November 27, 2019

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

VOLUME 29 · ISSUE 13 · NOVEMBER 27, 2019

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TRU STUDENTS PLACE FIRST AT BC MBA GAMES

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LOCAL BUSINESS HOPES TO SPREAD HOLDIAY CHEER

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AWT KEEPS AUDIENCES ENGAGED AND LAUGHING

TRUSU Eco Club advocates for a better future Farrah Johnson NEWS EDITOR Ω Climate change has been one of the most talked-about topics in contemporary times.

In fact, all over the world, young people have been participating in climate strikes to encourage their respective countries to adopt clean energy policies that would keep fossil fuels in the ground.

In an effort to stand in solidarity with international initiatives, the TRUSU Eco Club organized their own demonstration right here on campus.

On Nov. 22, students gathered in the Campus Commons in front of the Campus Activity Centre to listen to speeches before making a lap across the university.

“The climate is changing so why aren't we?” was just one of the many chants participants in the march shouted while waving signs that encouraged onlookers to think

about the future of the planet.

Jessica Guthier, one of the organizers for the strike, told the Omega the demonstration was inspired by previous events the club hosted to promote sustainability.

“The strike is happening as part of the Fridays for Future initiative which is having international strikes on a quarterly basis,” she said.

See CLIMATE Page 3

TRU community members took to campus commons to advocate for environmental change. (Aidan Grether/The Omega)

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NEWS

TRU students place first at BC MBA Games The team of students wins overall against top universities in the province Brianna Schellenberg STAFF WRITER Ω Oct. 25-27, Thompson Rivers University competed in the BC MBA Games, an annual competition amongst Business programs in the province. This year, the Games were held at UBC Sauder School of Business.

The theme this year’s Games was Industry 4.0: The Future of Business. The theme was meant to inspire participants to think about the challenges businesses and societies are facing from the exponential growth of technology and their role in shaping a better future.

The MBA Games have three categories of events: academics, spirit and sports, and testing each group’s enthusiasm and teamwork skills.

24 students represented TRU at the Games. They placed first in the Marketing Case, Soccer and Team Dance competitions, second in Video Making and Fundraising, and third in the Amazing MBA Race and Non-profit Case.

The total scores from all the competitions secured TRU first place over UBC Sauder School of Business, University of Victoria, SFU Beedie School of Business and Vancouver Island University. TRU beat out defending champions UBC Sauder School of Business by one point.

“That was a close margin,” team captain Akhil Prabhu said. “You should have looked at their faces, but they were good sportsmen.”

The TRU team meets every Friday for academics and on Sundays for sports and dance practice, with

faculty members and coaches Warveni Jap and Nancy Southin attending sessions to provide feedback and assist them with their case study presentations.

“The team started practicing in July 2019,” Prabhu stated. “We put ridiculous amounts of hours into preparation for case studies, sports and dance events. We aimed at becoming the best team by spending a lot of time together to develop a bond with each and every team member.”

In addition to placing first overall, the team won the “Most Spirited Award” and the “Player of the Games Award,” which was given to team member Gandharave Chopra.

The team is eligible to attend the National MBA Games in Hamilton, Ont. in January. They have yet to

decide if they will be going.

As the winning school, TRU will host the 2020 BC MBA Games.

Team member Viona D’souza says

hosting the games next year will be exciting for Thompson Rivers University, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.

TRU’s team holding the trophy at the BC MBA Games at UBC Sauder School of Business. (Submitted)

Avery Hulbert presents the lifetime journey of being a survivor Hulbert shared how she overcame childhood sexual abuse with the help of restorative justice Farrah Johnson NEWS EDITOR Ω In celebration of Restorative Justice Week, TRU’s Faculty of Arts helped to fund a presentation that featured Avery Hulbert, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, students, faculty and members of the local community gathered in the Grand Hall of the Campus Activity Centre to hear Hulbert’s story and learn about how restorative justice helped her to overcome trauma from sexualized violence.

“I am a wife, I am a sister, I’m an aunty and I’m a survivor,” Hulbert told the audience.

“I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse that began before I even noticed.

I did not have any memories of not being hurt, of not having awkward unwanted touching and actions done against me,” she furthered.

Hulbert explained that her abuse began at a very young age and did not stop until she was 12 years old.

“It was the 80s. We were raised in a family where kids were not to be seen and not to be heard,” she said.

“So we were downstairs doing kid things -so everybody thought- but that was not what was really happening for me.”

Sharing that she was sexually abused by her paternal uncle, Hulbert said looking back now, she cannot understand why she wasn’t brave enough to say “stop it” when the abuse was going on.

“I had a really hard time

understanding my child self…how this happened, why this happened and why the woman I am today, wasn’t the child who I was then,” she said, Still, Hulbert insisted that she has an “incredible family,” who is the sole reason why she is able to share her story with others today.

She added that through restorative justice, they were able to “recognize” that they were broken and begin the journey towards healing.

“We should be able to have places where we can go and feel safe and supported. Where we can move on those journeys from being hurt and injured and being a victim, to surrounding ourselves...with support to heal that hurt,” she insisted.

Hulbert explained that her abuse had a profound effect on her during

her developmental years and she often battled with anxiety and hypersensitivity issues.

