September 19, 2018

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T H O M P S O N R I V E R S U N I V E R S I T Y ' S I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R

VOLUME 28 · ISSUE 03 · SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

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DOG POLICY RAISES IRE

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KAMLOOPS HOSTS FIFTH TECHFEST

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PARKING CONCERNS CONTINUE

TRU Pride Parade marches forward in support of LGBTQ+ community Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω The gloomy skies couldn’t hinder the spirits of TRU students, faculty and various members and businesses of the Kamloops community as they marched around the campus grounds in the seventh annual TRU Pride Parade on Sept. 13.

Holding signs reading "celebrate diversity" and another

reading "no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us," those that gathered in front of Old Main were raising their voices in celebration and support for individuals that identify in the LGBTQ+ community and declared TRU as a safe and inclusive place to study.

The university itself and the dean of students Christine Adam were specially recognized in an opening speech for taking action in creating an inclusive environment on campus by bringing forward trans-inclusive washrooms

in Old Main, the Library, the House of Learning and the Campus Activity Centre.

Bringing these conversations to light in the TRU Pride Parade also takes a considerable amount of work, which is taken on by TRUSU Equity Committee.

See COLOURFUL Page 2

A sea of colour descended on Old Main to mark the end of the seventh annual Pride Parade. Students, professors, administration and local community members participated. (Aidan Grether/Ω)

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Colourful banners raised, inclusive and supportive voices heard at seventh annual TRU Pride Parade

(Above) Colourful signs and placards were provided for marchers. (Left) Along with other faculty and administrators, Christine Bovis-Cnossen, interim president of TRU, was present at the march. (Below) Members of Kamloops Pride marched with the TRU body as well. (Aidan Grether/Ω) CONTINUED (COVER) "We often speak with community organizations and then we send out a ton of invitations and we design a route. We always like it to be accessible for all and we want to be sure that people have a knowledge of what goes on on campus and to feel like they’re included and that they’re able to come out and join us," said Sierra Rae, TRUSU’s vice-president equity.

Organizations such as Interior Health, Kamloops Immigration Services and Kamloops Innovation were invited to the Thursday event. They were also joined by the TRU Wolfpack, the TRU Library staff and members of the Kamloops United Church, holding banners in the parade.

"We definitely want to promote

community organizations, which is one of the reasons why we invite them to this parade because they’re so useful," Rae said. "We also want to promote ourselves as a resource and show that TRUSU is available for students and it’s somewhere where students can come and feel included and feel like they belong."

The community of downtown Kamloops saw its own Pride Parade this summer , which was organized and hosted by Kamloops Pride. Rae said that while the equity committee and Kamloops Pride members are separate, the committee members were excited to see that they've taken on the responsibility of showing that not only TRU, but Kamloops as well is an inclusive place.

As for hosting the seventh TRU Pride Parade, Rae spoke about the many students that have travelled from all over the province and the world to study at TRU. "We have a lot of international students on campus and we have a lot of students that are away for the summer, so we’d like to show that campus is an inclusive space. Doing that at the beginning of September is the best way," Rae said.

Despite the September rain, community members, students, campus faculty and admin marched forward against oppression to the LGBTQ+ community, making their voices heard and their presence known on campus and in the Kamloops community.

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OPINION

OPINION

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HIRING FOR SEPTEMBER START

Re: Talk about double standards...

Let's educate, not prohibit, when it comes to cannabis Wade Tomko EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

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I had initially reckoned when I first came to TRU all those years ago, that we were a pretty progressive university. One that puts the onus on education, not prohibition.

Yet, it’s clear that marijuana and all that it is, is still viewed negatively in our society. And before I go on, no I’m not going to be the one to call cannabis a miracle drug or a “heavenly substance” that cures all ailments.

Simply put, it’s not. It can most certainly have detrimental effects on your health and I know several people who more or less live off the stuff, you could say in one way or another, they’re addicted.

Yet for all the negativity towards weed (or mary jane or ganja or whatever you want to call it), it is realistically no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco.

In high school and my early years of university, I knew quite a few people who went to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, yet I’ve never met a person hospitalized from smoking cannabis (though edibles are another story I suppose).

Of course, there is then the bias in research and the media.

Likely, it’s still that leftover reefer madness from the 50s and 60s.

The War on Drugs may have failed, but drugs are still scary (and probably will be as long as producers and distributors load the harder stuff with fentanyl).

Yet on that note, when

someone quotes research on cannabis, let alone any drug, that is older than a decade, you should probably take what they’re saying with a grain of salt. And you should probably check who exactly published the paper too.

Case in point when it comes to bias, earlier this month Tesla’s stock plummeted nine per cent after Elon Musk was shown smoking a blunt with Joe Rogan. If you watched him do it, it was probably his first puff ever.

On top of that, Rogan and Musk were drinking whiskey over the course of the entire program, yet of course, no one batted an eye. I mean, the man’s the owner of a multi-billion dollar company, while you can question his professionalism in smoking the blunt, he certainly shouldn't be downing glass after glass of whiskey either.

