February 27, 2013 by The Omega

VOLUME 22 ISSUE 20

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Ω M

Bottled water examined again

The future of our campus explored

No TRU discipline for DeFrias 10

Literary legend talks zombies

...and hope

TRU’s Independent Student Newspaper

February 27, 2013

Feature Review focuses on packaging, not product

Other schools have banned it, now bottled water gets another review at TRU Devan C. Tasa

VIUSU campaigns to ban the product

For those that desire a drink, there’s something that costs $2 per bottle – yet can also be had for free. That drink is water. Environmental activists at universities all over Canada have been demanding the sale of bottled water be banned on campuses, saying that because the substance is so readily available, bottling it is a waste of resources that harms the environment. “We, along with our partners across the country, other students’ unions, have been working towards eliminating the sale of bottled water on campus because of the harmful effects of the commodification of water and the harmful [environmental] effects of the plastic bottle that bottled water comes in,” said Dylan Robinson, TRUSU’s vice president external. Vancouver Island University (VIU) was the first university in B.C. to ban sales of bottled water. In September 2011, the university and its students’ union signed a pledge to be free of bottled water by June 2012. Yet this achievement by VIU doesn’t have to stop TRU from being a pioneer in its own way. Instead of focusing on the product of bottled water, TRUSU decided to change the focus of its three-year-old Students for Sustainability campaign. “Over the past summer, the TRU Students Union re-evaluated our Students for Sustainability campaign,” Robinson said, “and we decided that the best way to actually achieve a ban on bottled water on campuses would be to instead of focusing on the product, focus on the container the product comes from.” The students union promoted the issue on campus, giving out reusable water bottles and collecting approximately 2,700 signatures calling for action from the university. That resulted in TRU’s vice president of finance ordering a review, to take place between January and March 2013, of the containers of beverages sold on campus.

The VIU Students’ Union (VIUSU) year-long campaign to ban bottled water began by alerting students about the issue, said Patrick Barbosa, one of the students union staff that worked on the campaign. They did that by using petitions provided by the Canadian Federations of Students own Students for Sustainability campaign. “Those petitions really opened up the door to have a conversation about what it meant to be drinking water out of a bottle,” Barbosa said. With the petition showing a broad base of support among VIU student, the students union approached the university to discuss the issue. VIU had a few concerns: administration there wanted to know what other stakeholder groups such as the faculty and three unions on campus thought. So VIUSU approached them and got their support. “After that point, the biggest stumbling block was the water infrastructure,” Barbosa said. Much of VIU was designed at a time where water fountains were not a large consideration. “The reality was we had a shortfall of water fountains and other infrastructure to give access to clean, safe tap water,” Barbosa said. “We worked with the university to develop an infrastructure plan. We had to do an inventory of what water fountains were available, where we needed to put replacement water fountains and the cost of the water fountains.”

Ω News Editor

As campuses across Canada continue to explore the issue of sustainability, especially in relation to bottled water, TRUSU has decided to focus their attention on the container, rather than the product within it. —PHOTO COURTESY TEN THOUSAND BULLETS/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

“Our industry does not compete with tap water, we’re simply here as an alternative to other packaged beverages,” said Elizabeth Griswold, the CBWA’s executive director, in a press release. Barbosa does not buy that argument. “Rationally, when you think about it, when you’re thirsty and I want a glass of water, I don’t go, ‘Oh, well, I can’t find any water, I’m going to have some Pepsi,’” he said. In the end, the university choose to ban bottled water. —Patrick Barbosa, VIUSU “Since then, we’ve had absolutely no student backlash,” As well, the students union had Barbosa said. “There’s been no to engage those selling food on outcry for access to bottled water. campuses to convince them not to We’ve increased the infrastructure on campus and have a renewed provide bottled water. It was around this time in the commitment to the environment.” campaign that the bottled water TRU to look at the container companies started to fight back. The Canadian Bottled Water “The issue of what containers Association (CBWA) said that bottled water is not in competition with tap are more or less damaging the water, but was actually a healthier environment has been around for quite some time now,” said alternative to soda.

Tom Owen, TRU’s director of sustainability. “It often centres on bottled water and plastic containers, but this one is a broader issue. [We’re] looking at containers generally, not just [one product.] So we’ll look at glass bottles, water, Tetra Paks, everything. “We’re not looking at bottled water. We’re looking at the beverage containers. It’s a different focus altogether.” The TRU review will look at the environmental and sustainability impact, economic and financial impact, choice, health and safety and contractual limitations and implications of each drink container. It will look at the scientific literature, as well as consult a large number of stakeholders including students, staff and vendors. “We’re inviting anybody who has a contact with the community,” Owen said. “We’re casting that net fairly widely. We’ve kept it wide open because everybody’s opinions are most welcome.” The first presentation of stakeholders will begin on the week of Feb. 25.

After Owen has considered all of the material, he will then make recommendations to the board of governors in their meeting at the end of April. Robinson expressed happiness at the planned review. “We’re excited that they are launching the process, we’re happy they’re taking this issue seriously and we’re looking forward to participate in the whole review,” he said. The focus on the container is particularly important because bottled water companies are now providing products like Vitamin Water to circumvent the bans, Robinson said. Yet, Barbosa said he hasn’t noticed an increase in the beverage. Robinson said he believe the scientific evidence is on the side of banning the sale of non-reusable plastic bottles, but added he couldn’t know the results until the review is over. “We’re in new territory, because nobody in Canada, as far as I’m aware, has successfully banned the sale of non-reusable plastic bottles,” he said. “We’re forging a new path and being a leader in sustainability when it comes to that, so it’s kind of cool.”

TRUSU believes the software will have a negative impact on the university if used.

6 meeting to require them to meet at least once a month, including the summer months. Unless they are on leave, the elected advocacy representatives will be required to chair the meetings. The students union recently added two new collectives, one for graduate students and the other for the LGBTQ community, as a result of a vote at its Jan. 24 annual general meeting.

pride parade in Kamloops. The parade’s second year, to be held on April 5, is being organized by the new TRUSU Pride Collective. Last year’s parade was the first such event ever to be held in Kamloops. “We have expanded this year’s event to include a resource fair for members of the campus and community and we would be honoured if you would join us,” wrote Kathleen Hutfluss, TRUSU’s graduate students’ representative, in the parade’s registration package. Campus clubs wishing to participate are being asked to register with TRUSU before March 1 at 4 p.m.

“There’s been no outcry for access to bottled water.”

News Briefs Election dates set

It’s almost that time again – the time where students elect their representatives on the students union council. TRUSU adopted the 2013 general election schedule at its Feb. 6 council meeting. The nomination period, which was recently extended from one to two weeks, opens on March 4 and closes on March 15 at 4 p.m. Candidates will be announced and campaigning begins on March 18. Voting will take place on March 25 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and March 26 from

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The university’s Educational Programs Committee continues to show an interest in implementing plagiarism detection software, TRUSU executive director Nathan Lane told TRUSU council at its Feb. 6 meeting. University looking plagiarism software

anti-

The university has chosen not to utilize turnit.com, a website that detects unoriginal content in submitted work, but is still investigating other forms of antiplagiarism software.