“It wasn't until I was sitting in a classroom at Simon Fraser University in a criminology first-year class that all of a sudden I learned ‘Oh my God, this is really bad, this is me’,'' she said.

“I will never forget. I read about pedophilia...about childhood sexual abuse and I couldn’t sleep. I remember looking and thinking I have a responsibility...because...every day that I’m quiet he could be hurting somebody else.”

Hulbert said she went to her school’s counsellor but immediately regretted doing so because she was “thrust” into a system where she had to explain and recall.

“Once the criminal justice system

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got involved things got chaotic...I was re-victimized...I thought for sure when he was detained and charged that he was going to hurt me.”

Hulbert said the first time she was terrified of her uncle was when “the justice system got involved.”

Still, she said “things changed” after she enrolled in a restorative justice class and her instructor placed her in contact with people who could take on her case.

“For once I had a voice. I had somebody…whose values resonated with my values and my family’s values,” she said.

“Restorative justice is not easy for anybody. It’s hard work and we have to recognize that it’s not for everybody, but I firmly believe that it is a choice and an opportunity that should be offered to everybody,” she insisted.

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Climate strikers take to campus to share concern for the growing crisis CONTINUED (COVER) Guthier insisted that everyone should be concerned about climate change because the negative effects have the potential to impact the entire human population.

“We’re inheriting this future but we’re also borrowing it from our children and we’re borrowing it from our own futures,” she asserted.

“So as a young person -like any person- it’s really important to understand that our comfort for today means impacting people’s wellbeing in the future.”

Guthier said she thinks the issue of global warming should be particularly concerning for college students since most of them still have a significant portion of their

lives ahead of them.

“I think as up and coming professionals we’re wanting to impact the world in some way...but we’re not going to be able to do that if in 12 years our whole society is crumbling,” she said.

“By then your degree might not mean anything, so we have to fight for our future.”

Guthier said she hoped the Eco’s club climate strike showed the TRU community that “protests can be peaceful.”

She explained that although a number of climate strikes have been demonized by “fear-mongering” tactics, fighting for the environment is the right thing to do.

“You should never be afraid to speak out for

something that’s important and for the right to have clean food, clean air, and clean land,” she insisted.

“This isn’t just a climate crisis, it’s fighting for climate justice because the environmental issue is an issue that also incorporates a lot of other equity issues such as racism, colonization and issues with capitalism.”

Stating that advocating for the environment is a “broad issue” that must be addressed through an “intersectional perspective,” Guthier also said she hoped the climate strike would inspire more students to be more active within their local communities.

“There are lots of ways to get involved with Fridays for the Future and with other

initiatives,” she said.

“Students can get involved politically by writing emails to their MPs, making phone calls and writing letters.”

Guthier added that students can also use their social media accounts to help spread information on the current climate crisis.

“What’s really important is raising awareness and you

Members of the TRUSU Eco Club marched across campus chanting "When I say Climate, you say justice!" to raise awareness about climate change. (Aidan Grether/The Omega)

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can make individual change through sustainability,” she said.

“Start composting and buy less single-use products.

Something as simple as exchanging a straw in the cup, while not maybe changing the entire outcome of the climate crisis, is an individual change you can certainly make.”

Cailyn Mocci Farrah Johnson Elizabeth Nygren James Fraser Lisa Chernyshova Brianna Schellenberg Sadhika Burman Aidan Grether Sultan Sandur Ashleigh Plett Morgan Hunter Kaylee Butler Regan Shultz

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NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Exam season is here, are you prepared?

Resources on campus: Have your exam toolbox ready!

Kaylee Butler CONTRIBUTOR Ω Next week the formal exam period begins and that means more studying, hammering out those final essays, and lots of coffee. Lots of places on campus are willing to help you get prepared and ace all of those final assignments.

The writing centre will be offering limited appointments during the exam

period as well as after-hour appointments at some of their satellite locations.

For a cup of tea, a nap, or some resources the wellness centre will also be open during the exam period.

There won’t be any specific events going on but the centre will be open.

Counselling, as well as accessibility services, are open all the way up to the Dec. 24 so you can pop by to schedule something there, across from

the cashier in Old Main.

If you live in residence, Residence Advisors will be available until the end of the exam period for additional support.

Tuition for the winter semester is due Jan. 3 so you can get ahead and pay it at the campus cashier before you leave for the Winter break.

The registration deadline for classes is Dec. 19 so double-check that you’re in the

correct classes, don’t forget about the advisors if you need clarification!

There are lots of study rooms on campus, including in the libraries (Main and HOL) as well as the TRUSU building. These are a great place to study and can be booked online.

Food services will be open during the break as well, some of them will have adjusted hours and the best place to keep up to date with

that is their Instagram.

The Multi-Faith Chaplains will also be on campus during the exam period and this Friday will be giving out cookies and hot chocolate to end off the semester.

There are lots of supports on campus this exam period, reach out if you need some help or need to take a break.

TRU comes back from the break on Jan. 6 with the Winter semester in full swing.

KamCon announces return for its third year

Organizers claim their third year is set to be bigger and better than the last Kaylee Butler CONTRIBUTOR Ω The convention that had people flocking to the CAC early November has announced it will be returning for the third year. Next year the event will take place from Oct. 23-25.

