Jan. 21, 2015

LIVING GENDER FLUID

How Corey Keith grew up and discovered a gender identity that fit, p. 4

Volume 24 – Issue 17

WORKING ART Artist Pam Hall’s work uses labour as her inspiration in KAG exhibit, p. 8

www.truomega.ca Ω @TRU_Omega

DRAWING AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

SENSORY OVERLOAD: A CANADIAN WAR ARTIST’S TAKE ON MOVEMENT

X GAMES SLEDDING Local snowmobiler heading to X Games to compete in speed and style, p. 11

January 21, 2015

2 NEWS Improving campus indigenization

January 21, 2015

New aboriginal education director has goals to make campus more inclusive Ashley Wadhwani ISSUES EDITOR Ω

TRU’s aboriginal education has a new executive director as of Dec. 1, 2014. Paul Michel has replaced former executive director Nathan Matthew. Michel’s previous work includes positions at the University of Northern British Columbia as First Nations Director and Adjunct Professor in First Nations Studies.

A month into his position, Michel has several goals for TRU and is focused on having a larger aboriginal presence on campus, both in student population and cultural awareness.

“My mission really is to increase the indigenization on the Thompson Rivers campus,” he said.

Michel believes providing presentations informing students and faculty on what indigenization encompasses is the first step in the process of having complete inclusiveness.

“We are on Tk’emlups traditional territory. I want them to know that when they come in through the East entrance [of House of Learning] that there’s the Tk’emlups flag being flown.”

For Michel, indigenization truly begins where students spend most of their time in the classrooms, within course assignments and lectures.

“Indigenization is also making

sure that all of our curricula has aboriginal peoples’ knowledge within the curricula,” he said.

Michel plans on sharing a presentation with faculty and encouraging them to infuse aboriginal knowledge into their courses.

“I can’t encourage someone to do indigenization if they’re still needing to know what that means and what it looks like and what it feels like and how we can transform and change,” Michel said. “You don’t need to be aboriginal to change your curricula to include and integrate aboriginal curricula.”

Michel knows bringing this awareness to faculty will be challenging with some professors in disagreement of aboriginal inclusion being possible.

“There is going to be faculty members that go ‘Aboriginal knowledge is not part of my curricula. If it applied I would do it,’ so they’re going to be hardcore,” Michel said. “I can’t think of a course that you can’t integrate some aboriginal knowledge within the course.”

According to Michel, those resistant to indigenizing their curricula tend to be the faculty members within the sciences.

“I am not saying change your curricula, I’m just saying make sure you have aboriginal knowledge.”

Michel used an example of chemistry classes.

“When you work in the labora-

Paul Michel, in front of the indigenous artwork of the House of Learning. Michel believes a part of indigenization is making students aware of all the aboriginal artwork they see around campus. (Thompson Rivers University)

tory or field research and you learn about the elements and all of your laboratory experiments…and what you learn by your instructor and journals. Well where do all of the elements come from? They come from the environment,” he said. “And this is where aboriginal knowledge, in-

digenous peoples’ knowledge comes from … so why not include the natural world knowledge within your classroom?”

If indigenization on campus begins the way Michel intends it to, his other goals of aboriginal student recruitment and retention are pos-

sible. He is also interested in having more aboriginal faculty and having strong support services for aboriginal students as they transition into university.

Michel is still in the process of creating a strategic plan addressing his goals for TRU.

Ocean floor overwhelmed by exotic algae Blake Deal

THE NAVIGATOR (CUP)

The VIU Deep Bay Marine Field Station is currently documenting the activity of an introduced species of algae and its environmental effects.

The algae being studied, Mazella japonica (MJ), is an exotic species estimated to have been introduced 80 years ago.

The study is taking place due to it taking over the ocean floor and reaching critical mass.

Manager of the Marine field station, Brian Kingzett, admitted they don’t know much about it yet.

The algae itself has become a controversial topic in the area with two specific sides drawn.

Kingzett said the first narrative is that removing the algae is a bad thing. People on this side of things feel the algae is important and removing it will have negative effects. There are people who don’t want people harvesting the algae on their private beaches, and if the harvesting machines break down they can cause more pollution.

The second narrative is that this species is invasive and is displacing the native species and creating less complex ecosystems. There are people who see that there is an economic opportunity to be had with the 20-50 tons that wash up during the winter. There is much

to gain from selling MJ as it is a valuable organic thickening agent used in processed foods as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

“It’s important to see that neither side is right or wrong,” said Kingzett. Both these points are valid, but we need to learn more about the species to determine the ecological effects it has.”

Kingzett said researchers at the field station are trying to explore all narratives and find where the truth lies in it all. “It very well could be somewhere in the middle,” Kingzett said.

There is a lot of opinion-based information to get around and quantitative work to be done. He said the research is supported and is focused on problems affecting the coastal community.