Equity collective meetings now required The equity collectives representing groups like women, Aboriginals, international students, graduate students and the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer and questioning) community must now hold public meetings. TRUSU council amended the collectives’ terms of reference at its Feb.

Second Pride Parade confirmed TRU will once again be the location of a LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer and questioning)

ON THE COVER: Author Maragret Atwood talked to students and community members about films she’s seen in airplanes, her hair and answered audience questions Friday, Feb. 15, but mostly she stuck to zombies. See story page 8. — PHOTO BY JULIA MARKS

The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 20

THE

MEGA

www.theomega.ca

February 27, 2013

Volume 22, Issue 20

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editorial/Opinions Do we really want more graduates?

Mike Davies

editor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069

@PaperguyDavies NEWS EDITOR

Devan C. Tasa

news@truomega.ca @DCTasa ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Brendan Kergin

arts@truomega.ca @roguetowel SPORTS EDITOR

Adam Williams

sports@truomega.ca @AdamWilliams87 ROVING EDITOR

Courtney Dickson

Editor’s Note

COPY/WEB EDITOR

Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief

roving@truomega.ca @dicksoncourtney

Taylor Rocca

copy@truomega.ca @manovrboard

omegacontributors Julia Marks, Samantha Garvey, Maximilian Birkner, Mark Hendricks, Oriol Salvador, Travis Persaud, Jessica Klymchuk, Kevin Skrepnek, Kassandra Mitchell, Alyssa Anderson

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF * Mike Davies BUSINESS MGR * VACANT INDUSTRY REP * Mike Youds FACULTY REP * Charles Hays STUDENT REP* Sadie Cox

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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 the Letters & Opinion section 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.

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Over the break, I was perusing my Twitter feed and I happened across a statement from one Mr. Justin Trudeau, prospective (and some think inevitable) leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “I believe we should raise our postsecondary education rate to 70%. Help us get there. Contribute to our campaign,” he said. For some reason, my first thought was, “I don’t want more graduates!” and I was somewhat taken aback by this initial instinct. Why wouldn’t we want more graduates, Davies? Shouldn’t we be striving to have the highest number so that our future workforce will be a well-educated and productive one? As I said, it was just a first instinct, so I set out to examine the question. I thought maybe I was just being selfish and not relishing in having a greater number of people competing with me for jobs after I finish my education (if an education can ever be considered “finished,” which is a topic for another time). After further review, it seems my initial response might be the right one, whether for selfish reasons or not. Generation Jobless, a documentary produced by CBC, aired earlier this year which opens with the statistic and question, “This year, 254,000 young men and women will graduate from Canadian universities, ready to conquer the world … but are they ready for a rude awakening?” The documentary explores the issue of the underemployment epidemic that has taken Canadian graduates by surprise upon their entry into the workforce. Youth unemployment is currently double that of the general population. Over the past four years, the number of young people without jobs has increased to the tune of 250,000, according to the research done by the filmmakers. No, that’s not the new total — that’s the increase. One of the major problems is that universities and colleges are not keeping up with the current state of the global economy and industry. They are merely churning out degrees that don’t have the relevance they used to. “Higher education is actually preparing people for jobs of the past,” according to Thomas Frey, who spoke to the filmmakers, analyzes trends and authored the book, Communicating with the Future: How re-engineering intentions will alter the master code of our future. It’s no surprise that universities are supplying the wrong kind of graduates from what the market has demand for, though. Public institutions receive funding based on the numbers enrolled, so there is little incentive for them to tailor their offerings to specific programs, even if there was communication between the institutions and industries — a level of communication that seems to be lacking.

Even were post-secondary institutions providing degrees that are in demand, the pure greed of the industries themselves may prevent many from garnering good positions in their chosen fields. Employers are taking the opportunity of an aging workforce and constant increases in productivity — both human and automated — to increase their profits at the expense of those who are generating those profits for them. “We haven’t seen anything like this in almost 100 years,” according to Armine Yalnizyan, senior economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. “Bosses are asking people to take less money when they’re already profitable.” Now, I don’t want to make it sound like it’s just industry and educational institutions’ fault that society finds itself in this situation — though they have had (and continue to have) a large impact on our seemingly dim employment future — but the situation has been encouraged by previous generations of workers, as well. For the first time in history, according to Generation Jobless, people entering the workforce are competing directly with their parents’ generation for the same jobs — and losing. “Back in the ‘70s and the ‘80s you would never have expected to compete with someone who was 68 for the same job,” according to Francis Fong, economist with TD Bank, one of the experts who spoke in the documentary. “These people have 40 years of work experience on you…and they’re competing for the same jobs. That’s very unique. We did not see that competitive pressure being faced by any other cohort of young people.” Then there are the lofty expectations of the current crop of graduates themselves. Many graduates climb those stairs wearing their fancy robe and hat, walk across that stage and pick up their expensive, rolled up piece of paper from another person in a fancy robe and hat and expect to walk down the stairs on the other side straight into a

high-paying job in their chosen field. But what if their chosen field doesn’t want to meet their demands of being paid more and have some benefits in their remuneration package because of their education? What if you really didn’t need that expensive degree and the fact that you have it actually makes you less desirable to employers? After all, why would they hire you, when they can hire a part-timer with real onthe-job experience and less financial impact on their businesses? Are you willing to accept a minimum wage, part-time temporary position in your field once you graduate? There are those who are, you know, and you’ll be competing with them for the positions available. They also might have years of experience in that field while you have none. So while you may not be willing to work in your field for less than you presume you are worth (possibly rightfully so, considering how much

lose what they’ve spent all that money on learning. The question remains, however: If there aren’t decent jobs in your chosen field available when you graduate and you shouldn’t take jobs outside your field and risk losing the skills you’ve developed, what do you do? I have no idea. I knew there was a reason I responded to Mr. Trudeau’s tweet the way I did. I can’t see why we would be professing to need more post-secondary graduates, when we have no way to support the numbers we already have. “Some think churning out more graduates just make degrees worth less to those who earn them. Thoughts?” I asked the possible future leader of a federal political party. After all, social media allows for these discussions. I received no answer. We need to be focusing on how to produce graduates that will further our society — as well as figure out ways to change the work landscape so they are actually able to use their expansive (and expensive) skills and knowledge. Lauren Friese, owner of Talent Egg, one of the ever-increasing job-placement busiin Canada, Talent Egg nesses agrees with me. “We need to stop funnelling so many students through this program that then leaves them with debt and unemployment on the other side,” she said. “I don’t understand why we’re pushing more people into university and college so they can graduate with debt and not be able to find a job.” It turns out these educations that we’re pursuing are becoming more expensive and less valuable and we need to change that ever-increasing gap before it’s too late. We need to solve the problem of the underemployment of the graduates we’re getting before we proclaim that we need more of them. The way things look right now, we either need fewer — and the ones we have need to be more suited to the current state of the market — or we need to change the state of the market itself. editor@truomega.ca

“We need to stop funnelling so

many students through this program that then leaves them with debt and unemployment on the other side.” —Lauren Friese, Owner, time and money you’ve just spent to gain that piece of paper), there are studies that suggest that taking jobs outside your expertise once you graduate in order to make ends meet might be a terrible idea. According to a recent paper published by the Certifi¬ed General Accountants Association of Canada, this rampant underemployment leads to erosion of the skills and knowledge that individuals have gained through education. In short — if you don’t use them, you lose them — which makes it all the more important for us to figure out a way to get graduates into positions for which they have attained the skills and knowledge through their education. Otherwise, their education was not only expensive and less valuable than similar ones in the past, but while they make do with other jobs, they

Sri Whorrall receives her Communication and School Support Certificate June 15, 2012 at the Spring convocation at TRU. What is she in for now that she’s looking at joining the workforce? —PHOTO BY SAMANTHA GARVEY

February 27, 2013

Job Fair Start Your Career Today!