There will be some changes for the third year of the convention, including more rooms to spread things out and give more space.

They will also be hosting an all-ages party on Friday night.

“We’re so lucky to have received some outstanding feedback and support from our many guests and vendors. It’s so encouraging

that about half of our vendors from this year have already reserved their spots for 2020,” said Tyler Carpentier, one of the organizers of the convention.

KamCon started in 2018 with a few tabletop role-playing games and some dedicated attendees. It now features a larger selection of anime and pop references as well as more people coming dressed up.

Next year they plan on expanding the selection of content as well as vendors so there will be something for everyone.

“Our guest’s and vendor’s experiences are what will keep KamCon a healthy and vibrant annual event.

Our primary focus for the

weekend is to provide a safe space for fans and gamers to gather and celebrate their hobbies together,” said Carpentier.

It was also mentioned that the atmosphere of the convention was something that people look forward to and the organizers, Carpentier as well as Julian Leader, look to keep going for the community.

If you want more information or to purchase tickets you can visit their website kamloopsconvention.ca.

After two successful conventions for Kamloops locals, KamCon announces they will be back for a third year, this time bigger and better than attendees saw before.

(Submitted)

TRUSU Bangladesh Club to host Shur-O-Taal: A Musical Night The club aims to bring different cultures together under one roof for a night of music, food and fun Sadhika Burman STAFF WRITER Ω The newly formed and re-established TRUSU Bangladesh club will be hosting their second and last event for the semester.

Shur-O-Taal, which translates to the rhythm of music, will be hosted on Nov, 30 at 6 p.m. in CT200 in the Clock Tower building. Entry to the event is free, however, you will need to sign up for a pass prior to the event.

“The event is all about music and giving the students a much-needed break before exams kick in. It is an initiative by the TRUSU Bangladesh club to facilitate stress-busting for the students. Basically, it is just students gathering to sing, have fun and relax before exams start,” said TRUSU

Bangladesh club’s Social Media Ambassador, Syed Hurr Abbas.

The club’s first event was a trip to Bridal Falls Provincial Park and was a hit amongst the students with a larger turnout than they had expected.

Their mission statement is to try and bring events every month for students to keep connected and actually be a family more than being a club. The focus of the club has always been to bring students together and provide them with resources to help further their growth.

This event is just another opportunity for the club to help students, “Music releases stress, there wouldn’t be a better time to host an event like this. With this event we’re not only focusing on Bangladesh but are encouraging other cultures

to join and showcase their talent.

Performers in the event are from different countries like Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan and will be singing in six different languages. We will also be singing traditional songs of Bangladesh to showcase our own culture,” added Abbas.

When asked about the turn-out, Abbas estimated that they are looking at approximately 150-200 people.

The event is right in time to relieve stress from the exams and having one day when it is not about the assignments or tests but getting to know other cultures and students from other cultures, so get your free tickets now and do not miss out on the musical night of the year.

The TRUSU Club is back and better than ever, hoping to provide an environment for all students to feel connected. (Submitted)

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Kamloops business hopes to make women feel special The Shoebox Project plans to give underpriviledged women something special under the tree Cailyn Mocci EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω Christmas is not always the cheerful holiday that hallmark movies and the bombard of holiday commercials make it out to be. For many people, Christmas is a holiday of stress and added depression especially those who struggle to maintain financial stability for whatever reason it may be.

Abbott Wealth Management is taking on the Kamloops Shoebox Project for the fourth year, giving women in difficult times a gift to treat themselves.

Abbott Wealth Management is hoping to add a little relief to women who have fallen into hard times this season with the Kamloops Shoebox Project.

The project is focused on not only relieving some stress but to also give the women something to show that they are

seen and appreciated.

The Shoebox Project began in 2011 in Toronto, Ont. by four sisters-in-law: Jessica, Caroline, Vanessa and Katy Mulroney who saw a gap in the gift-giving season. The women asked friends to help create gift boxes with small luxuries that these women may not buy for themselves to make them feel special.

The project has since grown since the first year in Toronto, collecting 156 boxes; just enough to supply all the women in one Toronto women’s shelter with something to look forward to.

The Kamloops Shoebox Project has been working hard locally for four years and has since seen an outpour of support from the community.

Each year, Abbott Wealth Management has seen growth in boxes collected from their first year of 150 boxes to the 2018 count of an estimated 350.

This year, they hope to collect

400 boxes for the community.

Gift shoeboxes are to be created to make the women on the receiving end feel beautiful, confident and special.

Boxes are to be filled with special items and small luxuries, not necessities.

If you wish to join in holiday cheer, there are a few things that you’ll need to know when shopping. All boxes should be valued at approximately $50. When filling your box, think of the gifts you’d get the women in your life to make them feel special. Gifts such as stylish cold-weather gear like mitts or scarves, small cosmetics, or something sweet like nut-free chocolate would make excellent additions to any shoebox gift. When shopping avoid used goods or hotel samples, sized clothing, mouthwash or hand-sanitizers containing alcohol, bathtub accessories as many shelters do not have that option, candles, makeup specific to

skin tone, razors, jumbo-sized containers, books, feminine hygiene products or anything opened/unpackaged.