“The research is interdisciplinary and affects the quality of life and economy of the area. It is not rocket science, but the work is very diligent. Students are out here doing the bulk of the work.”

Kingzett said the marine station is a great way to get students engaged in the research process and provides real world opportunities for undergrad students.

“At the end of this we hope to publish at least one paper, and the students involved will have the opportunity to be authors on that paper.”

“The jury is still out on whether the results will be positive or negative, but the more we learn about

(Roban Kramer/Flickr Commons)

this, the more we see we might be on the cusp of ecological change.”

The project is now moving out of the data collecting phase and into data analysis.

“Is this an evil seaweed or is it a helpful food product? Kelp and seaweed are becoming the next trending food.”

The research will hopefully lend a hand to deciding whether or not to conserve MJ or harvest it.

The issue has become a point of contention with certain members of the community.

The research is a step forward, but it is hard to do with low funding for the Sciences in Canada.

“It is hard to get funded for multi-year studies,” said Kingzett.

Kingzett wants people to know that this is a serious issue. “It’s taking place in our literal backyard.”

He added, “It’s important for us to be involved in Coastal issues.

Climate and ecological change is happening, but we don’t realize it until something drastic happens.

People don’t see it because it is underwater and they miss how important it may actually be. Coastal issues are important. Some people want to work off the coast; others just want to look at it. Either way, these issues will affect you.”

OPINION & EDITORIAL

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 17

The Omega Thompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper Published since November 27, 1991

www.truomega.ca /TRUOmega @TRU_Omega /tru_omega

EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Brady @iamseanbrady editor@truomega.ca NEWS EDITOR Alexis Stockford @AlexisStockford news@truomega.ca ISSUES EDITOR Ashley Wadhwani @ashwadhwani issues@truomega.ca SCI-TECH EDITOR Ryan Turcot @RyanTurcot sci-tech@truomega.ca ARTS EDITOR Kim Anderson @K_AndersonSays arts@truomega.ca SPORTS EDITOR Tayla Scott @taylascott3 sports@truomega.ca COPY EDITOR Rachel Wood @rachelwoood copy@truomega.ca CONTRIBUTORS Steve Leahy

Feeling the nation’s history in Ottawa They say history sticks to your feet, but sometimes it stops you in your tracks Sean Brady

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ω

The Parliament Buildings are ornate creations. Few walls, pillars or doors are without intricacies.

The hallway where the Sergeant-at-Arms office lies is different, however. The walls are plain, the signs are small and simple, and the lighting, unlike most of the building, is artificial.

The 2:50 p.m. tour in English was about to begin. My tour group was led into the welcoming hall, which is lined with gold plaques inscribed with the names of every sitting parliament in the history of Canada. I didn’t recognize any of the ones beside me, except for the Prime Ministers at the tops of each list.

What took me to Ottawa was Nash 77 – the national conference for Canadian University Press, an organization of student newspapers from all across the country of which The Omega is a member.

Although it was a long ways away, I was excited to see Ottawa, a city I’d never thought to travel to but was now given the opportunity to explore, with our hotel just blocks from the Parliament Buildings.

The double doors capping the welcoming hall closed and our

guide stepped onto an inconspicuously placed platform and welcomed us. Alex was warm, funny and young. I thought about how much work it probably took him to get this job. As he took us into another hallway that led to a staircase, he flung open the wooden doors with both hands and we walked directly towards an ascending staircase. I was excited. This was my first trip to Ottawa and I felt that I couldn’t leave without seeing Parliament.

I couldn’t tell you what it was about the Sergeant-at-Arms’ office that caught my eye, but it did, and immediately after it did, chills rushed down my body as we approached the staircase. By the second floor, they were gone, but my reaction surprised me. Maybe it shouldn’t have.

The Canadian Capital often feels like it’s a long way from B.C. – not just geographically, but ideologically, too. But during my week in Ottawa, just like the week of the Oct. 22 shootings, it felt a lot closer.

Parliament is a place of recent history – very recent, compared to most of the buildings and the objects that live within them. Just outside the senate chamber lies a portrait of Queen Victoria – an original, unlike some of the others

hanging nearby. Her portrait survived four fires over the years and has seen a lot of hardship as it was dragged through the country’s history.

I can definitely admire that particular portrait’s history. In fact it fills me with wonder. But what it doesn’t do is give me the chills. It doesn’t put the image of a map in my head and drop a pin at Ottawa.

It doesn’t force me to instantly and overwhelmingly understand how important this place is. It doesn’t inject the historical significance of all of the major decisions made in this building every day. It doesn’t bring to mind the staggering number of people who work for our government and dedicate their lives to public service because they believe in the high standard of living we try to maintain or improve upon.

The brief sighting of the Sergeant-at-Arms’ office did exactly that, and I felt all of it so quickly that I was overwhelmed and proud and so happy to be where I was.

