January 30, 2019

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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 17 · JANUARY 30, 2019

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LEARNING THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY

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BECOME A PARK RANGER THIS SUMMER

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'PACK WBB VETS GRADUATING

TRUSU highlights successes and failures at AGM Christian Varty and Morgan Hunter STAFF WRITERS Ω Last Thursday, TRUSU held their Annual General Meeting. The gathering gave the organization a chance to share with the campus community their successes and failures of the past year as well as showcase their upcoming budget for the 2018/2019 financial year.

The University Affairs Committee was the first

committee to present their results and talked largely about the success of the Hungry for Choice Campaign, which concluded at the end of the last semester.

“This is what happens when a community works together. This is what happens when you consult and include your community in decisions around their campus, and this is how decision making should be done at TRU,” said TRUSU president Tatiana Gilbert about the consultation.

Course materials such as textbooks were also discussed, including the Open Textbooks program. TRUSU also stated that the program could save students at the university $250,000 on textbooks collectively due to funding grants requested last year. The Union promised to continue this initiative into 2019.

See CAMPAIGNS Page 3

Attendence at this year's Annual General Meeting, held in the TRUSU Building's atrium, was roughly split in half between TRUSU directors/representatives and regular students. (Wade Tomko/Ω)

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JANUARY 30, 2019

NEWS

Canada’s food guide gets an update

Goodbye "food rainbow," hello plant-based, whole grain diet!

Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω Your old high school foods teacher will be putting up a new poster in their classroom soon. Gone after 12 years is the notable "food rainbow" food guide, complete with graphics of milk cartons, loaves of bread and of course the title, "eating well with Canada's food guide!"

Last week Health Canada released their latest guide opting for real photographs and a possibly millennial-inspired top-down shot of a plate prepared by someone that doesn't like their food groups touching.

The changes in the new guide don't stop with the design overhaul. The dairy category is almost entirely missing. A small cup of yogurt rests with a small group of proteins, formerly meat and alternatives, which is now largely dominated by nuts and seeds. A glass of water sits to the side of the plate, replacing sugary fruit juice and milk. Green and red fruits and

vegetables dominate half of the guide and those measurements for food servings that you never followed are gone.

"They were ridiculous and idiotic," said Yoni Freedhoff, an associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Ottawa.

What remains of this new food guide is a more significant push towards food with no added sodium, fewer sugars or saturated fat and recipes for healthy meals and tips. Cook more often. Be aware of food marketing. Enjoy your food with company and use food labels.

The Canadian Medical Association, Heart & Stroke and even B.C. Dairy have commended the new guide. Dietitian Sydney Massey wrote an article talking about the importance of dairy products in the food guide's recommended recipes despite the now removed milk and alternatives category.

While there have been many public statements endorsing the new guide, many lobbyists from both the meat and dairy

industry have spoken out against the new guide and the changes made.

“Dairy Farmers of Canada remains concerned that the updated Food Guide does not reflect the most recent and mounting scientific evidence available," Dairy Farmers of Canada said in a statement, further noting that there is "no scientific justification to minimize the role of milk products."

Petitpas Taylor said that it was her "role as Health Minister to meet with all stakeholders" before the release of the new guide but said that those meetings did not influence individuals involved with creating the new food guide, made up by a team primarily of nutrition expects and researches.

In a statement by the Community Food Centres Canada, they praised the new guides independence from industry lobbying, saying, "CFCC applauds Health Canada for committing to a process free from food industry influence and for putting public health ahead of industry profit.”

Perhaps the most cost-effective way to stay healthy is to switch out junk food and fast food for alternatives such as fruit and nuts. (FILE PHOTO)

Doug Ford accused of It’s time to talk attacking universities about your English Ontario’s Premiere rolls out series of controversial policies Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω Since Doug Ford took office in June of 2018 his premiership has been riddled with contentious issues.

Most recently, Ford has had the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) in his sights leading to a slew of student activist outcry. The provincial program, OSAP is grant service tailored towards post-secondary students that are identified as low-income.

The Ford government announced that the program would lose up to $600 million in provincial funding.

This announcement was coupled with a policy that would see yearly tuition in Ontario cut by ten per cent.

Reception toward the tuition cuts are surprisingly negative.

University employees have put forward that since the tuition cuts will not be supplemented by government funding in order to maintain revenue neutral that this policy is a de facto attack on postsecondary institutions in the province. Additionally, the Ford government has revealed that students will be able to opt-out of certain student programs that they pay for as part of their tuition.

While many postsecondary employees are slamming this decision, it’s prudent to note that this isn’t necessarily a zero-sum game. It’s unlikely that 100 per cent of students will

The Language Learning Centre is prepared to help you learn English Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω

While in line with his campaign promises, Ford's cuts to provincial funding have earned him a large amount of backlash. (Andrew Scheer/Flickr) choose to opt-out and hopefully we will see the continuation of valuable student programs.

What the Ford government has done is take the onus of funding off of the back of the provincial government which is aligned with his campaign promises. Ford ran on a platform that largely criticised the previous government for overzealous spending and racking up an enormous amount of debt. The province is projected to have a total debt of $325 billion for the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

The decision to have the option to opt-out of ancillary fees comes from the idea that “students are forced to pay for services they don’t use and organizations they don’t support,” according to Merrilee Fullerton who

is Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities in the provincial government. Fullerton has been criticized as deliberately acting without consulting student unions as a way to undermine their say.

Students have been notably outraged, particularly about the cuts to OSAP. On Jan. 25 thousands of students got together and marched in Toronto as a way to protest the cuts. A Facebook event that was set up to organize the event saw over 4000 people responding to the march saying they would be attending.