The cut-off for this year’s shoebox collection is Monday, Dec. 6. Boxes can be dropped off in person on the second

floor of Abbott Wealth Management (207-1211 Summit Drive) anytime Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. For more information email info@abbottwealth. com or visit shoeboxproject. com/home.html.

D. Mark Bertoli (pictured above), an Investment Advisor with Abbott Wealth Management is hopeful for the generosity of Kamloops citizens. (Submitted)

Venture Kamloops offers a variety of opportunities for locals Jim Anderson speaks on the importance of economic growth in Kamloops Lisa Chernyshova BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR Ω Venture Kamloops is the economic development organization for the city of Kamloops that helps to start up a new business effectively, expand an existing business into the city, and provides up-todate information & analytics for investors and entrepreneurs.

Venture Kamloops helps to organize various business events in the city that enhance networking for businesses and helps their effective performance.

The annual Link Up event that took place on Nov. 20, gathered together many local business representatives at the Coast Hotel Conference Centre. The event was successful and helped to build the network for much existing business and helped for some recruiters to find talents they were looking for.

Venture Kamloops actively performed during the Tech Fest that was held at Thompson Rivers University along with BCLC and other Kamloops-based companies, in total counted 54 companies that were present at the event.

During the Tech Fest, Venture Kamloops had a chance to get in touch with some talented TRU students and showcase the organization’s opportunities that helps to develop talents.

“Tech Fest is important to us because it’s really hard to get all the people who work in a certain area of business together at the same time. And we’re lucky to have Kamloops Innovation and TRU Generator, so closely working

together, because they develop that Tech Community,” shared Jim Anderson.

"It’s sort of ready-made for us to go and make those connections and find out if there any issues that are facing tech businesses, either new or established, or whatever the stage at. And finding if there is anything causing them trouble or anything that they really feel gives them an advantage in Kamloops any other sorts of points of discussions we might be able to help or point towards resources and those kinds of things,” Anderson said.

“We just did the Link Up event on [Nov. 20], Kamloops Innovation is an event partner with us on that. And we really rely on each other for the referrals back and forth, we’re making sure that we offer complementary services,” Anderson said.

“When I started here, almost seven years exactly. The biggest thing that I was faced with when I started here was all those different business organizations in town.

There was Venture Kamloops, the Downtown improvement association, the North Shore Business Association, Kamloops Innovation, Tourism Kamloops, all these business support organizations got to make sure that we’re not doing the same thing. We need to make sure that we’re offering services not only different but also complementary.” Anderson said.

Anderson also said that their key core services are help with startups. Venture Kamloops can provide help to entrepreneurs that are looking to start a new business, and help them to prepare a

business plan, to present to investors or help to apply for financing.

Venture Kamloops has a program, ‘VK Accelerate’, that actually does all these sorts of functions. This program helps with deals that can provide marketing and advertising, renting a place for offices.

“We develop our VK Accelerate with the idea that we’ll help entrepreneurs and we would also fill the empty storefronts. So, all the entrepreneurs that have gone through our VK Accelerate program have moved into a location that was previously unoccupied,” Anderson noticed, “So it’s a

win-win.”

Anderson also noticed that their company utilize all the social media platforms to build networks and to find new talents.

Anderson stated that Venture Kamloops has plenty of opportunities for TRU students and graduates.

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Monte Creek Winery opened their doors for holiday hours Kamloops Wine Trail organized holiday open house tours in three local wineries Lisa Chernyshova BUSINESS AND TECH EDITOR Ω On Nov. 23-24 Monte Creek Ranch hosted a two-days degustation where visitors were able to do a tasting of different types of wine.

“Today it’s actually really special, we all get together and all the wineries in Kamloops support themselves. And we all help each other out,” shared Sophie Collins.

Monte Creek not only famous for its delicious kinds of wine, but also for its breathtaking views from the spot where the winery is located. As well as it’s a great community of people who work for the winery.

“I worked as a terrace server in the summer and it was so much fun and the views are amazing, and it was so nice. There wasn’t any smoke and it was sunny every day, and just being out here every day, everyone is always happy, no

one is in no rush to go anywhere, super fun to do,” said Collins.

Apart from wine tasting, Monte Creek had an art show on the downstairs floor, where visitors had a chance to see and to purchase some beautiful paintings.

Marc Brzustowski was a key artist in the art show at Monte Creek, where he showed his beautiful works that depicted picturesque landscapes of Kamloops.

“These are all original oil paintings, representing a lot of scenes from the South Thompson Valley. Some of them are done outside, en Plein air, some of the paintings are done in the studio, from references of photographs or sketches and things like that,” described Brzustowski.

Brzustowski said that one painting might take a few days to paint. Most of his work depicts Kamloops’s views of the summer or springtime, when Kamloops is sunny and bright, which reminds people how beautiful Kamloops

is.

“I’ve only been here five years, I’ve moved here from Ontario in 2014,” shared Brzustowski, “I’ve taken a few university art classes at the Nova Scotia collage of Art and Design, but essentially I’m self-taught.”

Brzustowski used to work at the Monte Creek winery, and he knows a lot about wines that are made there.

