This might seem like a farfetched dream but given the ease of alternative power sources like solar power, the unimaginable is not far.

“Sustainability is not an option anymore, but the way of life in the future, or rather our present,” said TRU professor Musfiq Rahman.

Another attendee, Christine Anderson, expressed her desire to switch to a more sustainable lifestyle after Steffen’s inspiring talk.

Steffen talked about passive homes, which are 90 per cent more energy efficient, and are a reality in many countries worldwide

including Canada. China recently built a sustainable skyscraper, J57, which is fifty-seven stories high and took twenty days to be built.

Highly evolved technological skills are bringing sustainability closer to us without us even realizing. One such example, according to Steffen, is clean energy powered driverless cars.

The talk stirred a discussion amongst attendees about the sudden technological advancements that are changing lives. The question and answer session was dominated by questions related to job losses due to technology.

KAMLOOPS FILM FESTIVAL

6

MARCH 8, 2017

FILM FESTIVAL 2017 KAMLOOPS

ELLE

KONELINE

reviewed by Jonathan Malloy

reviewed by Jennifer Will

P

aul Verhoeven is certainly one to provoke. From the ultra-violence of RoboCop to the satire of Starship Troopers, he has always pushed to evoke a very primitive reaction in his audiences.

This may be proven more true than ever with his latest film starring the now Golden Globe winning Isabelle Huppert. She plays a woman who, in the opening scene is being raped by a masked intruder, then goes back to her daily routine after the attacker flees. The subject of female sexuality and the representation of women in media are pondered and investigated with a script that truly offers no solid answer for any of the proceedings.

Huppert herself is spectacular in a role that never lets her guard down.

Her presence is commanding and involved, often piling layer upon layer in a performance that makes you wonder if she may secretly be some sort of helpless sociopath. And

W

at this moment it must be stated that the gender politics of the film are front and centre but never cliché. The script is too smart to paint Huppert’s game designer Michèle as a victim as she never pretends to be. Laurent Lafitte also is given a very interesting role as the married neighbour of Michèle who may just be in the eyes of her affection.

Without being heavy handed or melodramatic, the darkly funny film is swift in shifting genres and staying several steps ahead of its audience as the central mystery soon morphs into an original and inventive game of cat and mouse. Unfolding like a triptych puzzle box, Verhoeven and Huppert have created a film that is sure to bring about plenty of discussion, be it the theories around the ending, to the wicked mind games it is willing to play, or even the radicalized politics that permeate the story. It is a film that astounds in its willingness to “just go there.”

O

pening this year’s Kamloops Film Festival was a feature-length documentary from Canadian Nettie Wild. It follows the development of a new mine in the northwestern corner of British Columbia and the effects this has on both the land and the local residents. Often invoking visual splendour in favour of advancing the plot, Wild and her cinematographer Van Royko looked to create an experience more like a visual poem rather than a straightforward documentary. The experience lends to several moments of deeper beauty that are offset by an odd focus and muddied storytelling.

Delving into the the murky morality of development, brought on by a soon-to-be built gold mine, and the wishes of the Tahltan First Nation who live in the area, the documentary is tasked with exploring the lives of these people and reasoning if the progress is worth the destruction and

loss of animal life and habitat. It is unfortunate that the filmmakers never take a firm stance on the issue, often reasoning that their slow and meandering camera will be enough of a reason for the audience to buy in.

At 96 minutes the runtime slogs from the overabundance of slow motion that seems to be in every sequence padding out the film to almost no end. And while the film does look quite astonishing at points, it is weakened by the odd political stance that remains in the background. Coming across as an anti-mine film, it was odd to see the film be so pro-hunting, with an extended 10 minute long sequence following a young man and an elder as they shoot, gut and leave half of a moose behind as they drive away in their pickup. The muddied morality of the film only serves to distance any sort of point that the audience could reach and thus proves it to be misguided and a slight misstep.

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

THE SPACE BETWEEN

reviewed by Jonathan Malloy

reviewed by Jonathan Malloy

ith all due comparisons to the video game The Last of Us considered, this zombie apocalypse film has more on its brain than mindless carnage.