2013

MC117467

Thursday March 7 • 10–3pm Grand Hall, TRU Campus Activity Centre

Attend one of these free workshops to learn tips and strategies for maximizing your time at the Job Fair… February 28

March 5

March 6

2–3pm • OM2791

4:30–5:30pm • OM1732

www.tru.ca/careereducation

The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 20

News B.C. government gives more than half a million dollars towards trades at UFV Dessa Bayrock

The Cascade (UFV) ABBOTSFORD (CUP) — As part of a provincial spending spree this month, the B.C. government donated $621,701 to go towards state-of-the art equipment at University of the Fraser Valley’s (UFV) Trades and Technology Centre (TTC). “Trades are a practical way for people to make a living,” stated Chilliwack MLA John Les in a news release on Jan. 24. “This funding will help improve trades programs at the University of the Fraser Valley, and will give students even more hands-on experience that they can take with them to their jobs.” John Yap, the minister of advanced education, innovation and technology, was also on-site to oversee the donation. “This provincial investment, coupled with contributions from private industry partners, will ensure students are training on the same calibre of equipment their employers will be asking them to work on after graduation,” Yap noted in the same release. The equipment UFV plans to buy with this funding includes a plasma table and a diagnostic engine bench. Rolf Arnold, the director of trades

and technology training at UFV, said this equipment is necessary to keep trades students up-to-date with the industry. “The plasma cutter is a computerized burning tool for cutting shapes out of metal,” Arnold said, “from pink flamingos to brackets for a particular piece.” The plasma cutter will automatically make the most efficient use of the metal. “We do have a burning table now, but it has a very limited range of things we could do with it,” Arnold said. The diagnostic engine bench is another learning tool that UFV will be purchasing with the funds. Arnold explained this will allow automotive students to see the inner workings of a car in a way they wouldn’t be able to in a normal workshop scenario. This donation comes at the end of a spending-heavy month for the B.C. government as part of the B.C. Jobs Plan and Skills and Training Plan: Vancouver Community College, Trinity Western University and Vancouver Island University all received donations in the neighbourhood of $1.5 million, similarly to buy new equipment. The B.C. government also pledged $113 million to Emily Carr University of Art and Design to help build a new and larger campus.

Minister of advanced education John Yap announces new funding for UFV trades programs Jan. 24. —PHOTO COURTESY UFV

Puzzle of the Week Puzzle of the Week #16 – Even More Marbles

Once again, you have a collection of marbles. Each marble is one of six colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet. 1. The number of red and green marbles is greater than the number of any two of the number of yellow, violet, and orange marbles. 2. One colour has twice as many marbles as green. 3. There are no more than nine marbles of any colour. 4. The total number of blue, green, and violet marbles is odd. 5. The numbers of orange, violet, and yellow marbles are all powers of two. 6. There are fewer orange marbles than green marbles. 7. The number of blue marbles is equal to the total number of violet, orange, and yellow marbles. 8. No two colours have the same number of marbles. 9. There are three green marbles. 10. There is at least one marble of each colour. How many marbles are there of each colour? 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 the Math Centre (HL210A). Come visit: we are friendly.

International Intonation

A new Playstation release, that fireball in the sky in Russia and horse meat where it shouldn’t be Mark Hendricks Ω Contributor

Sony unveils new Playstation 4 The video game industry is big business. Revenue generated by video games globally surpasses that generated by the film industry. So when Sony Entertainment invited press to what they were calling a “Playstation meeting” to discuss the future of their brand, many were paying attention. Sony unveiled the first details of the Playstation 4 at a meeting in New York City, which had an audience packed with industry media and mainstream media alike. The location was likely chosen due to the struggles Sony faced in North America with the Playstation 3. Despite the success of both consoles globally, the Playstation 3 was outsold in North America by Microsoft’s Xbox 360. While price and the appearance of the Playstation 4 were not discussed, much of the internal components were. These included tools to ease sharing with friends, instant streaming of games from the Playstation network and powerful processors that have 16 times the power of the Playstation 3. With the amount of technology inside it, the price is expected to exceed the $300 Nintendo Wii U. Sony’s next foray into the con-

sole market will be available holiday 2013. Where you can find out more: reviews.cnet.com/PS4/ Meteorite strikes Russia On Friday Feb. 15, Russia was struck by a meteorite that created a shockwave causing $33 million worth of damage.

The meteorite fragments landed in a lake creating a round hole six meters in diameter. Many of the fragments that splintered off are now appearing on EBay, which is highly illegal but lucrative for some. According to NASA scientists a meteorite of this size strikes the earth roughly once every 100 years. Where you can find out more: www.nytimes.com Horse meat found in beef products

— IMAGE COURTESY CHRISTIAN

FISCHER / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The meteorite was originally estimated to weigh 10 tons but NASA scientists announced it actually weighed 10,000 tons. The meteorite exploded over the Urals with the force of 500kt. Although approximately 1,500 people were injured due to falling glass caused by the shockwave, nobody was killed.

Nestlé has pulled beef pasta meals from store shelves in Italy and Spain after finding trace amounts of horse DNA in their products. The products recalled were Buitoni Beef Ravioli and Buitoni Beef Tortellini. Nestlé says that the amount was very small, but still above one per cent. Nestlé believes they have traced the problem to a German supplier, HJ Schypke. Nestlé is not the only company facing this problem. Asda, Burger King, Waitrose, Makro and others have all had beef products that tested positive for horse meat. Although Nestlé found only trace amounts, some other companies, such as Findus, have found after testing that some of their frozen meals contained between 60 and 100 per cent horse meat. Where you can find out more: www.bbc.co.uk

TRU receives more than $1 million in additional funding Courtney Dickson Ω Roving Editor