The winter waiting for me outside, a sharp -28 C with wind chill that I’d already braved once to get there, wasn’t just worth braving, it was a reminder that Canadians are a hearty sort and have been for a long time. editor@truomega.ca

Financial aid shouldn’t be a black mark PUBLISHING BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Brady INDUSTRY REP Christopher Foulds FACULTY REP Charles Hays STUDENT REP Vacant STUDENT REP Vacant STUDENT REP Vacant

PUBLISHING Cariboo Student Newspaper Society (Publisher of The Omega) TRU Campus House #4 900 McGill Rd, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 0C8 Phone: 250-828-5069 Advertising inquiries: accounts@truomega.ca

LETTERS POLICY Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Omega will attempt to publish each letter received, barring time and space constraints. The editor will take care not to change the intention or tone of submissions, but will not publish material deemed to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. Letters for publication must include the writer’s name (for publication) and contact details (not for publication). The Omega reserves the right not to publish any letter or submitted material. Opinions expressed in any section with an “Opinion” label do not represent those of The Omega, the Cariboo Student Newspaper Society, its Board of Directors or its staff. Opinions belong only to those who have signed them.

COPYRIGHT All material in this publication is copyright The Omega and may not be reproduced without the expressed consent of the publisher. All unsolicited submissions become copyright The Omega 2014.

Underclass are still subject to a lack of empathy and understanding Kyle Darbyson

THE FULCRUM (CUP)

I grew up with the crazy idea that you should treat your fellow human beings with respect, especially if they need a helping hand.

It seems like most politicians didn’t learn or retain that lesson. According to much of North America’s public policy and even the upper and middle classes’ public perception, poor people or those seeking financial aid are social degenerates who should be treated with nothing but the utmost contempt.

Take places like Florida, Utah, and Tennessee, for example: American states that have taken up the shady practice of drug testing welfare applicants. Even though these drug testing programs have all been colossal failures historically—with severely flawed testing methodology and low positive test rates— American lawmakers seem content with continuing this trend. And in late December, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder enacted a brand new $500,000 drug testing pilot program in an ongoing effort to characterize the less fortunate as irresponsible criminals.

Thankfully, no such legislation exists here in Canada. But this kind of condescending attitude toward people in need transcends national borders. A lot of the time, this ire is directed at millennials, mostly be-

cause they have the gall to seek out financial aid. One need only examine the cavalcade of self-important op-eds from a news organization like the Globe and Mail to see the extent of this generational smear campaign, where young people are constantly depicted as being lazy, self-entitled leeches who are always looking for a handout.

Outside of the smug and curmudgeonly tone of this kind of rhetoric, most of these welfare critics seem to be completely unsympathetic to the bleak economic realities that are financially crippling people of this generation.

Most baby boomers and gen Xers never had to deal with the severity of modern student loan debt, which, in Canada, currently averages around $25,000. This staggering debt isn’t at all helped by a rather grim job market, where high level figures like Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz are so disconnected from reality that they are under the impression that the country’s up and coming workforce can get ahead by just working for free.

Moreover, these critics seem unmoved by the fact that the wealth gap is the highest it’s ever been in modern history. A recent report from Statistics Canada found that the bottom 50 per cent of Canadians own just six per cent of the wealth, while the net worth of the country’s top 10 per cent continues to grow. There isn’t some obvious or easy solution to eradicating poverty

in Canada and the rest of the world.

But treating society’s most vulnerable members like they are untrustworthy criminals or shiftless sloths is definitely not the answer.

Besides, if Canada’s dubious economic prospects for 2015 are any indication—which include more lost jobs and an increase in youth unemployment—very many of us are going to be looking for a helping hand in the not-so-distant future.

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TUNE IN/TUNE OUT Steve Leahy

CONTRIBUTOR Ω

What is it about sports that can unite people? Take the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics where almost every nation in the world comes together to compete in a game. And it really is just a game, like any sports event.

But that doesn’t seem to matter to anyone, except the cynics who hate sports. And I think the only reason they hate sports is because they aren’t good at them, and resent people who are. Why? Honestly, there’s no shame in being bad at a game. It’s a game. Even if you’re good at it, it’s still just a game.

Except sports can’t really be considered a game, or our cultural priorities would be considered completely screwed up. Look at hockey. If this is just a game why is our society paying people millions of dollars to play it? And it really is just playing, I mean, you can call it competing, but that’s just a fancy term to mean playing for keeps.

It’s such an odd concept that sports players are some of the highest paid people. What about video game players? They also play games, and in this day and age there probably are people who get paid to professionally play video games. Despite how much I hope that isn’t true, I’m pretty sure it is.

But there’s still that element to sports that bring people together, either as fans or as spectators. If you’re a sports fan, and I am, then you cheer for your team and will happily welcome people that cheer for the same team. Doesn’t matter who they are, if you both root for the same team, then you’re friends until the game ends. You know what I’m talking about.