There has not been an official headcount but from accounts of people attending as well as video taken, the turn out looks to be well within the thousands.

English is a difficult language to learn. For international students or even domestic students that don't speak English as a first language, having a safe and comforting space to learn and improve their language skills can make a world of difference.

After extensive redesigns, turning an old computer lab into an open, fresh looking room outfitted with computer access, relaxing couches, whiteboards and attentive English Learning Assistance staff, TRU's Language Learning Centre is the place to do just that.

Located in Old Main 2517, students from any background can drop in without an appointment to get help with their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills or relax after a long day on campus.

One of the essential pushes for this new space is a new English Conversation Club. The club "is dedicated space and time for the

students who wish to come and practice their English speaking skills," said Garima Yadav, a teaching assistant with the LLC. The club was put into development after feedback from students mentioned that the LLC was focusing mostly on written language and not enough on speech. Students can now meet up to practice speaking English on different topics every Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

The LLC will also be hosting workshops throughout the semester on subjects like citations, referencing, thesis statements and a seminar on time management, which will take place on January 31st at 1:00 pm.

If you're an ESL student, you will already be enrolled in the Language Learning Centre course on Moodle. Through there, students will receive updates, reminders and event details for the LLC. To get more information about future events, workshops and programs, stop by the Language Learning Centre at Old Main 2517.

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Campaigns, financials and more reviewed at Students' Union's Annual General Meeting CONTINUED (COVER) Transportation and parking, on the other hand, were not marked as a success, with TRUSU highlighting over four years of parking issues at TRU. While student frustration with parking has increased in recent years, TRUSU admitted that they haven’t spoken with the municipality yet in order to get more buses to campus.

Gilbert noted that neither TRUSU nor administration had been quite as successful at resolving parking issues at the university.

“Now ladies and gentleman, on the issue of parking and transportation on campus, we have unfortunately not achieved the community involvement and communications and consultations that we deserve here at TRU,” she said.

One TRU student, Christian Andrews, was particularly vocal about the transit situation in Kamloops. She added that speaking with city council could potentially help the city’s overburdened transit system.

“If we spoke with BC Transit to try

to get smaller buses to have more trips, this could solve a lot of the problems of students not having transit options and having only 2 buses every two hours,” Andrews said.

The Campaigns Committee was the next to speak and continued the meeting by discussing their efforts to gain more funding for the university through their Fund the Future campaign. In their presentation, the committee stated that they requested more help from the government to help students and also touched on the Union’s biggest campaign yet: getting students to vote for proportional representation in B.C.’s electoral reform referendum. While the referendum failed, TRUSU’s campaign was still moderately successful, with the organization reaching out to over 25,000 individuals during the fall semester.

Though much of the AGM was congratulatory towards the Union’s successful campaigns, questions concerning projects that did not

pass were dismissed. Such was the case when a student asked about the Student Refugee Program (SRP) Referendum that failed to meet quorum. While the program did not receive the required amount of minimum votes to pass, the input from students who did turn out to vote was overwhelmingly positive with 82 per cent of votes being for the program. However, there are no current plans to revisit the SRP in the immediate future.

After the committee presentations, TRUSU reviewed their financials from the previous year and presented their budget for the upcoming fiscal period. While the Union underspent in several areas last year, nothing was considered out of the ordinary.

As far as this year’s budget is concerned, TRUSU’s budget estimates that an extra $30,000 will be spent on wages for their board of directors due to new positions. Additionally, $10,000 in estimated repairs will likely need to be completed on the aging TRUSU Building.

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Despite some of last year's failed campaigns, the vibe during last week's AGM was one of positivity. (Wade Tomko/Ω)

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JANUARY 30, 2019

NEWS

The significance of compassionately listening to differing perspectives Conflict resolution professor shares peacemaking experience in Israel, Palestine and Central America Juan Cabrejo BUSINESS EDITOR Ω Menno Simons College conflict resolution studies professor Karen Ridd spoke about her 2018 travels abroad last Thursday evening, particularly on her involvement with the 33rd Compassionate Listening Journey to the heart of Israel and Palestine, along with her experience in Guatemala.

The Compassionate Listening Project is an organization engaged in people-to-people peacemaking and teaches participants to listen to the afflicted people whose lives are profoundly influenced by conflict. Ridd gave a brief introduction to compassionate listening through sharing a few core practices, a small listening exercise, her experience last year in the middle east, as well as some of the narratives of people she met during her excursion.

“Definitely on the delegation that I was on, there was a chance to practice [compassionate listening], because we met with all sorts of people,” she said. “We met with settlers and right-wing Likud members who were saying things that I find deeply problematic; we met with peace activists, a Hamas mayor, a whole range of people.”

Ridd stresses the importance of

analyzing different perspectives and assessing them through a compassionate lens. She displayed different maps of the same Israeli-Palestinian region and proved the point that the conflict isn’t necessarily black and white

by Arab countries and that is certainly part of the narrative for Israelis about what it feels like to be a member of their country,” she said. “A Palestinian narrative is very different, [the West Bank] what looks like a solid land mass

Ridd has been extensively recognized for her work as a human rights volunteer with Peace Brigades International in conflict zones, specifically in Central America during the 1980s; nevertheless, she has worked with

Professor Karen Ridd describes the conflict narrative disparity between the Israelis and Palestinians. (Juan Cabrejo/Ω) and how contested the West Bank is between both demographics.

“From the perspective of Israelis, this is a map which situates Israel as a small body surrounded

isn’t a solid land mass, what has happened over the last 20 or 30 years is that Israeli settlements have expanded into the West Bank enormously.”

communities in various international settings. She began her presentation by describing her intense experience in Panajachel, Guatemala where she witnessed a

mother mourning the loss of her murdered son. The young man had happened to be employed by the Guardia de Hacienda or Treasury Police, a police agency responsible for atrocious human rights abuses.

