October 17, 2018

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THE

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

VOLUME 28 · ISSUE 07 · OCTOBER 17, 2018

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INT'L TUITION MAY INCREASE

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TRU LOOKING FOR FOOD SOLUTIONS

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WSOC HOPING FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT

Western Canada Theatre brings brutal Canadian history to life Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω Western Canada Theatre has brought to life the horrors of Canadian history in their production of Vimy. Directed

by WCT artistic director, James McDonald, the production portrays the victories and losses of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

While advertised as a romantic take on those who

fought in battle, Vimy was much more than that. The production showed a beautifully heartbreaking story of the reality that these individual soldiers faced. By taking on racial struggles, national conflicts and battles with sexuality, Vimy was able to take a peek at a small cross-section of what those who were at Vimy faced.

The production used the aftermath of the fight to show us the physical and psychological effects that this battle imposed upon these soldiers.

Vimy follows four main characters, all different in their physical and mental wounds. Taking place mainly in the medical room that they eventually ended up in, the four relive countless times their past and their regrets while still being able to find little pockets of happiness.

See VIMY Page 5

The soldiers stand ready for the four-day battle of Vimy. From left to right: Nathan Carroll, Mark Ford, Christopher Mejaki, Lucy McNulty, Gaelan Beatty and Jacob Woike. (WCT/Barbara Zimonick)

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OCTOBER 17, 2018

NEWS

International tuition could be on the rise A proposed three per cent increase in tuition could be facing future international students at TRU for the next three years Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω A rise in tuition could be on the way for International Students studying at TRU. Announced at the public Board of Governors meeting on October 5, TRU proposed a three per cent increase on international students tuition starting in September of 2019.

TRU's last tuition increase was in 2016, just after the change to a more hybrid model of tuition structuring for international students, where those coming to TRU from campuses across the world pay a flat rate for their first four courses and pay separately for additional courses.

Since then, TRU has not raised International tuition prices, unlike other universities in B.C. and the rest of Canada.

When asked why TRU hadn't continued to increase tuition costs yearly, vice-president Administration & Finance, Matt Milovick said that TRU wanted to remain

competitive.

"We continually benchmark our tuition fees relative to other institutions in B.C. and nationally and ensure that our tuition fees remain competitive,” Milovick said in an email. “Assuming the three per cent increase goes through, we will have the second lowest international tuition among B.C. universities."

If the three per cent increase passes for fall 2019, international tuition at TRU will have an estimated cost of $17,304, while universities such as UFV will have an estimated cost of $17,709. VIU will still be the lowest on the list of B.C. institutions at $16,688.

If this motion passes, not only will the three per cent increase go into effect for the 2019 year, but the subsequent two years ahead will also see a three per cent increases per year.

When asked if TRU had plans on doing more yearly increases after the proposed three years, Milovick said it’s a strategy they might revisit.

"Assuming the increases are approved, the University will revisit its strategy of incremental annual increases at the end of the three year period," he said.

TRU still needs to consult with the Board of Governors on decisions such as these.

With international enrollment on the rise on campus, TRU has no concern about how the increase looked to future international students.

"The proposed three per cent increase is the smallest increase in the history of TRU’s international tuition increases,” said associate president of TRU World, Baihua Chadwick, via email. “An international student taking four courses will see an increase of $207 per semester. The proposed three year period provides planning certainty for parents, students and for TRU as well."

Chadwick further mentioned initiatives TRU was launching if the increase was approved, the first being a 24/7 multilingual and

cultural support program for all TRU students, international and domestic, as well a special emergency fund for international students that

come face to face with unforeseen financial hardships.

The Board of Governors will vote on the increases on Dec. 7.

If the proposed increase goes through, international students will be paying nine per cent more per semester by the fall of 2021. (Aidan Grether/Ω)

Dangers could be coming to Canada's already damaged healthcare system The university plans to take a health and wellness approach Kamloops hosted a panel of healthcare workers to speak about current threats “Marijuana has almost caught enforced within Canada among facing patients and Medicare workers cocaine in emergency room visits other institutions.

Farrah Johnson

TRU finalizes cannabis ban CONTRIBUTOR Ω TRU’s Board of Governors have finalized a policy which is set to ban the use of marijuana on campus outside of medicinal purposes.

The Alcohol, Cannabis and Tobacco Policy was completed after the board felt the need to revise the university’s current policies for a variety of reasons.

Such factors include the amendment of B.C.’s liquor licensing law in 2015, the preexisting plans to review TRU’s current alcohol policy as well as the upcoming legalization of cannabis in Canada.