But there’s also the opposite side to that; if they cheer for the other team, then you’re enemies.

In a way that lends itself to the theory that we now use sports as a user friendly alternative to war. At least people usually don’t die when playing sports. We get a close call every now and then, but usually games are death-free. So at least there’s that.

Honestly, I think that sports offer us a fun and exciting break from regular every day drudgery.

And that these athletes are onto a good thing, getting paid lots of money to play the games they love. If I had the chance to play my favourite game for a huge paycheque, I would pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, then take the deal. How could you not?

You got to do what you love, and love what you do. leahys112@mytru.ca

Want to have your voice heard?

(Carl Nenzén Lovén/Flickr Commons)

We’ve got room for you. If you’ve got an opinion on a weekly basis, why not pitch it to us and put it on paper?

Politics? Social issues? Student life?

Tell us all about it and you might find yourself on this very page. If you’re interested in hearing more, write to editor@truomega.ca.

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FEATURE

January 21, 2015

The middle of the spectrum and sexual orientation Corey Keith shares the challenges of finding an identification that fits Ashley Wadhwani ISSUES EDITOR Ω

Corey Keith is charming, confident and well-spoken. Keith, who is set to graduate with a masters degree in education this spring, is also gender fluid. Keith recognizes being gender fluid as a place in the middle of the spectrum of gender, sharing the dynamics of both female and male.

Keith spent many years using female pronouns but now prefers the gender neutral “per,” short for “person,” rather than “she/her” or “he/ him,” and this is the pronoun that will be used in this article.

Keith was born and raised in the rural town of Stettler, Alta. by per two parents alongside two brothers. In elementary school, Keith exhibited the similar signs of many LGBTQ individuals that per didn’t quite fit in amongst the others. Keith recalls feeling this as young as ages six to eight.

“Going to school, I was bullied, hid in the library all that fun stuff.

People called me gay, fag, you know things like that but gay never aligned with me,” Keith said. “Yet for whatever reason the rainbow flag did. No one had the word for transgendered, so I knew I was different but the match for me was not there.”

Fast-forward to post-high school, Keith found a supportive group of friends and tuned into per interest in advocacy within the social work program at Red Deer College. Keith began a group called Project Unity with organized workshops, salsa nights and similar events promoting diversity.

Project Unity teamed up with Pride on campus, and Keith took part in the annual drag show. In a tight dress, high heels and the drag makeup and hair to match, Keith walked the stage.

“I did it. Horrible. But had lots of fun, and so what happened was that I realized there was something there.

That I enjoyed wearing women’s clothing,” Keith said.

Keith began wearing more feminine clothes first in the privacy of per

home and then in friends’ homes.

“Being scared to death about what everybody else would think [and] feel. Eventually I felt comfortable coming out in public even wearing panties or a bra and [was] scared like somebody’s going to find out,” Keith said.

“I would have looks and of course during that time you magnify what’s actually going on 10 or 100 times, but over time you get used to it and you let it go and take the next step and dress more yourself.”

By this time, Keith had met a few transgendered people, and as those who were transgendered struggled to find a socially acknowledged definition of who they were, Keith struggled to find a model of who per was.

“I really discovered this was who I was, but I also realized I…did not see myself as female either. I saw myself somewhere in between,” Keith said.

Keith was sent by scholarship to attend the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition conference. Upon registering, attendees would be sharing hotel rooms and the conference asked for a preference of roommate.

Beside the checkboxes of female and male, a third option, gender fluid, was listed.

“I thought ‘Oh! That’s me!’ It was the first time I saw my identity or label for my identity that really aligned for myself,” Keith said.

Keith still struggled with other trans, who expected per to transition.

At this point, Keith was using female pronouns.

“They wanted me to cover my Adam’s apple, and I’m like ‘I’m okay with my Adam’s apple thank you!’”

As of today, Keith does not feel the need to wear makeup, does not hide per Adam’s apple and ties beautifully bright and patterned scarves around per head. Keith takes it day by day exploring new layers of perself while still having new experiences and conflicts.

“I think exploring one’s gender is a constant thing.”

Keith is currently on hormones, in turn seeing physical symptoms of breast development and increased emotions. At the same time, Keith has been exploring per masculine

side and the conflict of masculinity versus sacred masculinity.

“Before, the feminine and masculine would fight it out, but now they work really well. And there [are] always new layers of acceptance and the more I accept my masculine side, the more my feminine extends too.

It’s neat.”

Keith has many friends at TRU. Just take a walk with per and halfway across campus two or three people will have already stopped to say hi. Keith is open about per identity, and with the right intentions per will share with you the answers to any questions you are trying to understand. Per has always been an advocate and supporter of awareness and acceptance.

The looks however, don’t stop. They aren’t always bad looks or misguided looks and are often initial reactions, but they are still looks.

