September 18, 2019 by The Omega

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

VOLUME 29 · ISSUE 03 · SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

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KAMLOOPS TAKES BACK THE NIGHT

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FIRST CARIBBEAN FESTIVAL WELCOMED IN KAMLOOPS

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JON SHEPHARD TAKES ON 'DEATH RACE'

Clubs Day offered a variety of ways for students to get involved on campus Farrah Johnson NEWS EDITOR Ω The first full week of school kicked off to a great start last Wednesday with the launch of Clubs Day 2019. Students, staff and members of the local community flooded the basketball court in front of Old Main on Sept.11, where they learnt about a

number of clubs that offered them a myriad of opportunities. As far as extracurricular activities go, everything from veganism to volunteerism was represented at the event. Those in attendance were given the chance to join networking groups and afforded the opportunity to give back to the community or help save the environment.

Both new and returning students flocked from booth to booth picking up pamphlets, trinkets and treats as they signed up for the organizations of their choice, with the hopes of making this school year their best one yet.

See Clubs Day Page 3

Students took over the basketball courts for a crash course in extracurricular opportunities on campus and in the community. (Aidan Grether/The Omega)

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

TRUSU Caribbean Students Club works to provide hurricane relief After devastating damage to the Bahamas students look to give back Farrah Johnson NEWS EDITOR Ω It has now been a little over two weeks since Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas and ravaged through two of the archipelago's northwestern islands and countries all over the world have pledged their support in the days following the storm’s massive destruction. Here in Kamloops, members of the TRUSU Caribbean Student Club (CSC) are also in the process of organizing their own relief efforts here on campus. On September 1st, the Category 5 storm, packing heavy rainfall, severe storm surge and sustained winds of over 180 miles per hour, left catastrophic damage in Abaco and Grand Bahama. As the days rolled on and the extent of the devastation was finally revealed, it became clear just how much help

would be needed. Reagan Wilkinson, a Bahamian student in her second year at TRU told The Omega nobody expected the storm to be as “huge” as it turned out to be. “I came back a few days early from visiting my family just because my parents wanted me to be here on time to start school,” she said. “If I had stayed, then they thought the hurricane might have been like a minor inconvenience with me travelling back to Canada.” Still, when Wilkinson arrived in Kamloops on Wednesday night, she said she received a call from her mother on Friday who informed her of the storm’s intensification. “She was like ‘It’s really bad, it’s gotten really bad. We’re getting a lot of flooding, Abaco is basically destroyed and Freeport, (Grand Bahama) is next’. Everyone was just like very, very worried.” A huge portion of that worry was

due to the fact that her uncle and cousins were in Grand Bahama and she had an aunt who had just moved to Abaco for her job. This meant that Reagan had family on both of the islands that were directly impacted by Hurricane Dorian’s wrath. “They were both missing for a couple of days but they were both found eventually,” she said. “I know that my uncle was trapped in the attic with his daughter and his grandson and they were there for like 14-18 hours with the water rising up in the attic but (luckily) they were rescued by the US Coast Guard.” Wilkinson said while she was grateful that her family had been accounted for, she still felt for the others who had not only lost their homes and other material possessions, but their loved ones as well. She said this inspired her to begin organizing relief efforts with the TRUSU Caribbean Student Club (CSC).

“I feel like all of us -even if we weren’t’ touched personally- had family members on the outer islands and just seeing the complete devastation that the hurricane brought gave us a sense of National pride. It bonded us together and just made us want to do something for our country.” Gevante Dean, the president of the CSC, is also from the Bahamas. She said the club is eager to help out where they can because it feels selfish to just “sit there” and pretend like there’s nothing they can do when so many of their citizens are suffering. “At first I didn’t know it was as serious as people made it out to be but when I saw the videos circulating on social media, my heart broke,” Dean told The Omega. Dean said she became even more distraught when she discovered that other Bahamian TRU students and alumni were directly affected by the hurricane.