“This winery here, Monte Creek is always have been very supportive of the artwork and an art class that I’ve taught here,” Brzustowski noticed.

Brzustowski shared that his favourite type of wine at the Monte Creek is its unique ‘Blubbery Wine’.

Monte Creek winery provided a good deal for visitors who had an option to try their chances and win 12 bottles of wine.

“If you go to all three wineries, you may win 12 bottles of wine, it’s an event before

Christmas,” noticed one of the employees at Monte Creek winery.

Monte Creek Ranch winery’s event was truly unique and it

managed to combine and create a beautiful mix of wine and art that attracted many Kamloopsians to come and enjoy some wonderful things.

Monte Creek Ranch winery combined local wine and art during their holiday open house event. (Lisa Chernyshova/The Omega)

Banff Mountain Film Festival inspires others to get outdoors The 44th annual film festival comes to Kamloops with 20 short films Elizabeth Nygren ARTS EDITOR Ω The infamous Banff Mountain Film Festival came to Kamloops on Nov. 19 and 20, and a whole lot of short films to share.

Hundreds of Kamloopsians came to the Paramount Theatre downtown to enjoy the adventure films. This year, the Banff Mountain Film Festival had over 450 submissions to their festival, with approximately 100 of those being B.C. based.

Those who attended both nights of the festival watched 20 different short films, 10 on

each night. At the Kamloops screening, the longest film was a 45-minute feature on two men’s journey through the Grand Canyon titled ‘Into the Canyon’, and the shortest, approximately three minutes long, followed a french skydiver explore BASE jumping in Mexico, titled ‘The Flip’.

A theme of the Banff Mountain Film Festival is that all of their films are adventure-based.

The films explored various types of adventure including, biking, running, skiing, surfing, rock climbing, and more.

Many of the films explored death-defying action, including

surfing through ice-infested waters and bouldering up rocks where you can not afford to fall.

Some films focused more on the creative aspects of adventure, such as turning an abandoned fishing boat into a sea-worthy craft, or building bike trails for people to enjoy.

The films that were submitted to the Banff Mountain Film Festival came from all over the world, including France, Russia, Norway, Arizona, and more.

Many countries were represented during the festival, B.C. being the most common.

Many of the films also had symbolic and important themes

within them; many of them discussing how the world is changing. One film that specifically commented on adventure being more eco-friendly included ‘Electric Greg’, a story of how a man saw the effects of climate change on the world and decided to do something about it.

Almost all of the movies were based on real-life events as well, giving each of them more depth.

The events that happened in the films were the stories of these people and gave you insight into their lives and the challenges they faced. Although, some were created to humour the audience

and excite them, including ‘Hors Piste’, an animated short that followed two mountain rescue workers whose mission to save a man trapped on top of a mountain goes from bad to worse very quickly.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival has something for everyone, and luckily, Kamloops was one of the first places in the world to have access to these films. For those interested in seeing trailers for the films, they can check out banffcentre.ca and can find tour dates on there as well. The festival will be travelling through Kelowna on Dec. 28, so get your tickets now!

TRUSU holds its very first Holiday Fest The Kamloops community and students are welcomed at this family-friendly event Elizabeth Nygren ARTS EDITOR Ω The Thompson Rivers University Student Union is hosting its first-ever holiday fest in Campus Commons on Nov.29. This family-friendly event will include a tree lighting and free snacks for attendees.

Mackenzie Byers, Vice-President Internal of TRUSU said, “We were shocked to hear that campus doesn’t actually have a Christmas tree lighting that happens annually. We thought this is a great idea to be kind of the first and invite the

community to our campus and the more we can foster that community and university relationship the better.”

The event will have vendors and essentially run as a mini winter carnival for students and people of the Kamloops community. There will be cookies and hot chocolate available and the event is completely free. The tree lighting ceremony will be held at 5 p.m.

“We took one of the big pines that are out front of the CAC and we are going to cover it in lights and then the lights will turn on for the first time at our

event.”

Byers also mentioned that they have given large ornaments to different organizations on campus to decorate.

“We handed out about 35-40 big ornament balls that are just blank to 35 different departments at TRU from campus clubs to faculties and they each got to decorate it according to their department. We then take them back and they put them all on the tree for display.”

TRUSU is able to put on this event with funding through their entertainment budget and began planning as early as June,

with the planning intensifying in September.

Byers also mentioned the various groups around TRU that are helping with the event. “We’re partnered with ESTR students groups; they’re serving our hot chocolate and sugar cookies. We also have the visual arts department and the VASA student club; they are creating the structure that is going to be used to light up the tree.”

Along with the rest of the activities at the festival, there will also be a photo booth for students and families to take part in.

Byers added “I really

hope to see a lot of students, but I really want to see the community get excited about this. I know that lots of people are always looking for different holiday events that they can bring their families to. This is a really good family-friendly event because it’s safe and it’s geared to people of all ages with our games and our activities.”

Byers hopes that there is a good turnout for the event, although it is very new. The event will be from 4-6 p.m. and all are welcome. Anyone looking for more information can find it on trusu.ca.

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NOVEMBER 27, 2019

Kamloops community gathers to learn how to bring back the peace Toronto-based author shares his knowledge of what the world needs Brianna Schellenberg STAFF WRITER Ω Last Wednesday, Toronto based author Matthew Legge came to The Smorgasbord in Downtown Kamloops to discuss his book Are We Done Fighting?

