May 24, 2017 by The Omega

SENSE OF DIRECTION

IN SPACE...

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Directors Festival reviewed

Alien: Covenant returns to its horror roots

The Omega is hiring!

As the semester wrapped up, AWT students tried their hands at directing one-act plays • Page 4

Omega film critic Jon Malloy looks at the latest film in the Alien series • Page 5

Ever thought about working for your student newspaper? • Page 3

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ISSUE NO. 28

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Sometime this summer, ground will be broken for the construction of market condominiums behind Old Main as part of the development of The Reach, the university village concept being put into motion by the TRU Community Trust. But before that can happen, several

utilities upgrades need to take place, and as a result, a stretch of University Drive along the east side of campus will be closed. The closure will also affect parking lots E, A2, A3 and A4. The closure is expected to last until August 18, though TRU says “every effort will be made to leave University Drive open for one-lane traffic.” TRU’s director of facilities Warren Asuchak also says the university will install a traffic roundabout that will

LETTERS AND LAWS

MAY 24, 2017

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Services upgrade closes University Drive in preparation for campus condos Sean Brady

VOLUME 26

merge the Summit Drive off-ramp entrance, the East Gate entrance and access to College Drive. The university says it will also add 37 angle parking spots along University Drive.

The area highlighted in red, located on the east side of campus, is affected by the construction closures, and is expected to remain closed until August 18. (Image TRU)

TIDY UP

TRU names honorary degree recipients

Trash bashed in annual clean-up event

Honorees will have their degrees awarded at Spring Convocation • Page 2

Photos from TRU's annual Trash Bash, which took place earlier this month • Page 7

NEWS

MAY 24, 2017

MAKING PROGRESS The construction site of the upcoming Industrial Training and Technology Centre, a new $30-million building on campus expected to be completed and in use by the fall of 2018. The Omega will be documenting campus construction projects including the ITTC, the first residential development for The Reach and the new nursing building as they progress. Photo May 21

TRU names this year's honorary degree recipients Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Thompson Rivers University has named Murray Sinclair, Roger Strasser, Rudy Buttignol and David Sakaki as honorary degree recipients for the class of 2017. David Sakaki is a Kamloops firefighter and global humanitarian, whose efforts have affected people from all over the globe. Sakaki has made dozens of trips to Nicaragua, where he has delivered aid, assisted in bolstering local firefighting efforts and more. Among Sakaki’s long list of countries he’s visited to help out, he’s also been to Nepal, following the country’s devastating 2015 earthquake, and Greece, where he assisted Syrian refugees.. Sakaki will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree on June 8 at 10 a.m. Dr. Roger Strasser is the founding dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and a leading health professional in rural medical education. TRU says that Strasser’s impact on health care in remote and rural communities represents the visionary leadership the university aims to foster in students. He is also a Member of the Order of Australia (2011) for

service to medicine. Strasser will receive his honorary doctor of laws on June 8 at 2 p.m. Rudy Buttingol is a documentary filmmaker, advocate for the arts and president and CEO of the Knowledge Network. He’s a past recipient of the Order of Canada (2015), the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Medal (2013), the Hot Docs’ Mogul Award (2007), the Donald Brittain Award (2004) and the recipient of nine Gemini Awards. Buttignol will receive his honorary doctor of letters degree on June 9 at 10 a.m. Murray Sinclair is a judge, First Nations lawyer, senator and was chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He was Manitoba’s first Aboriginal judge and has been a member of the Queen’s Bench since 2001, and a member of the Canadian Senate since March 2016. Sinclair has also visited and spoken at TRU in past years. Sinclair will receive his honorary doctor of laws degree on June 9 at 2 p.m. This year’s convocation events run from June 7 to 9 and will take place at the Tournament Capital Centre. The complete schedule is available on TRU’s website.

Kamloops firefighter and humanitarian David Sakaki, Senator Murray Sinclair, rural medicine educator Roger Strasser, and Knowledge Network president Rudy Buttingol will be given honorary degrees by TRU. (TRU)

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As editor of the sports section, you’ve always got a lot of options for stories, whether it’s the latest breaking news from the WolfPack, in-depth team and player profiles or the latest trends in the sports world, you’re all over it. Attend games, talk to players and watch what happens.

To apply, send your resumé and samples of your work (published or unpublished, academic work accepted) to editor@truomega.ca. Positions will be filled as soon as possible. If a position is still posted on this page, applications are still being accepted. To be eligible for any of the above positions, you must be a student at Thompson Rivers University while you work. Students who will be employed by the TRU Students’ Union during their employment period may not be eligible to work for the newspaper in order to avoid any conflict of interest. Applicants are asked to disclose all potential conflicts of interest.

