October 24, 2018

Ω OMEGA

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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 08 · OCTOBER 24, 2018

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TRU TURNS DOWN THE HEAT

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GET SPOOKY THIS HALLOWEEN

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MSOC SECURE PLAYOFF SPOT

Climate change heads for the ski slopes Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω Winter enthusiasts are not only waxing their skies for the season, but they're also checking climate data too or at least Michael Pidwirny is.

Pidwirny, an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences at UBCO, visited TRU last week to speak about some of his research

in climate data. In the hour-long presentation, Pidwirny spoke to his audience on data he and his graduate students have been collecting over the years on climate change and the effects it has had and will have on ski resorts on the west coast of North America.

See SKIING PROFESSOR Page 5

Adorning the entrance to the international advising area on the third floor of the International Building is a breathtaking sight: a traditional Chinese dragon boat replica, carved from one solid block of Manchurian jade. Graciously donated by Robert and Claire Murphy in September 2018 to all students, current and future of TRU. The lettering on the sails translates to, “smooth sailing” and “best wishes” — messages the Murphys hope will inspire students throughout their educational experience. The statue is seven feet long, five feet high and weighs around 300 lbs. (Aidan Grether/Ω)

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NEWS

OCTOBER 24, 2018

New policy on pets on campus goes in affect at end of November TRU's policy to regulate the presence of animals on campus approved at last Board of Governors meeting Farrah Johnson CONTRIBUTOR Ω TRU’s Board of Governors have finalized a pet policy to prohibit animals from coming into campus buildings, apart from those in the Animal Health Technology program and service dogs.

The Animals/Pets on Campus Policy was introduced as a safety precaution to ensure the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff on campus.

According to the board meeting’s agenda, the policy was implemented to avoid a pet or animal becoming a “health hazard, threat, nuisance or

significant distraction” to people and events happening around campus.

“After significant consultation with our community and extensive internal discussion with university leadership, in keeping with the university’s commitment to the health and safety of all those on campus,

Come Nov. 24, therapy dogs and AHT program dogs will be among the few dogs allowed on campus. (FILE PHOTO)

TRU feels the policy that we have implemented best serves the needs of our broader community,” said Matt Milovick, TRU’s vice-president administration and finance.

The agenda stated that this year alone, there have been two documented reports revolving around incidents where people have been bitten by dogs owned by employees and students.

This has resulted in several concerns being voiced by TRU’s faculty and staff. Such matters of importance revolve around “health, safety, cultural perspectives, service delivery, damage to property and animal well-being.”

The new pet policy asserts that animals are unauthorized to enter the buildings, vehicles and facilities of the university.

Pets are also banned from TRU residences “except as indicated in housing agreements” and animals that are on campus must always be restrained and under the supervision of their caretaker.

The Omega spoke with students around campus to get their opinions on the new pet policy and some agreed that the health and safety of people on campus come first.

“I feel like as long as, obviously, service dogs are able to still be on campus and the therapy dogs, that’s all fine. I heard rumors that there was a dog that bit somebody on campus that wasn’t a service dog, so I think if it makes the campus safer for everybody that it’s kind of good thing,” said Nicole Greenstreet.

Despite that, there were still some students who admitted that they were disappointed in the new pet policy.

“I like having dogs on campus, it’s nice to see them, it relieves stress and I’m an animal person, so I like seeing more animals on the campus,” said Marina Keast.

Still, bringing clarity to the implications of the new policy Milovick explained: “This is not a dog ban policy – this is a limitation on the animals permitted in University buildings,” Milovick said. “TRU welcomes dogs on the campus grounds so long as they are on a leash and controlled by their caregiver.”

Individuals who regularly bring their pets on campus have until Nov. 23 to make alternate arrangements.

The Animals/Pets on Campus Policy comes into effect on Nov. 24.

TRU turns down the heat after Enbridge pipeline explosion University cutting back on its natural gas use after a pipeline exploded in Prince George Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω Two weeks ago, just 15 km northeast of Prince George, an Enbridge natural gas pipeline exploded. The dramatic explosion resulted in around 100 members of a nearby first nations community having to be evacuated from the town.

Following the explosion, gas supplier FortisBC said that up to 70 per cent of their customer base could face a gas shortage as a result.

The explosion site is still out of commission, but is expected to be back up soon according to Enbridge in a press release.

A number of companies across B.C. have committed to lowering their gas usage in order to help make sure everyone who needs natural gas is able to get it.

The Omega spoke to Jim Gudjonson, director of sustainability at Thompson Rivers University about what TRU has done to mitigate natural gas usage at the university.

“All Enbridge customers were asked to reduce their use as much as possible,” Gudjonson said.

This is because the pipeline that delivered gas to Kamloops and beyond had the be shut down while the incident was

under investigation. Since then, gas has once again begun to flow, but only at 80 per cent of regular capacity.

“We have dashboards in our buildings so we can monitor the rates. It’s somewhere between 15-20 per cent we think,” said Gudjonson about how much TRU has cut their natural gas use over the past couple weeks.

“About 90 per cent of our natural gas goes to heating our buildings,” Gudjonson added.

Since an overwhelming majority of the gas we use at the university goes to heating its buildings, logic would dictate that the next step would be to lower the temperature of the school.

“We can monitor our school’s temperature. For every degree we go down we save about five per cent," Gudjonson said. "We’re usually around 23 degrees, so we’re going down to 19. So we figure it’s about 20 per cent.”

According to TRU’s sustainability plan, natural gas makes up about 55 per cent of the total energy used at the school.

By simply reducing the temperature by four degrees, we are able to cut back on 20 per cent of our gas usage, which by extension is around ten per cent of the school’s total energy usage. TRU has a variety of

other practices to encourage sustainability, maybe it’s time we adopted this as an additional policy.