From director Colm McCarthy, the film works within well-trotted territory to deliver scenes that will frighten and intrigue often at the same moment. Following a young girl named Melanie, played by a pretty spectacular newcomer Sennia Nanua, who is infected with a fungal zombie-like virus before she is forced from her daily routine and into the hostile world of survival.

While never glorifying the violence of the film, it does a good job at using gore to emphasize the critical decisions of all the main characters, even at the expense of a few fluffy friends. Several surprising moments will cause both tension and confusion from the audience as a little retrospect will completely undo some sequences and decisions. But it is

never so much to intrude on the tale of humanity’s survival.

Mainly focused on a group of soldiers after their compound is not longer deemed safe, the group must keep pushing forward if they are to ensure that they make it to the next day.

The performances from Gemma Arterton and Paddy Considine work well in understated caricatures that unfortunately are never fully developed due to the limiting source material. The filmmakers work well in creating their destroyed, apocalypse-ridden English countryside with a muted colour palette and fairly average cinematography that provides more of a backing to Nanua’s performance more than creating the most compelling imagery possible. If zombie films pique your interest and you are looking for something that fits the mould and brings a few new ideas to the mix, then there are plenty worse films you could check out.

F

rom first-time director Amy Jo Johnson comes a funny, if overly long, dramedy that tackles dark subject matter in a heartwarming and endearing way. Following the character Mitch after he discovers that he is in fact not the father of his recently born daughter, we watch as he tries to track down the man responsible while his wife chases after him.

Along the way he will meet a young woman on her own path and they will try and discover what it means to endure pain and deal with it properly.

All around the cast seems to fit together nicely, with Michael cram as Mitch and a standout performance from the young Julia Sarah Stone, who provides much of the emotional heft of the film when other aspects seem to dip into the overly melodramatic. The kitsch feeling is

provided in spades with a healthy dose of unexpected dark comedy, yet the script definitely leaves something to be desired. The lesser moments do come from several characters seemingly shoehorned into the plot that most certainly could have been cut out. Johnson’s character of the newly divorced ex-lawyer is one of them, and some jokes never seem to really find their mark.

While the script and overall cinematography have their moments of poor quality, the overall feeling of the film is one of human empathy. Aspects of morbid humour do come across as inspired, as the lesson doesn’t resonate as too heavy handed or insipid. It is a small film that works as a funny, if not too different, comedy never able to fully rise above its contemporaries. But it must be commended for the moments that do shine in its script.

KAMLOOPS FILM FESTIVAL

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

7

CONTINUES THROUGH MARCH 11 $5 STUDENT TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE TRUSU MEMBERS' DESK. STUDENTS CAN USE THEIR U-PASS AS KAMLOOPS FILM SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP CARD.

ODDBALL

THE SUN AT MIDNIGHT

reviewed by Jennifer Will

reviewed by Sadhika Burman

F

amily movies can be more than what they appear to be on the surface. We’ve seen this with films like Zootopia, which offer surface-level fun for kids but offer a little more for adults paying attention. Oddball was not this kind of movie.

Directed by Stuart McDonald, this Australian film follows Oddball, a dog who just can’t seem to do anything right. The story surrounds a small seaside town in Australia that seems to be more concerned with its tourism industry than the declining population of penguins that once inhabited the land.

Following Shane Jacobson as Swampy, a chicken farmer whose daughter has taken up the penguin conservation efforts of his deceased wife, Swampy soon discovers that his dog Oddball, who is constantly creating chaos around town, is better

at protecting the few remaining penguins than his own chickens.

Devising a plan with his young granddaughter played by Coco Jack Gillies, the two decide to train Oddball to protect the penguins from the foxes that prey on them.

This seemingly linear movie takes a turn for the weird because it cannot decide who the real villain is. Is it the dog catcher? The town's judge? The whale watching guys or the head of tourism? This movie is completely indecisive and at times make no sense.

The film is somewhat redeemed by the penguins and the adorable Oddball, but still unfortunately takes a backseat to the plot.