“You learn how to contextualize that in your brain, because if you don’t, either you’re going to stop, go into depression or have huge anxiety and fear,” Keith said. Support resources allow these conflicts to be

consoled by others who have felt the same feelings.

Trans Lifeline, a transgender crisis hotline, launched across Canada in December 2014. The hotline supports youth who have been shunned by their families after coming out, or who have no support system. The hotline was created by two transgendered women, and is run solely by transgender volunteers.

Keith has supported a few youth along per journey of self-discovery, and knows the complexities of youth and their identities.

“The truth is youth [are] confused anyway. All you can do is provide real and authentic information depending on where they’re at.”

Keith had a support system within the home, primarily per parents.

“My parents are supportive. They don’t always understand, but they’re supportive,” Keith said.

However it only takes one instance of unacceptance to feel alone and Keith has had disagreements with per two brothers in the past.

With per middle brother, described as the macho type, “it was only in

the last little while where we have started to have conversation and it’s still hard, but there is effort there,” Keith said.

Keith has still had times where per felt depressed and alone.

“I didn’t quite come to a place of planning, but I definitely came to a point of thinking about it,” Keith said. “For relationships, feeling alone, even though I have friends they don’t always get it. And feeling like you’re alone in a crowd is huge.”

In regards to Trans Lifeline, Keith imagines what per would say if a youth in crisis came to per.

“I think just being me sometimes affirms for them that they’re not alone. And just answering their questions about how to navigate family systems, how to navigate the world in general, how to navigate people who don’t want to use your chosen pronouns,” Keith said.

Keith plans to continue advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves and currently teaches the fourth year social work course on sexual orientation and gender expression on campus.

Keith has a particular interest in sexuality, and on top of teaching a fourth-year social work course this semester, has also led workshops on sexuality at TRU in the past. (Ashley Wadhwani/The Omega)

NEWS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 17

Eyes on TRUSU

Student union returns to business after winter break, soon to host its AGM Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

The student union had a slow start to semester with a three-day power outage, but TRUSU is back in session. The first board of directors meeting took place Jan. 13.

Another board vacancy

TRUSU has lost a board member for the third time this academic year. Aboriginal representative Liz Whiting resigned last Tuesday after two years on the board.

“She really was passionate about bringing forward the perspective of aboriginal students to the board and making sure that perspective was well reflected and respected … she’s going to be missed for sure,” TRUSU president Dylan Robinson said.

Whiting has been on a leave of absence since September. According to TRUSU bylaws, a board member can ask for a leave of absence up to one semester.

Robinson said TRUSU has not yet decided whether or not to fill the empty seat.

“As per the [TRUSU] appointments policy, once 120 days are reached before the annual scheduled election, there’s actually no obligation or requirement to appoint a successor, seeing as it’s only a couple of months before the election,” he said.

Robinson added that the aboriginal representative is not required to have experience with advocacy before sitting on the board.

Upcoming AGM

An empty seat also means TRUSU will be short one board member going into its annual general meeting next week. TRUSU’s AGM is set for Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Independent Centre in the CAC. The meeting is open to all members. “[The AGM] provides members with the opportunity to see what we’ve been up to and how we’ve been spending their money and shepherding their investment that they’ve made in our organization,” Robinson said.

“It’s a really important opportunity for students to participate and make sure that the direction

that they’d like to see the student’s union go is adequately reflected in all of our reporting that we do.”

TRUSU will be presenting a financial report for the year, as well as reports from other standing TRUSU committees (equity, entertainment, services, executive, campaigns and policy committees).

According to Robinson, this was the first year for a new equity committee structure, which included seats for all advocacy representatives on the board and was meant to create more work for those representatives.

Robinson also said that provincial politics was one of TRUSU’s greatest challenges this year.

“This is really a government that has a very strict austerity agenda and they feel that there’s not a lot of room in provincial governments to invest in post-secondary education,” he said.

TRUSU created their “Fund the Future” campaign based on this position and met in September with the standing committee of finance and government services to recommend policy change.

Students seek alternatives to bookstore buyback program Alexis Stockford NEWS EDITOR Ω

TRU students are getting creative to avoid the pocketbook pinch when it comes to buying or selling textbooks this semester. Facebook, bulletin board ads and the TRUSU book exchange have all been used as alternatives to the buyback program at the TRU Bookstore.

Sunny Duiay said he has not bought a textbook in the last two years. The fourth-year psychology student said borrowing textbooks from friends that have already taken his courses is cheaper.

“The old editions seemed to be pretty much the same as the new ones and it just didn’t really make sense to me to go to the bookstore to buy a $200 book when I could just get one from a friend for a semester,” he said.

Duiay said he does look at the TRU Facebook groups for used textbooks and has used those groups to sell textbooks in the past.

“There was definitely a significant difference,” he said of the resale value he got selling his textbooks independently.

“I feel like that’s the reason that most people sell their books on Facebook page as opposed to selling it at the bookstore.”