In recent weeks, TRU was awarded more than $1 million in donations and advertising space, courtesy of a local Kamloops man, a student-friendly bank and a local newspaper. Guy Mercier, a long-time Kamloopsian and former owner of Acres Enterprises, announced that he was donating $250,000 to TRU at the 21st annual Foundation Gala on Feb. 2. Mercier’s company was contracted out for the first time in 1990 and has helped build and maintain the main library, the Brown Family House of Learning and the Campus Activity Centre. “He literally helped us build this campus,” Seguin said. Mercier’s daughter recently graduated from the pre-veterinarian program and he said he has been connected to the university in a variety of ways over the years. Mercier said his parents “instilled that post-secondary education was a requirement for the future.” “I wanted to do something long-term,” he said. “For me, this is a sizeable donation and commitment.” According to Seguin, the $250,000 donated by Mercier will

be put towards student awards and the renovations in Old Main. Tim Shoults, publisher at Kamloops Daily News and a TRU Foundation board of directors member, announced that Kamloops Daily News would be donating $300,000 worth of advertising space to the university. Over the course of three years, 2009 to 2011, Kamloops Daily News donated a total of $150,000 to the TRU Foundation. Shoults said the most recent donation is “a reinforcement and expansion of our commitment to the TRU Foundation.” “We appreciate it because it gives us a place to send our

message. It’s a space for a clear voice,” Seguin said. The $600,000 donation made by the Bank of Montreal in January will go towards the construction inside and outside Old Main, including the law school. However, Christopher Seguin, vice president advancement at TRU, said the university still needs $1.4 million to complete that project. Though these gifts are presented to the TRU Foundation, 100 per cent of the funds will go towards TRU. Seguin acknowledged that this year has been tough f inancially and “these gifts mean more this year.”

Approximately $1.4 million is still required to complete the Old Main project, according to Christopher Seguin. —PHOTO BY COURTNEY DICKSON

February 27, 2013

Life & Community First of three public consultations for Campus Master Plan & University Village full-time students and 3,000 faculty and staff. Ω Copy/Web Editor “We need to increase our academic building area,” Wolfe said. TRU along with the TRU Com- “That is the fundamental driver as munity Trust (TRUTC) hosted a to why we are doing this campus public consultation session Feb. plan update.” Campus life, teaching spaces 14 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Campus Activity Centre’s Moun- and research are focuses of the tain Room. The purpose of the latest CMP update. According to Neufeld, develconsultation was to take in public feedback on the updating of the oping TRU into a “destination Campus Master Plan (CMP), in- campus” is at the forefront of the cluding the development of TRU’s CMP update and University Village concept. University Village concept. He referenced Simon Fraser In attendance were representatives from Stantec, a professional University’s campus community, consulting firm specializing in called UniverCity, as an inf luential design modplanning, enel for TRUTC gineering, arand Stantec. chitecture and According to project manWolfe, TRU’s agement for campus is curi n f r a st r uct u re rently 110,000 and facilities square metres projects. Vari(or 110 square ous members of k i lo m e t r e s), the TRU commeaning there munity were are 11 gross also on hand square metres to take in the of space per stuconsultation, dent. For comincluding TRU parison’s sake, vice president the entire size administration of Kamloops and finance, —Ray Wolfe, senior is 297.3 square Cliff Neufeld, kilometres, acwho is a memassociate architect, Stantec cording to Staber of the tistics Canada’s TRUTC. Ray Wolfe, senior associate ar- 2006 community profile. Within 10 years, the goal is to chitect at Stantec, gave a 20-minute presentation about the up- increase campus space in order to dating of the CMP and the TRU reach 20 to 30 gross square metres of space per student. Wolfe University Village plan. TRU is home to the equivalent referenced the University of Alof 10,000 full-time students, as berta, a school of approximately well as 2,000 faculty and staff. 36,000 students with 36 gross Within 10 years, those numbers square metres per student, as an are projected to increase to 13,000 exemplary model.

Taylor Rocca

“We need

At the completion of the project, students may find themselves living over grocery stores or other businesses in a move toward being a more self-contained community —IMAGE COURTESY TRU/STANTEC

The update of the CMP is set to progress between now and September 2013. It has been laid out in a four-step process, which began in January 2013 with the framework stage. The discovery stage will take place between February and April 2013, delivering a needs assessment at its conclusion. The third stage, explore/decide, will run through the summer months of May to August, with a concept plan to be delivered. Recommendations will be made in September, with a revised master plan to follow.

On display were a number of “vision boards” presenting ideas, landscapes and potential development opportunities within current campus space and on future development areas surrounding the current campus. Those in attendance were encouraged to circulate past the vision boards, placing blue dots to endorse ideas or concepts they liked. They were also encouraged to place sticky notes with ideas that couldn’t be found on the existing vision boards. Colin Macedo, the student rep-

Cognitive behavioural therapy helps manage stress Courtney Dickson Ω Roving Editor

Few are strangers to stress and anxiety. Students and those who work with them are no exception. Starting Tuesday, March 2, the Wellness Centre will be offering a workshop dedicated to teaching participants new strategies for managing pressure through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Cylynne Edgelow-Abdullah, therapist, educator and owner of multiple businesses, facilitates a variety of wellness-related courses on campus. The Tree of Life is a workshop in CBT that enables participants to understand themselves and make positive changes. “Mindful cognitive behavioural therapy is all about personal responsibility,” Edgelow-Abdullah said. AnxietyBC explains CBT as a method of coping with stress and anxiety that targets how an individual thinks and behaves when dealing with negative thoughts. Edgelow-Abdullah considers herself a life-coach, not a counsellor. “I believe that we have everything that we need within us to become all that we are intended to be.” At the first session, participants receive a curriculum package including an itinerary, a CD with breathing exercises, personal affirmations and soothing sounds, notes and instructions. Each session focuses on a differ-

ent aspect of cognitive behavioural therapy, from breathing and meditation, to personal affirmations, but they all have a common theme. Edgelow-Abdullah emphasizes the fruits and roots of each individual’s tree of life. The fruits represent characteristics that an individual values and roots are the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual selves that enable the fruits to grow. Participants each consciously choose a fruit (Edgelow-Abdullah provides a list) that he or she would like to cultivate. Then, they are asked to choose a fruit from a bag, unconsciously. Edgelow-Abdullah helps participants understand how the two correlate and there is a group discussion about how to cultivate these fruits. These choices are revisited multiple times throughout the five weeks. “It’s really giving ourselves permission to find out who we are,” she said. Edgelow-Abdullah practices CBT regularly and claims she never has a bad day. “The attitude I take out of my bed is my choice.” The Tree of Life will run Tuesday evenings from 4:40 to 5:30 p.m. from March 5 to April 2. The cost is $50 per person and is open to students, faculty and staff. For more information or to sign up, contact Chelsea Corsi, TRU wellness coordinator, at ccorsi@tru.ca.

Adventure tourism student Kai Liang finds peace during a meditation exercise at the Tree of Life Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workshop on Feb. 12. —PHOTO BY COURTNEY DICKSON

resentative on TRUTC, declined to comment on the impact this project will have on students, instead referring to Findlay (Frank) Quinn, a Kamloops lawyer and member of TRUTC. Quinn was unable to be reached by print deadline. This was the first of three planned public consultation sessions. The second is slated for April 17, while the final consultation will take place Sept. 19. Stantec won the right to work on the CMP update through a bidding process that began Oct. 15, 2012 and concluded in November 2012.

theomega.ca

to increase our academic building area.”