This film is probably great for kids who don’t need anything more than a temporary distraction, but for anyone looking for more, it’s just not there.

W

hat do you do when you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, with only the nature to look at and a man you just met along the way to talk to?

The Sun at Midnight is such a story of Lia (Devery Jacobs), who skips a small town she was forced to live in to find civilization and Alfred (Duane Howard), a hunter, joins her on her journey.

The film starts with a crying 16-year-old Lia, who is forced to give up her big-city lifestyle and go back to her roots and live with her grandma in the little town of Fort McPherson. She is not very happy about being forced to grow up in a place where her mom grew up and then on top of that she is bullied for being so big-city like. She feels trapped in a town where the sun doesn’t set and decides to run away.

On this not-so-planned journey

of hers, she does find something she had been looking for: herself. She is seen enjoying her own company and so happy to be by herself without any kind of reception from the world.

On the other hand, Alfred an old and wise hunter from the Cariboo is a quiet man who minds his own business and has a sharp presence of mind. The film mainly rests on the shoulders of these two characters that are still recovering from their own kinds of grief and trying to find themselves. The two develop a deep friendship, and Lia finally starts to enjoy the ever present sun that she once rejected. If nothing, the film teaches you how there is happiness in being by yourself, away from all kinds of technology and just nature to help you find yourself. It’s a story of survival, and you cannot survive without challenges.

WINDOW HORSES

THE EYES OF MY MOTHER

reviewed by Jennifer Will

reviewed by Brendan O'Brien

F

rom writer, director and animator Ann Marie Fleming comes Window Horses, an animated film that embodies and celebrates poetry.

The film follows Rosie Ming, as portrayed by Sandra Oh, a young aspiring poet from Vancouver that is of Persian and Chinese descent.

Rosie is a fast food clerk that is obsessed with Paris, even though she has never actually been to France.

She gets invited to a poetry festival in Iran after self-publishing her first book of poems “My Eye Full, Poems by a Person Who Has Never Been to France.”

This film follows a journey of creation and self-development, as Rosie learns more about her past, her heritage and what the art of poetry means for her. Rosie learns about

Iran’s poetic past, embracing the history of famous Iranian poets Hafez and Rumi. These poets help Rosie to both grow as an artist and learn more about her Persian heritage.

Rosie is also introduced to the history of her Chinese descent by an exiled Chinese poet named Di Di, who she meets while at the poetry festival. Di Di teaches her about the Tiananmen Square protests that happened in China in 1989. He also helps her to develop a deeper meaning for her poetry.

The film showcases different cultures in an extremely poetic way that makes it impossible not to fall in love with the imagery shown on screen.

Coming from a small animation team of just 16, this impressive film is not only well crafted but incredibly unique.

I

nspired filmmaking is what I think of when looking back at my time with The Eyes of My Mother. It is one of those rare films that will stick with you long after you leave the theatre, and judging from many of the reactions in the room, there will inevitably be mixed reviews.

First time writer and director Nicolas Pesce quickly draws us into the macabre inner life of Francisca (Kika Magalhaes), a young Portuguese girl who grows up on her family farm with her mother and father. Her mother (Diana Agostini), a former surgeon, teaches Francisca about animal anatomy while they tend to mundane farm work, but with the slow-paced camera work, cinematography, and sound design, there is a growing unease that slowly builds until the arrival of a disturbed drifter

who wanders onto the farm. From there we descend into a disturbingly unique hell of a lonely girl.

The Eyes of My Mother is presented in black and white, which I was skeptical about going into the theatre, but right away it becomes clear that the cinematography is almost a character unto itself. It’s often the brilliant framing of light and dark, life and death, that grips on to you and doesn’t let go. I’m doubtful the film would be as strong in colour.

The film probably won’t be for everyone; there were some audience members who vocally seemed to dislike the film, in some cases saying it was too disturbing or too slow or boring. If you enjoy a film that challenges your sensibilities and requires you to be present and live within it, you will want to make a point of seeing this film.