According to the board meeting’s agenda, the goal of the policy is to “combine alcohol, cannabis and tobacco into one policy, align alcohol policy with current practice, prohibit against non-medicinal cannabis use and to make tobacco more integrated with other substance use.”

“With the pending legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada taking place on Oct. 17, the university felt the need to look at what we should and should not be doing with regards to the use of cannabis in a place of employment and a place of study”, said Christine Bovis-Cnossen, TRU’s provost and interim president.

She said that the revision of the policy took over a year and a half of work and mentioned the board also looked at “best practices”

Bovis-Cnossen also added that after much consideration, TRU decided to approach the matter from a health and wellness perspective.

“I believe there has been quite a bit of literature that has come out from Dr. Christopher Montoya who looks at the effects of cannabis on youth brains and the development of the brain,” she explained.

Elaborating, she asserted that the university “took heed” to the recommendation of the health and safety committee who unanimously voted for TRU to ban recreational cannabis use.

“We’re working towards making this a wellness campus and so I think (the ban) is a collaboration more than a victory,” said Chris Montoya, co-chair of TRU’s health and safety board.

Montoya added the decision to ban recreational cannabis use was based on peer-reviewed international journals which explored the cumulative effects of marijuana use.

“I think if we’re going to have a wellness campus here and the best possible outcome for our students, who are pursuing excellence in their education, we have to be very cautious about what we do,” he said.

Montoya referenced studies from The New England Journal of Medicine which revealed marijuana use can result in “diminished lifetime achievement.”

mainly because the stuff that Cheech and Chong smoked in the 1960s was about 1.5 per cent THC by weight.”

He explained the percentage of THC found in cannabis today is up to 30 per cent, which reveals a twenty-fold increase in potency.

“Marijuana spice— these are synthetic cannabinoids— they can be up to thirty times stronger and about six-hundred-fold increase and this is why we’re seeing the psychotic breaks in students,” he said.

Montoya emphasized the ban only stands for recreational cannabis use and acknowledged the benefits of medicinal marijuana to prescribed patients.

"If you are pursuing excellence in your studies, this is not a drug for you. Marijuana has been associated with and correlated with poor memory retention,” he said.

Addressing the possible punishments for students breaching the policy, Bovis-Cnossen said they plan to make sure students understand that recreational marijuana is not permitted on campus.

“If there continues to be further instances, there is a progressive discipline within the institution which would happen to anybody who violates continuously the policies of the university,” Bovis-Cnossen added.

The revised policy will be posted and enforced right before the Canadian Cannabis Act comes into effect on Oct. 17.

Justin Moore STAFF WRITER Ω Risks are out there for Canada's Healthcare system. That's what residents of Kamloops, municipal candidates and members of the TRU community heard in the St. Andrews on the Square in downtown Kamloops on Oct. 11.

A panel of speakers borrowed an hour and a half of the communities time on Thursday evening to talk about current happenings in the world of healthcare such as privatized, for-profit clinics, the overcharging of patients and controversial actions being currently taken to make these a new norm.

The panel opened with Barb Nederpel from the Hospital Employees Union, who spoke passionately and gave a review of Canada's health care system and it's history before and after legislative movements such as Bill 29 that saw the layoff of many healthcare workers, mostly women and caused significant impact to patient care.

Speaker Colleen Fuller spent most of her time addressing the threat of privatized treatment, stressing that wait times in BC and in Canada were too big of an issue to overlook and that change to this wasn't happening fast enough.

Fuller expressed that wealth shouldn't be a factor when it comes to medical care as it does in the United States, saying patients shouldn't be able to jump the

queue by emptying their wallets while others are moved to the bottom of the list.

The panelists took a considerable amount of time to address current events surrounding Dr. Brian Day, an orthopaedic surgeon that is actively taking on the Supreme Court to replace the current single-tiered Medicare system in B.C. in favour for a hybrid system and further access to private, wealth determining healthcare.

Day's campaign has stirred up controversy in the Medicare world, with many like Fuller explaining that these actions are not viable solutions to the current problems British Columbian's face when it comes to their healthcare.

"Day is on a crusade to destroy the healthcare system," Fuller said in front of the group gathered at St. Andrews.

While the rest of the panel was spent reviewing and expressing personal and professional opinions on the Day case, it left much to be desired when it came to solutions that British Columbians can seek out in regards to fixing issues in our healthcare system.

The panel ended in a question and answer period and a plea from panelists that urged attendees to do their research on where the direction of B.C.'s health care system is going, to read Day's transcript from the court and to vote for more favourable and respectful Medicare policies.