While TRU buys back books for

other schools, director of ancillary services Glen Read said students get the highest value if their book is in demand at TRU. Students can reclaim 50 per cent of a book’s value if a TRU professor has requested the book. Otherwise, a book is worth 10 to 50 per cent of the original cost.

Likewise, the number of students using the buyback program depends on how many professors are using the same book semester to semester.

“If a professor chooses to use the same title for, say, four consecutive semesters, we’ll have a lot more students selling their books back, because that’s where they get the most value,” Read said.

Used books in the bookstore are sold for 65 to 75 per cent of the cost of a new book. Read said that price mostly covers the cost of labour above the 50 per cent paid to the seller.

He also said that professors change booklists anywhere from every year to every three years.

“Some courses may require the change more frequently than others because the actual content may be out of date, but I think that we could probably use the same textbooks for a longer period of time,” Read said.

“Typically publishers are the ones that are pushing the agenda to change that with faculty and the

content doesn’t really change that much, so I would like to see more used textbooks in the marketplace.

It just benefits the students in the long run.”

TRUSU book exchange

At over five-years old, the book exchange is one of TRUSU’s oldest online services. According to TRUSU president Dylan Robinson, the exchange is meant to “cut out the middleman” when it comes to the sale and resale of textbooks.

“As many students will probably have experienced, sometimes the resale value that you can get going to the Bookstore or just trying to just post your book randomly on Facebook is not really that great,” he said.

By facilitating direct sales, Robinson said TRUSU hoped to help sellers get the most for their books, while letting buyers avoid the 15 to 25 per cent mark-up added to used books at the Bookstore.

“Sometimes it can seem just a little bit easier to just go on your Facebook and, ‘Oh, I’ll just post my books right here too my friends,’ but letting students know that this is an option for them is one of our focuses as the services committee,” Robinson said.

About 300 people used the book exchange from September to November 2014.

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6

ART FEATURE

January 21, 2015

Michael Markowsky: Faster Than the Speed of Sound Jan. 17 to March 21 The Cube

“M

y long-term career objective is to go to the moon by January 2030, stand on the surface and make a painting,” said visual artist, Michael Markowsky.

It is a totally unique and ambitious goal for an artist whose practice embodies those very traits.

For 17 years, Markowsky’s main method and art practice revolves around creating artwork in motion, while travelling through landscapes. Most people stop and try to take in and freeze as much of the outside environment as possible, he does the opposite.

“We all experience landscapes while moving through them. We are used to seeing it through the screen of a window, yet so few artists try to describe what that feeling is like,” Markowsky said.

Six years ago Markowsky applied to the War Artists Program. In his application, he described how he wanted to be a passenger in a fighter plane and draw his experience. He was accepted into the program. He met some resistance at the onset, and it took him about five years to convince the skeptical powers that were to agree to his project.

He had to undergo all the rigorous safety training and health tests that any other pilot would be subjected to.

After he was cleared, Markowsky found himself in the cockpit of a CF-18 fighter jet with a pad of postcard-sized paper, bound together with a binder ring and a pencil (and probably a few spares).

He spent about a minute to a minute and a half on each drawing, all while travelling the speed of sound, no easy feat.

“When I was up in the plane, flying around, for the first hour and fifteen minutes I was totally in the moment, just drawing furiously. Then the pilot said were going to head home,” Markowsky said.

“Two things happened: I started thinking, oh I’ve really got to remember this moment because I’ll never get to do this again. Then I started feeling a little queasy, we were doing flips and turns, and going the speed of sound. Then I started thinking, what the hell am I going to do to communicate this feeling? My first thought was that it had to be big. Because that experience is huge, overwhelming and intense.”

Markowsy’s goal was to convey the experience of flying in a military jet to people who would otherwise never have the chance. The work had to be immersive, intense, overwhelming and massive, to match his experience.

What he produced conveys his description to a tee.

Upon walking into the cube, the viewer is hit with three massive abstract paintings that cover the walls. Bright and vibrant colours are juxtaposed together to create a kind of visual disorientation and pressure. A swirl of colours makes it difficult to focus on one painting for too long.

Even though this work is focused around military planes and takes place in that setting, Markowsky insists that his work is “not political in any way, whatsoever.” His intention from the onset was to capture and express an experience.

“On one level, this work is purely visual and sensorial. I want people to come and see things and be over-

whelmed. This is kind of what your senses feel like, being overwhelmed and bombarded. [That flight] was such a strange and surreal experience.”

But that isn’t where his project ends. Currently there are two model planes hanging in the middle of the gallery, both made from wood. Markowsky will be occupying the gallery space and building a model CF-18 plane from wood and canvas. For the duration, it will be a working studio, open to the public.

“I’ll be cutting and building, it’ll be loud and stuff will be all over the place. My part of the KAG is free, so people are welcome to come by and see how far I’ve gotten,” Markowsky said.