“It was a few years later that I found myself briefly imprisoned by the Treasury Police in El Salvador and it would be very easy to paint that young man as the other,” she said. “He was emblematic of all that I stood in Guatemala against, yet I spent the night holding his mother’s pain and trying to save his life.”

That experience introduced her to the immense difficulty of remaining completely emotionally detached during a traumatic experience when dealing with two conflicting ideologies.

“One of the things that imprinted on me was that somehow in conflicts where there is deep trauma we need to hold both sides, maybe we don’t hold them equally,” she said. “It is very hard as human beings to hold both sides; it is much easier to see all the good in one side and all the bad in the other.”

Ridd expresses how powerful that moment was for her personal and professional development.

“It was formative in who I am and how I have come to be working on trying to think about this particular issue,” she said.

Exploring the potential of VR in higher education

Dedicated virtual reality labs at universities may become the norm in the near future Juan Cabrejo BUSINESS EDITOR Ω TRU geography professor Michael Mehta hosted an open event last Monday where attendees could personally interact with various virtual reality programs. For Mehta, the applications of virtual reality could significantly enhance the learning experience in higher education,

particularly for Open Learning and distance education. Despite his large ambitions, he is taking a pragmatic approach to the challenges ahead before integrating the technology in classrooms.

“When we introduce any technology into the classroom, even PowerPoint initially, there’s always a learning curve and technological challenges involved,” he said. “In the case of a university, we have really

good IT infrastructure in place, but we have to make sure that we don’t introduce anything that can’t be supported, built upon or doesn’t meet the needs of a large number of people including students.”

Concerning budgeting costs, Mehta provides a realistic comparison with current computer labs and suggests the idea of a dedicated VR lab.

“It’s hard to say, the equipment

Assistant Professor Melba D’Souza used virtual reality to navigate through a bloodstream. (Juan Cabrejo/The Omega)

has gone down significantly in price, right now at a retail store you can buy some of the headsets and the equipment for $500,” he said.

“When you start to think about it that way and you look at computers in labs that cost considerably more than that, it’s really not that much of an ask.”

Particularly for trades and technology uses, Mehta describes the broad range of training opportunities available for practices including mechanical repairs, heavy machinery and even mining.

“It depends on the discipline if you look at for example, what trades will want to do with this, some universities in Canada are using this in their trades programs to teach people how to do mechanical repairs and how to operate heavy machinery,” he said. “From what I understand some applications are being used in the mining sector.”

Mehta also expressed his enthusiasm for applications relevant to the liberal arts with possibilities of exploring geographical locations, language acquisition or even to relive important moments in history.

“You could even look at disciplines including fine arts, there are sculpting programs that can allow people to create 3D objects that could even be printed with 3D

printers,” he said. “In history, politics and other fields, there are lots of applications that allow you to tour museums of the world for instance, from what I understand there’s even one that allows you to see the assassination of JFK.” The event featured a simulation called The Body VR: Journey Inside a Cell, an educational experience that takes the user inside the human body through the perspective of a red blood cell. Nursing Assistant Professor Melba D’Souza had the opportunity to try the simulation and shared her thoughts on its practicality along with some of the time limitations when programming content for the health sciences.

“I thought that it was amazing for anatomy students, it shows them the anatomy of blood but there were no games or complexity built into it, it was just very basic pedagogy,” she said. “I think the main challenge would be time for faculty [to program applications] because they have teaching and research as their priority; for students, they want to cover the content of the course, so if we use this particular thing, then we have to see how to fit it in the curriculum.”

The event was hosted with the help of the Faculty of Arts and All Around Gamerz provided HTC Vive headset stations.

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A public market could be on Riverside’s horizon A recent survey by the Kamloops Public Market Co-operative shows support for a Riverside Park location Wade Tomko EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω A year-round public market could soon be on the horizon for the city, more specifically Riverside Park.

According to a recent survey conducted over the holiday season by the Kamloops Public Market Co-operative (KPM Co-op), the majority of respondents supported the idea of having a public market next to the Heritage House in Riverside Park.

The survey, which concluded on Dec. 28, had 827 respondents. Of those, 368 were not in favour of the Riverside Park location and of these 368, 100 were not in favour of the project moving forward at all. The remaining 459 responses either provided a positive response or were undecided about location.

According to KMP Co-op executive director Daphane Nelson, the idea for a public market in Kamloops started around this time last year.

“So the Kamloops Public Market Cooperative is a group, we have seven directors on the board. We all volunteer at this point and there were originally three guys who came together after they went to Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee, Washington.

Their population is only like 30,000 people or something but it’s this huge beautiful building,” Nelson said. “Our concept wants to be something like that. Something central, something for a marketplace but also provide ample opportunity for community gathering.”

In addition to providing locally sourced food, Nelson and KPM Co-op believe that a public market at Riverside Park could potentially revitalize the community by creating a sense of belonging and togetherness. Nelson notes that this could be particularly beneficial for international students and others from out of town.

“To me, I really see support coming from students up here because there is a lot of international students who are accustomed to having a marketplace like this in their hometown, cities or countries. All of that stuff, that is where you get your stuff. Our concept

of having individual malls and stuff is probably foreign. [This public market] is also a community gathering space.”

While providing local produce and other food would be the main function of the public market, it could also serve as a community centre, offering the best in crafts, music, heritage and culture, says Nelson.

While other locations for a public market have been discussed, KPM Co-op believes that Riverside would be the best location due to the park already being a popular venue for arts and culture and the continual densification of the downtown core.