And of course, that is where the problem lies. People are going to pick their poison like they’ve been doing for thousands of years. You would be hard-pressed to find any university in Canada or the States where a significant portion of the students didn’t “blaze” at least occasionally.

According to Health Canada’s Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, cannabis was the most prevalently used illicit drug in the country in 2015, with close to one-third of young adults between the ages of 20 and 24 admitting to trying the substance. I imagine that is

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pretty representative of Canada’s post-secondary student population as well.

It is clear that we aren’t going to stop the use of cannabis. Yet I highly doubt, like some proponents of the anti-legalization side say, that cannabis use will drastically increase. Anyone who isn’t smoking weed already, likely won’t magically decide to go home and roll a joint every night.

So instead of banning the substance altogether, like the latest policy on Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis suggests, we should take the approach that the University of Alberta has. There, you’re allowed to smoke cannabis on campus, but of course only in designated areas. In addition, the university has taken on harm-reduction strategies and will implement a “clean air strategy,” which will look to minimize exposure to marijuana and tobacco smoke.

As said before, the key to tackling legalization is to educate. Telling people that they shouldn’t do drugs or else they’ll face repercussions has clearly never worked, just walk by new or old residence late at night. I don’t want to see the world go up in a blaze of smoke (pun intended), but when you start infringing on people’s freedoms, there will be pushback.

And as a final note, say what you want about the smell of the substance, but cigarettes smell just as bad if not worse. If anything, we should be banning tobacco as well.

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TRUSU will host referendum on student refugee program Later this fall, students will be able to vote on a possible student refugee program for TRU Farrah Johnson CONTRIBUTOR Ω The TRUSU Equity Committee recently revealed that a student referendum will be hosted this fall to determine whether the university will adopt a student refugee program (SRP).

Voting will take place between Nov. 21 and 23 so students will be able to cast their vote in favour or against the proposal to have student refugees on campus.

The SRP is an initiative started under the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) which supports refugee students through providing the opportunity to study in Canada at the postsecondary level.

“It gives them access to educational opportunities that they wouldn't have in a refugee camp and it basically provides a safe space for them to learn,” said Sierra Rae, vice president equity.

She added the committee believed the SRP would be an ideal way to “connect students with refugees worldwide” because it is a “unique opportunity” that is

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

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not available in other places.

To date, TRU is one of the few Canadian universities that has yet to adopt the SRP, although TRU’s WUSC Club was able to sponsor one student refugee, Romans Manyiel Garang, in the last school year.

“He was supported through the WUSC club, and now that's been transferred over to the students' union,” Rae explained.

“The WUSC Club was uninvolved and along with them we worked together to basically create a solution of moving the student refugee programme over to TRUSU instead.”

If the majority of students vote in favour of adopting the SRP, one student refugee will be sponsored to enrol at TRU every year, starting next September.

In the meantime, the Equity Committee said they plan to raise awareness around campus to inform students on the upcoming poll.

The WUSC SRP is a “rigorous and competitive process” used to screen student refugee applicants through which only one-hundred and fifty are

selected.

To be considered a refugee, applicants must prove that they are being forced to flee their countries due to war, persecution or violence.

“The global refugee crisis is an ongoing issue and people are fleeing violence and war and looking for safety and it’s often tough for regular people to make an impact on a big universal issue like this,” Rae said.

“But the SRP actually provides a way for students to make a difference and hundreds of universities across Canada are already taking part in the SRP initiative and I think it would be a great way for TRU to join.”

Rae added she believes students and faculty should support the program because the experience can be mutually beneficial.

She said while granting a student refugee the opportunity to pursue a Canadian education, students can also become informed “firsthand” about the refugee crisis and the global issues that create such environments.

Staying healthy this fall Elizabeth Nygren CONTRIBUTOR Ω If you didn’t make it to the TRU Health & Wellness fair on September 18, the TRU Wellness Centre has offered many tips on how to stay healthy this fall, both mentally and physically. The best ways to do this is by maintaining your stress levels, eating nutritious meals, sleeping well and exercising.

One way to relieve stress is by seeking guidance and support from friends, peers and/or faculty. Being social and maintaining healthy relationships is an excellent way to cope with stress, so there’s no need to feel guilty when doing so!

Another way to deal with stress is to learn how to manage your time.

The counselling department at TRU offers workshops on how to improve your time management skills, so stop by or call them at 250-828-5023 for more information. Just don’t forget leisure and relaxation when making your schedule.

If you’re looking for more ways to stay stress-free, healthy living goes a long way. By getting enough rest, exercise, and nutritious foods, you are managing a healthy lifestyle that adds to a stress-free life.

When thinking about nutrition, there are 3 important aspects to focus on. The first is to prepare your meals at home. This helps you to save money, eat proper portion sizes and learn how to make your own meals. Another aspect of proper nutrition is to eat junk food and

drink sugary beverages in moderation. As well, bringing your own snacks to class will help with eating in moderation, staying away from junk foods and saving money! Who doesn’t love that?