“We have the largest solar hot water heating system in British Columbia that heats the hot

water for culinary at the school.

We do purchase clean gas from a methane free capture,” Gudjonson said. “We’ve been involved in energy saving programs for 8 years. In that eight years we’ve cut energy usage by 35 per cent.”

TRU plans to continue creating and implementing new sustainable projects for the school to further reduce our ecological impact. Looking at the numbers, it would make sense to target natural gas heating next.

Feeling colder at university lately? TRU has turned down the heat by four degrees in all buildings. (jasleen_kaur/Flickr)

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OPINION

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Opinion: Thank you for running William Re: THE SCENT OF SENSIBILITY Robert Wisla CONTRIBUTOR Ω Good job William.

No, you didn’t win, I think we know that was the most likely result.

Ken Christian is as much a ‘career politician’ as it comes with over a decade on the school board, a decade on council and a short term as mayor he is well on his way to becoming a member of parliament if and when Cathy McLeod decides to step down, calling it now!

Ken was going to be a tough man to beat even against another councillor with lots of experience and credibility like former interim Mayor Arjun Singh. However, with this election I think we can all agree in Kamloops and across Canada that in a healthy democracy the incumbents should be challenged.

No matter if its from a left- or rightwing perspective having people rise to power without a single question from an opposing point of view is boring, if not dangerous.

Williams run gave us a chance to vote for someone else and what’s great is that even though he got a low number of votes, we as a city were able to give him vocal opposition to stances he put forward in the election. William didn’t have to run, he seemed to be enjoying this life style before entering public life.

To all the people that ran in our recent elections against presumptive winners, thank you. In small town Keremeos in the Similkameen Valley of the Southern Interior, for example, councillor Arlene Arlow saw that the incumbent mayor Manfred Bauer was going to be sworn in without a fight and she wasn’t going to stand for it so went about rallying together people who

wanted change and lost the election by a surprising margin, 15 votes. A recount may be likely.

Of the experience she said: “I knew it would be close. I received a lot of positive feedback during the campaign period but was not sure whether all of the feedback would translate into votes in my favour. This year – for the first time – the Village of Keremeos allowed voters to vote by mail. There were essentially four ballots: The mail-in ballots; the advance poll; a polling station at the care home and the formal election day ballots. The incumbent did better than I in the advance poll and the mail-in ballots, whereas I did better in the care home polling station and the election day ballots. It was a close race and I am definitely not overly disappointed in the results. I have no doubt the incumbent was surprised because the last two times anyone ran against him the margin was huge. He had become accustomed to victory. “ In places where no one ran against the incumbent mayors, guys like Ron Oszust of Golden or Al Raine of Sun Peaks won without contest are examples of politicians in B.C. getting an easy ride and I argue that because of that the municipalities are losing out on proper debate and that they are losing an opportunity to hold their mayors to account for every decision good or bad that they made.

According to Elections BC 37 municipalities in B.C., in every single region (yes even Metro Vancouver), had some or all of the council candidates win by acclamation. Places like Ashcroft and Keremeos had every single councillor elected without contest.

So, for the sake of democracy, thank you William.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, I was one of the thousands in Kamloops to openly celebrate the national legalization of marijuana.

From partaking in the opening of the first provincial dispensary in the early a.m. hours (disappointed in the money transaction process and product) to visiting my frequented shop downtown (greeted with a complimentary joint) as the sun finally set, it seemed like the autumn's version of Canada Day around town. In parks and parking lots on both sides of the river, a sense of deja vu similar to April 20th (almost six months apart) came over me.

Since I've been publicly smoking since grade twelve, 20 years ago, the guilt-free part of the Oct. 17 didn't phase me as much as others. But viewing those who are shedding that feeling for the first time was satisfying.

This brings me around to how those who aren't educated well enough in this area to start making requests, comments and assumptions regarding public cannabis consumption. There are folks who aren't fans of the

smell of a burning bowl of bud or even talking about oils and edibles, let alone consuming them. Fine. But enjoying tobacco products and alcoholic beverages while even giving just a passive-aggressive vibe towards anything cannabis related is hypocritical in my opinion. It's easy to overlook the ripple effects each vice brings when the cons are disguised as pros. From environmental damages to financial histories to health changes, there are infinite reasons to take it out of corporate hands and simply allow citizens to make it THEMSELVES if they REALLY want it.

But that will never happen.

Global population is uncontrollable. Disney and Google will somehow get involved to make sure they profit more. And only an alien-race with brainwashing powers could achieve the feat anyway.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, long-time subdued minorities and demographics have received recognition. Creating a society that doesn't waste time complaining about how

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All members of the society in good standing are welcome to attend.

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Editorial Staff

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society TRU Campus, Old Main, OM2691 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 0C8 Phone: 250-828-5069 Advertising inquiries: www.truomega.ca/advertise or email accounts@truomega.ca

Editor-in-Chief Wade Tomko

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

Wade Tomko Christopher Foulds Charles Hays Juan Cabrejo Vacant Vacant

Letters Policy

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

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

*Gabe Salvatore returned to Canada from the U.S. in anticipation of marijuana legalization*

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society

THE OMEGA STUDENT NEWSPAPER • PUBLISHED SINCE NOVEMBER 27,1991

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others choose to relax or even the method of taking their FUCKING MEDICINE, is one of the unspoken reasons legalization needed to occur. It was even mentioned in some circles of smokers on legalization day that it was “our day”. Then we all witnessed a RCMP patrol car slowly and quietly drive on by. I think I even saw the driver smiling. Even the cops can shed a bit of stress.