“I’m so happy and grateful that Reagan is leading the drive and getting donations and assistance from the people of Kamloops and TRU.” “The Bahamas needs it. Abaco and Grand Bahama need it. They truly, truly, do. It’s so devastating over there. From little babies to adults, to grandpas to grandmas, everybody needs something.” The CSC club is seeking donations of basic necessities like clothes, shoes and sanitary items. While the group is currently organizing a drop off location, persons interested in helping can contact them on their Facebook Page, TRUSU Caribbean Student Club. “Just everyday things that a lot of us take for granted these people lost,” Wilkinson stated. “So we want to just sort of give back in that way and help them in any way that we can.

Suicide Prevention Day brings the community together People gathered last Tuesday evening to honour the lives of those taken too soon Brianna Schellenberg STAFF WRITER Ω September is Suicide Prevention Month, a topic that tends to bring feelings of discomfort and shame along with it. Last Tuesday, C&C Resources for Life hosted its annual Suicide Prevention Day event at St. Andrews on the Square. Guests were greeted at the door and were given yellow and orange ribbons, the official colours of suicide prevention. They had the chance to write words of encouragement on sticky notes that were posted on the walls of the building. The evening began with some words by Mary Widmer and Jolene Lindsey, both from C&C Resources for Life, talking about how the event has grown. “[The first event] was about getting Kamloops comfortable talking about

the topic, and it has evolved over the years into more intimate events like this,” Lindsey described, “I’ve had lots of people come forward from the community say ‘this matters to me,’ and I believe that every person that needs to be here is here.” The evening continued with local members of the community sharing how suicide has impacted their lives and those around them. Keynote speaker, Mel Rothenburger, shared his journey with suicide, discussing how he has lost loved ones to suicide. “Losing someone to suicide places a massive weight on both your shoulders. You feel it when you’re at home, at work, in both private and public moments,” Rothenburger explained. He continued to speak on why it is important to bring up the topic of suicide, and that ignoring it does nothing to resolve the issue. “If we don’t talk about stigma, we

perpetuate it. How do we fix something if we don’t drag it out of the dark and into the light, where we can see what we’re doing?” Rothenburger said. Research shows that a death by suicide impacts 6-10 immediate people from the victim’s life, but can affect up to 135 people. It is more common than people believe it to be, and we don’t often realize that the feelings that are brought on by suicide loss, such as guilt, blame and confusion, can impact those around us. The evening concluded with members of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Band led guests of St. Andrews into the courtyard with ceremonial drumming. People were given candles to honour the lives taken by suicide, and stood in the courtyard side by side, supporting one another for what they were feeling. It was a night for people to remember they do not face this world

Kamloops crowds gathered in awareness of suicide and the stigma that surrounds it for Suicide Prevention day. (Brianna Schellenberg/The Omega) alone, and that there is always light found in the darkness. For more information on suicide prevention,

visit suicideprevention.ca, and for immediate crisis support in BC, contact 1-800-784-4566.

Kamloops takes back the night in crowds Take Back the Night honours those affected by sexualized violence Sadhika Burman STAFF WRITER Ω The annual Take Back the Night event returned to the streets of Kamloops last Thursday. Hosted by the Kamloops Sexual Assault Counselling Centre, this free event aims at bringing people together and challenging social norms. The event began with prayers and speeches honouring the survivors, the lost

and the vulnerable women affected by assault in any form all around the world. Barb Gladdish, the agency coordinator appealed to the people that they have voices and also someone to hear them. “There is strength and power in numbers and collectively we’re stronger and louder, together we can and we will face and challenge social norms,'' she added. Representatives from the ASK Wellness society spoke

about the options available to help vulnerable women in difficult situations. The S.H.O.P. program aims at providing services to people who are currently working in the sex work industry and also people who have retired or exited. It values community development, outreach and support. It was remarkable to see women and men come together to march for the lives of the women who were assaulted, never found, got