Better sleep makes you a better student as well. Staying up late to finish that assignment might not be the best choice. The three best ways to have a better sleep cycle are to maintain a consistent wake-up time to make mornings more productive, a nap throughout the day to improve performance and to avoid caffeine in the evening to sleep easier.

Finally, exercise is the last component needed to have a happy and healthy lifestyle. Although exercise may seem like an impossible challenge some days, it can be as simple as going for a walk across campus. Exercising helps you to become physically fit, as well as improve confidence, relationships and mental health.

If you’d like to learn more about wellness or relax every now and then, the TRU Wellness Centre is the place to be.

“We come here, hang out and talk to one another. If you’re struggling, you can just come here and talk,” said Billy Davy, a bachelor of arts student and frequent user of the Wellness Centre.

The TRU Wellness Centre is open Monday to Friday in OM 1479. Stop by to have tea, ask a question or to hang out with peers. There are always staff members or volunteers there during open hours to help you.

New TRU dog policy raises the ire of students and staff Later this November, TRU's ban on dogs on campus will come into effect Robert Wisla CONTRIBUTOR Ω James Gordon, a staff member with the department of sustainability has been bringing his dog to campus for over four years.

“Students love seeing Lenny, he has always been happy to be

on campus,” Gordon said. “There have been no problems whatsoever over the entire time he has been here.”

Located far from the main campus buildings, the Office of Sustainability is inside a small outbuilding that houses more bikes than offices. Gordon’s dog Lenny is just one of the dozens of

animals affected by the proposed banning of dogs, cats and fish on campus.

Animals across campus in departments ranging from Alumni Services to TRU World all the way to the trades building (where a small cat hunts the mice and rats that plague the building) will be affected by

While you won't be able to bring your furry friends on campus, therapy dogs will still be around. (FILE PHOTO)

the banning of animals from all buildings on campus. Exceptions will be made for animals in the health technology centre and St. John Ambulance’s Therapy Dogs program.

Recently Matt Milovick, vice-president administration and finance put out a notice of motion for the banning of dogs from campus buildings citing health and safety, cultural perspectives, service delivery, damage to property and the well-being of the animals.

According to Milovick, there was a review of what other universities throughout Canada are doing and according to the notice of motion it “shows there is no standard approach to this issue. In B.C., policies range from non-existent to a complete ban on pets in university buildings (with the exception of service dogs). UBC, as an example, has no policy but leaves it at the discretion of individual schools and faculties to develop their own facility policy; this puts the onus on the manager to determine whether or not a pet is permitted in the workplace. At the other end of the spectrum, the University of Victoria’s Building and Grounds Usage policy (Policy #BP3105)

strictly prohibits all but service animals (including therapy dogs) in university buildings.”

The new policy follows the harder lined approach of the University of Victoria’s model rather than the more independent department by department policy of British Columbia’s largest and most prestigious school. According to the motion, consultations were done with “key stakeholders,” such as “unnamed senior leaders”, Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4879 and the TRU Faculty Association.

Notably absent from the list are Indigenous students on campus and the TRU Students' Union and its members.

The new policy will affect around 30 staff members directly. The comment period will end on Friday, Sept. 21.

Upon approval of the policy, employees currently bringing their dogs to campus will have until Nov. 23 to make alternate arrangements for their dogs.

The policy will come into effect Monday, Nov. 24.

TRU students and staff can email their concerns on the proposed new policy until 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 17 and can be forwarded to secretariat@tru.ca.

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Kamloops Innovation hosts fifth annual TechFest Networking event showcases Kamloops’ entrepreneurial growth and potential Juan Cabrejo BUSINESS EDITOR Ω To commemorate Kamloops’ entrepreneurial progress, Kamloops Innovation hosted their annual community event alongside the 2141 Steam Train at the local heritage railway. From startup founders to industry leaders, all were invited to acquaint and reconnect with peers in the municipal and provincial business sectors.

Since its inception, TechFest (or TechBrew as it was initially named) has had the purpose of highlighting the progress happening in the Kamloops tech industry. Lincoln Smith, Kamloops Innovation executive director, remarked on the drastic difference since the community first started from being

very technology-heavy to now growing towards other types of services.

“It’s amazing to walk into Kamloops Innovation and look at the companies that weren’t there five years ago,” he said. “I would say 20 per cent of businesses are tech companies, the other 80 per cent are in other areas.”

Companies from all over the province including Penticton, Kelowna and Vancouver visited TechFest to stimulate their businesses and are simultaneously shape Kamloops’ business identity.

“We have the benefit of looking at other cities and seeing what they’ve done, Kelowna being one of them,” said Smith. “We are standing on their shoulders to develop our tech sector quickly.”

Cole Weber, economic

TechFest also featured the Technology Market, a venue to meet and greet business peers from all over the province. (Juan Cabrejo/The Omega)

development specialist for Venture Kamloops, also shared his optimism of the Kamloops entrepreneurial scene.