And if you're the kind that doesn't like the smell marijuana, but is an online media magnet – get ready for more news on Mary Jane than you really want.

Advertisers, celebrities, land developers, religious zealots and pro athletes will be waving the seven-pointed leaf in your direction till it's in your dreams. If you haven't consumed and wanna still bitch about the effects, it's probably normal in your world to bitch about politicians without voting too.

News Editor Christian Varty Arts Editor Cailyn Mocci

Business Editor Juan Cabrejo

Sports Editor Alvin Mutandiro Staff Writers Justin Moore

Photographer Aidan Grether Distributor Morgan Hunter

Contribuors Robert Wisla, Farrah Johnson, Elizabeth Nygren, Kait Lampard

c fb.me/truomega d @TRU_Omega

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

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

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If you’re ready to get started, just email one of our section editors and pitch your story: News: news@truomega.ca Arts: arts@truomega.ca Sports: sports@truomega.ca Or write the editor at: editor@truomega.ca

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OCTOBER 24, 2018

NEWS

Policy Wanks: the notwithstanding clause Latest use of the notwithstanding clause sets bad precedent for politics Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω The Ford name bears an incredibly loaded burden ripe with controversy in Ontario political spheres. The younger of the two brothers, Rob, was famously entrenched in substance abuse escapades while he held office as

the mayor of Toronto.

More recently, older brother Doug Ford has found his newfound premiership weighed down by polarizing policy changes, including removing the old sexual education model from public school curriculum and putting an end to the previous government’s new basic income pilot project.

While the two aforementioned policy changes can be seen as relatively consistent with the traditional social conservative ideology, the most shocking use of his power was his recent use of the notwithstanding clause.

The notwithstanding clause is found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under section 33 and reads:

“Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this Charter.”

This means that a provincial government can use the notwithstanding clause to opt out of a specific part of the charter or a bill. However, it cannot be used to overrule certain fundamental freedoms such as democratic rights or mobility rights.

Quebec has seen the most public discussion about their use of this clause, overturning legislation pertaining to the language mandates in order for them to maintain French as the only language on signs.

Other provinces have used the notwithstanding clause, such as Saskatchewan with the School Choice Protection Act, which prevented the government from funding non-Catholic students attending Catholic separate schools.

But Ford has used the notwithstanding clause in quite an unconventional manner. Rather than using it to quash a bill or act of legislation, his government used it as a way to nullify the court’s negative ruling on a bill.

The bill was, of course, put forward by the Ford

government.

“The people want smaller government, they want lower taxes, they want lower hydro rates, they want to make sure that they have good paying jobs and they want a city of Toronto that is functional,” Ford said while discussing the new bill which would dramatically decrease the number of city councilors in Toronto from 47 to 25.

Ford ran on a platform criticising the previous government’s high taxation and went as far as proposing an audit on the previous government’s spending.

“We’re going to restore responsibility, accountability and trust in government,” he said.

The irony of this statement should be noted.

Wayne MacKay, a professor of law at Dalhousie University said the use of the notwithstanding clause in such a situation sets a bad precedent for future politicians.

"I think it is a legitimate concern, because of the odd times in which we live in, in terms of people like Trump and others, who are able to appeal to a certain segment of the population that aren't necessarily very rights-focused," MacKay said.

Ontario has entered into a strange time in politics and it’s unlikely that this will have subsided after Toronto’s city council vote on Oct. 22.

Kamloops municipal election 2018 recap

Incumbent mayor Ken Christian wins majority vote, four new members on council Robert Wisla CONTRIBUTOR Ω Another year, another election. Kamloopians went to the polls and once again elected another mayor, council and school board. In a world full of troubled democracies, we should always celebrate the smooth, peaceful transition of power.

Of the mayoral candidates, Ken Christian won with a convincing majority (83.9 per cent of the vote) against William Turnbull who only garnered 27 per cent of the popular vote.

The council has seen a major shake up with council incumbents Tina Lange and Pat Wallace, both not running for re-election, the majority of council has changed. Notable new additions to council include journalist Dale Bass, Sadie Hunter and Bill Sarai.

Incumbents who lost were Donovan Cavers, Ray Dhaliwal.

The winners were: Arjun Harjit Singh; 12,203 votes, 59.1 per cent.

Kathy Sinclair; 10,806 votes, 52.3 per cent.

Mike O’Reilly; 9375 votes, 45.4 per cent.

Dieter Wolfgang Duty; 9181 votes, 44.5 per cent.

Dale Bass; 9059 votes, 43.9 per cent.

Denis Jerome Walsh; 7960 votes, 38.3 per cent.

Sadie Hunter; 7441, 36 per cent.

Bill Sarai; 7218, 35 per cent.

Former Kamloops this Week journalist Dale Bass was one of the many citizens that put that themselves out there for civic duty and of the experience said it was great.

“It seemed a lot like what I did as a reporter, getting out and talking with and listening to people. Just don’t have to write the story,” Bass said.

Bass added that city council should focus on making connections and supporting the community.

“The city needs to improve on its partnership with neighbourhood associations. If it is going to use them to stay in touch with people, it has to help them remain sustainable,” she said. “I didn't know how little the support is. The city's assigned employee does a great job, but he could use either more people helping him or more time to dedicate to providing that kind of ongoing support.”

Councillor and former mayoral candidate Dieter Dudy won by a convincing margin and said going forward into the next term that he will make students a key priority of his term on council.

“My top priority for students in Kamloops is to increase livability,” Dudy said. “Students face the daily pressure of classes and strive to excel.

They need to know that they can leave those pressures from time to time and enjoy the many recreational and cultural amenities we have to offer. I

would strive to build upon that.”