lost and never returned. The heavy rain and cold weather and a few tearful eyes did not stop marchers as young as two years old from following their cause. Just before the walk commenced, the marchers cheered on to the slogan, “Hey hey, ho ho: Patriarchy has to go”. People made colourful banners with bold slogans. ‘No means NO’, ‘We are not things’, a few of them read, held by kids as young as

four and five. The march began from Seymour street through Victoria street and then back to the venue, St. Andrews on the Square. The march was peaceful, law-abiding and guided by several marshalls. Take Back the Night has been a great approach in bringing people together to raise awareness and end relationships, sexual and all other kinds of violence.

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NEWS

Clubs Day 2019 gives new and old students a taste of all the extracurricular opportunities CONTINUED (COVER) Some groups like the TRU Engage for Change Club are just getting started. The club is ran by a group of students who look at creating opportunities for individuals to gain volunteering, fundraising and advocating experience. TRU Engage for Change Club revolves around raising awareness of global and local crises. It aims to inspire the younger generation to respond to such issues by volunteering their time and efforts to help facilitate change. “The idea of our club is really broad and the reason why is because we want students to propose their ideas,” Inderpreet Khunkhun, the club’s president told The Omega. “We want them to have the freedom to pick what they would like to do.” Another club, the Kappa Sigma Omicron-Theta Chapter, is one of the two Greek societies available on campus that acts as a social club for males. The fraternity is involved in fundraising efforts and focuses on “building brotherhood” between its members. “We’re all about building skills for our four pillars which are: leadership, scholarship, fellowship and service,” said Sean Walker, chair for the fraternity’s TRU chapter. He added the club is ideal for men interested in developing leadership skills, or those who are just looking for “a family away from home.” For all the tech-freaks and nerds at heart, the TRUSU Game Club gives game lovers the chance to meet up with other gamers to play board games, card games and video

games twice a week. Colton Stephens, co-president of the club told The Omega the club was initially inspired by his love for gaming. “Me and my friend both like board games… (but) we noticed the school didn’t have a games club or anything like that,” he said. “And we were talking to a bunch of people and it seemed like a lot of people were interested, so we decided to run it because no one else was doing it,” he explained. For aspiring singers, the TRU Chamber Chorus gives students a free opportunity to be a part of a professional chamber chorus. “We are a choir on campus that is totally free to join,” said Will Primrose, co-founder of TRU Chamber Chorus. “If you’re looking at wanting to sing at a high calibre and getting engaged in high calibre music that’s what we offer but you don't need any experience in order to join in.” The TRU Toastmasters Club is another organization that offers students a chance to develop their leadership, public speaking and people skills. According to Hayden Griffiths, the club’s Vice President of Membership, TRU Toastmasters teaches its members how to “influence and change people’s perspectives, change minds (and) change lives.” “We help people learn to structure and deliver their own thoughts so that others can understand and gain a new perspective,” he explained. “We help people overcome their fear and become more confident.”

With a number of clubs available on campus, TRU offers something for everyone. Whether you are passionate about bringing about change, or just interested in meeting new people, there is something in the mix for you. To find out more information on various clubs, students can visit the club directory on the TRUSU website. Registration forms are also available for those interested in starting their own organizations. TRUSU Clubs and community groups met with students who were interested in branching out and learning what's available at TRU and in Kamloops. (Aidan Grether/ The Omega)

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

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CONTRIBUTE

WRITE FOR US! We’re always looking for contributors. If you’re interested in writing for us, make sure you check out our contributor guidelines found at:

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ARTS

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Kamloops’ first-ever Caribbean Festival The Kamloops Caribbean Cultural Society hosts their first event this Saturday Elizabeth Nygren ARTS EDITOR Ω The first Kamloops Caribbean festival will be full of fun, art, and celebration. This Saturday from 12pm-8pm, the festivities will take place at Riverside Park with fun for all. Denise McInnis, President of the Kamloops Caribbean Cultural Society, is the main event coordinator for the Kamloops Caribbean festival. She is a TRU student herself and has worked hard with the society to put on this event. McInnis says “I do have Caribbean students who are members of the society. And they are also volunteering at the event. It’s not only students though.” She would specifically like to thank Hardley Williams, Keisha Morong, David McCatty, and Fitz-Henry Rodney for all their dedication. McInnis says that the society just formed last year and that this is their first big event, which they hope to make annual. “We wanted to bring the

Caribbean flavours to Kamloops and what other way to do it than to host a first-ever Caribbean festival here. We will have Caribbean music, Caribbean food, and there will be a lot of fun family activities,” McInnis said. More than that, McInnis says that “We are trying to bring some traditional Caribbean games. There will be a lot of performances beginning at 12 until 8. We have a lot of giveaways so there will be trivia questions and it will be educational.” McInnis says that there will be posters around the park with facts about Caribbean culture and history for everyone to learn about. Most importantly, there will be lots of food. There will be a variety of food trucks to accommodate those interested in Caribbean food, but also trucks for those that don’t have the same love for spice. Jamaican Kitchen will also be onsite to provide Caribbean flavours, alongside a beer garden as well. Through a lot of community support from TRUSU, TRU Faculty of Arts and other businesses from

around Kamloops, they were able to make this festival free to attend. “Come and learn about Caribbean culture and Caribbean food. And it’s free!” And although the festival is full of fun, McInnis says that they want to do more. “We wanted to do a donation for something so we decided that some of the profits will go to the Bahamas,” McInnis commented. Any extra donations and profits will go to hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas, making the event helpful as well. The Kamloops Caribbean Society is a non-profit organization and hopes to do better for others. There will also be an after-party that is less family-friendly after the event ends. This will be held at the Tumbleweed Plaza Lounge downtown from 9pm-1am. Those looking for more information can find it on Facebook at the Kamloops Caribbean Cultural Society’s event page, Kamloops Caribbean Festival. You can also find more information about the society itself and the after-party.

Words Alive Kamloops: a writer’s weekend workshop Kamloops festival gives writers the chance to hone their skills Elizabeth Nygren ARTS EDITOR Ω For any students wanting to improve their writing skills, whether it be for school or career purposes or just wanting to have fun, Words Alive Kamloops might be the weekend workshop that you need. JP Baker is the Chair of the Festival Organizing Committee for Words Alive Kamloops. Baker says

that the festival “is all about bringing readers and writers together with a bunch of guest authors and doing some learning, some entertaining, and some celebrating of the written word.” This event is made to create a community for writers, as they can be a very reclusive crowd. “As writers, we tend to self-isolate. Some of us by nature and we don’t realize or accept the importance of interacting with other people. It can be amazingly

inspiring to talk with other people. It takes a lot of courage to actually say to someone ‘I’m a writer’ … You can skip a few years of trial and error in your basement by coming to this.” This event is taking place from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, with different workshops offered during the day and free evening events on Friday and Saturday. This event is easily accessible to students as it is all being held on TRU’s campus.

A writer’s weekend with Words Alive Kamloops can give you a headstart in your writing career! (Thought Catalog/Unsplash)

Baker says that because they’re holding the event at TRU and it’s still early in the fall, he hopes that more student writers will attend. Baker says “It’s really important to us, and to me, that we provide some kind of platform and some sort of community for aspiring writers.” Although Words Alive Kamloops is the new name of this event, they have been hosting this annual event for eight years now. Originally, they were known as the Kamloops Writers Festival, but Words Alive Kamloops wanted to be more open and less intimidating to the general public. “It used to be that the festival was like a little writer’s conference. But we really tried to broaden our scope and include the general public, so we have two evening events that everyone is welcome to come to that are interesting to readers, not just to writers, and the sort of generally curious. We still have all the activities for writers in the daytime.” Through hard work, and generosity from volunteers and sponsors, Words Alive Kamloops is able to bring in six authors from around B.C. to help readers and writers expand their skill sets. “There’s a lot of hard work, [and] a lot of volunteer hours. We do get funding from the City of Kamloops and B.C. But the festival doesn’t actually cost that much because the labour and spaces are donated. Over 50% of our costs actually go to the authors. Author fees, author transportation, author