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ARTS

MAY 24, 2017

Directors Festival offers up comedy, horror and everything in between A fresh take on one act plays: the 2017 AWT Director’s Festival reviewed Jennifer Will

CONTRIBUTOR Ω The eighteenth annual Directors Festival is the product of senior theatre students taking their first crack at directing a one act play. Each of the six plays featured in the festival had unique ideas and offered a fresh take on one act plays. The genres of each play varied from comedy to thriller to horror to drama. The festival took place from April 10 to 15 in the Actor’s Workshop Theatre.

The Way of All Fish The Way of All Fish was directed by Erik Stephany and was a seemingly simple plot about a woman and her secretary. The play stars Hannah Allen as Ms. Asquith a wealthy business woman and Selina Tobin as Ms. Riverton her secretary. The first half of this play dragged on with exposition and a boring back and forth between the characters, but the second half was so incredibly well done. The plot took an unexpected twist that created both a strong sense of tension and purposeful comedy. The overall direction by Stephany was strong and well constructed. The performance by Allen was strong, consistent and funny and the performance by Tobin was very diverse, suspenseful and relatable. A run of this play will be at the Rickrack in the Wack Festival in Chilliwack from May 3 to 7, tickets are $10 each.

Caught In the Act Funny and surprising, Kayla Alfred directs Caught In the Act, a play inside of a play. The play is about an uncertain playwright who keeps changing the motivations, dialogue and pretty much everything about the two

characters in his script. Starring Peter Navratil as Don and Jessica Brundritt as Annie, the pair took on a variety of names and personality traits throughout the 35-minute run time. The play becomes really meta when the characters start to have their own conscience thought and resent the writer for his indecisiveness. Both Navratil and Brundritt give convincing and deep performances that make the play so enticing. The direction by Alfred is simple but well thought out, making this complex story easy to follow but impossible to miss.

A Bench on the Edge Directed by Stephanie Morrison, A Bench on the Edge is a play about a physical manifestation about an existential ideal. Starring Jeff Daniels as Number Two and Paige Caswell as Number One, this play follows two character on the literal edge of the abyss. The simple set includes a bench and a tether attached to Number One’s back. The direction by Morrison in combination with the minimalist set design worked well to create a world that takes place in the psyche of our own mind. The biggest problem in the play is the writing, it lacks a real stance on anything which gives it a muddy and unclear message. The biggest question we are left with was not what is the abyss like, but rather is this play pro-suicide? However, the spectacular performances from Daniels and Caswell make up for the lacking and uncertain plot.

Msiska as Ben. This drama-horror finds the three hoping to talk to a boy that supposedly was found dead in Ben’s grandmothers house. The house was a gift to his grandmother from one of her customers. Ben tells them that a boy was found dead in the house before she moved in. Although Lara and Devon are skeptical of this story, communication from the other side or perhaps too much alcohol has them wondering. The staging and set in this production are used well and the overall direction by Doucet was good. However, a combination of the performances and writing left this horror play feeling a little cliché. The play falls into the tropes of the genre and makes it feel uninteresting. This play premiered on Night B of the festival.

Dead Boy

The Most Massive Woman Wins

A Ouija board experience gone wrong, Dead Boy was directed by Martina Anne Doucet. This play follows three naïve teenagers Jennelle Young as Lara, Emily Thibert as Devon, and Berlin Jr.

Directed by Morgan Benedict, The Most Massive Woman Wins is a timeless piece that expresses the struggles of body image. Starring Shannon Cooper, Elizabeth King, Kelsey Launier and

Netflix's new series "Girlboss" showcases the good, the bad and the ugly in vintage girl power Jennifer Will