Of the experience of running, Dudy said that it was little different this time.

“When you first run as a candidate you don’t have luxury of knowing exactly how a city is run. You lack the perspective of understanding the

process,” he said. “You tend to come out with both guns blazing. As an incumbent you focus then on how you maneuvered through the process while also looking for exciting new visions to bring to your community.

Effectively an incumbent’s campaign leads up to a job assessment.”

Mayor Ken Christian speaks at the Sept. 22 Council of Canadians All-Candidates Forum. (Wade Tomko/Ω)

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NEWS

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Skiing professor looks into the effects of climate change on popular North American ski resorts in the not so far future CONTINUED (COVER) Pidwirny came prepared with graphs that showed data on snowfall and climate change on ski resorts such as Whistler and Sun Peaks form as far back as 1901 to 2017, showing averages for each year. This data not only allowed Pidwirny and his students to look at trends of the past, but it also gave a glance into what the future may hold for these resorts.

"I'm going to be showing you the worst case scenario. I think it's important to stress that because we really aren't doing anything to reduce climate change in the future," Pidwirny commented during his presentation before showing predictions for the future.

Pidwirny used the ClimateBC software and enormous database to collect his research, using virtual weather stations to collect information on average temperatures, precipitation and snowfall levels.

From previous trends collected, Pidwirny had predictions of future temperatures on ski hills and snowfall levels all the way to 2070

and even 2100. The inspiration for collecting this information is because Pidwirny is a skier himself and he wanted to know what his personal favourite mountain, Big White, would look like in the future.

"By 2055, that temperature of -2 celsius will be the average temperature of the ski resort," Pidwirny said about Whistler, comparing these future temperatures to the particularly warm year that the mountain faced in 2015.

While Pidwirny joked around that he didn't want to reveal damaging information to the media on account of his funding, he stressed that there would be economic impacts if temperatures continued to rise and snow levels continued to drop over the years. This was revisited after the presentation during a brief question and answer period, where an audience member compared this data to the length of an average mortgage for a property on a ski resort.

Pidwirny ended his presentation candidly, saying that changes were

coming to these major ski resorts one way or another, whether it is a change to seasonal memberships or

more full out closures like in 2015.

In speaking about the effects and doubts of climate change over time,

Pidwirny had just one comment: "Someday people are going to find out."

Even over the last few years, local mountains like Sun Peaks have seen drastic changes in weather. (FILE PHOTO)

Go nordic skiing this winter for cheap The Overlander Ski Club at Stake Lake presents a great opportunity to get some fresh air this winter Wade Tomko EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω If you’re still in Kamloops by the time the end-of-semester break rolls around and are wondering what to do with your time, why not try nordic skiing or snowshoeing?

Nordic skiing, or cross-country skiing as it is also known, is

an excellent way to relieve some of that exam-period stress, says Vesta Giles, president of the Overlander Ski Club.

“You can pop out, it is a twenty minute drive from TRU to the Stake Lake Ski Trails and you can get up there ski for an hour or two, burn off all that stress and then come back,” Giles said.

“You don’t have lineups for lift tickets, you don’t have crowds.

You can just go out and enjoy being out in the woods.”

The sport itself doesn’t quite have the learning curve of alpine, or downhill, skiing either, says Giles. However, if you’re not sold on skiing around Stake Lake’s 60 km of ski trails, you can also try out snowshoeing.

For those who don’t have their own gear or maybe want

to switch out their skis for snowshoes, the club even rents equipment.

“We rent equipment if you want and you don’t even need any skill,” Giles said. “You can rent snowshoes and hit the trails and after a heavy snow it is like this winter wonderland.”

The prices for club memberships are pretty reasonable as well. Early Bird season

Located only twenty minutes south of Kamloops, the Stake Lake Ski Trails are perfect for students looking to get some skiing in bewteen classes. (Submitted)

memberships for TRU students, which run until Nov. 15 are $72.

After that, the price is bumped up to $82. Day passes are also available for students at $7 per day.

“We made it really affordable for TRU students. Our season probably lasts from December until about mid-March. Day skiing, night skiing, anything you wanted to do, plus snowshoeing is $72,” Giles said. “When you look at us compared to Sun Peaks, a day at Sun Peaks is really expensive, but here at Stake Lake it really is not.”

Giles adds the 30 year-old club is constantly growing and now has around 700 members. As such, they are always looking for experienced skiers to come volunteer. However, Giles stresses that the greatest opportunity at Stake Lake, is the chance to get out and enjoy the fresh winter air in a place that is stunningly beautiful.

“We have opportunities for volunteers, we have opportunities for if there are experienced skiers, there are some job opportunities here," she said. "It is just a great opportunity for students to go out and get some fresh air in the winter in a place that is not that expensive."

Who knows, you might even see some wildlife on the trails.

“You’ve got a good chance of seeing moose and lynx tracks,” Giles said. “If you’re lucky, you could even see a lynx.”

If you interested in checking out the Stake Lake trails or even volunteering, you can contact the Overlander Ski Club at (250) 3725514 or info@overlanderskiclub. com.

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NEWS

OCTOBER 24, 2018

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Upcoming Events Hiring Fair for Forestry Oct. 24, 5 - 7 p.m.

Mountain Room Don’t miss this exclusive, inaugural Hiring Fair for Forestry. This event matches you with companies actively recruiting students for various summer jobs and co-op positions.

TRU Tech Tour Oct. 25, 12 - 5 p.m.

Mountain Room Discover what tech jobs are available in Kamloops while getting your face in front of company decision-makers and those with influence. Tickets are $10 (commitment fee) and available now at Career & Experiential Learning (OM 1712).