accommodation.” TRUSU and the TRU Writing Centre played a huge factor in the event by providing space. TRUSU has offered the Lecture Hall and Boardroom for workshops during the day, and the TRU Writing Centre has helped plan the Friday evening event in HOL 190. Baker says that the majority of success comes from the volunteers. “Most of it is organized by a bunch of volunteers in town who are writers or who are readers who believe in having this kind of activity happening in Kamloops.” On Saturday and Sunday, there will be workshops in the day for writers to register for. Both days have the same schedule, with three workshops happening in the TRUSU Boardroom and three workshops happening in the TRUSU Lecture Hall. A one day pass will allow you to pick three workshops to attend whereas a weekend pass will allow you to see all six. Regarding the workshops, Baker says, “Some of them are pretty specific and some are more general. There’s a mix.” There will also be some workshops for working on individual projects or a workshop may be about analyzing other works. For a full schedule and to register, check out wordsalivekamloops.com. There are special discounts for students to attend the workshops, and free evening events on Friday and Saturday nights to learn about the authors.

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ARTS

Come From Away shines a spotlight on Canadian eﬀorts during 9/11 The stories of Newfoundland locals are shared through Canadian produced musical Kaylee Butler CONTRIBUTOR Ω This past week marked the 18th anniversary of 9/11, a reminder of hardship and loss that many people endured. Come From Away shows a glimmer of hope in a story of tragedy. Two students from Sheridan College, David Hein and Irene Sankoff, shed light on Newfoundland through musical Come From Away. The musical focuses on the town of Gander and how Canadian support impacted people on the planes. Roughly 7,000 people were forced to land in Gander when the American airspace was closed and with that, the population of the town practically doubled overnight. Gander had the biggest airport left

over from World War two for the international planes to land in. Come From Away is the term used to describe everyone that comes from somewhere else. The merchandise from the show boasts that we all come from away. Working tirelessly over five days the people of Gander gave everything they had or was needed to the people that had landed there, affectionately known as the “plane people”. Meals, medication, clothes and telephones were provided to anyone that needed it. Come From Away cleverly uses 12 actors to portray both locals and the “plane people”. The musical opens up with a number called “Welcome to the Rock” introducing the locals and setting the scene of them discovering what’s just made history. All of the characters are based on real people, Hein and Sankoff spent five years on and off talking

to the locals in Gander about their experiences and how those five days changed their lives. The “plane people” feature a pilot who was grounded, a mother whose son was a firefighter in New York. As well as locals like a veterinarian and the school bus drivers who were on strike at the time. Diana and Nick are two characters (and real-life people) from American and England respectively, who met on a grounded plane and after 9/11 Nick moved to Texas to be closer to Diana. They just celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary and honeymooned nowhere else but Gander. The musical even touches on the ten year anniversary in 2011 when plane people returned to catch up with the friends they had made and to remember the events that had passed. Gander is the only place outside of America where there is a piece of steel from 9/11.