“By the end of it, there will be a plane that people can sit in and view the paintings. I’m transforming the gallery into my studio. People with strong feelings about art or military, I’d love to chat with them.”

Visibility and communication with the public is vital to Markowsky’s practice.

“I think too many artists hide away, making work. Then they wonder why art isn’t really part of the discussion anymore. You don’t see artists on Jimmy Fallon or in People magazine but you see musicians, dancers and actors,” Markowsky said.

“I’ve devoted my life to art and then you start thinking does this even matter? Does anyone care about this? I feel like it’s important to be visible.”

Anyone interested in surreal, vivid paintings, military jets, or asking Markowsky about his campaign to paint on the moon in 2030, is encouraged to stop by for a visit.

ART FEATURE

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 17

7

Pam Hall: Housework(s) Jan. 17 to March 14 Main Gallery

“C

an an act of labour undertaken by three women with three ironing boards, 450 aprons, an eightfoot square pinning table and three sewing machines in one 40-hour work week be considered art?” Asks Newfoundland-based interdisciplinary artist Pam Hall.

Questions like this are embedded throughout Hall’s exhibition, Housework(s). It’s a collection of work, stemming from five solo shows – some independent, some through extensive collaboration with other artists and community members, reaching over a span of ten years.

Although the works are taken from a vast time period, there is a common and very vocal theme, visible in all areas. “[There’s] a wonderful connective thread, [that was] not intentional in the beginning.

In this case, it’s the house.”

the important distinction being the materials used. Sewn together and hanging from the structure are colourful, feminine aprons – the epitome of housewife attire. “[They are] decorative, sweet, wildly feminine, really dress up aprons that women often put on, not to work in, but to

Perhaps my interpretation is light-years away from Hall’s artistic intention, but the fact that I am asking a question and working towards a conclusion is precisely the reaction Hall wants from her audience. She aims to “turn provocation into invitation” in her artwork.

serve their work. I call them bedroom aprons because women’s work does not always end in the kitchen. If you know what I’m saying,” Hall said.

This work is delicate, beautiful and flawlessly sewn together.

But beyond the aesthetic surface layer, what does it mean?

It calls into question the role of women in the home. Not only are women expected to do the bulk of the work, but they are expected and often required to look pretty while doing so, hence the use of neatly pressed, wrinkle free “bedroom aprons.”

Found again is the now familiar structure of the house, but in this instance, it’s constructed with an even more collaborative material. Tiny strips of white fabric with different messages scrawled across them are tied across the netting, creating the walls.

Viewers at the KAG are invited to contribute to this growing project. Hall set up a “wishing wall” on a large section of fishing net. Viewers take a thin, white “prayer rag” and write a wish or prayer on it and affix it to the netting.

Throughout the course of the project, Hall rearranged some of the wishes and spread them across the netting. In doing so, she read every single one.

“A lot of them are wishing for other things for other people. A lot of them are for people who are ill, or gone. [There are] wishes for understanding across difference, gay rights, it’s all there. The last time I counted there were about eight different languages.”

A layered soundscape plays in the background as another dimension of the work. The sheer size and amount of the wishes is impressive. It points to a community and human solidarity in the form of hopes, wishes and prayers.

A Wish and A Prayer reminds us that no matter what age, social position, or condition, there are none among us who doesn’t have some unfulfilled wish.

In this exhibition, gallery attendees can take a journey through ten years of Hall’s work. The trip revolves around social commentary and meaning making through provocative questions. Hall has a clear-cut definition of the function and purpose of art and posits that it holds just as much meaning in the labour of creating as the end result.

“I don’t think art is frivolous and decorative.

That’s not my generation. I don’t think it’s only done by dead white males. I don’t think it’s only for the art market. I come from the ‘60s. I want art to do some work, when I say the work of art I mean the labour of art. I don’t mean the object,” Hall said.

“Not another fabulous consumer commodity that will be sold by Damien Hirst for $9 million. I’m not saying that’s not art. I’m saying it doesn’t speak to me, or anyone else, and if it does, it’s usually through the price tag.”

Hall aimed to, and succeeds in turning provocation into invitation in Housework(s).

Marginalia

In Hall’s earliest collaborative work in the exhibition, Marginalia, she and fellow artist Margaret Dragu committed to creating “memory cloths” on one square foot of fabric every single day. Over four years, 4,000 squares were made.

The memory cloths are sewn together, and draped over a secured, hanging structure of a house. The work is captivating and interactive; the viewer can pull back the curtain-like cloth strips and step inside, to find even more squares staring back at them.

Because they are not sewn together and affixed to a wall, the cloths drift and flow ever so slightly, giving it an airy feel. The squares depict a plethora of individual ideas, so many that true examination of the work could take hours. Among many others, expressions of patriotism, depictions of fishery work, housework, sexuality, anger, nature and family can be found on the fabric.