Legge has been working for the Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC), a peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada as a Peace Program Coordinator. He also blogs for Psychology Today about issues he talks about in his book, rising hatred and polarization.

“At CFSC we’re prompted by the belief that a more just and peaceful world is possible,” Legge explained, “I got curious about what scientific evidence was out there to support this belief. I wanted to know: what’s the best evidence out there about what everyday people can actually do.”

Hate crimes were up in

Canada in 2017 and 2018, and there are many signs that Canadians are increasingly divided on major issues like immigration and multiculturalism. Are We Done Fighting? collects research, stories and practical exercises to identify what’s going wrong in many societal conflicts, factors in the rise of hatred and what everyday people can do to break the cycle.

“I learned a ton from writing this,” Legge said, “but the main takeaway for me was that a lot of my common sense was factually inaccurate. I was wrong.

We each have a lot more power to influence other people in peaceful directions than we might imagine.”

The book explores the question: what’s going wrong when conflicts become bitter and entrenched, and how can we help to transform them?

Legge has worked in the nonprofit sector for the last 13 years. He has supported locally-led peace initiatives in North

America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He’s served as a volunteer, consultant, board member and full-time staff member.

“The book is full of practical tips to help us understand ourselves better and to take realistic positive actions. We can do this with ourselves, in our families and in our broader communities, wherever we want to.”

Legge’s book shares lots of stories from the interpersonal, to people successfully leaving hate groups, to a near-civil war being averted.

The night ended with a book signing, and many guests thanked Legge for his work and wished him the best as he continues the last bit of his book tour.

Matthew Legge receiving a warm round of applause at the end of his presentation.

(Brianna Schellenberg/The Omega)

AWT presents a show filled with unpredictable twists Retreat keeps the audience engaged and laughing at the satirical twists Sadhika Burman STAFF WRITER Ω The new show by TRU Actor’s Workshop Theatre, ‘Retreat’ by Kat Sandler opened on Nov. 21 and was home to a very engaged audience.

Four interns are dropped off at a dilapidated kids’ camp in the wilderness for a retreat to decides who gets the final position at the prestigious firm, Fischer, Cox, Sutton and Tate, with a very enthusiastic scout guide.

Before the play starts the audience is presented with a prologue by the four interns where they describe why they’re best suitable

for the job, while simultaneously answering questions for the same interview. The audience doesn’t hear the questions but the answers from the interns that are very intelligently overlapped and made to sound like a corporate noise, like a clash of similar thoughts.

Paul, played by Jakob Kopytko is a smart and shy gentleman who wins the audience’s hearts with his charming humour. On the other hand, Jordan, played by Lukas Vanderlip is a well-built man who tends to use fear of his physical power to get things done.

The show also features Kira, played by Avie Cachelin, Nicole played by Emily Brown and

Candace played by Marianne Stad. Kira is a careful young woman who always wants to be at the top of her game while Nicole is competitive and wants to be the best.

Candace is the scout guide who lost her kids’ camp and now has planned and is responsible for organizing the retreat for FCST (Fischer, Cox, Sutton and Tate). The show revolves around the current corporate culture surrounding generation Y and their obsession with career and success.

Jakob Kopytko, an advanced theatre student at TRU: “This show is the journey of four interns through the trials and

tribulations that their company puts them through to prove their devotion.” All the actors did justice to their roles and displayed the viciousness of the modern job market and the obsession the current generation has with it.

The next scheduled shows will

be performed from November 28-30 at the TRU Actors Workshop Theatre box office in Old Main. tickets are available for $15 at the box office that is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or at browntickets.com. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

AWT's Retreat will be live at the Black Box Theatre Nov. 28 to 30, Tickets are available at the box office. (Elizabeth Nygren/ The Omega)

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

ARTS

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Pokemon Sword and Shield: video game review Nintendo takes on a nostalgic classic in a well crafted and enjoyable way Regan Shultz CONTRIBUTOR Ω Pokemon Sword and Shield launched for the Nintendo switch on Nov. 15, making it the first actual Pokemon game to be prepared for a main-platform gaming system.

The game opens up the same as any of its predecessors, with the main character in a small town acquiring their first pokemon and setting off on a life-changing adventure, however with a catch.

Right off the bat, it is very different from previous games.

Before even begging actual gameplay, you have a fair amount of choices when it comes to your character design.

One of the best points of this new generation of pokemon is that it skips over all the tedious and obnoxious parts of the beloved game, letting you get directly down to business with minimal running around, so you

can get right down to catching and battling pokemon.

A few changes have been made for the game, as well. One of the largest (both literally and figuratively) has been the ability to Dynamax your pokemon. This action grows your pokemon three times their actual size, doubling their health and giving them much more power. This makes the classic turn-style gameplay a tad more interesting, as you never know when the person you are battling against may use this feature against you.

Another new feature that was carried over from Lets Go Pikachu Pokemon where you can see wild pokemon running around in the tall grass and along the paths. Whereas longer cutscenes are nice, a lack of voice-acting detracts these better-created story elements leaving more to be desired.