Hustlers takes a refreshing look at heist films

An all-female heist film against Wall Street that’s kind of awesome Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω Another surprisingly great film comes out this fall season with Hustlers impressing both

myself and, apparently, critics. The stripper-led heist film does away with the fantasy-made business and depicts a genuinely raw empowerment piece that is enjoyable for all. Hustlers star Constance

Wu as a new stripper on the Wall Street scene was looking for anyone to call an ally, she befriends Ramona. This friendship brings about a plot to gain as much cash and wealth as possible. This leads to the two creating a group that will break any bank accounts or laws that get in their way. For a film that had relatively no advertisement on its side or buzz around it, Hustlers excels as both a great film and a great story. The dynamic between Jennifer Lopez’s character and Constance Wu’s holds a lot of depth that shines throughout. The entire cast’s chemistry gives way to both hilarious

moments and a genuine empowering message that glows throughout the movie. It's far funnier than expected with a lot of it's dark humour coming from the life of a stripper in general and the way these women get back at Wall Street. Nowhere was there a moment where I felt that the hardship that was being described and the environment being presented was being overexaggerated or dramatized. It was downright uncomfortable and disgusting at times yet somehow still didn’t try to justify the crimes that the women were committing. This is a hard line to walk yet, for this film, it worked.

This picture’s theme didn’t feel like a shaming of the actions of what the characters were doing, nor did it come off as heroines combating the patriarchal society present in the western world. Instead, it came off more on as a friendship piece and, as the characters said it, a warning of “following the green brick road.” Hustlers is an enjoyable watch with a great heart and a wide sense of humour that plays well for all audiences. It presents a life that is demonized yet shows a genuine family not heard off in most professions and that might be its biggest strength.

13 Reasons Why used to be good, until the Season 3 finale Where one episode makes you look back and say “What was the point?” Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω This article contains spoilers to the series 13 Reasons Why. To avoid unwanted series spoilers, here's your chance! I’ve always been a defender of 13 Reasons Why. Not because its criticisms aren’t warranted, not because I think it's revolutionary. Because it presented its theme to its audience and stuck with that throughout its season. Its cheesy and makes teens seemed far too overdramatic because it needs to be.

I was enjoying the theme season three was giving with whether or not someone can truly be irredeemable. This monster that the show created was the school's serial rapist Bryce was despicable the moment he appeared on screen so it seemed like the most difficult of times to try and represent him as anything other than a monster. And yet they weren’t doing terribly. As the season went on, it truly gave a sound argument that even the evilest of people deserved a shot at redemption if they acknowledged their heinous crimes. For some, that notion alone is completely false, but the shot the show made gave was a decent one and had great characteristics to follow-through

with that theme. That was until the final episode. The entire season, it was given as fact that “It is not ok to kill ANYONE and that whoever killed Bryce must be brought to justice”. Through 12 hour-long episodes, that's how it was sold. So it kinda destroys its entire basis when, for the final episode, they justify it because it was one of the core members of the group. It comes off not as thoughtful but shallow and a complete 180° turn from what the entire rest of the TV series was going for. I could get past the honed-in writing device Ani’s character was in order to give a narration to the story. I could get past the unnecessary need for 13

episodes that were just dedicated to others, I’ll admit serious but still unrelated, issues (I’m looking at episode two in particular). But it's the moment that it takes its entire mystery aspect, deems it's theme too unjustifiable, and then turn around and justify it in the final beat of the story due to the writers writing

themselves into a corner. I can honestly say I can rewatch all of Season One of 13 Reasons Why. But Season Three is something I can only watch maybe four specific episodes, and skip all the rest and if that's the case, its something I wouldn’t recommend checking out unless you’re already invested like I am.

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

COMICS & PUZZLES

Puzzles of the Week By Gene Wirchenko

Puzzle #1: The Dorm Four students, Al, Bob, Coral, and Di, are in fourthfloor dorm rooms. These dorm rooms are in a line and are numbered 401, 402, 403, 404 from left to right. From the clues below, determine each student's room number and major (one being computer science). 1) The Dark Arts major and the Animal Health major live at opposite ends of the dorm rooms. 2) Al lives to the right of the biology major. 3) Coral, the Dark Arts major, and the student in 404 are all in different years of their majors. 4) No student has the same first name initial and major’s initial.