The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 20

Life & Community Aviators say sky is limit at TRU Maximilian Birkner Ω Contributor

It’s my first time in a four-seat plane and for two bumpy seconds above Saunders Field in Merritt, I think it will be my last. As we approach the runway, the gusts of wind that have joined us during flight get worse as we near the ground. At only a few feet off the ground, the 1,700-pound Cessna 172R Skyhawk, smaller than a minivan, is hit by a wind gust that tilts me concrete-side. Strapped in, I prepare for the worst noogie of my life — but the crash never comes. Kieran Van Wagoner — bush pilot, army officer and TRU student — works the flight controls console and rights the plane. Extra-curricular clubs at TRU are quickly dwindling. Doug Baleshta,

assistant professor and educational technology coordinator since 1988, remembers his days as a student at University College of the Cariboo (now TRU) in the seventies. “There was a club for everything: a SCUBA club, a hiking club,” he said. An aviation enthusiast who recently built his own airplane, Baleshta has been trying to start an aviation club at TRU, but in five months few people have shown interest. He thinks that students would be more interested in flight if they were properly informed about what the possibilities are for TRU students to get off the ground. “There’s many aspects of flying that people may be interested in, from control systems, maintenance, to fabrication using traditional or

The view of TRU from a Cessna 172R Skyhawk over Kamloops. —PHOTO BY MAXIMILIAN BIR KNER

space age materials [and] private or commercial flying . . . We can explore the possibility of joining forces with the Kamloops Flying Club whose members would probably be more than willing to take someone interested in the industry on [a] flight.” Wagoner had never heard of Baleshta’s attempt to start an aviation club, even though the club was advertised on the TRU social networking site, Mahara. While it seems that in today’s wired world people should be more knowledgeable than ever about opportunities on campus, the opposite may be true because people seem to be paying attention to online groups outside the bounds of TRU, such as Twitter and Facebook, rather than the campus-based site. Ironically, Wagoner, who got his commercial pilot’s license at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., had also considered starting a club. “The idea is to base a club at TRU, and then work with the flight school here in Kamloops to get students up in the air . . . the aviation community is a really fun thing to get involved with . . . A club like this would be for anyone, from beginners to experienced pilots.” Glen Kowalchuk is the supervisor and instructor at Canadian Flight Center Kamloops, a satellite of the head office in Vancouver. The Manitoba native has been flying since his college years. “The most important thing [when learning to fly] is that you’re comfortable and having fun,” he said.

Kieran Van Wagoner does his flightchecks before takeoff. —PHOTO BY MAXIMILIAN BIR KNER

“If you’re not having fun, you’re not learning, you’re not getting your money’s worth,” adding that the Kamloops region is especially picturesque for those willing to get in the air. “There are a lot of mountains and other obstacles around here that makes flying really interesting and fun.” Kowalchuk confirmed that the Flight Center is eager to attract TRU students. Wagoner thinks that if a flying club was set up at TRU, it may be possible to arrange reduced rates with commercial companies to help finance students on a tight budget. According to Kowalchuk, a private pilot’s license may cost about $13,000, which makes funding the toughest obstacle for students who

Valentines, vaginas and violence

would like to learn to fly, but Wagoner, who partially funded his private license with a scholarship from Victorinox while attending high school in Nova Scotia, is adamant that the price is worth it. “There is a lot of confidence involved and lots of knowledge to gain . . . it’s not like anything else that people do.” “Learning to fly is an expensive undertaking but not any more expensive than going to university,” Baleshta agrees. “The freedom is incredible . . . it also makes the geography of this country seem much smaller.” Whether Baleshta and Wagoner get their club off the ground remains to be seen. Could you be the next to join the TRU flying club? Baleshta and Wagoner hope so.

Courtney Dickson

troubled by any of the readings. “My Vagina Was My Village,” performed by Rebekah Hill and One in three women will be Sam Birchall, told a vivid stobeaten or raped in their lifetime. ry of violence against women This sobering fact was repeat- in Bosnia. The description of a ed throughout the 2013 DISH metal rif le being shoved inside (Dames Investing in Social Har- a woman rendered the audience mony) society’s production of speechless. The crowd was unsure wheththe Vagina Monologues, as performers brought attention to the er or not to applaud following issue of violence against women. the more upsetting readings. The Twenty-six local women took clapping was much less enthusithe stage at the Kamloops Con- astic. The stories clearly resonated with the vention Centre crowd. on Feb. 14 for “By the third the first night night I adof the Vagina dressed the auMonolog ues. dience to tell Not only was them that the that day the next 15 minutes 15th anniversawould be heaviry of the V-Day er,” Maclean movement, said. but it was also “The Woman the day of the Who Loved To global One Make Vaginas Billion Rising Happy” apcampaign. peared to be Rebecca Mathe most wellclean, DISH —Rebecca Maclean, received by director and the audience TRU alumnus, DISH director as they howled said the event with laughter was half fundraising efforts and half aware- as Petrina Dumais demonstrated ness for the work the three local the myriad moans women are agencies sponsored by the Vagi- capable of, from the “military bisexual” to the “triple orgasm” na Monologues are doing. More than 200 real women moan. To conclude the evening, each were interviewed about their relationship with their vaginas of the women on stage expressed and sexuality to produce a set of why they were rising for the monologues that were intimate One Billion Rising campaign. It and often hilarious, but also was emotional for everyone and some performers were brought emotional for many. DISH provided counsellors to tears. “For my daughter. I can’t alon-site for audience members

Ω Roving Editor

“It’s the kind

of show where it’s hard to get people out the first time.”

Petrina Dumais loudly and boldly performs “The Woman Who Loved To Make Vaginas Happy.”

ways be there to protect her and I want to know you will when I can’t be there,” said one performer. This year’s performances differed from previous years due to the incorporation of the One Billion Rising campaign. A dance preceding the performances, a short film and the finale were all new to the show. Outside the theatre was a silent auction and plenty of swag for monologue-goers to purchase. Vagina-shaped chocolates, novelty underwear and I Love Vagina stickers were among the fun items available.

Audience engagement was also part of the show. As people arrived at the Convention Centre, they were asked to answer two questions at a table -- If your vagina wore clothes, what would it wear? And what should your vagina say? Some answers were read aloud following intermission. Performer Kira Haug, one of the founding members of DISH, read the first monologue, “Hair.“ She has been involved with the monologues in Kamloops since they started in 2010. “I think the community digs

—PHOTO BY COURTNEY DICKSON

the monologues,” she said. “We use the arts to talk about hard things.” Women attended in groups for a girls-night-out, couples celebrated Valentine’s Day and families were out to support the DISH society’s annual event. Approximately 240 people attended on the first evening, but over the three evenings more than 800 people saw the monologues. “It’s the kind of show where it’s hard to get people out to for the first time,” Maclean said. She estimated half the audience had attended the show in the past.