The plot, however, follows the same beats. You work your way through seven different gym

Frozen 2: Should have gone straight to DVD

When you can’t rip off the Lion King and it shows Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω Frozen 2 is mediocre at best. It’s scattered, choppy, and does a lot for the series and does so little to seem original that it leaves me so uninspired that I’m putting more originality into this review than Disney put into this.

Frozen 2 follows Elsa as she acts like a goth chick while Anna’s entire character trait is that she “Doesn't want to leave [her] sister!”.

Olaf wants to grow up and age and Sven wants to propose.

Also, there’s something going on in the forest. They also kinda ripped off The Last Airbender for that one but that's a personal opinion.

Before I continue, I believe its only fair to the reader of this review to know my background with this film. I watched a sing-along of the first film with a good amount of children three-seven year olds. And then the Disney Princess Society of Kamloops decided to sit right next to me. I was sitting alone. Ever since this series has not had my back and vice versa.

The animation is fantastic. The amount of dedication that was given to the art style was fantastic where any designs were either culturally significant or aesthetically pleasing. The colour scheme really shines with the setting and does make this visually pleasing. If the look of this movie was the sole thing I was looking at in this movie, it would be a much better review.

The issues come with the story

and the singing. The songs from the first one had a few issues but they were annoyingly catchy. There was a reason that people looked past the blatant copy/pasting of The Lion King. It was because of the progression of the Disney formula with a family member giving true loves kiss and Let It Go being overplayed more than Perfect by Ed Sheeran.

But here, no one knows where to go with the story, where death means life, elements are either animals or their not and REALLY sensitive subjects are thrown out at the end.

Even the guy from Panic at the Disco seems bored singing the end credit song.

This movie can’t keep a single plotline and this is what kills it's chances. Lady and the Tramp on Disney Plus is a better musical, story and characters than this film, showing that maybe Frozen 2 should switch spots with Lady and the Tramp.

leaders. Now you might be wondering why there isn't an eighth as there was in previous games.

The eighth "gym leader" changes styles into a tournament-style match, where you face the top three trainers, and if victory is achieved, you face three of the previous gym leaders. This

leads to a match with the champion of the region — making the final battle much more complicated than in previous games.

There are your typical plottwists designed for this specific region, however, the new formula introduces new players and veterans into a much more engaging

This is a great way to start the series off for the Switch. It has enough new features to make it fun, and enough of the old charm to keep it nostalgic. A great game for new, and old, pokemon players alike.

I give it four and a half Pikachus out of five.

Ford Vs Ferrari Review: Speeding towards an Oscar How the most predictable is still a great experience Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω Ford Vs Ferrari holds great performances, a genuine love for cars and a predictable story. Though just because I know how a story will end doesn’t mean it can’t hold a few surprises for an audience, and that can leave a film a hidden gem.

Ford Vs Ferrari revolves around American car designer Carroll Shelby and his fight for his friend Ken Miles to race the vehicle to try and defeat Ferrari in the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans in order to show that patriotism can defeat any enemy.

The first thing that should be discussed is the quality of the props department with all the cars on display in this film. The amount of money

that must have gone to this film just to use these vehicles alone must have been a fortune. However, it does the audience service of not only demonstrating great respect for the creation and usage of these cars but the destruction of them, showcasing a genuine desire for the impact of the story as opposed to the value of the object.

The acting comes to mind, with Christan Bale showing a non-original yet still classy performance of the character of Ken Milles.

His portrayal of the historic driver mixed in with a heartfilled (yet glorified) personification of the car creator Carol Shelby. These two play off each other and hold the attention of the audience enough to gain empathy towards the story itself.

The only issues I had with

the film were the display of the wife and the antagonist (and no, it’s surprisingly not Ferrari). The wife came off more of a character piece that Bales character must speak to in order for the plot to continue rather than an actual character and the antagonist holding no realism towards acting as an actual person. The portrayal came off more cartoony than anything and is more distracting than anything.

Those issues don’t ruin the experience, however, with the show constantly having me gripping my seat. It even had me visually celebrate before the final climax, to the dismay of the people seating next to me.

All and all, this film left an impression of cars that Jaws did for sharks across America… by that, I mean I loved it.

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COMICS & PUZZLES

NOVEMBER 27, 2019

CFBX TOP 30 CFBX 92.5 FM, 350 Watts Kamloops, BC Music Director: Steve Marlow Charts to November 21, 2019 * indicates Canadian Content ** indicates a local artist Artist - Album (Label) 1) The Discarded* - Sound Check and Fury (Rock Bottom) 2) Britt A.M.* - Psychic Knots (Good Egg) 3) Mark Crissinger* - Believe in Love (Independent) 4) Glassreel* - Unalike (Independent) 5) Jon Brooks* - Moth Nor Rust II (Fallen Tree) 6) Lightning Dust* - Spectre (Western Vinyl) 7) Chunder Buffet* - Lemon Sleazy (Independent) 8) The New Pornographers* - In the Morse Code of Brake Lights (Concord) 9) Kae Shelby* - Music and Motorcycles (Independent) 10) Chris Kirby* - What Goes Around (Independent) 11) Debate Club* - Phosphorescent (Michel) 12) Big Little Lions* - Inside Voice (Independent) 13) Patternist - I Don't Know What I'm Doing Here (Invogue) 14) DNDR - All We Know (Independent) 15) Kevin Breit* - Bella Stella Strada (Stony Plain) 16) Empath - Active Listening: Life on Earth (Fat Possum) 17) Souljazz Orchestra* - Chaos Theories (Do Right!)