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Opinion: Move the buses and let’s build!

Robert Wisla CONTRIBUTOR Ω When I interviewed council candidate Chris Bose, he talked about affordable housing and during our interview I suggested we replace the old School District 73 bus lot and work out a deal with the city to build affordable student housing on the lot. He enthusiastically backed the idea.

It may seem like a small thing in the fight for more accommodation in Kamloops where our vacancy rate is near or at 1 per cent available housing stock.

But fact of the matter is more people are moving to Kamloops than ever before and it is having repercussions on how much rent is costing. The lack of available housing has affected students to the point where I know over a dozen people personally who are putting themselves up in hotels.

The advent of students going into hotels and motels is also troubling because there is less room for tourists directly leading to us losing out on the great tourism dollars that benefit our economy.

The municipal election offers a chance for us to discuss new ideas and during the last weeks of the campaign I want the school board and council candidates to talk about getting rid of the SD 73 School bus lot on McGill and replace it with a tower of student accommodation, perhaps with a craft beer spot where students can hangout and doesn’t close on weekends (I’m looking at you

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NEWS

The Den).

Is this idea doable? Resoundingly yes— buses can get put on any dirt lot in Kamloops outside the city, students on the other hand can’t really get put on a dirt lot to live and go to school.

Will it be easy to do? Yes and no. One would hope the different levels of government could simply do a public-private partnership on a student accommodation tower or the school district could sell to one of the many developers or even TRU itself, with that money going toward building public schools.

The former minister of education George Abbott said something to this effect a few years back: “Should they sell those surplus assets they would be put in reserve for utilization, for example, for new school construction purposes or new site acquisition purposes,” Abbott said. “It would not be drawn back to the province.”

By and large school boards have final say on this idea and election turnout for school board elections is abysmal. So students I’m looking at you, GO VOTE. Tell your candidates that you want more student housing NOW! Any plan to get a tower up that is affordable will take years no matter what given the slowness of government and the time it takes to start construction, but if we don’t start now we won’t have a chance to try this idea again for another four years and the accommodation crisis will only get worse.

Let’s get building Kamloops, move the bloody buses.

With USMCA, Canada will hold on to free speech Chapter 19 of the new trade deal guarantees social media companies won't be liable for users content Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω One of the fundamental principles central to western democracies is freedom of speech. Oddly enough in the past five years we have seen a decline of freedom of speech to it being held to a purely principled position.

This is both domestic and foreign. Bills that received noticeable outrage from certain groups that were implemented or proposed for the purposes of stomping out hate speech include Bill C-16, which adds gender identity and expression to the Canadian Human Rights Act and Motion 103, aimed at condemning Islamophobia.

Recently in the EU, a vote was passed to introduce new rules surrounding copyright law and fair use on the Internet. This would make websites and content hosting services (predominantly social media websites like YouTube and Facebook) liable to copyright infringement for posts made by their user base.

In an interesting twist, the new

USMCA free trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico has provisions in it that will help ensure that third-party posts will not be deleted by websites hosting the content. The new rules are found in chapter 19 of USMCA, the digital trade section.

A stark contrast from the EU’s Copyright Directive, USMCA will guarantee that social media companies will not be liable for content shared by users.

Canada’s current system grants the opportunity for copyright holders to report that there has been copyright infringement, but there is no functional plan in place to take down the material. As such it often results in a court case such as in Trader Corporation v. CarGurus. The case was regarding the use and repurposing of motor vehicle images. That case resulted in a win for the original copyright holders.

This method of dispute resolution will be maintained while also being bolstered by Canada’s adoption of the safe harbour provision.

While there were no operational directions that needed to be followed, American media companies would

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society Notice of Annual General Meeting Thursday, October 23, 5:30 p.m.

Thompson Rivers University Old Main, room OM 2691

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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.

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still end up deleting certain copyrighted material as a precautionary method. Now that Canada is under the protection of this provision, we will likely see a decrease in content pulled from social media platforms.

While many will immediately think of previous noteworthy copyright cases, the scope has increased to encompass common internet culture as well. If you’ve spent any amount of time on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve likely come across a meme.

Very often these humorous pictures are repurposed from already existing media content which would fall under the domain of copyrighted material. Because of the evolutionary nature and remix culture surrounding internet humour, it will become increasingly difficult to regulate copyrighted content.

While countries in the EU have lost their footing and fallen into a bureaucratic nightmare in an attempt to clamp down on copyright infringement, Canada has taken a step towards ensuring that our internet remains as free as it can be.