February 27, 2013

Arts & Entertainment

Q&A with a legend Brendan Kergin

Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor After her TRUSU Common Voices Lecture at the CAC’s Grand Hall on Feb. 15, Margaret Atwood spoke one-on-one with The Omega. We asked her about what inspires her to write and what she thought Canadian youth could do to improve the world around them. What follows are a few excerpts of that conversation. Ω – What inspires you today? Are there writers that inspire you? Pop culture or mainstream things? Atwood – I think it’s really always the same -- a blank page. Blank pages are inspirational. Ω – Do you still write freehand? Atwood – I start things freehand, yeah and take it to a computer. Do you know what a rolling barrage is? (She explains the history of the World War I military tactic known as a rolling barrage). So start writing at the beginning, start transcribing, keep on writing while transcribing what you’ve just written. So you’re writing constantly at the front while transcribing at the same time. Ω – So you’re chasing yourself. Atwood – Yes, exactly. Ω – As young Canadians partake in the digital shift do you see Canada’s culture becoming disconnected from our natural heritage? Atwood – I think everyone is becoming somewhat disconnected from it, which is having quite bad effects on children. I don’t know whether you’re familiar with the movement called No Child Left Inside; they’ve been linking mental health problems to nature deficit.

There is now a recognized term for nature deficit disorder. I think part of that has come from parents being scared to let their kids play outside, not because they think snakes will bite them or something, but because they think crazy people will steal them. In fact, no more crazy people are stealing them than stole them when all kids played outside. This culture of fear has gotten hold and they’re afraid to let them walk to school. It’s probably less so in smaller places like this, but it’s quite noteworthy in some urban places. These kids, they have three blocks to school and their parents are driving them because they’re afraid to let them walk. Ω – What are some of the flaws in today’s society that you think young people are well equipped to fix? Atwood – One of the big skill sets is voting, which they don’t employ as much as they should. If they all voted then they would get a lot more attention, wouldn’t they? Because people would see them as a voting block. If they said things like, “Student debt is a big problem and we all vote,” that would carry some weight. So number one, they should start voting. Otherwise, people with the power to do those things are going to overlook them. Ω – Is that a problem that has commonly been a problem in Canadian culture, do you think? That young people haven’t voted? Atwood – I think it’s become more of one. I voted as soon as I could and so did people my age. Now I think there’s more a shruggy kind of attitude.

Canadian Music Corner Travis Persaud

Ω Resident Music Guy Educated hip hop isn’t a trend. It should be – but it isn’t. Unfortunately, rising stars in the game of hip hop are quick to associate themselves with the glory of self-nurtured wit, because street hustle doesn’t operate within the confines of organized society as postsecondary education does. Blazing this uncharted path of uneducated hip hop is Canada’s very own Shadrach Kabango, or Shad as he’s commonly known. Hailing from London, Ont. via Kenya, Shad not only finished an undergraduate degree at Wilfrid Laurier University, but went on to complete a graduate degree at Simon Fraser University.

Brendan Kergin

Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor For the average band in this modern era, the instruments needed are fairly straight forward. A couple guitars, a bass and a drum set should work. Sometimes fiddles, keyboards, a laptop, a horn or woodwind might sneak in as well. In the case of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra they have cases labeled “flugelhorn” and “darbuka.” This isn’t an ordinary indie-rock or punk band. The 14-member group is, for all intents and purposes, a real orchestra thanks to the vague definition of the word. However, they aren’t about to play

A skilled lyricist executing informed prose, Shad sets himself apart with his humble demeanour and thought provoking work. “What if we went to school for possession instead of jail?” Shad asks on “Live Forever,” a track featuring Dallas Green. Shad’s career in hip hop began with a radio show contest hosted by Kitchener, Ont.’s 91.5 The Beat. Winning the contest, Shad was afforded $17,500 to record his first full-length album, When This is Over. From the humble guitar-pickingwhile-rapping heard on When This is Over’s “Rock to It,” to his Junowinning TSOL, he has established himself as an icon of the Canadian hip-hop scene. As a starting point, give “Brother” a listen to get a taste of the effortless flow Shad presents in his rapping. your grandma’s symphonies. The band, founded in 2010, describes the music as world fusion or punk, or folk on occasion. Playing some original material and some traditional eastern European fare, the group takes punk aesthetics and attitude to heart in the most positive ways and mixes this with traditional music and instruments. Their crazy-but-good-natured antics even got them a bit of press when they played for a delayed flight they were on, heading to a tour in Romania. For a sampling of the gypsy-punk orchestra via Toronto, try “Odessa Bulgarish,” but be prepared for blaring horns, screaming violins, some pounding beats and a hyperactive accordion.

Margaret Atwood comes to TRU to talk about zombies and hope Brendan Kergin

Ω Arts & Entertainment Editor Zombies are reflective of the concerns of today’s mass society, so says 2013 Common Voices lecturer Margaret Atwood. The 73-year-old Canadian author was brought in by TRUSU to speak to the students of TRU and community of Kamloops Friday, Feb. 15 in the CAC’s Grand Hall. “I am a mere scribbler, that means I’m a generalist. I’m an omnivore. Sort of like a bear. Read anything, eat anything, not averse to garbage,” Atwood said. “I thought that what you would really like to hear about tonight, was zombies.” And with that Atwood spent more than an hour meandering through a series of thought processes, often connecting them to zombies in a talk she titled, “An Evolution of Zombies: Their Past and Future.” Part of the more serious premise she touched on early was the fact that the future has become more concerning. “The future was once, maybe in the 1930s, very beckoning and bright and filled with the promise of all things streamlined,” she said. “But we’re finding it a little ominous these days, what with hurricanes and climate change and biosphere depletion and those folks that think it would be a good idea to get your brain changed into data and put on a server and shot into outer space where you will dwell forever in civilized realm, minus your body.” Atwood’s description of the future fit the tone of her talk, often humourous with dark overtones. However, she often drifted into the bizarre as well to keep things lively, such as babies’ onesie pajamas, tin coffins and potatomancy. In fact she spent some time on vegetable divination and the apocalypse. “Select a new potato. Move your knife around until the point of insertion

—PHOTO BY BRENDAN KERGIN

feels right,” she said. “Cut the potato in two. Gaze into the potato slice until you see a pattern. Dip in dye if this helps. Interpret the pattern according to inspiration.” Tangents like this often elicited laughs from the full house. The talk continued this way until she finally finished off with a comparison of zombies to past monsters, in particular Grendl, Frankenstein’s monster and Vampires (though not the sparkly Twilight variety).

Despite the darker tones of the talk at times, she finished with a positive, hopeful message. “Is there hope? There’s always hope, it’s built in. It’s also catching. Where there is hope, there will be more hope, because with hope, people make an effort, which is what, in the future, we will all have to make,” Atwood said. “So maybe that is the true meaning of zombies; they are ourselves but without the hope. “I wish you hope.”