Puzzle #2: Marbles

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM, 350 Watts Kamloops, BC Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to September 12, 2019 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist Artist - Album (Label) 1) Ada Lea* - What We Say in Private (Next Door) 2) Clara Engel* - Where a City Once Drowned (Independent) 3) Sterling Blues Band* - Starling Blues Band (Moondog) 4) Necking* - Cut Your Teeth (Mint) 5) The Small Glories* - Assiniboine and the Red (Independent) 6) Mauno* - Really Well (Tin Angel) 7) Man from Earth* - Bomb Going Off (Independent) 8) Old Man Luedecke* - Easy Money (True North) 9) Steve Strongman* - Tired of Talkin' (Independent) 10) Jacob Brodovsky* - Sixteen Years (Independent) 11) Pottery* - No. 1 (Royal Mountain) 12) Genevieve Racette* - No Water, No Flowers (Independent) 13) Curtis Nowosad* - Curtis Nowosad (Independent) 14) Bart* - Today. Tomorrow and the Next Day (Idee Fixe) 15) Black Mountain* - Destroyer (Dine Alone) 16) Hollerado* - Retaliation Vacation (Royal Mountain) 17) Foreign Diplomats* - Monami (Indica) 18) Jean-Marc Hebert* - L'Attente (Independent) 19) Lily Frost* - Retro Moderne (Independent) 20) Deni Gauthier* - Quiet Town (Independent) 21) Fancy Diamonds* - Shiny Side Out (Independent) 22) feu doux* - Quatre Climats Habitables (Dare to Care) 23) Justin Saladino Band* - No Worries (Independent) 24) Mr. Merlot* - City Sex Vol. 2 (Toneshenge) 25) Brother Leeds* - Brother Leeds EP (Independent) 26) Glass Apple Bonzai* - The All Nite Starlite Electronic Cafe (Arttofact) 27) Paul Keeling* - Focal Practice (Independent) 28) The 44s - Twist the Knife (Rip Cat) 29) Korvez - Disco Apocalypse (Ultrascene) 30) Screaming at Traffic* - I Don't Like Sports (Little Rocket)

You have marbles each one being one of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. There is at least one of each colour, no more than nine of each colour, and each colour has a diﬀerent number of them. From these clues, determine how many of each colour you have. 1) Two times the number of yellow marbles is the number of red marbles, and three times the number of yellow marbles is the number of violet marbles, or red and violet are the other way around. 2) There is more than one each of the number of green marbles and the number of orange marbles, and their product is the number of blue marbles. 3) The number of green marbles times the number of violet marbles equals 18. How many marbles are there of each colour?

9 7

B U 5 K9 3 O D7

U S

K A

E R

5 6 4

8 9

1 7

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SPORTS

How profitable are university athletic programs?

While not the biggest money machine, TRU holds importance in sports James Fraser SPORTS EDITOR Ω Its no secret that university and college athletics in North America can mean big business. Millions of dollars are profited from several athletic programs in the NCAA division one. An example is Texas A&M and the University of Texas, who both generated over two hundred million dollars in revenue off of their athletic program. The main revenue sources included ticket sales, T.V deals, endorsement deals and contribution from fans. However, these big numbers are a minority. With over 1,000 university athletic programs in North America, only 24 were deemed profitable by the NCAA in 2014; those numbers are similar today. This makes sense as most smaller schools with less exposure aren’t going to break the bank with huge ticket sales and million-dollar endorsement deals with Nike. For instance, TRU athletics. It is quite apparent that ticket sales generated from the medium crowds formed at TRU games are not paying for the expenses

incurred by running a sports team. These expenses include travel costs, scholarships, staffing costs, supplies and league fees. With this in mind, it is puzzling why athletics exist if money is being lost. “I think it’s an ideal fit having high-level sports in a post-secondary setting. I think post-secondary institutions are all about growth, development, excellence and passion which are all things we see through sport,” said TRU athletic director Curtis Atkinson. “You also have to determine if it makes sense financially. It’s not cheap to run athletic programs with costs for travel, coaching, equipment and scholarships,” Atkinson said, “Senior administration agrees that this is a worthwhile investment as it brings exposure and incredible profile to the institution in a really positive way. It almost acts as a public relations arm that shows what our university is all about. I’m very proud of how our players and coaches represent our school.” This idea explains that although athletics might not bring in money, it does bring in media exposure, which can cause