18) Peach Pyramid* - Bright Blue (Oscar St.) 19) The MacQueens* - You and Me and Everything (Independent) 20) Heavy Moon* - Heavy Moon 14 (Arachnidiscs) 21) Little Kim Retallick* - Work Week Blues (Independent) 22) Junior Toots - A Little Bit of Love (Independent) 23) The Sweet Lowdown* - Low Clouds in the Morning (Independent) 24) Jeremy Stewart* - II: Immemoriam (Independent) 25) Leela Gilday* - North Star Calling (Independent) 26) Tom Savage* - Great Beyond (Independent) 27) Northern Social* - Northern Social (Independent) 28) Begonia* - Fear (Rex Baby) 29) Shari Ulrich* - Back to Shore (Borealis) 30) Samantha Fish - Kill or Be Kind (Rounder)

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SPORTS

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TRU basketball teams show they aren't to be messed with Both basketball teams carry winning records heading into the winter break James Fraser SPORTS EDITOR Ω The TRU basketball program is alive and well with both men’s and women’s teams subject to winning records as they head into the second half of the season. Let us start off with the women’s team who hold a 5-3 league record after eight games played. Not bad for a team that had a league record of 4-16 last season.

This noticeable spark in play can be attributed to the new head coach Goran Nogic, who clearly evokes passion on the sideline.

He is constantly screaming and yelling through a thick Serbian accent, encouraging his players to fight harder with eager support.

Some love it, others hate it.

Be that as it may, the results speak for themselves: the guy knows how to win.

Another reason for the change in tide with the women’s basketball program is the return of fifth-year, Emma Piggin, who did not play last year while she welcomed her new baby to the family.

She has been vital for the team, knocking down some clutch shots in each game she has played in.

The men’s team is also off to a solid start after they hold a season record of 6-2 after eight games played. Again, a great start considering they had a league record of 6-14 last year.

The stronger play can be credited to team veterans Joe Davis and Anton Bilous. Both players have been sensational with their finishing, knocking down tough shots consistently.

Joe Davis, a local Kamloops kid, is averaging a team-high of 19.3 points per game. Anton Bilous, a product from Ukraine, trails directly behind Davis with an average of 16.4 points per game.

With Joe battling in the paint and Anton hitting shots from the floor, these two are hard to stop.

Come cheer on your TRU basketball teams as they face the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Nov. 29 at the tournament capital centre in Kamloops.

Tip-off begins with the men’s team at 5 p.m followed by the

women’s team at 7 p.m. This will be the last chance to watch the teams play before they take their winter break.

Emma Piggin (left) is focused heading into the new year, Anton Bilous (right) is not phased as he knocks down an ice-cold floater over University of British Colombia. (TRU Athletics)

TRU Women’s volleyball is off to the best start in program history The ladies make history as they are nationally ranked for the first time ever James Fraser SPORTS EDITOR Ω Head coach, Chad Grimm, is in a cheerful mood after his TRU women’s volleyball team is off to a dream start of eight wins out of ten games. This red-hot beginning to the season is the best the program has seen in its entire history.

Last week they earned their first-ever spot in the top 10 in the U-Sports national rankings.

“I am happy for the girls and the program for earning our first entry into the Top 10 in program history.

It has been a long road from where we started and took a lot of players, coaches, volunteers and staff, both past and present, for us to reach the upper echelon of teams in this country,” said Grimm.

Although the coach is obviously excited about the recognition, he

is looking to ensure his athletes remain grounded: “The recognition is nice and helps to validate the work we are doing as a group, but we also realize that these rankings do not change anything and our focus remains on our next opponents; as our main concern is how we are ranked at the end of the season.”

The ladies have plenty of work and a lot to prove with 14 games left in the season.

Third-year, outside hitter, Katie Ludvig gives us the inside scoop on how the team is feeling.

“It is definitely a new feeling of confidence we have walking into the gym every day. The start of the season has brought us closer as a group knowing we have all contributed and worked hard to get this far, but we also talk a lot about how we have a long way to go and how the hard work has to

continue,” Ludvig stated. “A huge thing for us this year has been the amount of depth we have on our team, we don’t have a determined starting lineup so literally everyone has been contributing and because of that our practices are really competitive and we push each other every single day.”

The team appears confident to keep the momentum flowing into the second half of the season. Their new depth starts 2020 off right by coming out to the Tournament Capital Centre on Jan. 10 to witness the TRU women’s volleyball continue their dream season as they take on the Manitoba Bisons on their home floor. The action goes down at 6:45 p.m.

TRU women’s volleyball celebrate their great start to the season. (TRU Athletics)

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NOVEMBER 27, 2019

THE OMEGA

November 29 Celebrate the end of the fall semester with a winter carnival and tree lighting in the campus commons! Admission is free and hot chocolate and sugar cookies will be provided.

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@TRUSU15

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