“The Kamloops scene is new, but it’s growing in the right way,” he said. “It’s a fascinating time to be an entrepreneur in Kamloops.”

Kamloops Innovation works especially close to the TRU Generator and generously supports the on-campus entrepreneurial community. Some of TechFest’s featured businesses, including Hummingbird Drones, first originated at the TRU Generator. Beth Quirie, Kamloops Innovation community builder, explains how much support TRU students receive for their endeavours.

“We have different free workshops that we offer throughout the year, from business accounting, business proposals, to elevator pitches, anything we believe is a soft skill that leads to a hard skill,” she said. “We also offer one-on-one mentorship with people who are in that respective industry.”

Weber also noted the exponential surge of supportive resources for young entrepreneurs.

“You have Kamloops Innovation, TRU Generator, Venture Kamloops; I don’t think a lot of young entrepreneurs realize how much support they have in the community,” he said.

TechFest featured appearances from Ken Christian, mayor of Kamloops, Michael Henry, dean

TechFest was hosted alongside the 2141 Steam Train at the Kamloops Heritage Railway to honour the spirit of innovation. (Juan Cabrejo/Ω) of TRU’s School of Business and Economics and Tom Dickinson, dean of the TRU Faculty of Science. The event also offered craft beer and wine from the

Red Beard Café, local food trucks, virtual reality exhibits from TRU and BCLC, along with music from the Kamloops band Factotum.

TRUSU begins campaign for proportional representation

Third B.C. electoral reform referendum to take place after nine years Juan Cabrejo BUSINESS EDITOR Ω British Columbians will have the opportunity to vote for or against the single transferable vote (STV) system in the electoral reform referendum from Oct. 22 to Nov. 30. If British Columbians wish to change the current “first past the post” electoral model, they will have the liberty to vote for dual member, mixed member or rural-urban PR. Anyone who is a Canadian citizen, 18 years or older as of Nov. 30 and has been residing in British Columbia for at least six months immediately before Nov. 30 is eligible to vote in the referendum. B.C. residents need to be registered as such before Oct. 23 to receive a voting package in the mail.

According to Kole Lawrence, TRUSU campaigns committee member-at-large, the committee plans to do much tabling and encourage TRU students to vote for PR. “The committee has scheduled around four days a week of tabling around the university, at those tables, they will be registering and

making sure students can receive a voting package,” he said. “The campaigns committee unanimously voted in the students’ best interest to encourage voting for PR.” In 2005 and 2009, British Columbians voted against the STV system. Now they will have a third opportunity to conclude their say on B.C. electoral reform. If this reform is implemented in B.C., it would be especially beneficial for less dominant political parties in B.C. to gain a more substantial presence in provincial politics.

The B.C. NDP and Green Party have long advocated for changing the current “first past the post” system; however, it could equally benefit parties such as the B.C. Conservative Party who have also endorsed electoral reform.

Andrew Sahaydak, president of the TRU Conservative Association, is still undecided on the matter, nevertheless he acknowledges the possibility of it helping the conservative party gain strength.

“I know a lot of federal conservatives are supportive of the reform,” he said. “There may be many people who may not have voted

It’s likely that many British Columbians will use the opportunity the referendum presents to assure a louder voice for their party, whether it be Liberal, Green, NDP or conservative, in the next provincial election. (JuanCabrejo/Ω) who will vote in this referendum, however, if it passes, I think the reform could boost seats for the B.C. Conservatives.”

A big determining factor, as mentioned by Sahaydak, will be the difference in voters since the last reform in 2009. It’s possible that

many British Columbians will use this opportunity to assure a louder voice for their party in the next provincial election.

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

Parking lots and email inboxes fill as parking woes continue TRUSU and others listen to students and prepare meetings with TRU to begin solving key issues on parking Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω It's certainly a passionate discussion that many TRU students, faculty, admin and TRUSU representatives have been having for a considerable amount of time now.

The mention of parking on campus can spark any number of reactions from the TRU community. Whether it's the lack thereof, the cost of particular lots for staff and students or the distance from the infamous Lot N, which has seen a spike in traffic over the past year and has resulted in the construction of newcomer Lot NT. "One of the things that have been addressed year after year is that parking has always consistently been a problem. It's been a problem before construction, it's going to be a problem after construction and it's a huge problem now," spoke TRUSU president Tatiana Gilbert in an interview with The Omega.

According to Gilbert, TRUSU, CUPE and TRUFA have all received comments from their members in regards to the issue of parking on campus, resulting in the group of committees banding together over the summer to begin talks of remedying the issues, talks they plan on bringing to TRU.

"We’re still hoping that TRU is willing to take action and willing to work and come to the table and see how we can solve this for our community," Gilbert said.

While active conversation could be comforting to some, according to the 2019/2020 report on the Student Budget Consultation, parking has been an issue of concern for the past four consultations dating back to 2015.