ESTR’s Market: handcrafted items, snacks and lunch Oct. 24 & 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

OM 2425 Featuring a variety of products made by artisans in the area, in addition to home-made meals and snacks. Pick up a gift for yourself or for someone on your list. Feeling a bit hungry? Grab lunch or something to get you through the day.

The Freudian Slips Present: Spooky Scary Improv Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.

Stagehouse Theatre The Freudian Slips present: An all Hallow's Eve-themed event! Spooky and scary happenings are afoot at the Stagehouse Theatre -- what are those mischievous Freudian Slips up to this time? Come and find out for yourself.

Asylum at Shark Club Oct. 27, 10 p.m.

Shark Club Sports Bar and Grill Get crazy in an asylum full of fear and of course plenty of beer! Bring all of your friends and join hundreds of people who are ready to tear up the night in your very own Asylum. Shark Club will be transformed into an abandoned Asylum fueled with deranged guests, medical staff that shouldn’t be anywhere near patients, and scenes that are straight out of your nightmares.

Rock and Roll Bingo Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

Lucky’s Restaurant Kamloops Come spend a fun night playing a few rounds of good ol' traditional bingo! There’ll be tons of great rock n' roll music with all sorts of amazing prizes up for grabs!

Three games for $1! Great food and drink specials! Bring your daubers and let's get silly!

Chilihead Challenge Oct. 27, 3 - 7 p.m.

Pizza Pi Kamloops Ever fancied yourself a connoisseur of all things spicy?

Ever wanted to put your taste buds to the test and claim ultimate glory? Finally, here is your opportunity to test your metal. Win four hours of free tattoo time with Roadkill Riley. How? Survive rounds of increasingly spicy wings until you are the last human alive!

ARTS

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From spooky to chill, we’ve got your Halloween covered Make the most of your Halloween with these 10 favourites Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω Hiding around the corner is everyone’s favourite spooky season! With Halloween creeping up, here’s everything you’ll need to keep even the easily frightened excited for what’s to come.

Ghost Train: Join the Kamloops Heritage Railway as they descend into the walking dead. This Kamloops tradition will keep you on your toes with a cast of creepy characters and more scares than before. Transport yourself into the eerie and gruesome stories of love, betrayal and insanity and watch as the horror unfolds in front of your own eyes. The Ghost Train is full steam ahead for this spooky eight km trek running Oct. 26, 27 and 29 at 7 p.m.

Zombie Walk: They’re at it again. The annual Kamloops Zombie Walk is set to take place Oct. 27. If you have a love for the living dead or just want to bust out your goriest makeup, join the horde and stumble through Victoria Street in search of a few unlucky souls.

The Zombie Walk has been gaining popularity over the last couple years, showcasing some of the of the greatest costumes, both professional and amateur.

Night of Fright: Boasting as one of the “Scariest Corn Mazes” in Kamloops, Sunset Valley Farms is hosting their annual Night of Fright.

This year they’ve claimed to have one-uped last year and added even more horror. Promising more terrifying actors, chainsaw-wielding horror and

nowhere to hide. If you’re brave enough to enter this year's eightacre maze of terror, join Sunset Valley Farms Oct. 27 to 29.

Cirque Sinistre: The Sahali Mall parking lot will be undergoing some sinister renovations as they transform into the haunted Cirque Sinistre Circus. The Laughing Stock Theatre Society is back with their spooky circus and maze.

The Circus will have a Three Ring Circus Tent with a gruesome and grim performance, a Twisted Maze of unsightly frights and the Haunted Carny Arcade full of the unnatural delights sure to make your evening uneasy. Food trucks will be on site if you can stomach it. Cirque Sinistre will be taking over from Oct. 22 to 31.

Lucky’s Halloween Month of Movies: If you’re looking for a more low-key Halloween celebration, TRU’s favourite off-campus bar, Lucky’s, is hosting horror movie nights every night of October.

Each night will feature a different Halloween classic including They Live, The Addams Family and Sleepaway Camp.

Kamloops Film Society Dark Series, Mandy: If films are more your speed, The Kamloops Film Society presents Mandy, a movie based in the Pacific Northwest in 1983, following outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom, who lead a loving and peaceful existence.

This natural haven is terrorized by cults and brings a horrifying tale of bloody vengeance and deadly fire.

Halloween Tribute Show: Zack’s Coffee downtown is hosting their Halloween Tribute

Show 8 and will keep the live music flowing as you take in the spooky festivities. On Oct. 27 enjoy the musical talents of EyeHateGod, Rudimentary Peni, The Kids, Ramones and Adolescents. For $2 you can enjoy all five musicians if you show up in costume or $5 without a costume.

Parties Galore!: If you want to spend your evening dancing and having a great time with other spooky characters Kamloops has a wide array of parties to fit your needs. Shark Club is hosting their annual Halloween party on Oct. 26 and 27, with Saturday’s theme being an eerie Asylum.

The Voodoo Doll Ball brings Southern mystique to the Let's Move Studio with live music and a dance party on Oct. 26.

Also on Oct. 27, Pogue Mahone will be hosting their annual Halloween Costume Party with the ultimate DOOR prize; a hand-carved house door of Han Solo in Carbonite. Cash prizes are also up for grabs for the best costume.

Still don’t have a costume?: It’s not too late to join in on all the frightful festivities. If you’re looking for a quick and easy costume, Spirit Halloween has you covered with costumes to fit any mood from humorous to terrifying. If you’re on a budget or looking to create the ultimate thrifty horror, try checking out Value Village for a unique and student-budget-friendly costume.

This year is sure to be another haunted season to add to the books with a Halloween event to fit anyone’s taste. Stay spooky and enjoy the witching hour responsibly.