STILL TO PLAY THIS WEEK: Toni Erdmann

Land of Mine

Paterson

Grand Unified Theory

March 8 – 6 p.m.

March 9 – 9 p.m.

March 10 – 9 p.m.

March 11 – 3 p.m.

Mean Dreams

Weirdos

Ville-Marie

20th Century Women

March 9 – 8 p.m.

March 10 – 7 p.m.

March 11 – 12 p.m.

March 11 – 7 p.m.

ARTS

8

MARCH 8, 2017

The Liar offers comedy and charm AWT's latest and its funniest production yet

IDAYS 2017 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY

March 8

9 a.m.

– EMPOWER - International Women's Day Conference

10 a.m.

– Think Global, Act Local – Visual Arts Contest Display – IDays Information Booth – Guest Scholar Dr. Saisamorn Lumyong Bioplastic Production

11 a.m.

12 p.m.

1:30 p.m.

– IDays Mainstage - "TRU Talks"

– TRU Actors Workshop Monologues

2 p.m.

– Guest Scholar Dr. Soley-Beltran - Divine!

Imaging Gender in Fashion Advertising

3 p.m.

– Wikipedia Editathon

5 p.m.

– Ending Gender Inequality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

THURSDAY 9 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10 a.m.

11 a.m.

– International Food Features

– Anti-Corruption & Bribery Workshop – Transgressing Aesthetic Identity Rules – Visual Arts Contest Display – Vision 2030 – IDays Information Booth – Kamloops Multicultural Society Cooking Show

12:10 p.m.

– IDays Mainstage - "TRU Talks"

12:30 p.m.

– Study Abroad Support Session – Wild Salmon Awareness Workshop

2:30 p.m.

– Economic Poster Competition

5:30 p.m.

– Guest Schollar Dr. Paul Gorski - Beyond Soup Kitchens and Coat Drives: Principles for Transformative Activism – All Candidates Forum

7 p.m.

FRIDAY 9 a.m.

– Model UN – International Food Features

10 a.m.

– Dr. Patricia Soley-Beltran - A Cultural History and Iconography of Fashion Modeling

11 a.m.

– Secwepemc Response to Life on Land and Below Water Panel Discussion

1 p.m.

2:45 p.m.

3 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

– Swing Demo & Open Lessons

– International Flag parade

– International Showcase, Fashion Show & Food Fair – Powwow Prevue Party

SATURDAY 12 p.m.

– TRU Powwow (surrounding event)

Jennifer Will ARTS EDITOR Ω Directed by TRU’s own Robin Nichol, a theatre professor, comes Actors Workshop Theatre’s third production of the season. The Liar takes place in Paris and is a period piece set in 1643 adapted by David Ives from Pierre Corneille’s Le Menteur.

The story begins with Cliton, a servant looking for work, when he meets newcomer Dorante, played

by Joel Feenstra, an over-the-top storyteller who can not seem to keep the truth straight. He hires Cliton, played by Jeffery Daniels, who is out of work because he can only tell the truth no matter how blunt it may be.

Dorante spins himself a huge web of lies and often manages to back himself into a corner that only a master liar could get out of.

The true trouble starts when he falls in love with a woman named Clarice who is secretly engaged

to another man by the name of Alcippe.

The situation is made even more complicated when he mistakes her from a different woman named Lucrece, a feisty young woman played by Paige Caswell.

Feenstra gives a perfectly eccentric and hilarious execution for this role. He offers a sense of grandness that carries through the entire production. However, it is Daniels as Cliton that is the real star of the show. Daniels gives a clever performance that is both funny and fantastic. The relationship between these two is both convincing and almost somewhat brotherly.

Other notable performances came from Peter Navratil as the always enraged Alcippe and Brooke Ballam as the sometimes naive Geronte. Both Navratil and Ballam added a charm to the production that put it over the top.

The characters often break the fourth wall, addressing the audience as part of the story. Which

just adds to the madness of it all, in the best possible way. Although the message of this film lacked in real depth, it was made up by thee wonderful characters and great direction.