Since then, the Sustainable Parking Framework was launched and a planned increase in rates was halted for the 2018/2019 years.

While the cancelled rate hike may have offered some relief to students, the new prioritized lot system had students frustrated at the new price to proximity ratio of the parking lots, according to the publication.

Gilbert mentioned the countless emails being sent to TRUSU in regards to the parking issues and stressed that while TRUSU has its hands in trying to fix the issue, comments should also be directed to Glenn Read of Ancillary Services and Matt Milovick, the vice-president of administration and finance.

When asked about what students could expect in the near future in regards to moving the conversation forward, Gilbert said that TRUSU will be hosting a

Parking has been a major concern amongst students at TRU for a number of years. (Juan Cabrejo/The Omega) forum some time next semester.

"We will be hosting a forum sometime in the next semester where we would like to hear from members in our community and more importantly, we’d like to hear from TRU,” she said. “This is their area. This is what they are responsible for. It’s really important that TRU is also there at that table and willing to solve this problem."

While Gilbert could not name an exact date for the mentioned forum, she advised those interested to keep an eye on the TRUSU Facebook page as well as them actively advocating around campus.

While no exact dates have come to light as to when the parking issues at TRU will be resolved, the conversation is still very active, with TRUSU seemingly on TRU's

tail on actions to come.

"TRUSU’s number one priority in anything we do is to provide a voice for students and to continually advocate for students. We will make sure their voices are heard, we never stop fighting for issues that are important to them, so that is what we plan on doing for this parking situation," Gilbert said.

Clubs Day a chance to showcase new clubs at TRU This year’s Clubs Day welcomes the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Club and the Vegan Club Farrah Johnson CONTRIBUTOR Ω With the new academic year in full swing, Clubs Day 2018, facilitated by the TRU Student Union (TRUSU), was held on the basketball court in front of Old Main on Sept. 12.

Extracurricular activities ranging from business to outdoor

leisure promoted themselves, showcasing to students the various learning opportunities their organizations had to offer.

There are more than ninety clubs in operation at TRU and forty-five of them, along with local community organizations, assembled on the court to meet with students.

New to the club scene is the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Club, an organization primarily

focused on “providing research opportunities” as well as “promoting research culture.”

“Whether you want to pursue graduate work, professional school or even join the workforce right after university, research is going to be something that really separates your application or resume apart from other students,” said Mat Norman, president and founder of the club.

Clubs Day gives students the chance to learn about and explore different clubs on campus (Farrah Johnson/Ω)

Student’s interested in enhancing their investigation and analytical skills or those seeking to gain a competitive edge on their curriculum vitae should consider joining.

“We’re really trying to get interdisciplinary. We’re open to helping provide things to business students, to computer science students, to psychology students, to anybody,” explained Tyson Strandt, the club’s vice-president.

Another organization established within the last year is the Vegan Club, which aims to promote the benefits of veganism, including helping the environment, advocating for animal rights and improving personal health.

“Our whole goal is to build a sense of community on campus for vegans and vegan supporters through hosting meetings, workshops and educating people on campus,” said Serena Girard, the club’s co-president.

In addition to gaining new knowledge, students can join to gain volunteer hours through a variety of opportunities.

The club also plans to host movie screenings and food tastings to get the word out around campus.

One community club, the Society for Creative Anachronism, takes on a more unconventional approach offering the chance for students to recreate the medieval period.

“We’re the largest recreation society in the world and we’re looking to start a club here at TRU that’s a medieval club that students could enjoy and be a part of and also lead,” said Devin Gambler, a newcomer liaison.

The Shire of Ramsgaard has been in Kamloops for over twenty-five years and partakes in activities such as armoured combat fighting and historical sword fencing.

The club covers a wide range of medieval history and includes other aspects such as making armoured clothing, textiles and beads.

Clubs Day 2018 was a success with overwhelming support from the student body.

Clubs are a great way to network on campus and gain experience that can enhance the quality of a student’s academic journey.

Anyone interested in starting a club on campus must complete and submit a Club Registration Form and interested parties need at least ten student signatures supporting the goals of their organization.

Groups can apply for TRUSU club status between Aug.1-Sept.28 and Dec.1-Jan.31.

There are mandatory Clubs Leaders Meeting in which every group must have a representative attending or face dissolvement.

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Upcoming Events Rock and Roll Bingo Lucky's Restaurant Sept. 19, 7 p.m.

You don't have to be old to enjoy bingo and rock and roll! All ages are welcome during this night of good ol' traditional fun. 3 games for $1, come down and win some prizes.

Sore Points Live The Grind Coffee Shop Sept. 20, 8 p.m.

Have a penchant for punk? Sore Points hark back to the golden age of punk with fast, poignant, yet intelligent and articulate music.

Kamloops Film Series Paramount Theatre Sept. 20, 7 p.m.

The Kamloops Film Society is hosting its Thursday Film Series 2018 every Thursday from now until Nov. 22.

Up first is Hearts Beat Loud, a comedy about music and love.