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OCTOBER 24, 2018

ARTS

She Kills Monsters rolls a natural 20

Actors Workshop Theatre's most recent production a major success Kait Lampard CONTRIBUTOR Ω The TRU Actors Workshop Theatre’s production of She Kills Monsters is a fantastic and surreal play that puts the “role” in “role-playing game”. To start, the setting albeit

simplistic, is beautiful and painted to look reminiscent of old dungeons and dragons maps, making the audience feel immersed in the environments that the characters explore. The overall story is about a girl named Agnes who discovers a D&D game her sister made after she died.

Throughout Agnes’ adventure, she learns things about her sister that she hadn’t known when she was alive, learning about her struggles with school due to bullies that made fun of her to her disliking Agnes’ boyfriend. As the story progresses, we learn that Agnes is denying that her sister is

gone and believes that she is really communicating with her through the game, only to learn that her personality is being manipulated by the dungeon master. By the end, Agnes learns how playing D&D allowed her sister and her friends to feel free to express themselves by playing the game, to be able to

Wonderfully crafted and fantastically costumed, She Kills Monsters had something for everyone, even if you aren't usually a fan of plays. (Submitted)

do things that they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.

With a story like this, the characters have to be well written.

In this production, the characters were not only well written, but incredibly executed. Every single character is invested in their roles and did a fantastic job with connecting to the characters they were playing. Agnes is a level-headed and determined woman who has to go on a journey through the five stages of grief. Chuck is an eccentric nerdy DM who is a master with his words, able to turn anything anyone says into an innuendo.

Agnes’ sister, Tilly, may seem a little flat, but that’s the entire point. She’s not Tilly, she’s a character that Tilly would play. That being said, everyone onstage gave a hundred and ten per cent to every second to their performances.

Also, in terms of the costuming, they portray the original monsters so well that they are scarily realistic. From a simple elf costume, to a leather armour set, to lifesized dragon heads, to a massive beholder, every single costume and puppet was enough to rival the works of Julie Taymor (The Lion King)!

With such amazing yet deadly monsters, the characters display realistic and epic fight choreography. The swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat was well executed and had absolutely no flaws. She Kills Monsters is a fantastic immersion into the world of role-playing tabletop games. With an exceptional cast, gripping story and powerful visual storytelling, this play is simply… a critical hit!

Projections and sound create a new nightlife in downtown Kamloops The illuminating bi-yearly event, Luminocity, showcases local and national artists Elizabeth Nygren CONTRIBUTOR Ω Last week, from Oct 12-20, the art exhibition Luminocity took place in Downtown Kamloops, an event that started in 2014 and happens every two years in Kamloops.

“It’s an exhibition that’s outdoors,” said Charo Neville, the curator of the Kamloops Art Gallery.

Neville went on to describe how the display took place in Riverside Park, as well having light installations in store fronts.

Some of the video installations were also accompanied by sounds, as many of them were short films. Neville said that the installation was a way to bring general audiences into video art. “[Luminocity] really does transform the city," she said.

"It encourages people to walk downtown and learn about

where they live.”

Neville also discussed how the exhibition attempts to bring in well-established artists from around Canada, as well as locally-based artists, including recent TRU Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate, Ruba Alshoshan.

Alshoshan’s piece, Unaizah, was also the graduating project for her degree. The HD video resided in Riverside Park for the majority of the exhibition and was filmed in her hometown of Unaizah, Saudi Arabia. The video follows camels in the desert, as they explore the area.

The video, along with the space, elicits the emotions, smells and sounds of Saudi Arabia and examines the location’s significance.

Neville said the exhibition is “inspired by events that take place around the world,” specifically ‘Nuit Blanche’ in Toronto.

‘Nuit Blanche’ is an overnight event, where the entire city of Toronto is transformed with contemporary artwork from

local, national and international artists. This event is similar, as Luminocity takes place at night, but instead of all-night on one evening, the Kamloops exhibition, takes place over eight evenings, from when it gets dark to approximately 9 p.m.

Luminocity was a free event by the Kamloops Art Gallery.

It was also suitable for all ages as there’s really something for everyone at the event.

Most evenings, there were events taking place at Riverside Park, which included bands playing and video screenings on the Rotary Bandshell. There were also nightly tours of the displays, starting at 7 p.m.

The exhibition captivated and encouraged residents of Kamloops to get out and explore their city. The art installation had something to offer everyone.

Whether it was to peak the curiosity of a befuddled child, or to inspire the elevated art student, Luminocity attracted the public to something new.

Luminocity returned this fall for its third biennial event. A week-long video art exhibition, Luminocity showcases various video projects. (Submitted) “This is a different way of seeing Kamloops,” Neville said.

The next Luminocity exhibition is expected in 2020.

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Album review: Desolate of Dogma by S K Y E N Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω Straddling the line of obscurity somewhere between vaporwave and sea punk exists witch house. During the early part of the decade, a variety of experimental electronic musical movements were birthed out of an insular and self indulgent soundcloud movement led by bedroom producers around the world. The most popular genre to come from this ill-defined scene was undoubtedly the slow and viscous nostalgia driven genre known as vaporwave.

Second place is awarded to witch house. The genre mixes bass grainy bassy synths with intruding electronic jabs and trap inspired drum beats while sampling pitch shifted vocals.

It’s the musical equivalent of a Halloween rave.

Witch house saw minimal mainstream attention after being conjured in a proverbial

genre pot. But according to Google’s trend explorer, there is a huge surge in Google searches for the genre starting late September all the way until mid-November.

And that’s where we find ourselves right now.

Desolate of Dogma is the most recent release by Polish witch house producer, S K Y E N. The artist characterises himself as post-witch house, a slower more drawn-out iteration of witch house. Light and Air slows down the tempo to a moderate pace adding in guitar and viola to a cold grim soundscape.