CONTRIBUTOR Ω Starring Britt Robertson as Sophia Marlow, Girlboss is a loose retelling of how real life Sophia Amoruso started her company “Nasty Gal” from nothing. Hilarious, heart-warming and nothing short of some good old-fashioned girl power, Girlboss combines satirical comedy and feminism in the best way possible. Created for TV by Kay Cannon, the show is set in the early 2000s, in the days of MySpace and eBay. When Sophia is fired from her job

as a sales associate at a shoe store, she goes to a vintage shop to take her mind off of things. There she finds a jacket – something that completely changes her life. Robertson gives arguably the best performance of her career, as she channels her inner badass in a realistic way. The show boasts a great cast with some fantastic performances from Ellie Reed as Sophia’s partner in crime Annie, Johnny Simmons as Shane and Dean Norris as Sophia’s worried father. The show even gives a hilarious guest spot to RuPaul as Sophia’s quirky and bitter neighbour Lionel. While the show takes place in

an early 2000s San Francisco, the amazing cinematography by Christian Rein captures an essence of the 1980s. This stunning aesthetic is sprinkled throughout the show, and is a perfect compliment to Sophia’s vintage feel. Girlboss showcases the harsh realities of being the owner of a new business and the difficulties that come with being your own boss. However, its satirical and sometimes cynical approach makes it that much more enticing. It is a show that does not shy away from strong-willed women who will stop at nothing to get where they need to go.

Brittney Martens as the four women awaiting surgery in a liposuction clinic. The play offers a meaningful commentary on the way society views beauty and the way we judge our own worth based on appearances. The story is told in an unconventional way through long monologues, nursery rhymes and flashbacks. All four women in the cast brought an interesting element and style to the play, making it feel like a personal experience. The direction by Benedict was quite clever, taking a very simple set and transporting us to various locations. The play’s staging moved the audience from the playground to the waiting room to the bathroom floor seamlessly. This play was not only very only well done but offered great substance and perspective to the audience. This play premiered on Night B of the festival. A run of this play will be at the Rickrack in the Wack Festival in Chilliwack from May 3 to 7, tickets are $10 each.

In On It From Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor, this complex

narrative follows three different storylines that are weaved together by director Anna Dokshina. This production features Mariana Makulkina and Ashley Hiibner who act out 11 different characters between the two of them. The play follows three unique storylines. The first is of two people trying to make a play, the second is a love story and then a tragedy of a couple calling the quits on their relationship with a child stuck in the middle and the third follows a middle-aged man who gets in a car accident. This play asks for a smart audience who can pay attention to detail and deals with themes of suicide, love and the meaning of life. Dokshina does a great job of directing this play, aiding the audience in figuring who’s who and what’s what. Both Makulkina and Hiibner do a wonderful job of making every character distinguishable and giving them real depth. Although it was a joy to watch, it was confusing at times to tell if these stories were intertwined or if it even matters. This play premiered on Night B of the festival.

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Alien: Covenant marks return to its horror roots Jonathan Malloy FILM CRITIC Ω

For awhile it was hard to be a fan of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, the 2012 foray into the Alien mythos was riddled with smart characters being profusely stupid all the while displaying some of the most visually interesting science fiction put to screen in years. Many fans will be happy to hear that Alien Covenant is a return to the thrills of the horror genre that manages to be a welcome bridge between the original Alien and the delirious spectacle of Prometheus. Following the crew of the Covenant on their plan to colonize a far off planet, the crew is waylaid by a nearby human signal from a possibly habitable planet. For those who have seen the previous films it is inferred that crazy Xenomorph antics ensue. The anchors of the film come

from the growing star power of Katherine Waterston as the 2nd in command Daniels and a dual performance from Michael Fassbender that threatens to upstage the entire cast through a performance of intricacy unlike anything he has attempted before. The supporting cast all do a great job of fleshing the terror out, with Billy Crudup and Danny McBride both doing compelling work, but the focus can hardly be taken away from Fassbender’s magnetic performance. Scott is once again aided by longtime collaborator Dariusz Wolski as his cinematographer have crafted a rich visual palette that combines the grounded aesthetic they displayed in The Martian with the high concept sights of alien societies. The mix of practical effects and cutting edge CGI create a sense of reality to the horror on display that truly elevates both the character interactions and the fist clenching thrills.

UPCOMING EVENTS HORTICULTURE GARDENS TOURS MAY 31 TO AUGUST 16 Hear from horticulture and garden experts during a tour of the horticulture gardens. Each week the tour specializes in something different. The full schedule is available at tru.ca/events. CHARTER ALUMNI BRUNCH JUNE 3, 11 A.M. CAMPUS ACTIVITY CENTRE Those who attended Cariboo College from 1970 to 1990 are invited to the second annual charter alumni event to share memories and memorabilia. SPRING CONVOCATION JUNE 7 TO 9 Celebrate with graduates in six ceremonies over three days. Full schedule available at www.tru.ca/ convocation.