“If you think about the densification that is happening downtown, I can’t remember the number but a lot of people work downtown. So then you go for a walk on your lunch break, you grab your groceries, grab your lunch and then go back to work and then you go home kind of thing,” Nelson said. “People will come down to the park, hit up an event and whatever. I just really agree that I don’t see a better location for it.”

Now that the survey has been completed, the next step for KPM Co-op will be getting support from the city.

While an actual budget for the project has not been released as of yet, Nelson has said that a ballpark estimate would be between $20-30 million. Financing for the project wouldn’t all be left up to taxpayers either, says Nelson, who proposes to use infrastructure grants and fundraising.

While the actual construction of a public market may still be some time away, Nelson is quite satisfied with the support the project has already received.

“Imagine if Kamloops was actually a destination people looked forward to visiting instead of just a blip. For the tourism component, for local community gathering, for overall overarching community organizations coming together, imagine having this full-on collaboration between the City, Tk’emlups, the TNRD and Community Futures,” she said. “There are just so many possibilities of people coming together to create something exciting for people outside of Kamloops to come see.”

TOP: The proposed location for the public market is currently across from Sandman Hotel in downtown Kamloops.

BOTTOM: The current design plans. These are simply a placeholder and concept only. (Robert Howell/McElhanney)

TRU gets a taste of the Lands of Lost Borders in an evening with Kate Harris Canadian adventurer Kate Harris recounts her cycling journey detailed in her new book Farrah Johnson CONTRIBUTOR Ω Kate Harris, an avid writer and adventurer, is dubbed as one of Canada’s greatest female explorers in contemporary times for her famous cycling journey along the Silk Road.

On Friday, Jan.25, the writer paid a visit to TRU to share some of the “misadventures” she encountered during her travels, as told in her book, Lands of Lost Borders.

Harris described herself as a keen student who is wildly ambitious.

She explained that growing up she always had a thirst for adventure and knew she wanted to be an explorer like Marco Polo and other brave people she read about.

“We grew up in small-town

Ontario and when I looked around the tallest summit all I could see was a haystack and the widest horizon was a field of corn,” she said.

She said the quaint environment she grew up in fueled her craving for the wild, which she knew had the potential to “wipe her out” if she wasn’t cautious.

After graduating university in 2006, Harris decided to embark on a bicycle journey with her childhood friend Melissa Yule.

The goal was to get to Lhasa, a forbidden city in Tibet, which she explained was a “former sovereign nation liberated by China decades ago.”

Harris said the bicycle journey was inspired by “imagining a world without borders or barbed wires.”

She added that visitors did require permits to enter the region, but said she and Yule were emboldened by notable European explorers who hadn’t exactly received permission to go to Tibet themselves.

“We didn’t have permission to go there and neither did this gal, Alexandra David Neel, she was even more emboldening,” she said. “In the year 1924 at the age of 55, this French women disguised herself as a pilgrim and snuck into Tibet and made it all the way into the forbidden city of Lhasa.”

Harris said her and Mel felt justified because the Tibetan people welcomed foreigners and wanted people to see what had become of their former country.

She added they also didn’t “want to be led around on a leash” and

were definitely against paying for permits that would only reinforce the power and symmetry between China and Tibet.

“Instead we woke up at 3 a.m and we dressed in our darkest most criminal clothing,” she said. “We flipped over the reflectors on our bicycles and we pedalled up to this checkpoint guard rail and snuck under it and dragged our bikes after us and then we got back on our backs and rode as fast as we could into forbidden territory.”

While Harris admitted all of this did sound pretty insane, she emphasized that she and Yule had only crossed a regional boundary and not an international border.

“The biggest penalty we faced was a fine and so that was a risk we were willing to take if we got

caught,” she said.

Still, Harris admitted that the trip did not always go smoothly and even mentioned how the duo had to deal with pouring rain, freezing snow and body aches induced by countless hours of cycling in poor weather conditions.

Nonetheless, she stated that once they finally reached their destination they saw what she described as a “magical place.”

“The sheer wonder of being there was astonishing and I kept asking myself, “How did we get here?” And of course, I knew the answer is that we broke all the rules”, she said.

Harris said experiences like this helped her to realize the true meaning of exploration, which she says is “not about planting flags or leaving footprints.”

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NEWS

JANUARY 30, 2019

Job Alert! Become a B.C. Parks Student Ranger B.C. Parks offers another year of opportunities to work and play in your favourite parks Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω A summer in British Columbia would be incomplete without first spending time in the expansive parks, scenic landscapes and dipping your toes in the tepid lakes. Whether you enjoy hiking, swimming or camping you've taken part in the B.C. lifestyle and for the second year in a row, B.C. Parks is giving you the opportunity to make a job out of those experiences.

From May until August, B.C. Parks will be providing 48 selected students with opportunities to train and enhance their skills maintaining and improving parks across the province.

This short-term employment will also give students a taste of what it's like to work under the Ministry of Environment and with B.C. Parks Climate Change Strategy, a significant chance for those looking to further a career with the Ministry and Parks.

With the majority of the projects taking place outdoors, students can look forward to camping, hiking and hands-on work under the elements in various parks and protected areas around the province. Some

of these jobs will involve invasive species control, ecosystem restoration, trail maintenance and building as well as outdoor education.

“The student rangers play a key role in environmental stewardship while preserving the natural, cultural and historical values that British Columbians cherish,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “I hope the program inspires young adults to consider a meaningful and rewarding career looking after B.C.’s beautiful parks and protected areas.”

B.C. Parks is also looking for applications from Indigenous students as there will be much work involved with culturally significant sites and traditional territories of Indigenous communities across the province.