The album’s opener and namesake goes even darker and finds refuge in a deep mix of granulated synthesizers while gloomy operatic chants and heavily reverberated drums provide the backdrop. Like molasses, the song moves slowly, picking up additional debris and digital distortion, creating a dense wall of sound before fading out.

The only song with a feature

Movie review: Venom Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω Venom has been panned by critics and loved by audiences and though it isn’t as bad as the critics say it is, with there being a good amount to like as a comic book fan, its shortcomings are very noticeable.

Venom is centered around Eddie Brock, an investigative reporter who stumbles onto a story and eventually becomes infused with an alien. He then must both co-exist with this monster and discover the intentions that the entity desires.

No matter what he’s in, Tom Hardy brings it with everything he’s got, even when the script doesn’t give him much to work with. The films biggest strength comes from the communication between Venom itself and Hardy, continuously focusing on the interesting dynamic between this savage alien lifeform and the reporter. The action scenes alone aren’t terrible either, with some of them being very entertaining.

However, with the exception of the end credit scene, this is the only well-executed part of the movie. This is, I believe, due to studio interference with talks about this film beginning as a rated-R horror movie and turned into a PG-13 action-fest with dark humor. Outside interference should never influence a viewing experience. Unfortunately, when it directly affects the viewing experience is when it must be addressed.

Most of the films tone issues derive from the shifting to PG-13 with scenes being poorly edited to conform to its rating, having shots creating a feeling of horrific suspense, only to not go anywhere because it can’t cross too many lines.

Deaths of extras, such as biting off people's heads, are then quickly shot and the body goes off screen, leaving it to feel poorly made. Even the dark

jokes feel dumbed down which ruins their execution.

The other glaring flaw is the script itself. Going in, I felt a lot of empathy for the actors involved, however, if those same actors have absolutely nothing to work with, no matter how talented, the delivery will always fall flat. The dialogue for Venom and Eddie was great, though it feels like there was a great writer who wrote that dialogue but was then let go and another less talented writer, who had connections to the director, wrote everything else while on a plane to the set.

The villain isn’t anything special, being as forgettable as they come.

Michelle Williams tries her best as the female lead but the script doesn't give her anything to work with. The other issue is that she and Tom Hardy have no chemistry together, with Hardy and the symbiote having more of a connection in general.

Venom isn't a bad movie, but it is a dumb movie and if there was an attempt to fully embrace that dumbness, it would have been brought out to be a must-see. Though as it stands, it only appeals to fans either of the character itself or Tom Hardy but doesn't leave anything else for the rest of the audience.

(a vocalist named Naira), The Sickness ups the ante on chaos, a complete cacophony comprised of distorted 808 drum hits and a voice so convoluted and warped it can hardly be discerned as an actual woman singing.

Heavenly Soul and Until Eternity fills the mold of traditional witch house music, but does so in a way that is neither offensively bland nor rigidly predictable.

It’s clear that S K Y E N wants to revitalise a genre, which by design was meant to be obscure and self-contained by incorporating new, while somewhat unambitious ideas. But at the end of the day the envelope was hardly moved. There’s nothing grotesque about this album and maybe that’s why it falls short in a genre that was created to channel violence, intensity and occult imagery.

6.7/10 - children’s zombie makeup

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM, 350 Watts Kamloops, BC Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to October 18, 2018 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist Artist - Album (Label) 1) Dilly Dally* - Heaven (Dine Alone) 2) Rae Spoon* - bodiesofwater (Coax) 3) The Lytics* - Float On (LHM) 4) Emmanuel Jal and Nyaruach* - Naath (Gatwitch) 5) Tia Brazda* - Daydream (Flatcar) 6) JW Jones* - Live (Solid Blues) 7) Jesse and the Dandelions* - Give Up the Gold (Independent) 8) KEN Mode* - Loved (New Damage) 9) Yukon Blonde* - Critical Hit (Dine Alone) 10) Joyfultalk* - Plurality Trip (Constellation) 11) Paul O'Brien* - Years and Not Just Days (Independent) 12) Great Lake Swimmers* - The Waves, the Wake (Nettwerk) 13) Winsome Kind* - We Call it Home (Independent) 14) Dizzy* - Baby Teeth (Royal Mountain) 15) Lex Plexus** - Gadget Babies (Ulusulu) 16) Basement Revolver* - Heavy Eyes (Royal Mountain) 17) Frank Bey - Back in Business (Nola Blue) 18) Trevor Powers - Mulberry Violence (Baby Halo) 19) Hotel Mira* - Hotel Mira EP (Light Organ) 20) Lawrence Lebo - Old School Girl (On the Air) 21) Janowskii* - Janowskii (Independent) 22) Cope* - EPs (Norwegian Blue) 23) Jon Brooks* - No One Travels Alone (Borealis) 24) Night Club - Scary World (Gato Blanco) 25) Primal Winds* - Cut You Down (Hand Solo) 26) Get Up Kids - Kicker EP (Dine Alone) 27) Catarina Dos Santos - Radio Kriola (ARC Music) 28) Tiki Collective* - Muse (Independent) 29) Scott Sharrard - Saving Grace (We Save) 30) Final Trigger* - Triggernometry (Boonsdale)

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COMICS & PUZZLES

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YOUR COMIC HERE WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR STUDENT CARTOONISTS. WHY NOT GIVE IT A SHOT? EMAIL EDITOR@TRUOMEGA.CA

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OCTOBER 24, 2018

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SPORTS

TRU men's soccer going to the playoffs this weekend 'Pack MSOC team beat Trinity Western, UVIC and UBC to qualify for the playoffs Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω It's been a topsy turvy season for the men’s soccer team, they have produced plenty of decent attacking performances but have been unable to make the most of their opportunities.