The show will run at 7:30 p.m. from March 9 to 11. Tickets are $14 each and can be purchased at the box office in Old Main or by calling 250-377-6100.

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM Campus & Community Radio Kamloops, B.C. Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to March 2, 2017 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist 1) Boogie Patrol* - Alive (Independent) 2) Japandroids* - Near to the Wild Heart of Life (Arts and Crafts) 3) Manitoba Hal* - Live in Ghent (Independent) 4) Pat Loiselle* - Sonny Boy Gumbo's Blues (Independent) 5) The Evaporators* - Ogopogo Punk (Mint) 6) The Blue Mules* - Move On (Independent) 7) Gord Downie* - Secret Path (Arts and Crafts) 8) Cygnets* - Alone/Together (Negative Gain) 9) Sarah Beatty* - Bandit Queen (King of the Road) 10) Louise Burns* - Young Mopes (Light Organ) 11) Century Palm* - Meet You (Deranged) 12) The xx - I See You (Young Turks) 13) Naming the Twins* - Turn Styles (Independent) 14) The Discarded* - The Discarded (Rock Bottom) 15) Len Bowen* - Goin' Away Party (Move Right) 16) Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow (Glassnote) 17) String Bone* - Love and Highways (Independent) 18) Dr. Janowitz* - Complete Unabashed Sensual Euphoria (Independent) 19) Dead Horse One - Season of Mist (Dead Bees) 20) Austra* - Future Politics (Domino) 21) Empty Minds* - Empty Minds EP (Independent) 22) Misses Satchmo* - Is That All There Is (Bros) 23) Alonso* - Alonso (Independent) 24) Marito Marques* - Na Eira (GMP) 25) Oh! Ogopogo!* - Outdoor Human (Independent) 26) Whence Came Pestilence* - One Last Smoke Before the Off-World Shuttle (Baffled Octopi) 27) The Press Gang* - Medusa 5 (Wiener Dog) 28) Tasseomancy* - Do Easy (Hand Drawn Dracula) 29) Elliot and the Audio Kings* - Elliot and the Audio Kings (Busted Flat) 30) The Cyrillic Typewriter* - Your True Emblem (Jaz)

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

THE OMEGA

9

COMICS & PUZZLES

10

MARCH 8, 2017

C R O S S W O R D Ί

Puzzle of the Week #18 — Buckets

Name:

Getting Biological

You have two buckets. One holds six liters, and the other holds seven liters. There is no way to measure partial bucketfuls accurately, and you want five liters in one of the buckets. You can fill a bucket fully from the water source, and you can pour from one bucket to the other (either the entire contents of the first bucket or until the second bucket is full).

1

How can you measure five liters?

Name:

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.

Name:

2 1 1

3 5

4

6 2 2

7 3

SUDOKUBREAK 2

2

6

7 7

9

8

10

1

9

3

9

10 10

6 2

1

3 7

8

6 8 5

Across

4

1

3 9 6 4

Down Down Down

Chemical messengers, traveling by blood 2. 2.

Chemical messengers, traveling by blood Chemical messengers, blood 3. 3.

If you're lazy, ittraveling might be how you learn If you're lazy, it might beby how you learn 7. 7.

It's what makes green what makes things green If you're lazy, itIt's might bethings how you learn 8. 8.

Trying to figure out out genotype?

Try one these Trying to figure genotype?

Try of one of these It's what makes things green squares squares 9. 9.

TheThe most specific taxonomic Trying to figure out genotype?

Tryrank one most specific taxonomic rankof these

2

3

Created hers Co s szwo Created with TheTeac TheTeac Co rner.net Cro s wo rdGenerato Puz le Generato Created withwith TheTeac hers Cohers rner.net Cro srner.net s wo rd sPuz zCro le rrd Puzrz le Gene Across Across

2.

3.

7.