TRU Athletics

increased applicants and help fundraising. Most athletic programs are operating in the red, but it is clear that the bottom line isn’t everything. “It’s such a positive introduction to people who might

not know about our school. We want to be competitive and compete for championships which require a certain level of investment, but we also know we have to be responsible with our money,” Atkinson commented.

Overall Athletics requires a huge amount of money through fundraising and sponsorship; however, these sums should be regarded as investments as they play a huge role in the marketing and culture of their respected universities.

TRU Athletic Coordinator takes on daunting race Jon Shephard showcases his love for running with completion of the 'Death Race" James Fraser SPORTS EDITOR Ω Jon Shephard has been the athletic coordinator of TRU for over 20 years. You might recognize him from the sideline of the Wolfpack games, wearing a headset and a goofy smile while he organizes the events. He has watched 1,000s of games of basketball, volleyball, and soccer; he is on good terms with all the athletes involved. With that being said, behind his friendly manner and sheepish grin is a secret: a deep dark secret. Jon Shephard loves to run. He loves to run so much that earlier this August, Shephard attempted the Canadian death race. A race 125 kilometres long and includes over 17,000 feet of elevation. He completed the race after 21 hours 22 minutes and 21 seconds; something to ponder next time his fellow TRU athletes complain next fitness session. I asked Shephard what led him to this crazy experience, “every year I look through potential races and build a little bit of a bucket list. Last year a few of us did a 50km race and one of the guys asked what we were going to do next year. I said you pick a race and I’ll do it. Of course, he chose the Death Race and that was that.” It was the 20th year anniversary of the Death Race, located in Grande

Cache, Alta. of the Rocky Mountains. Usually, the finishers just receive bragging rights, but because of the anniversary finishers also received a belt buckle. Bragging rights and a belt buckle? This was all too enticing for Shephard to pass up on. “I have always wanted to get a belt buckle, but usually you have to run a 100-mile race to get it. I thought ‘Well heck yeah, If I only have to run 125 kilometres to get my belt buckle and knock off a bucket list race, I’m sold’,” Shephard said. Shephard ran the race alongside 10 other citizens of Kamloops, who were all apart of the same running club in which he trains with weekly. They ran the entire race together. “Running alongside my group was huge. If I didn’t have my friends to run with, I can only imagine how much harder the race would’ve been. The support was awesome and essential for my success. I had the best crew I could’ve ever hoped for,” Shephard stated when asked on the importance of his support group. John ended up finishing 107th out of 230 participants, who all finished within the given time frame of 24 hours. Another 10 people did not finish within the time allotted and 134 people did not finish resulting in their resignation. It is hard to grasp the magnitude of how hard this race is to complete, but Shephard started

his running career with humble beginnings. “I started in the fall of 2010 with a friend from work. We first ran 800 meters at the indoor track at TCC. We were so stoked we did it. Each day we would do another lap. It built from there and a year later I ran my first race in

March 2011. The rest was history,” Shephard said, “I fell in love with trail running. I never thought in a million years I would ever run 125 kilometres.” Extreme ultra-running is obviously interesting, Shephard’s advice for beginners is “start small, don’t get discouraged, and

buy a good pair of shoes.” If you want to give trail running a chance, there are various local clubs in Kamloops including Dirty Feet, Runners Sole, and Kamloops Ridge runners to name a few. You can learn about the sport, key tips, and enjoy some new running companions.

Shephard started small before taking on the sport of extreme ultra-running with 125 km death race. (Submitted)

THE OMEGA

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

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