Injuries to the team’s best player, Mitchell Popadynetz, have made things even trickier, but despite all the challenges TRU managed to qualify for the playoffs after a big week at home.

TRU made a good start by beating Trinity Western 2-1 on Oct. 17 at Hillside Stadium.

The team went into halftime with the game tied at 0-0, after what had largely been an entertaining first half.

TRU created some really meaningful chances that Trinity Western keeper, Sebastian Colyn, kept out.

The second half started with a bang as Aidan Moore scored the opener for the Spartans in the fifty-fourth minute. Ten minutes later Popadynetz restored parity with his first goal of the season.

The game seemed to be heading towards another frustrating draw for TRU, but cometh the hour, cometh the man, Joshua Banton scored in the ninety-first minute to give TRU a big win.

“It was one of those games where finally we got a couple of things going our way at the end of the game,” said WolfPack head coach John Antulov to TRU athletics.

“It came down to the guy’s battle, effort, work rate, mindset and they did the right things to gut it out,” he added. “It was nice to see things going our way.”

(TRU Athletics/Andrew Snucins)

TRU followed up that performance with a 4-1 rout of the UVIC Vikes. The game was played at Hillside Stadium on Oct.20.

It was a performance that showed the attacking talent that the team has and showcased the importance of Mitchell Popadynetz to this team.

In a team all players matter, they all play an essential role in helping getting the desired outcome.

Coaches tend to avoid making it about one player, for the good of team unity of course, but sometimes the influence of a single individual cannot be ignored and this applies with Popadynetz and this ’Pack team.

Popadynetz scored a goal and had three assists in the game against the Vikes, his performance came at the right time and at a key part of the season.

Popadynetz missed four straight games and was taken off early due to injury in the last game before the bye, his presence in attack had been missed despite the team putting on some decent displays.

Popadynetz isn’t the only good attacking player in the team, but he will be key if TRU are going to go far in the playoffs.

“I thought we played really solid from front to back, defensively we’ve been good, we’ve been scoring goals when we need them,” Antulov said.

TRU then beat the UBC Thunderbirds, the number one team in the country, 1-0, to secure their playoff spot.

The game was played at Hillside Stadium on Oct. 21 on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon.

TRU was disciplined and

produced a true team performance.

Every player contributed defensively and the team did enough offensively to win.

The first half was extremely tight with neither team giving anything away, TRU looked to be the more dangerous of the two sides, however.

The atmosphere was fantastic.

Tension was in the air due to the importance of the game for TRU. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Joshua Banton headed in the ball off of a free kick in injury time of the first half, the free kick was awarded to TRU after James Fraser was fouled.

Koffi Nyavor almost made it 2-0 in the seventieth minute but was unable to keep the ball down.

TRU had to do plenty of defending to close out the game, but UBC, other than one or two chances, never looked like they were going to score.

UBC looked devoid of ideas and lacked creativity, something that can be attributed to TRU and its great organization in defense.

“The guys just battled and gutted it out, it was just fantastic the way they played,” Antulov said.

Antulov was also very happy with the way his team was able to play both sides of the game.

“Being able to do both is very important, especially in the playoffs,” he added.

Antulov had high praise for Banton who he believes is the best defender in the country.

The men’s WolfPack team will move on to play Alberta in the playoffs, ’Pack nation will be hoping they can make it four wins out of four.

Playoff chances for WSOC may have been dashed after rough weekend WSOC hopes for a playoff spot took a major hit with a loss and a draw on the road Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The WolfPack women’s soccer team has been going through a rebuilding year in 2018 and has had some tough losses, but despite that, they have been in playoff contention throughout.

The hopes of the TRU ladies’ soccer team qualifying for the playoffs hit a major stumbling block as they lost 2-0 to the UNBC Timberwolves on Oct. 19.

The loss to UNBC combined with MacEwan’s 4-1 win over UBCO made it difficult for TRU to qualify for the playoffs as they headed into the game against Alberta.

UNBC opened the scoring in the fifth minute as Ashley Volk, assisted by Julia Babicz, scored to put her team 1-0 up.

The Timberwolves then put the game to bed in the forty-sixth minute as Hannah Emmond, assisted by Paige Payne, scored the second goal of the contest.

TRU was outshot in the contest

21-17.

“Despite the result, I am so incredibly proud of the way the team is playing,” said head coach Kelly Shantz to TRU athletics.

“It’s such good quality soccer for long periods of time,” Shantz said. “We make the same mistakes other teams make. Full marks to UNBC. They had some chances and took two of them well to get their goals.”

TRU then drew 1-1 with MacEwan on Oct. 21. First-year forward and Smithers native Chantal Gammie, continued her good year as she opened the scoring 39 minutes into the game.

It was her seventh goal of the season. TRU went into the half time break leading 1-0.

MacEwan restored parity in the contest at the seventy-third minute when Maya Morrell scored with Jamie Erickson assisting.

TRU was outshot greatly, 29-9.

The loss means TRU will miss the playoffs this year.

“The girls played their hearts out. We knew we had to win

to give ourselves a shot at the playoff spot,” said Shantz.

“We fought like hell. It was a really strong performance up and down the field,” Shantz

concluded to TRU athletics.

The ’Pack team is still in a rebuilding phase, this season has been a learning year and it has afforded Kelly Shantz with an

opportunity to integrate players into the system.

Next year though, there will be high aspirations and expectations for the team.

(TRU Athletics/Chris Piggott)

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OCTOBER 24, 2018

THE OMEGA

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