Padova: The Untold Story Tranquille Farm Fresh Sept. 20-22, Travel underground and be prepared to be spooked as you learn the mystery behind Padova City. Contact info@ tranquillefarmfresh.ca to book a tour today!

Bringing awareness to the power of music

TRUSU Musician’s Club holds inaugural concert series to promote B.C. organization Music Heals Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω The TRUSU Musician’s Club has taken on the role of philanthropist with their four-part concert series supporting B.C.-run organization Music Heals. This concert series features the talents of TRU and Kamloops-based musicians with the collective goal of supporting Music Heals.

TRUSU Musician’s Club teamed up with fellow TRU student Sophia de Zeeuw to turn an idea into reality. The team will be collecting old music players of any sort to be 100% donated to Music Heals. These music players will be refurbished and packed with music to be given to music therapy patients.

“Everyone has a dusty old MP3 player laying around somewhere,” said de Zeeuw.

Music Heals was founded by a group of music enthusiasts who wanted to join together to raise awareness towards the power of music.

Music Heals Charitable Foundation supports a wide range of music therapy services to communities in B.C. and across Canada. They work hard to increase access to music

therapy for patients in children's hospitals, senior's centres, palliative care, AIDS & HIV programs, at-risk youth, habilitation and bereavement support.

The inspiration for this concert series came from personal experience with mental health in de Zeeuw’s family.

“I’ve totally seen how music therapy has helped them and I decided that I needed to help and this was the best way I knew how,” de Zeeuw said.

The team has pulled together a great assortment of local talent including R&B, electric rock, psychedelic rock, acoustic rock, folk and Latin, just to name a few.

The latest show saw the musical talents of local band, Save the Turtles.

Followed by Bo Agandaba and then closed the with host band, The Smooth Humans.

The TRUSU Musician’s Club will be hosting two more concerts as part of their September concert series. Each Saturday, concert-goers will be treated to new sounds and new locations.

The next show will be held Saturday, Sept. 22 at BOLD Pizzeria at 7 p.m.

Admission is free, but be sure to help out by dusting off your old MP3 player for a great cause.

TRUSU MUSICIANS CLUB PRESENTS

MUSIC HEALS

BENEFIT CONCERT SERIES

EVERY WEEKEND IN SEPTEMBER Bring a used music player to donate to the Music Heals organization!

THE SMOOTH HUMANS FT.

BO AGANABA ⬤ CALEB OMAN THE ALKENOLICS ⬤ SAVE THE TURTLES JORGE AVILA

SAT THE 15TH @ THE POGUE MAHONE, 7PM SAT THE 22ND @ BOLD PIZZERIA, 8PM SAT THE 29TH @ THE ART WE ARE, 7PM

SEARCH THE "MUSIC HEALS BENEFIT CONCERT SERIES" EVENT ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE INFO! OR EMAIL THESMOOTHHUMANS@GMAIL.COM

Addiction Matters Kamloops presents substance abuse through photography Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω With over a year in the making, the Addiction Matters Kamloops Coalition is set to launch Exposed: A Photo Voice Project to the people of Kamloops. The exhibition is aiming

to give voices to those who have lived experiences with substance abuse, either personally or via family members.

The coalition works with various groups and organizations in the community to build knowledge and prevent the stigma attached to substance abuse. The stigma

surrounding substance abuse has led to a possible distrust of the services available.

“In our eyes, stigma continues to be a big issue and gets in the way of responding to things like the overdose crisis,” said Jessica Mensinger, chair of Addiction Matters Kamloops and representative for Interior Health. “It

Karaoke Night Pogue Mahones Pub Sept. 21, 9 p.m.

Come down to Pogue Mahones Irish Alehouse and show your friends who the next Freddie Mercury really is! This free event recurs weekly every Friday.

Right in the Eye + Motley Mayhem The Blue Grotto Sept. 21-22, 8 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Grab your hairspray and head down to the Grotto to be transported back to the 80s this weekend. There are shows on both Friday and Saturday. Cover is $5.

Famine, pictured above, is one of the many photos being showcased by the photo voice project. (Submitted)

gets in the way of our systems being able to provide the supports and services that we need to provide to those with substance abuse issues.”

The coalition received over 60 submissions from individuals and families in Kamloops with lived experiences of substance abuse.

“This project is really focused on dialogue. We aren’t there to educate, but we’re there to open the conversation and move that conversation forward,” Mensinger said.

Exposed: A Photo Voice Project aims to give those who have first hand experience the opportunity to tell the story that they feel needs to be told.

All submissions were taken independently, with the optional guide of local photography company, Exposure Photography. Each submission is kept anonymous, but the storytelling with each tells a different story while still staying on the topic of substance abuse.

“We have people that have struggled in many different ways. We have men and women, people that are younger and older and people from various socio-economic statuses,” Mensinger said. “We made an effort to get a really broad range of people that contributed photos.”

Exposed: A Photo Voice Project is free to the public and guests are encouraged to come with an open mind.