The Student Ranger Program is primarily funded through the public's purchase of specialty licence plates, which saw proceeds going directly back into supporting parks and protected areas.

Applications for the B.C. Parks Student Ranger Program are now open until Feb. 24. Details can be found on the B.C. Parks website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/ bcparks/employment/ student-ranger/

Ever wanted to be a park ranger? Apply now and spent your summer exploring beautiful B.C.! (Jeff P/Flickr)

WINTER 2019 ELECTIONS

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

GAIN EXPERIENCE

GET INVOLVED CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Nomination Period: Feb 4 - 8, 2019

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Appointments for Faculty and Student Reps

Board of Governors University Senate Planning Council for Open Learning TRU Community Corporation

tru.ca/elections

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Upcoming Events Jan. 30- Feb. 05 Bell Let’s Talk 2019 Jan. 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Campus Green

ARTS

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Landmark businesses show support for faculty at TRU Over $900 of pampering will be reaching the hands of TRU faculty every month Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω

TRU Wellness Centre is hosting a campfire event on the Campus Green from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise awareness about mental health and its impacts on wellbeing. The location is by the Old Main entrance by the blue basketball courts and the entrance to Starbucks.

Cindy Blackstock: Ending Inequalities for First Nations Children Jan. 30, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

OM 3732 Dr. Cindy Blackstock is executive director of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada. Her promotion of culturally based and evidence informed solutions has been recognized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Frontline Defenders and many others.

Films for Change: A New Economy Jan. 30, 7 to 9 p.m.

Alumni Theatre In partnership with Transition Kamloops we will be showing the film, "A New Economy." Admission is free and popcorn is by donation. Followed by a panel discussion that will take place with local economic experts.

Make a traditional Indigenous rattle Jan. 31, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

TRUSU Red Room Make a traditional rattle with Kel-c Jules. Only 10 spaces available. Refreshments will be served.

Arts Colloquium Series: Dr. Lisa Cooke Jan. 31, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

TRUSU Lecture Hall Dr. Lisa Cooke, assistant professor, anthropology, presents, “Meeting in place on settler colonial terrains of encounter: Being the scissors,” during this Arts Colloquium presentation.

2019 TRU Spring Festival Gala (Chinese New Year) Feb. 1, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Old TRU Gym In presenting a fusion of traditional and modern, this year’s event includes traditional dance performances, costume shows, modern dance, singing and interactive games.

Mother Mother with Said the Whale Feb. 4, 8 p.m.

CJ’s Nightclub Two Canadian bands come together for one great West Coast show. Come on down to Cactus Jack's Nightclub for what it sure to be a great night!

Local businesses are working to give back to the TRU faculty members with what is called The Landmark Gift. This gift basket valued at an estimated $900 has been spearheaded by business-owner and master stylist Jonni Yeomans of Jonni’s Styling Studio.

As a combined thanks for all the hard work TRU faculty members put in, local businesses located in the Landmark Centre, across the street from the campus, have worked together to provide the TRU community with a basket fit for a total transformation.

Yeomans, a business owner in Kamloops for 35 years, recently opened their Landmark Centre location and felt the desire to use her skills to pamper those working hard around them.

“I truly believe that your great success is how you help to empower others. Iron sharpens iron,” said Yeomans, “I love networking. I love creating projects that bring the community together.”

Each month for the entirety of 2019, Yeomans along with contributions from Sage Hills Dentistry, Sona MD, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Avril Rublee Aesthetics will gift each faculty at TRU with a gift basket to show their appreciation.

“TRU as a whole gives so much to our community for Kamloops so wouldn’t it be great to bless the administration, the faculties and let them know we appreciate them,” Yeomans said.

Each faculty is free to distribute each gift basket in any way that they see as fit, whether that means

Owner Jonni Yeomans has taken pride in growing the business community together with her motto of "iron sharpens iron." (Cailyn Mocci/The Omega) a raffle or distributing each gift item.

“That is what makes true success,” Yeomans said. “Bringing people together and together we can create such a difference.”

Each basket will contain over $200 worth of products and dental care from Dr. Ciriani at Sage Hills Dental, a rejuvenating hand treatment from Dr. Lotay at Sona MD, over $100 worth of chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, a European facial by Avril

Rublee valued at an estimated $200 and transformative treatments from Jonni’s Style Studio.

“That person that wins this will have such an amazing experience in these businesses and just being completely pampered which is really important,” said Yeomans.

With one basket already in the hands of TRU staff, Yeomans can’t wait to continue the wave of thanks that will come with The Landmark Gift.

Showcasing equality in adventure No Man's Land fills the TRU Clock Tower with inspiring tales of female adventurers Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω The TRU Adventure program, led by second-year Adventure Diploma student Riley Clark, showcased a screening of No Man’s Land Film Festival. The evening was filled with empowering stories of women and girls as powerful adventurers.

No Man’s Land Film Festival is working on “un-defining femininity in adventure and sport through film.” This film festival is an all-woman adventure festival based out of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

The 2018 No Man’s Land Film Festival featured a wide variety of short films that showed the wide variety of women and girls in the pursuit of the radical. Stories featured the tales of an all-female team of extreme heli-skiers to a young girl earning national recognition for her skills in dirt bike racing.

This year’s No Man’s Land Film Festival sold out the Clocktower Alumni theatre and even had to turn away people due to capacity issues.

The evening was full of inspiring and often humorous accounts of women in adventures. Throughout the films presented, No Man’s Land

sought to normalize strength of these adventurers.

Rather than taking on a stance of ‘look at these women doing adventures typically done by me’ the film festival stood strong by showing these crazy adventurers who happen to be women and girls.