News Editor Christian Varty Arts Editor Cailyn Mocci

Business Editor Juan Cabrejo

Sports Editor Alvin Mutandiro Staff Writers Justin Moore

Photographer Aidan Grether Distributor Morgan Hunter

Contribuors Robert Wisla, Farrah Johnson

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WRITE FOR US! We’re always looking for contributors.

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

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OCTOBER 17, 2018

NEWS

Policy Wanks: Bill C-79 New legislation aims to boost Canada's economy to the tune of $4.2 billion Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω Canada has finally reached a free trade agreement with our southern neighbours in the form of the USMCA, but we are still in the stages of trying to decide domestically if we want to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Bill C-79, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Implementation Act would see Canada partner with 11 countries for a free trade agreement that has been speculated to “boost Canada's economy by $4.2 billion over the long term,” according to Omar Alghabra, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification.

The countries involved in the CPTPP have a market of 495 million consumers that Canada will have preferential access to if the agreement goes through.

The GDP for the countries involved in the deal amasses to 13.5 per cent of the world’s GDP. A number that will likely rise in coming years due to rapid economic gain in Asian countries like Malaysia and Vietnam.

“Canada's exports to our CPTPP partners totalled nearly $27 billion in 2017. The CPTPP would provide Canadians with the tremendous opportunity to continue to expand their business in Asia,” Alghabra said on Oct. 5 during a House debate on the bill.

Two of the major opposition parties have raised some questions to the Liberals and criticized large policy changes the trade agreement necessitates.

NDP MP Karine Trudel asked the parliamentary secretary if he was aware that over 58,000 Canadians would lose their jobs as a direct result of the CPTPP. Alghabra fired back claiming that no Canadians would lose their jobs and took further shots

at the NDP “I guess it is not a surprise that the NDP and our party disagree on this point,” Alghabra said.

“The New Democrats said the same thing about the previous NAFTA agreement and other trade agreements.”

A Bloc MP also criticized the trade agreement claiming it was at the expense of Canadian dairy and poultry farmers (many of which are located in Quebec) due to scrapping certain supply management provisions. Dairy and poultry farmers may be hurt financially, but Alghabra was quick to respond and cite the new benefits the trade agreement would bring to hog farmers in Canada.

The Conservative Party of Canada had a somewhat backhanded remark towards the Liberal bill with Joël Godin saying “that the Conservative Party understands the economy, while the Liberal Party does not seem be to known for much of

anything.”

“The CPTPP is a new free trade agreement. It is good for the economy and for the government to open up new markets allowing

us to prosper," Godin added. "By prospering I mean enabling our businesses to be very active internationally to increase revenues and create wealth.”

Food Services Committee hosts info session on food solutions Aramark looking for solutions to accommodate new food options despite space limitations Juan Cabrejo BUSINESS EDITOR Ω The TRU Food Services Committee hosted an info session last Wednesday to evaluate different solutions for better food options on campus.

The session featured David Porter, CEO of Porter-Khouw Consulting, presenting short-term and long-term solutions based on market research and previous work his firm has done at other Canadian and American universities.

Porter recommended two dining hall options, acknowledging despite being a significant investment. This would address many of the complaints shared by students along with serving as a primary social space.

The first option would be retail-based, much like a food court and the second would be anytime dining, a 24-hour facility featuring a self-serve model, similar to the new dining hall at Simon Fraser University. The main difference being the method of payment.

“We believe what we’re

recommending is innovative for your campus, we believe it will help complete the bridge between a dining engagement perspective of a community college model to more of a world-class university model,” he said. “We’ve been given information after other schools put these programs in place that their retention rates have increased due to more student engagement, social richness and more students connecting and wanting to stay longer.”

The consulting firm conducted a web-based survey of 2,155 TRU

students, receiving information based on student suggestions on TRU’s food service strengths and weaknesses. Some of the issues that students brought to light were the lack of services on weekends, the long lines at Starbucks and Tim Hortons, the lack of a dedicated dining hall and even the amount of food waste. Many of these issues had already been mentioned at previous TRUSU student budget consultations.

Another interesting finding of the study was the number of

David Porter, CEO of Porter-Khouw, presented various food service options based on market research and previous work his firm has done at other universities in Canada and the United States, such as Simon Fraser University, the University of Houston and Montana State University. (Juan Cabrejo/Ω)

students who were disappointed with Aramark’s services, but not with the company itself, 37 per cent of students said they liked Aramark, eight per cent went as far as to say they found them excellent.

“The biggest complaints are the hours and variety of choices, the hours meaning little to nothing late on campus at night and on weekends, along with the variety of choices as the number of locations are somewhat limited,” said Porter.