8. squares 9. The most specific taxonomic rank

8 3

6

4 4

8

8

2

5 5

9

5 4

8

3

1. Contains chromosomes, where DNA is kept 1. Contains chromosomes, where DNA is kept 1. chromosomes, 4 . It's cell becomes two 4how . Contains It'sone how one cell becomes two where DNA is kept 5. Infectious that replicates itself in itself a living that in a living 45.. Infectious It'sagent howagent one cellreplicates becomes two host host 5. Infectious agent that replicates itself in a liv 6. Single-celled, can cause 6. Single-celled, can disease cause disease 10. A complex protein that acts asacts a catalyst host 10. A complex protein that as a catalyst

6. Single-celled, can cause disease 10. A complex protein that acts as a catalyst

SPORTS

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

11

WolfPack women's volleyball team made UBC work for it in CanWest quarter-finals loss Sean Brady EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω The WolfPack women’s volleyball team was really up against it in the Canada West quarter-finals. Facing the UBC Thunderbirds, who went 20-4 this past season, the WolfPack managed to keep close in their first game and made a run for it in the second, but ultimately lost two straight games and will not advance in the playoffs.

In Friday’s 3-0 loss, a bad start turned into a redeeming next two sets as the team went 16-25, 23-25 and 24-26.

“We came out a little bit nervous and got away from our game plan. We started to speed up the game a little too much and couldn’t find our rhythm,” said head coach Chad Grimm following the first game, according to a TRU Athletics news release.

Iullia Pakhomenko had 13 kills on 28 chances, 8 digs and 2 service aces.

The second game was a very

different story for the WolfPack, but the result was the same. The women took the Thunderbirds to five sets, going 25-27, 24-26, 25-19, 25-18 and 13-15.

Pakhomenko and Rachel Windhorst both gave stand-out performances. Pakhomenko delivered 20 kills on 62 opportunities, 11 digs, 2 block assists and an ace, while Windhorst brought 20 kills on 48 chances, had 6 digs, 2 block assists and an ace.

“Obviously a tough one. I thought we fought really well.

It was really difficult to drop the first two but a huge credit to the girls: they didn’t give up: they fought, they clawed, they did everything in their control to give themselves a chance,” Grimm said in a TRU Athletics release.

For its efforts, the WolfPack women landed three players on this week’s Canada West all-star teams. Iullia Pakhomenko was named a first-team all-star, and Mikayla Funk and Abby Spratt were named to the all-rookie team.

Iuliia Pakhomenko and Kendra Finch at Saturday's game against the UBC Thunderbirds. (Wilson Wong/UBC Athletics)

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 13 – 11 – 0

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL 2 – 22 – 0

Next game: -

Next game: -

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2 – 18 – 0

MEN’S BASKETBALL 8 – 12 – 0

Next game: -

Next game: -

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

WINS, LOSSES, TIES

THE OMEGA

12

MARCH 8, 2017

ELECTION NOTICE POLLING WILL TAKE PLACE ON: Wednesday, March 22, 8:00AM-8:00PM Thursday, March 23, 8:00AM-4:00PM in the TRUSU Lecture Hall Nominations open February 27, 2017 at 9:00AM for the positions of: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

President Vice President Equity Vice President External Vice President Finance Vice President Internal Aboriginal Representative Graduate Students’ Representative International Students’ Representative LGBTQ Representative Visible Minorities’ Representative Women’s Representative Campaigns Committee Representatives (2) Entertainment Committee Representatives (2) Services Committee Representatives (2) Student Caucus Steering Committee Representatives (2)

Nominations close March 10, 2017 at 4:00PM To nominate yourself for election to the Board of Directors for 2017/18 you must pick up a nomination package at the Members’ Services Desk in the Students’ Union Building and submit the completed nomination package before 4:00PM on March 10. Nomination packages will be available starting February 27 at 9:00AM. The all candidates forum will take place on March 15 at 6:00PM in the Students’ Union Building. The campaign period begins at 9:00AM on March 13 and runs until 4:00PM on March 23.

If you have questions regarding the TRUSU General Election please contact the Electoral Committee at elections@trusu.ca, 250.828.5289, or visit trusu.ca

/TRUStudentsUnion

@TRUSU15

trusu.ca