For the TRU community, tickets were $5 with all the proceeds going towards the First Nations Snowboard Team at Sun Peaks. No Man’s Land raised an estimated total of $800.

The evening’s success gives way for the possibility of continuing this event annually, as Clark teased after her thanks while closing the night.

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ARTS

Curious to explore what’s off the beaten path? Try Study Abroad Students talk about their experiences studying abroad and how it could benefit you Cassandra Elonen CONTRIBUTOR Ω Study Abroad is a clever mashup of theoretical knowledge, life experience and travel. It is a three-step-formula to achieve a killer resumé, become wanted on the market and stand out from the rest of the crowd. All while discovering a new country, gaining valuable insight and creating unforgettable memories.

“My best memory is learning to ski at Sun Peaks. I had never seen snow prior to entering Canada, let alone stood on a pair of skis.

I also want to advise people who are thinking about studying abroad to introduce yourself to professors, let them know that this isn’t your first language and ask how you can achieve both a smooth transition and the best possible result,” said Ivan Perea, communication student at La Sabana University in Colombia,

who did one exchange semester at TRU. Study Abroad is open to any TRU student— Canadian or international. Participants decide if they want one or two semesters at the same institution or switch locations each semester. The requirements are minimum 2.5 GPA and currently being a fulltime student (three classes/nine credits) at TRU. “It’s an opportunity to get outside of your comfort zone, to

Study Abroad Ambassadors, like Devin Martin (left) and Natalie McNichol (right), can fill you in on the details of the program as well as help you prepare for a semester abroad. Email studyabroad@tru.ca for more info. (TRU World)

see what the world has to offer, and still stay engaged in your degree,” said Heather Wisla, International Mobility Officer at the Study Abroad Centre informed.

Students can choose between various forms of programs, depending on what is best compatible with their individual studies. Broaden the horizon by living and studying in a different country for one or two semesters with the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). Travel together with other students in a group led by a TRU faculty member varying from two to eight weeks (field schools). Not ready for a long-term commitment just yet? Try Short-term Summer Programs, which are usually between two to six weeks at a time during the months of May, June and July. Finally, Co-op Abroad allows students to combine business with pleasure since they get to work and study abroad.

“It’s always beneficial to study abroad, you practise personal growth and intercultural understanding. It also teaches you unexpected abilities, such as how to cope with coyotes.

Believe me, it will come in handy when passing them by on your way home from the university” said Anna-Lena Dentel, who is a student of Intl. Leisure Management in the Netherlands but is currently doing Bachelor of

Tourism Management two semester exchange program at TRU. Furthermore, tailored solutions such as international conferences, internships and more can be organized. Take advantage of the wide range of opportunities Study Abroad has to offer.

However, the time to act is now since application deadlines are approaching quickly, first up is ISEP deadline Feb. 8. Before applying, attending an information session is mandatory. Upcoming dates are Jan. 30 - 4:30 p.m., Feb. 4 - 5:30 p.m., Feb. 5 - 2:30 p.m..

“Any student who has studied abroad would be lying if they described their experience as challenge free. Language barriers, visa problems and housing issues are examples of what could go wrong. However, with proper planning, nearly all problems can be avoided. Don’t forget that even those negative experiences could be disguised as positive lessons” said Nathaniel Paisley, who recently completed a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree, including a Major in International Business at TRU. Paisley has done two exchange semesters abroad, one at Vina del Mar in Chile and another in Innsbruck, Austria.

For information regarding important dates, application process, available destinations and more visit www.tru.ca/studyabroad. For inquiries contact studyabroad@tru.ca.

Recap: The Robber Bridegroom a grim reimagining of a classic tale The Chimera Theatre's latest show uses puppets to tell a Brother's Grimm classic Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω Just when you thought a puppet show was a family-friendly event, Chimera Theatre tosses that out the window with an eerie adaptation of The Brothers Grimm tale, The Robber Bridegroom.

From the moment the betrothed couple took to the stage, it was very apparent that this was not a happy wedding to be attending. Whether the audience knew it or not, they were about to be placed in a situation that no one would dare wish for; to speak up or stay quiet.

Andrew G. Cooper, the artistic director of Chimera Theatre, set up an immersive show from the moment you walked through the doors. Guests were greeted warmly as if they were family joining in the marriage of two young love birds, little did they know that things were about to take on a level so grim that even the use of puppets could not provide a sense of safety from horrors.

Was it a dream or was it reality was a question that many of the audience members were left debating as the house lights lit up the stage. Before the marriage between the Maid (Brittney Martens) and The Bridegroom (Maddison Hartloff), the audience is

transported into the nightmare of the Bridegroom’s true murderous and cannibal self. The depiction of the murder of the little girl, all for a ring, was gruesome enough to have you hiding your eyes.

The arranged marriage of the two, based purely on the economic gain on the Maid’s side, ultimately went through but the audience could have been the hero of this story.

“This is part show, part experiment,” said Cooper during Wednesday’s after show talk-back, “You could have said something!”

As the Robber Bridegroom toyed with the audience’s own personal sense of morals, the performance had two very different endings and this was all up to the audience.

“Part of what we were toying with was the feeling of “I should speak up.”

And that feeling of “Well no one else is speaking up so I’ll stay quiet.” It’s a thing that happens in real life and in [theatre],” said co-director Melissa Purcha, “It’s interesting to see how people reacted. It’s really hard to be the first person.”