“Lineups on campus are horrendously busy; we heard a lot about the long lines at Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Old Main. There is a massive disconnect regarding capacity here on campus.”

Porter suggested for the short-term to implement an anytime dining system in the culinary arts kitchen after the scratch café moves to a new facility within the next year. He also suggested dedicating a certain section of the CAC as anytime dining.

Fortunately, despite notable dissatisfaction with Aramark’s services among the student body, the company is willing to look beyond their current agreement with TRU and look at new options for the future. Glenn Read, executive director of Athletics, Recreation and Ancillary Services, mentions it’s not a matter of Aramark not wanting more services to be on campus, but of finding the space necessary to accommodate more for food options.

“I’ve talked to Chopped Leaf as a company out of Toronto and they’re more than willing to be on campus, Aramark has already agreed to that,” Read said. "It’s about finding the real estate and infrastructure to support it.”

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ARTS

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Vimy sheds a personal light on the lives affected by the horrific Battle on Vimy Ridge CONTINUED (COVER) Following the four men, Will (Jacob Woike), Mike (Christopher Mejaki), Sid (Nathan Carroll) and Jean-Paul (Mark Ford) the audiences get a taste of the uniqueness of these Canadian soldiers.

The audience also gets to see the chaos of being a war nurse with Clare, played by Lucy McNulty, a character that acts as the glue holding these men together, both physically and emotionally.

From eastern Canada with Will from Ontario to western Canada with Sid from the frigid Winnipeg, Vimy depicted the geographical magnitude that the battle held as well.

It wasn’t just the geographical scope that Vimy portrayed either but also the racial identity of Canada. Mike, an Indigenous soldier, struggled with slurs and questions of why he was even there.

Vimy also showed the national conflicts of the Francophone Canadians versus the rest of the English speaking nation. JeanPaul showed the audience the

feeling of being a second-class citizen, even in a war that he had every right to be fighting in. His struggles with language and the feeling of being different transferred over to the battlefield.

The timing of this sobering production could not have been better. Fast approaching is the 100th anniversary of the of the end of the First World War. McDonald explained in his note to the audience that, “we are committed to bringing you plays that explore the many aspects of the Canadian experience.”

“Remembrance can sometimes be an abstract concept.

Although we play songs, lay wreaths and mark the sobering statistics, a play like Vimy allows us to personally identify with a few of the people most affected by the war with a representation of a small cross-section” McDonald explained in his artistic director’s notes.

Vimy showed the devastating reality of the Battle of Vimy Ridge by giving us a peek

The cast gave a sobering performance dedicated to those who lost their lives at Vimy (WCT/Barbara Zimonick) behind the curtains at the crushing effects on each soldier.

In a beautifully written play, you’re transported into their

shoes as they march towards a historically brutal battle.

Vimy will be playing until Oct. 20 at the Sagebrush

Theatre. Tickets are available at wctlive.ca or by calling the Western Canada Theatre Live! box office at 250-374-5483.

Lowering our environmental footprint, one toaster at a time Transition Kamloops hosts second Repair Café in part with Waste Reduction Week Cailyn Mocci ARTS EDITOR Ω Do you have an old toaster that just isn’t cutting it anymore or a bike that’s making an odd noise?

Well you’re in luck, Transition Kamloops is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity Kamloops and Kamloops Makerspace to host the second Repair Café.

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On Oct. 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., you are welcome to visit the Repair Café for a helping hand in repairing your tired and worn items. The Repair Café is welcoming nearly any item, not including computers and cell phones, for a little TLC. The Repair Café will be home to specialists and volunteers that have the know-how and can teach you how to carry out the repair.

10% OFF

The event is 100 per cent free, but the team is collecting donations.

“Our goal is to assist people in showing them how to do the repair,” said Carl Gagnier of Transition Kamloops.

Transition Kamloops is an organization focused on increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy, culture and wellness.

They are organizing the Repair Café as part of the Canadian Waste Reduction Week. Gagnier explained that today we live in a very disposable world, compared to the products of the past that used to last a lifetime. By running this Repair Café, with the help

of Habitat for Humanity and Makerspace Kamloops, Transition Kamloops is able to share some knowledge of creating a smaller environmental footprint.

“Above all, Repair Café just wants to show how much fun repairing things can be and how easy it often is,” said Nicolas Adams of Kamloops Makerspace.

This grassroots organization is working from the kindness of the Kamloops public to create an event that encourages a healthy community. Volunteers include engineers, electricians and seamstresses, to name a few. All of these repair specialists will be volunteering their time to share their knowledge.