3rd Annual Tiny Tots Traditional Pow wow

March 1 and 2. Grand Entry Start Times: Friday 7 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. Dinners and Lunch served before Start of Grand Entries. TRU Old Gym Everyone Welcome! First Nations Celebration with Dancing, Singing, and giveaways Drug and Alcohol Free Event Aboriginal Grad Recognition on Friday night. Contact: Vernie Clement 250-852-7838 or vclement@tru.ca

President’s Lecture Series

You are invited to a lecture by

Bob McDonald Thriving in the Third Millennium Monday, March 4, 2013 at 7–9pm > TRU Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre > Williams Lake Campus, Broadcast to Room 1303

Everyone Welcome! Free admission • Space is limited For more information call 250.377.6119 MC117534

www.tru.ca

The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 20

Arts & Entertainment TRU Actors Workshop Theatre is ‘starving’ Oriol Salvador

Finding the right words when talking to professors

Ω Contributor

Playwright and actor Sam Shepard wrote the play Curse of the Starving Class in 1978 but in the words of Wesley Eccleston, a professor with the TRU theatre arts program, it is still relevant because “families still struggle with the (same) challenges.” Eccleston directs the production, which starts Feb. 28 at the Actors Workshop Theatre in Old Main. The characters are part of the Tate family, a dysfunctional American family where the dad, Weston (Michael Hogg), spends long periods away from home and comes back drunk and aggressive while son, Wesley (Justin Hall), pees on the f loor of the kitchen, daughter Emma (Allison Clow) plans her escape and mother Ella (Alley Barton) wonders how to work it out and go to Europe. “These characters are starving for the things they think will make them happy,” Eccleston said. There is a fifth character as well, the empty fridge. Its roll makes the audience think of hunger but “as the characters learn, they have hungers that are greater than just feeding the belly,” Eccleston said. “They are emotionally starving, psychologically starving, intellectually starving, spiritually starving. All the characters are hungry for something that is beyond that.” For Allison Clow, a third-year arts student majoring in theatre who plays the role of daughter Emma, this is her first time acting in the Actors Workshop Theatre program. “There are some funny moments out of these serious is-

—PHOTO BY DEVAN C. TASA

Devan C. Tasa Ω News Editor

sues,” she said, such as the relations between sister and brother or mother and daughter. The music in the intermissions intentionally includes covers of ‘70s classics originally from Neil Young, Rolling Stones or Pink Floyd but played by current amateur artists on YouTube. “Just as this is a cover of the original production,” Eccleston said. The play has an unusual learning experience for the students as well, the presence of a living animal on stage, a lamb, gives

—PHOTO BY ORIOL SALVADOR

the students a sense on “how to deal with an unpredictable element,” Eccleston said. For the audience, there will hopefully be some learning as well. “[They] will have a chance to see a family making wrong choices and hopefully they will go away and they will make the right choices,” Eccleston said. The play is going at the Actors Workshop Theatre (Old Main) from Feb. 28 to March 2 and from March 7 to 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.

The secret to communicating with your professors: talk to them in a professional manner and come proposing solutions to your current problems. That’s the best way to summarize author Ellen Bremen’s advice in her book Say This, NOT That to Your Professor. Bremen, who teaches communications at Highline Community College located in Washington state, decided to write the book after witnessing many of her students communicating their problems to her poorly. The book is divided into 36 chapters each of which tackles a common issue that a student might talk to their professor about, like grades, late assignments and finding out what happened in a missed class. Each chapter begins with a real-life example, then discusses a professor’s view of the issue and ends with suggestions on what a student can say to deal with that issue.

The professor’s view of an issue, while it can be guessed at using common sense, might be something that doesn’t cross a student’s mind. For example, a student might ask if they missed anything important in class. The professor might think in response that they didn’t spend hours of preparation time to present any unimportant information. The suggested solution, by the way, is to look at the course schedule and see what was talked about that day, then talk to the professor if there are questions. The main problem with the book is that it begins with some issues that students would (hopefully) find unrelatable. The first chapter begins with a discussion about students that have their parents talk to their professors if they have a problem – with the suggestion that once in university, students should grow up and deal with their own problems. The second talks about students that act like high school class clowns. In its last third, however, the book contains information about dealing with your professor that everybody would find useful. Subjects include asking a professor for timely feedback to your work that makes sense, asking for changes to a professor’s teaching style, using evaluations to their fullest potential and how to go above the professor’s head if all attempts at communication have failed. Say This, NOT That to Your Professor would be great for a student entering their first-year of university, but it should be used as a reference guide rather than be read cover-to-cover. Not every student is going to be facing the same problems in school, so the most effective way to use the book would be to read the chapters that apply to their situation.

Seeing red with Torro Torro Kassandra Mitchell Ω Contributor

Electronic dance music (EDM) producers Torro Torro took to Cactus Jacks this past Valentine’s Day, romancing the crowd with their unique version of house, contemporary and hip-hop infused party music. Special guests Nouveau and The Hunter opened the evening for the Toronto-based headliners, priming the crowd with well-known EDM favorites. The dance floor was crammed with holiday couples and excitable singles, all eager to hear the music that makes Torro Torro so distinct. Cactus Jacks, a favourite amongst Kamloops party-goers, is always guaranteed to have ramped-up dance music shaking the speakers. This night was no exception. But when Torro Torro finally took to the decks, the grooves doing the speaker shaking were of a particularly fresh variety. The highlight of the evening was when the pair dropped their new remix of Zedd’s “Clarity” which was released on Beatport just days before the performance. A track that’s already been remixed by dozens of DJ’s, including the likes of Funkagenda, Vicetone and house legend Tiesto, Torro Torro’s version ramped up the familiar bass line with their own techy twist. The pair’s distinctive sound gives credit to their home city’s musical heritage. Not only has Ontario’s capital city manufactured one of the most successful rappers currently in the hip-hop scene (Drake), it’s also given rise to

two of EDM’s top players, techno favorites Crystal Castles and the notoriously outspoken dance master himself, Deadmau5. With originals like “Knockin Boots” and their timely remix of Diplo and Dillon Francis’s “Que Que,” Torro Torro’s originality speaks to their Toronto origins, hopefully bringing them further success. Overall the evening appeared to be enjoyed by all in attendance. Whether it was couples getting low on the dance floor or singles joining singles in rhythmic dance moves, the energy was felt. And it wasn’t just the night’s entertainment feeling the adoration either. Founded in Kamloops, B.C., Cactus Jacks in-house booking agent and pro-

moter, C N Lynch Productions, celebrated its two-year operating anniversary with the evening’s performance. Chris Lynch, a TRU alumni, has been responsible for bringing a variety of talent through the doors of Cactus Jacks, helping to cultivate Kamloops’s developing dance and hip-hop music scene. In the past few months, C N Lynch Productions has helped organize a number of shows, including performances by the likes of Dada Life, Dragonette and Xzibit. In the end, whether it was Torro Torro fanatics, singles looking for love on the romance-infused day or friends and fans celebrating C N Lynch’s second anniversary, the duos bass-riddled tracks and funky fresh vibes left everyone happy.