The general consensus of the audience after the marriage ultimately carried on, was that they wanted to intervene but didn’t feel that they held the power to actually step in and save the Maid. Cooper and the rest of the Robber Bridegroom team worked

While The Robber Bridegroom may be over, you keep up-to-date with Chimera Theatre at chimeratheatre.com. Later this spring the Hydra Performing Arts Festival will return for its second year. (Andrew G. Cooper/Chimera Theatre) to subtly incorporate the audience interaction with call and actions in the live action that bookends the puppetry, with one audience member directly singled out to stand as witness for the Bridegroom as his ring bearer.

While these place markers were subtly slipped into the immersive show, the

decision to intervene was up to the audience.

“How often in real life do you feel that you should stand up but no one gives you permission or how often are people actively trying to stop you from standing up when things are wrong,” said Cooper.

The Robber Bridegroom took what was already an eerie fairy tale to a new level by layering on the audience’s own conscious. These puppets were far from the friendly happy puppets of the Muppets, and had even skeptical audience members on the edge of their seats and scared.

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Album review: V Vancouver-based band Swim Team reimagining punk rock Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω It’s an overplayed trope that punk is often times too simplistic. People will make cracks regarding the three power chord pop-punk and the old school punk rock that is so emblematic of the genre. Some are purists that think this approach is simply a method to embody the aggression and passion commonly associated with the genre, while others aren’t afraid to challenge the norms that frankly represent the style. Swim Team falls in the latter category.

In fact, they challenge those aforementioned norms so much so that perhaps the label of punk loses any meaningful application.

The closest punk parallels can be drawn to geological and spiritual predecessors Nomeansno, but that comparison doesn’t take into account the mellow and subdued proclivities that are adorned on this record.

When it comes down to it, V is a record that doesn’t neatly fit in any sort of box, and that is part of the reason that it’s so good. The album is frenetic in the best way possible. The guitar playing and bass are consistently at odds with one another, rather than working together to perpetuate a melody or sense of rhythm they are often incongruent and distinctly different. This style is aided and abetted by the nature of the songwriting of the album. The composition is sporadic, it’s rarer to have a song that adheres to

normative musical sensibilities than it is to have a song that finds the tempo deviating away from itself or the structure of the song being completely incongruent from anything close to a standard verse-chorus-verse structure.

Such is the case respective to both those ideas in the same order during tracks Cardinal and V. While the aggressive punk ethos may not present itself, stylistically the album is far more aligned with post-hardcore music than it is alternative rock.

The music is jittery, constantly moving between the highs and lows rather than embracing abrasive tendencies. Such is the case on the song Garden, one of the few times on the album that does indulge in a coarse breakdown.

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM, 350 Watts Kamloops, BC Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to January 24, 2019 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist Artist - Album (Label) 1) Mother Mother* - Dance and Cry (Universal) 2) Barbra Lica* - You're Fine (Justin Time) 3) Future Peers* - I'm Sorry! (Garment District) 4) Buildings and Food* - Quick Beat Save (Number F) 5) Seas* - Cursed (Dine Alone) 6) All Hands on Jane* - Animal Worship (Independent) 7) Brandon Isaak* - Rise n' Shine (Independent) 8) Hook and Nail* - Ghosts of Taylorton (Independent) 9) Tokyo Police Club* - TPC (Dine Alone) 10) Danny Bell and His Disappointments* - Good Timin' Man (Good Egg) 11) Graham van Pelt* - Time Travel (Arbutus) 12) Single Mothers* - Through a Wall (Dine Alone) 13) Dan Mangan* - More or Less (Arts and Crafts) 14) Paul Oscher - Cool Cat (Blues Fidelity) 15) Ron Ste Marie** - Full Moon Rising (Independent) 16) Emma Louise - Lilac Everywhere (AWAL) 17) Nik Tee* - BC Boy (Barefeet) 18) Killitorous* - Party, Grind (Independent) 19) Alex Lefaivre Quartet* - Yul (Independent) 20) Art and Music - What's the Point (KLB) 21) Jimmy Rankin* - Moving East (True North) 22) Jock Tears* - Bad Boys (Inky) 23) Acid Bunny* - High School Fantasy (Bent River) 24) Abby Zotz* - Local Honey (Independent) 25) Alicia Hansen* - Before You (Independent) 26) David Gogo* - 17 Vultures (Cordova Bay) 27) Gonzales* - Solo Piano III (Gentle Threat) 28) Bob Moses* - Battle Lines (Domino) 29) Birds of Bellwoods* - Victoria (Independent) 30) Kaia Kater* - Grenades (Acronym)

The following track Empire showcases the overdriven gain laden vocals of lead singer and bassist Dorothy Neufeld overtop of an instrumental that has little semblance of anything that is comparatively punk.

Punk rock is becoming increasingly more associated with the anger and distortion that is

often emblematic with the music instead of the rebellious nature of the music itself. While on the surface V may not sound punk per se, it completely embodies the punk motif of, “Fuck you.”

8.9/10 - finding out that you actually like the rusty taste of your new sink

Movie review: Glass Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω M. Night Shyamalan’s final installment into his superhero thriller series has two outstanding acts in its story that play on many expectations. Yet it all comes apart in one of the most polarizing endings that basically destroyed any chance of the film becoming great.

Glass is the continuation of the three paths of David Dunn, Kevin Wendell Crumb and Elijah Price after they are all put into a mental institution. The story follows them as they all struggling with their identity while Elijah, better known as Mr. Glass, tries to invoke his plan.

One of the best parts about this movie is the entire performance James McAvoy, who plays Kevin, better known as The Beast. The delivery of acting with 23 different personalities and the transformations that he undergoes to indicate this is one of the most entertaining things to watch. The previous movie to this, Split, is one of the best films out there and if they had stopped with Split, it would have given his character much more justice.