Exposed will run for one night only on Sept. 20, from 6 to 9 p.m.. at the Old Courthouse Gallery.

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ARTS

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Spider-Man review: everyone's favourite webslinger back on the PS4 Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω Spider-Man is a fast-paced, love letter made from Insomniac Games to give players the experience of playing around in the entirety of New York City.

The game is fantastic with its integration of the many gadgets that Peter Parker owns, throwing you straight into the action as you are tasked with capturing Wilson Fisk.

The controls are a bit complicated at the beginning and will have you smacking into buildings a lot as you first start, but are easy to follow after an hour in.

The game’s story is one of its biggest strengths. It centres on a

23-year old Peter Parker who already has a career at Octavius Industries and an already experienced Spider-Man roaming the streets.

The story is very centred on how the duality of being a masked vigilante and a scientist who wants a social life can’t survive for long.

The gameplay is smooth, having a very Batman: Arkham feel to it.

However, it is better paced than the Batman series, giving the player time to understand every upgrade rather than throwing too much at you too fast.

The game itself is jam-packed with things like side missions that are welcomed distractions and make the relationship between Spider-Man and the community of New York itself seem that much stronger.

The extras to collect in the form of backpacks are lovely easter eggs to webheads past and give great backstory to this incarnation of Spider-Man. Half-way through the campaign, players will become a bit fatigued

from the fighting system, however, taking a swing around Harlem to Hell’s Kitchen feels somewhat cathartic, giving a sense of peace that a drive around town or a walk in the park would usually have as well.

The boss battles do range, starting extremely strong with Kingpin to somewhat monotonous in the middle battle, yet it never feels boring or dreadful.

The setting feels lived in and immerse, detailing the atmosphere of New York in all its glory. The city that truly never sleeps has multiple events happening all the time, simply put, the game is bursting with content.

Even when roaming around as Spidey, he is in character with his wisecracks and his own Twitter that

he goes on far too often. But this is just the dorky jokester we've all come to appreciate and love.

The game does shift from just the perspective of Parker, allowing the player to play sections as Mary Jane, as an investigative reporter, to a young Miles Morales attempting to help Spider-Man as a semi-sidekick.

These areas are never longer than they should and are fun breaks from the main campaign.

Overall, Spider-Man 2018 takes all the positives from the pieces of all games previous to it and combines it into an action-packed adventure that leaves the player wanting to play through it all over and over again or just to come back and swing through Manhattan for an hour to get their mind off things.

The Nun a forgettable prequel to The Conjuring Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω The Nun is a generic slugfest of a film that has interesting concepts, but loses interest for so long that it never really retrieves it.

The movie is about a priest and a nun who have to investigate a church after an incident regarding the nuns stationed there. The plot centres around whether or not the land that is there is still deemed holy enough to re-open the church.

The movie is very slow paced, with one jump scare after another coming at you with nothing really

interesting connecting them together. It becomes so bad that you’re really counting them down as they come, adding to the concept that the movie didn’t really know what it wanted to be.

The fear factor created by the poster of The Nun is far scarier than the actual nuns themselves, taking away from any long-lasting fear it may have and diminishing it into short-turn jump scares.

That message becomes more than clear by the third act where it just turns into a supernatural action film, which definitely was a plus. It drops the entire dramatic facade it was attempting to carry and goes

head first into a more action-centred plot.

However, by the end, the entire journey feels contrived and pointless, with no real payoff that makes it worthwhile. With the exception of one small change to the life of the nun, in general, it feels as if this entire experience didn't have really any long-lasting effects on anybody.

A more character centred story could be very interesting, with examples like Castaway or the Revenant. However, The Nun never really picks whom the journey is centred around, which makes an audience member feel confused about who the events are really effecting.

The setting is engaging, though it never feels utilized and has the side effect of the events not mattering in the long-run.

The characters are somewhat generic, with the one interesting, redeemable character being the man Frenchie. This gentlemen either knew this film wasn’t going to be good or he just wanted to give it his all, but he steals every scene he's in with his charm and his charisma.

Another flaw with the film is the leaps that these characters take in order to solve these conflicts. More than once, they make decisions that don’t have any motive or reasoning.

Decisions in films need to be made

JUST BECAUSE THEY SWIPED RIGHT DOESN’T MAKE IT RIGHT.

Sexual violence and misconduct can never be part of student life.

It will not be tolerated.

Make campuses safe for everyone, play your part.

with logic, reason, or experience, yet in The Nun, they just decide to do something and it magically works for them. No logic, just luck.

A positive on the other hand is the connection that it has to The Conjuring series as a whole. The film is a prequel to the movies in general, but there isn’t anything that you need to know going in.

Overall, the movie does attempt to be engaging though it falls short, having the audience sit through the first three quarters with predictable scares, not that engaging characters (with the exception of the adorable Frenchie) and a pace that leaves it very forgettable.