“Our people just like fixing things as well, it’s sharing that knowledge,” Gagnier said. “We want to bring back some skill sets that people kind of forgot.”

Gagnier explained that this event works so well because it’s full of “people that want to give back to the environment and have the same mindset to make Kamloops a more resilient community to live in.”

If you have anything in need of some repairing head over to ReStore on Oct. 20. Transition Kamloops wants your help in lessening our environmental footprint, one broken toaster at a time.

everything in-store

*excluding events

ALL OCTOBER

COME CHECK OUT THE HUGE SELECTION OF BOARDGAMES! • Wednesday FREE Board Game Nights • Largest dice selection in BC! • Get “Cards Against Humanity” here!

• Magic: The Gathering, D&D, Dice, Miniatures • Boardgames & Card Games

Visit our Facebook page for event information 238 Lansdowne Street 250-377-0745 www.allaboardgames.com Hours: Mon 10-late, Tues-Thurs 10-8, Fri 10-late, Sat 10-8, Sun 11-5

Need something repaired? Make sure to visit the Habitat for Humanity Restore on Oct. 20. (Aidan Grether/Ω)

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OCTOBER 17, 2018

ARTS

New award in memory of famous Interior painter will benefit TRU Visual Arts students Jessica Klymchuk TRU ADVANCEMENT Ω A new award for visual arts students is stamped with the legacy of a well-known Interior painter whose work will live on to inspire the next generation of young artists.

The Ted Smith Visual Arts Award in Painting is a new prize that will be given annually to a third-year TRU student with a focus on painting who shows promise as an emerging artist and is continuing into their fourth year of fine arts studies.

“To help out a new young painter in some, hopefully substantial, way would be the best reflection of his interests and his own lifestyle struggles,”

said Dr. Annette Dominik, a TRU senior lecturer and family friend of Smith’s.

James Edward “Ted” Smith, an abstract painter in B.C.’s Interior, was born in Vernon on April 8, 1933 and died on September 15, 2016. He graduated from Kamloops High School before several years of study at Victoria College, UBC and the Vancouver School of Art. Smith returned to Kamloops in 1964 and dedicated his life to painting, exhibiting notably at the former Oasis Gallery, in private local exhibitions and at the Kamloops Art Gallery, which curated many exhibitions of his work.

Smith had a passion for fly fishing, and much of his work reflects the landscapes

of Kamloops-area lakes and valleys. He worked in both oils and acrylics, and developed a style characterized by vibrant colours and a masterly sense of abstraction.

“I was wanting to find ways of ensuring Ted’s legacy,” Dominik said. “He was an important artist in our region and I wanted there to be something from him that gave back to the community.”

Selling his paintings was Smith’s only source of income, something that was often financially difficult. This award both honours the memory of Smith and celebrates talented young artists by supporting them in pursuing their passion.

The $40,000 donated to TRU from Smith’s estate will create an endowment that will disburse an

A $40,000 endowment in memory of the late Interior abstract painter Ted Smith will benefit future visual arts students here at TRU. (Submitted) award of $1,500 annually, to be presented at the TRU Visual Arts year-end exhibition. Recipients

will be chosen with recommendation from the Visual Arts faculty.

A Star is Born a fresh and exciting take on a old theme Morgan Hunter CONTRIBUTOR Ω A Star is Born is a classic tale re-envisioned for modern audiences, with Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut showcasing the talent he holds as well as the star potential of everyone involved.

The movie is about a rock star that falls in love with a girl after watching her sing at a dive bar.

It follows their journey from strangers to partners and how the industry affects them.

Right out the gate, it shines with personality from the leads.

Bradley Cooper shows some of his best work here as a top of his game musician whose fall from grace is counteracted by the relationship he holds with his partner.

The surprise performance that

also holds a bit of Oscar buzz is Lady Gaga. She has always shown her musical ability as being one of the best in the business, however, it’s always difficult translating passion in a song over towards film. Thankfully, she surprises moviegoers with such a relatable and honest character that I stopped seeing her as Lady Gaga and saw her as Ally.

Another great surprise was Dave Chappelle as Bradley Cooper’s childhood friend. Especially for his dark sense of humor, it was nice to see Dave Chappelle in a dramatic role that both compliments his acting chops as well as shows his range from comedian to actor.

The show's plot is very relatable toward modern ideas. It does present a theme that has been told a hundred times about the

Puzzle of the Week #6— Triangles

(in the October 17, 2018 issue of The Omega)

You have four line segments of lengths 2, 3, 5, and 7. How many ways can you take three of these line segments and form a triangle with an area greater than zero square units? Consider any triangles with the same three line segments to be the same.