The third act of the film, however,

is a major disappointment. The payoff has no real weight to it and the entire message that they try to convey at the end is incredibly prehistoric in today's society. Yet the show presents itself as if it’s this grand event that changes everything. Shyamalan is known for his twists, so when this film finally got to that point, with this grand tone of a final showdown, the twist wasn’t just a major letdown for people who enjoyed these characters, it felt lazy and cliché.

I can’t say this picture is bad, but it is best summed up with a fact about the two previous films in the series. Shyamalan had written Unbreakable and Split back in the 2000s when he was still an up-andcoming director. So when Split was released back in 2016 and was so good that a sequel received the go-ahead, Shyamalan had to write the new script almost 20 years after he wrote his first two movies and honestly, it shows.

Glass is a very entertaining watch for people who have never seen the previous two films in this series or just would rather turn their brain off when they go to the cinema. But anyone else will feel like a disapproving mother, not mad, just really disappointed.

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1 5 Puzzle of the Week #13—City Names (in the January 30, 2019 issue of The Omega)

Edinburgh, Rome, and Tokyo: the pronunciations of these three cities’ names have something in common.

What?

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.

JANUARY 30, 2019

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SPORTS

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Women's basketball set to lose three veterans at end of season Michelle Bos, Kanesha Reeves and Emily Vilac will be leaving along with assistant head coach Chuck Ferguson Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω At the end of every season players and coaches who have been major parts of a program move on to new things, this year is no different for the women’s basketball program.

Every journey has a beginning and an end. For students, the end comes once they have completed

their education.

This is the case with the women’s basketball program, which will be losing three players at the end of this season.

Michelle Bos, Kanesha Reeves and Emily Vilac will be leaving at the end of this season.

Michelle Bos is arguably the best player in the program and was a member of the all-rookie Canada west team in 2015.

“I can’t believe it’s gone so fast,” Bos said to TRU Athletics, “As I look back, I have a lot of fond memories.”

Bos has been one of the most consistent players on the team and leads the team in scoring and rebounding this season.

Bos has been involved in a lot of community activities and has been dealing with the challenge of balancing the nursing program

with her time on the court.

Kanesha Reeves, daughter of head coach Scott Reeves, will be leaving with a Bachelor of Science degree and has tried to stay focused on the season and not her departure.

“I have tried not to think too much about this being my final year,” she said to TRU Athletics. “It seems way shorter than five years. I can still remember moments from

(TRU Athletics/Andrew Snucins)

my first year.”

Reeves also spoke about the delicacy of her relationship with her father.

She expressed that they found a way to make it work with their coach and player relationship on the court and father and daughter relationship at home.

Emily Vilac, who is close friends with Reeves, will be the final player leaving. Vilac will also be receiving a Bachelor of Science degree.

Vilac has been one of the key performers for the program and has made some big shots for the team.

Vilac told TRU Athletics that she is eager to get involved with the program as a TRU alumni, she wants to make a difference for future athletes.

The final member leaving will be assistant coach Chuck Ferguson.

“Feel like it’s a good time to step away, I’m going with a group of girls that I started out with,” he said.

Ferguson explained that he is moving on as he is looking to grow as a person and do something different.

“I will miss it, I love the university and the team, I’m a middle-aged guy, it’s time to move on,” he joked.

Ferguson heaped praise on the three players leaving the program and stated that they weren’t just great players but great people and leaders too.

The WolfPack program will be looking for new leadership after a tough season, replacing well-established players is never easy but hopefully TRU will be able to transition smoothly.

Men's volleyball snap their six-game losing streak 'Pack went 2-0 on the road as they defeated the Manitoba Bisons in back-to-back games Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The men’s volleyball team managed to snap a six-game losing streak as they beat Manitoba in four sets, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21,25-23 on Jan. 25 in Manitoba.

Tim Dobbert, who has been consistent throughout the season, was top performer once again for the WolfPack as he had 27 in 47 chances and four block assists.

Sam Taylor Parks had nine kills in 13 chances, two service aces, five block assists, Tim Edge had nine in 16 chances and three digs and Anton Napolitano had 41 assists and six service aces.

“We struggled from the service line but when the serves were in, it caused Manitoba problems,” said head coach Pat Hennelly to TRU Athletics. “Tim Dobbert was good offensively and Anton did a great job of running the offence.

The big difference maker was Tim Edge, he passed very well and was efficient attacking Overall, great effort on the road against a tough home team.”

TRU kept the momentum going with another four-set win on Jan. 26, score was 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-18.

Tim Dobbert played well once again and had 19 kills in 50 opportunities, five digs, four block assists and Sam Taylor had 11 kills in 14 chances, five digs and four block assists.

Landon Currie had eight digs, Anton Napolitano had 46 assists, eight digs and three block assists and Tim Edge nine kills in 16 chances, five digs and three block assists.

“We played better tonight and so did Manitoba,” Hennelly said.

“We had a solid performance from both Sam and Kyle in the middle. Landon Currie had a great match tonight picking up a lot of important digs.”

Hennelly also complimented both Tim Dobbert and Kyle Behiels for their service during the games, he felt they had a stronger performance in the second game.

“Overall, a great weekend and gives us a little breathing room in the standings,” he added.

After the back-to-back wins, TRU is now 9-7 and fifth in

(TRU Athletics/Trevor Hagen)

the Usports and Canada West standings.

The team is two games ahead

of Saskatchewan and is on track to get a playoff spot.

After two good performances

on the road the team will be looking to go on a winning run and improve their standing.

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THE OMEGA

JANUARY 30, 2019

February 27 at 7:00PM Grand Hall, CAC Free tickets at the TRUSU Desk. Limit of two tickets per person.

more info at trusu.ca/events /TRUStudentsUnion

@TRUSU15

@TRUSU15