—PHOTO BY ALYSSA ANDERSON

February 27, 2013

Sports

TRU chooses not to discipline DeFrias Adam Williams Ω Sports Editor

A conditional discharge – which includes one year of probation, a ban on drinking alcohol and entering bars and $30,000 in restitution – will leave no criminal record behind. And Colten DeFrias will continue to play hockey for TRU. It happened almost two years ago, Oct. 23, 2011, on Victoria Street in downtown Kamloops. DeFrias, who at the time played for the Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, was out drinking with the team following a 6-0 home win against the Golden Rockets and became involved in an altercation with a man named Andrew Giddens. DeFrias punched Giddens in the mouth, knocking out four teeth and fracturing his jaw. He was convicted of assault causing bodily harm on Dec. 11, 2012 as a result of the incident and was sentenced earlier this month. He will face no discipline from TRU, the athletics department or the BCIHL. All this begs the question – what sort of standards do we hold our student athletes to here at TRU? Should DeFrias have faced punishment from TRU or the Wolf Pack, or is this beyond the reach of the institution? Regardless of whether he was a member or the Wolf Pack at the time, if we want our athletes

to be seen as role models for the community, should DeFrias be allowed to continue playing hockey for TRU? “If this were to have occurred while Colten was a member of the Wolf Pack, we would have been more actively involved in a reaction,” said Wolf Pack general manager Chris Hans. “This happened prior to him even applying to TRU.” DeFrias has 12 goals and 14 assists in 20 games played this season, he’s second in team scoring behind forward Alessio Tomassetti. Hans says that DeFrias has not been a behavioural concern whatsoever in his time with the Wolf Pack, but he has been made aware, as the rest of his teammates have, that there will be zero tolerance should any inappropriate behaviour occur while he is a member of the Wolf Pack. All TRU athletes adhere to a code of conduct, which specifies that, “Any member of a university team whose conduct puts the reputation of the university, teammates, coaches or themselves in a compromising position may be subject to disciplinary action.” All things considered, allowing DeFrias to move on and continue playing hockey for TRU is probably the right call. Though he caused a significant injury to Giddens – Giddens has undergone five root canals since and will now need implants fash-

Colten DeFrias will continue to play hockey for TRU after being convicted of assault causing bodily harm on Dec. 11, 2012 from an incident dating back to October, 2011. He received a conditional discharge, which includes one year of probation, an alcohol ban, and $30,000 restitution. —PHOTO BY ANDREW SNUCINS/TRU ATHLETICS

ioned from bone in his hip – at some point DeFrias has to be allowed to move on with his life. He will pay for his actions with the consequences implemented by the court, whether or not those sanctions were harsh enough is another debate entirely, but one that won’t be discussed here. DeFrias knows now that he’ll get no more second chances

from the Wolf Pack. “Once the sentence was imposed, I told Colten we expect him to abide by every last condition,” Hans said. “If we see otherwise – we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it – but we won’t be turning a blind eye.” Hans believes DeFrias has learned his lesson and has done a lot of growing up since the inci-

dent, supporting the team’s and the institution’s decision not to pursue further action. DeFrias expressed his regret in court this January. “I am sorry to Andrew for the injury I caused him and the trouble I caused to his family,” DeFrias said. “I will continue to grow and learn.” With files from Devan C. Tasa.

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The Harlem Globetrotters brought their usual mix of fun and games to the TCC on February 13th. One lucky audience member got to try her hand at one of the Globetrotter’s signature tricks. —PHOTO BY KEVIN SKREPNEK

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The Omega · Volume 22, Issue 20

4 3 2 5 2 8

crossword

1 3 8 9 5 6 7 8 2 6 7 1 9 8 2 3 8 2 5 4 8 6

“Classics”

MYLES MELLOR AND SALLY YORK

sudokueasy

Coffee Break

7 1

6 5 7 3 WEBSUDOKU.COM

6 1 7

4 2 1 7 9 4 1 6 3

4 WEBSUDOKU.COM

last issue’s answers easy

hard

Across 1. Certain sandwich 5. Broodish 10. Sky box? 14. Celestial 15. City in Rio de Janeiro 16. It gets pumped 17. Classic film 20. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy 21. Carry away, in a way 22. Floppies, e.g. 23. Ticket info, maybe 24. Floor items 26. Stephen King title 29. Threat word 30. Drink from a dish 33. Group of eight 34. Horned mammal 35. Old Italian bread 36. Classic film 39. Bolted 40. Lions’ prey (pl.) 41. Great success 42. Load from a lode 43. Arctic sight 44. Underline 45. “Go ahead!” 46. Swaddle 47. “M*A*S*H” extra 50. Garlicky mayonnaise 52. Car accessory 55. Classic film

58. Carpet type 59. Moss-like 60. Org. with a mission 61. Seafood selection 62. Executive branch, informally 63. Calendar span Down 1. “Lord of War” star 2. Old Spanish kingdom 3. Garden decorations 4. Departure announcement 5. Happy face 6. Turkic language 7. Real 8. Crushing defeats 9. Hong Kong actress, Sally 10. Fuzzy fruits 11. Pupil’s place 12. Honky ending 13. Aims 18. Creep 19. Periphery 23. Bait 25. Military acronym 26. “All for one and one for all,” e.g. 27. Greek god liquid 28. Cubic measurement 29. Provide, as with a quality 30. Fine thread 31. Met expectations?

32. Agreements 34. With footnotes, e.g. 35. Ill-gotten gain 37. Unappealing fruit? 38. Kind of unit 43. Central points 44. Electrical transformer 45. Dreary song 46. Omnivorous mammal 47. Physics calculation 48. Canyon sound 49. East Indian lentil sauce 51. Mosque prayer leader 52. Braveheart hillside 53. Civil rights icon, to friends 54. Apple spray 56. Place for sweaters? 57. Unspecified number

G A L A

U N I T

R I G S

N A S A

A S P S

N E W S Y

O N I A S

M A I S O N E T T E

U L E S H T A E A R I T L A P U R I T E T P A L S L I I C H A H E E E R

A S S O S T O P S A F E B A R E R O N D N S E S U A L M E T U I H E R P D E E S E A V Y R N I E S S E N

S E A T A X L E A T H E R T A R M T G U T S I L S R A T E S E D I U M S O R E O N O W U S C H O P S H E A R T A H O Y F U S E

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

sudokuhard

5 7 6 4

4 9 3 4 8 9 3 2

February 27, 2013

ELECTION NOTICE POLLING WILL TAKE PLACE ON: Monday, March 25th, 8:00AM-8:00PM & Tuesday, March 26th, 8:00AM-4:00PM in the Students’ Union Building Nominations open Monday, March 4, 2013 at 9:00AM for the following positions: • • • • • • • • • •

President Vice President External Vice President Finance Vice President Internal Aboriginal Students’ Representatives Graduate Students’ Representative International Students’ Representative LGBTQ Students’ Representative Women Students’ Representative Director-at-Large (4)

Nominations close Friday, March 15, 2013 at 4:00PM Nomination packages must be picked up and submitted at the Members’ Services Desk in the Students’ Union Building The campaign period begins at 8:00AM on Monday, March 18, 2013 and runs untill 4:00PM on Tuesday March 26, 2013. If you have questions regarding the TRUSU General Election please contact the Electoral Committee at elections@trusu.ca or 250.828.5289

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