This contest is sponsored by the Mathematics and Statistics department. The full-time student with the best score at the end of the year will win a prize.

Please submit your solution (not just the answer but also why) by noon next Wednesday to Gene Wirchenko (<genew@telus.net>). Submissions by others are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in my blog (http://genew.ca/). Come visit the Math Centre (HL304): we are friendly.

trouble of holding onto fame and the problems and struggles that it brings. There was a moment that was a bit jarring and seemed a bit political for a character drama, though it was brought up in a way that gives it a chance to be discussed.

The directing is well-executed with certain shots being very effective and impactful, however, it is either very good or mundane.

Bradley Cooper showcases his cast and gives them opportunities to shine, yet is average while attempting to display setting. It never dips into a negative shot and other than a few instances, it’s passable for the effect it was attempting to show.

One of the best aspects of the film is the soundtrack, with many of the original songs being either head-bangers, emotional soothers

or nice driving tunes. When a movie depends on songs it can be distracting, though the songs in A Star is Born hold both as a great companion to the movie and as great songs themselves.

Ultimately, A Star is born is a wonderful piece of film that gives good performances all around. From its surprising acting

connecting to its viewers, the soundtrack having audiences tap their feet to the plot that, although isn’t new in any sense, keeps interest in a way that is captivating. A Star is a born should be discussed, if not for Oscars than the impact that it has on how people view the life of a star in general.

Album review: Snowhands EP Christian Varty NEWS EDITOR Ω Luke Forest Hartle goes by the moniker of iamforest. His music is a bedroom pop project that makes use of dreamy and reverb-laden synths.

It’s cascading waves of aquamarine.

It’s soft and lazy but not lethargic.

The three track EP was released on Oct. 5, which is potentially the worst thing I can say about this release. Everything on this album screams summer beach vibes. It’s an odd paradoxical mix. Usually when one hears the same lush style of synth textures Hartle uses on this record it’s warm and fuzzy, lending the style more towards winter themes. But Hartle’s latest EP is the epitome of summer chillwave to listen to on the beach while indulging in the new marijuana legalization.

The first track, Snowhands opens

with a pulsating wave of dreamy, mid-tempo electronic music before Hartle’s soft-spoken vocals are layered overtop. In keeping with the theme of paradoxes, Hartle adds another layer of juxtaposition through his sombre lyricism on the song. His voice is suppressed and hid behind a thin veil of electronic manipulation that creates a beautiful array of backing vocals.

Acid Field is driven forward by an electric piano loop with Hartle’s ethereal vocal stylings placed precariously over a thumping drum beat with the occasional electronic-tinged drum fill. It’s a gentle and fragile song that warrants the attention and enthusiasm of a far larger audience.

Throughout this EP, Hartle creates his music with professional consistency. The instrumentation is polished perfectly and fits and blends well with everything else happening on each track. It’s a

surprisingly mature collection of tracks that reflects well on the potential Hartle has for new releases.

He started producing music under the alias of iamforest after he was unable to find people with similar musical inclinations and desires and while it was an ambitious path to take, he’s proved that he is fully capable of making excellent music.

The closer, Flyer is reminiscent and fairly derivative of chillwave pioneer and genre face, Washed Out and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For a genre that has become as widespread as chillwave, most of the music released by other contemporary artists fall short of anything meaningful. Hartle has been able to grasp the reins on a genre that has remained stale and uninteresting since shortly after its inception.

7.9/10 - THC-enriched ice cream

WWW.TRUOMEGA.CA

7

SPORTS

WolfPack women's soccer hoping to secure playoff spot TRU WSOC split a pair of Canada West games as the hunt for a playoff spot continues Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The TRU women’s soccer team beat the Winnipeg Wesmen 6-1 on Oct. 13 at Hillside stadium.

First-year forward Chantal Gammie had her breakout year as she scored her first hat trick for the WolfPack team. Gammie has scored six goals so far.

TRU dominated the game from the word go and never allowed Wesmen to get settled.

Thompson Rivers outshot Wesmen 15-4 in the first half alone and 25-7 in the game as a whole.

In soccer the number of shots a team has means nothing unless those shots are turned into goals; in this game TRU made the most of their opportunities.

Gammie scored in the twelfth minute after receiving an assist from Marlie Rittinger.

Rittinger, one of the key players and leaders for the ’Pack showed how important she is to

the team with another assist for Gammie’s second in the fourteenth minute.

Things got even sweeter for TRU when Katherine Walkley scored off a rebound in the fifteenth minute to put TRU up 3-0.