Any problems with the film come from a first act that can feel like a slog at times. I appreciate the filmmakers taking time to set up the relationships between each of the crew members before they are dismantled but at close to 30 minutes it could have been heightened to deliver several more thrills in the films 2 hour runtime. Some may also find it disappointing that some of the big questions that were raised in Prometheus do not get any answer in this film but here is hoping that they can potentially be addressed in one of the several other sequels to come in the upcoming years. Despite its flaws, Alien: Covenant is a tense and atmospheric film that is not afraid to ponder heavy science fiction and philosophical questions and is bolstered by several outstanding performances that ameliorate the long wait to the heart of the film.

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM Campus & Community Radio Kamloops, B.C. Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to May 18, 2017 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist 1) The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer* - Apocalipstick (Independent) 2) The Sadies* - Northern Passages (Dine Alone) 3) Elephant Skeletons* - The Traveler (Independent) 4) Alex Cuba* - La Unico Constante (Caracol) 5) Boogie Patrol* - Man on Fire (Independent) 6) Ghostkeeper* - Sheer Blouse Buffalo Knocks (Independent) 7) Jon McKiel* - Memorial Ten Count (You've Changed) 8) Timber Timbre* - Sincerely, Future Pollution (Arts and Crafts) 9) At Mission Dolores** - Hideous Fiends EP (Independent) 10) Coco Montoya - Hard Truth (Alligator) 11) Five Alarm Funk* - Sweat (Independent) 12) Sebastian Owl* - From the Ashes (Independent) 13) The Garrys* - Warm Buds (Independent) 14) Firing at the Sky* - Firing at the Sky EP (Independent) 15) William Kuklis* - Save Me (Independent) 16) Hector Anchondo Band - Roll the Dice (Independent) 17) Denielle Bassels* - What About Wool Wishbags? (Independent) 18) Avery Raquel* - Without a Little Rain (Independent) 19) Lydia Ainsworth* - Darling of the Afterglow (Arbutus) 20) K-Flay - Every Where is Some Where (Interscope) 21) Lighter Than Arrows* - Quiet Revolution (Independent) 22) Trevor Caswell** - Songs from an Unmade Western (Independent) 23) Flaysher* - Starting Over (Independent) 24) Lush Buffalo* - Lush Buffalo (Independent) 25) Childsplay* - Generation Automation (Independent) 26) This Gun for Hire* - Something a Little More Sinister (Independent) 27) Elsewhere** - Elsewhere EP (Independent) 28) The Screw Ups - No Time to Waste (Stubborn) 29) Molsky's Mountain Drifters - Molsky's Mountain Drifters (Tree Frog) 30) B.A. Johnston* - Gremlins III (Wyatt)

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Public Notification and invitation for third party comments regarding an upcoming full-scale comprehensive evaluation Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is seeking institutional accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), based in Washington State. On June 22, 2016, TRU was approved as a Candidate for Accreditation at the associate, baccalaureate and master’s degree levels by the NWCCU. Candidacy for Accreditation is a status of affiliation with the Commission which indicates that the institution has achieved initial recognition and is progressing toward accreditation. Institutional accreditation provides a framework for ongoing evaluation and self-analysis that ensures that the policies, procedures and practices of an institution are consistent with its claims and with accepted standards of quality. It serves as an important means of assuring the quality of higher education through rigorous peer-review and evaluation. The NWCCU will perform a comprehensive accreditation evaluation visit at TRU on October 10 - 12, 2017. The evaluation team, led by a number of university faculty and staff from peer institutions, will meet with campus students, faculty and staff to evaluate TRU’s application for candidacy, in conjunction with the TRU’s Interim Candidacy Report. To learn more about the process and to read the report, please visit the TRU accreditation website: tru.ca/vpacademic/accreditation In preparation for the October visit, TRU invites members of the TRU community, as well as members of the general public, to provide comments regarding TRU’s qualifications for institutional accreditation. Comments are accepted only when they are signed with an original signature, submitted in writing to the President of the Commission, and received no later than September 10, 2017. Comments will be forwarded as received to the institution, the evaluation committee and the Commission. Comments should be sent directly to: Pamela Goad, Senior Vice President Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 8060 165th Avenue N.E., Suite 100 Redmond, WA 98052 To obtain a copy of Commission Policy A-5, Public Notification and Third Party Comments Regarding Full-Scale Evaluations (either via the Standards and Policies and then Operational Policies, go to the links on the Commission’s website nwccu.org, or contact the Commission office at 425-558-4224.

2017

TRASH BASH Volunteers from all over campus took part in the annual Trash Bash on May 11, hauling bag after bag of trash and recycling from the outlying areas of campus. (TRU) Photos TRU

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MAY 24, 2017