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Puzzle of the Week #2—Find Another Pattern

(in the September 19, 2018 issue of The Omega) Here are some words and how many points each word is worth. The rule has to do with the spelling. silver 15 gold 12 iron 10 copper 16 nickel 11 aluminum 19 What is the rule?

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.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

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SPORTS

Despite aggresiveness, men's soccer struggles in Calgary WolfPack MSOC suffered a tough loss against the University of Calgary Dinos Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The WolfPack men’s soccer team suffered a tough 1-0 loss in Calgary against the Dinos on Sept. 15.

While TRU was the more aggressive team in front of goal with 21 shots, 13 which came in the first half, in comparison the Dinos only managed to register 6 shots.

Unfortunately, converting their chances in front of goal has been their biggest challenge at the start of the 2018 season.

Jared Filo scored for the Dinos 25 minutes into the game, the assist came from Mark Bohdan.

This game marked the debut of rookie TRU keeper Jackson Gardner of Chilliwack, B.C. Other than the goal Gardner had a relatively quiet day considering he had to only deal with 6 shots.

Jake Ruschkowski had to make

only three saves throughout the entire game, a worrying statistic from a TRU point of view.

With this loss, TRU’s record now stands at 1-3-2 whilst the Calgary Dinos are now 2-3.

“Not happy with the 1-0 loss, but it was a match that we controlled. For the most part, we dominated from the beginning to the end,” said head coach John Antulov to TRU athletics.

“We had numerous chances on goal but unfortunately we

weren’t able to finish in tight areas. I thought the boys controlled the game defensively,” Antulov said. “We very much limited their opportunities and put them under a lot of pressure.

We were just unable to finish. I think it is a point where we need to just stay positive that we are doing the right things.”

The ’Pack team have played well in most games, but haven’t been able to put the ball in the back of the net and that will need

to change soon if they are going to qualify for the playoffs.

“I thought this was probably our best game of the year as a group,” Antulov said. “Everyone was clicking. It was just unfortunate that we were unable to get a result in the end.”

TRU will be hoping that home comforts will help them in their next encounter as they take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, B.C.

TRU Athletics

'Pack women struggle on the road in Alberta TRU's WSOC team hopes for better fortunes against B.C. opponents after rough weekend Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The WolfPack women’s soccer team lost two tough games on the road against the University of Alberta Pandas and the Mount Royal University Cougars.

The WolfPack women’s soccer team lost their first game of the weekend 5-0 to the Pandas, the top team in Canada West Prairie division.

The game was played on Sept.

15 at Foote Stadium, in Edmonton, Alberta.

The star player for the Pandas was Karissa McNutt who had a goal and two assists. The Pandas had 26 shots.

TRU was outshot 12-3 in the first half and 14-4 in the second half.

The Pandas led 1-0 at halftime and scored four goals in the second half.

Nicole Palladino, Sydney Daines, Aly Parth and Ann Dunn scored goals for the Pandas.

Robertson made 5 saves in the game whilst the pandas had 26 shots in the game. UoA moves to 3-0 in the season, while TRU falls to 1-2.

“Played in absolutely

miserable conditions the entire game. Cold, freezing temperatures. A tough day for soccer, full credit to the Pandas,” said head coach Kelly Shantz to TRU athletics. “They are a veteran quality team. Aggressive in their play. Smart in their runs and aggressive around the net.

They scored some good goals.

For us, it was a better performance than last weekend. We were up against a really good team and got some bad breaks.”

“5-0 is not a positive result but I am treating it as a step forward in our growth and development,” Shantz added.

After the loss to the Pandas, things didn’t get any easier for the ’Pack as they lost 4-1 to the Mount Royal University Cougars.

TRU conceded four goals in an eleven-minute span in the second half. The Cougars had a goal disallowed in the first half for offsides.

TRU was outshot 15-8 by the Cougars.

“Disappointing day for us.

We were looking for a result.

It would be tough. These big road trips through Edmonton and Calgary are difficult at any time,” Shantz said. “Yesterday’s match took a lot out

TRU Athletics

of us with the snow and cold.

We were worn out as we rolled into Calgary around 7 p.m. and recouped for an 11 a.m. game.”

Coach Shantz and his girls will be hoping for better fortunes in their road trip to UVic

and UBC after a tough weekend in Alberta.

“No excuses though. We need to be better in our second halves. We were scoreless after the first half. In the second half, Camryn Curts rattled one off the

crossbar. The wheels came off in the 68th minute. We were very disorganized. We are looking at it as fatigue. We will be addressing it and regrouping for our road trip to UVic and UBC next week,” Shantz concluded.

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THE OMEGA

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

REFERENDUM NOTICE Voting will take place

Wednesday November 21 8AM-4PM Thursday November 22 8AM-8PM Friday November 23 8AM-1PM in the TRUSU Lecture Hall e Are you in favour of the Union collecting a fe of $0.85 per credit to be used to support the operation of the World University Services of Canada Student Refugee Program at TRU.

details at

trusu.ca/referendum Advocacy | Services | Entertainment