TRU further asserted their dominance as Camryn Curts scored her first goal of the season at 34 minutes and 56 seconds into the game.

Gammie then completed her hat trick 36 minutes into the game, marking her sixth goal of

TRU Athletics/Jonathan Amponsah

the season.

Winnipeg managed to get a consolation goal ten minutes after half before Jollee Perrier completed the rout in the eighty-seventh minute. It was her first goal as a member of the ’Pack team.

It was a much-needed win for the WolfPack who are still hoping to secure a playoff spot.

“We needed the three points and we thought we had an opportunity with a team struggling from the Prairies,” said Shantz to TRU athletics, “It feels great.”

The ’Pack had a change of fortunes as they lost 1-0 to a well-organized Manitoba Bisons on Oct. 14 at Hillside Stadium.

It was the final home game of the season and it was Marlie Rittinger’s final game for TRU. TRU had more shots in the first half, but despite this the Bisons were the ones who were able to find the back of the net as Bruna Mavigner scored in injury time.

From that point on the game was very uneventful with the Bisons happy to sit back, get numbers behind the ball and defend. They deserve a lot of credit as they defended well and unfortunately for TRU they couldn’t break them down.

“I love the way we responded, I love the hard work we put in today and the chances we

created,” Shantz said after the game.

Shantz was gracious in defeat giving credit to Manitoba for their good organization and disciplined defence.

“We have to accept fate, we didn’t get robbed,” Shantz said.

Shantz did confess that he felt his girls did have the ability to find and create the space necessary to find an equalizing opportunity, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be for the ’Pack.

Shantz, ever the optimist, is focused on helping his team into the playoffs and has already shifted focus to next week which will be a massive weekend for the team, who will need to win both games against UNBC and MacEwan and hope that UBCO loses one of their games.

Marlie Rittinger was honored in her last appearance as a TRU player, Shantz had high praise for her and felt that she impacted the program with her example on the field.

“She is a kind and quiet person off the field, she leads by example, has calmness on the ball and a skill level and physicality that is rubbing off on the team,” Shantz said.

The team will be hoping for the best when they take on UNBC and MacEwan, just as ’Pack supporters will be hoping for a huge performance from their girls.

Men's basketball win exhibition game against MacEwan University The men’s basketball team in full pre-season mode and are getting involved in the Kelly Olynyk academy Alvin Mutandiro SPORTS EDITOR Ω The WolfPack men’s basketball team continues their preparations for the upcoming season as they beat the MacEwan University Griffins 81-68 in an exhibition game on the Warner Rentals Court at the TCC on Oct. 12.

TRU led after the first quarter 25-20. The WolfPack led the game 46-34 at half-time.

MacEwan outscored TRU 25-15 in the fourth and final quarter.

TRU’s scoring was led by fourth-year forward Enrico Nuno, from Half Moon Bay, CA. He had 18 points in the contest.

Anton Bilous, (fourth-year guard, Cherkassy, Ukraine) had 16 points.

Fourth-year forward and Kamloops native, Joe Davis, had 11 points, while Yonathan Michael, (third-year guard, Seattle, WA) had 10 points in the game.

For the MacEwan University Griffins Atlas St. Paul-Butler was their top scorer with 16 points and Liban Yousef had 15 points.

The team has also been involved with the Kelly Olynyk basketball academy.

The program is going into its third season and serves as an

opportunity for young players to work on their fundamentals and to learn and understand the game of basketball better.

“It’s a youth basketball program,” said men’s head coach Scott Clark to TRU athletics.

Clark also referenced the fact that there used to be an academy in Kamloops, the Steve Nash League, which closed down a few years back.

“We approached Kelly about using his name and receiving some sponsorship to provide opportunities for kids kindergarten through to grade seven,” he said.

Clark emphasized the importance of getting young players to fall in love with the game of basketball.

Clark told TRU athletics that it is more than just about fundamentals and long-term benefits but rather he looks at it as a chance to help individuals in the community develop a passion.

Scott Clark made it abundantly clear the goal for the 2018-19 season is for the program to grow and produce as many talented kids possible.

“We have had some successful years, but the more kids out the better,” Clark said.

Assistant coach Brynden Swint, with the help of some

TRU players, will be in charge of coaching the program.

Some sessions will be taking place in February and March.

“There is a great value for the athletes and parents,” Clark concluded.

TRU will open the season on

Nov. 9 on the Warner Rentals Court at the Tournament Capital Centre. They will be taking on the University of Victoria Vikes.

TRU Athletics/ Carlo Borella

8

OCTOBER 17, 2018

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