According to Hall, this work serves as “artifacts of correspondence,” part of a social contract between two artists based on a commitment to connection and communication.

It was through the creation and examination of the memory cloths that the symbol of the home materialized in Hall’s and Dragu’s work.

“In our daily correspondence the house became a kind of shorthand, it appeared everywhere. A symbol for home, a kind of arrow that pointed to community. The house emerged from the beginning,” Hall said.

Dressing Up Works

Transitioning over to Dressing Up Works, Hall takes the theme of home and asks, “Where does a woman’s work end?”

The structure of the house is identical to Marginalia, with

A Wish and a Prayer

8

FASHION

January 21, 2015

QTC’s new collection blasts its way into spring Ashley Wadhwani Photo by Kim Anderson Roughly 350 attendees, all dressed in their most stylish all-black ensembles, gathered at Hotel 540 to see what a local high school student spent the last few months creating from scratch.

Quentin Collier, 18, showcased his collection titled “Noir” to peers and supporters on Friday. Inspired as psychedelic rock-meets-punk rock from the ‘70s and ‘80s London, Collier mixed empire waistlines, low backs and plunging necklines in tasteful pieces for any aspiring “It Girl.”

From his first fashion show in the main floor of his house to a sold out show with proper lighting, security guards and an impressive set of 14 models, it’s clear that Collier has progressed.

“As you grow up you sort of become more in tune with yourself and you become more confident showing off different things about yourself,” Collier said. “Because really all the clothes are just a projection of myself filtered through a small inspiration. But really it’s just me … I’ve become less guarded.”

Collier will be using this show as his last portfolio piece in his application to Parsons School of Design in New York, London College of Fashion in London, Central Saint Martins in London and Ryerson School of Fashion in Toronto.

9 TRU to invest in 86 new zero-waste stations SCIENCE & TECH

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 17

Initiative aims to raise awareness, reduce TRU’s landfill waste production Ryan Turcot

SCI-TECH EDITOR Ω

Nearly all of what TRU students placed in standard garbage bins could have been recycled instead, according to TRU’s sustainability department.

The university, which said that 87 per cent of the trash it found in standard bins is actually recyclable, hopes to turn things around with the purchase of 86 new zero-waste stations, which are expected to arrive in late February or early March. The stations, which will cost about $54,000, will consist of four to five colour-coded bins that allow people to separate their mixed recycling, compost, plastic bags and refundable containers from landfill-bound waste.

“The basic thinking is that when you have to discard something, if you go to a zero-waste station and you’re faced with four or five options in front of you, there’s a better chance you’re going to put the right thing in the right bin,” according to James Gordon.

Gordon is TRU’s environmental programs and research co-ordinator, and he said that the results of a previous pilot study were strong enough to warrant a ramped-up zero-waste initiative.

Last year, the department saw success with its pilot project.

“We did a pilot project, starting over a year ago, where we purchased four

zero-waste stations from a company in Ontario called Busch Systems,” Gordon said.

TRU also created some additional makeshift stations by applying the same colour-coded labelling system to standalone bins they already had on-hand.

Between the purchased and makeshift variations, TRU was able to install zero-waste stations in Old Main, the Arts and Education building, the International Building and Campus Activity Centre.

“We’re not the first institution to go down this zero-waste station road.

UBC and SFU are the first two that come to mind, and they’re basically doing the same thing with really positive results. So, unless people from TRU are a lot different than people from these other places, we anticipate similar results moving forward.”

Both UBC and SFU were consulted when TRU first developed its zero-waste initiative.

“There have just been so many comments from people saying that they love them, they use them all the time, and they appreciate that they are there. This led us to believe there’s a real demand for doing these types of things. It just makes sense,” Gordon said.

New stations and awareness campaign in the works The department’s new $54,000 purchase will include 70 indoor stations,

10 outdoor stations, and six stations specially designed for coffee shops. The indoor stations will have separate bins for recycling, composting, refundable containers, plastic bags and landfill waste. The outdoor stations will be similar, but without a bin for plastic bags.

The “coffee stations” will add a spot for excess liquids to be disposed of.

“Eighty-six stations will come close [to blanketing the whole campus],” he said. “That’s all we had budget for this year. The plan is to cover the entire campus with zero-waste stations as the budget to do so becomes available.”

Looking ahead, Gordon said the zero-waste stations will play a vital role in reducing the amount of waste produced at TRU. According to a 2010 baseline, the university generates 1,640 tonnes of waste annually. On the same 2010 baseline, 65 per cent of disposed items are annually sent to the landfill, while 25 per cent are recycled and 10 per cent are composted. By 2019, the department hopes to move the ratio to 40 per cent landfill waste, 35 per cent recycled material, and 25 per cent compostable organics, respectively.

“I feel confident we can do a lot better than that, but [these numbers are] a realistic goal,” Gordon said.

In addition to being environmentally sustainable, Gordon argued that the zero-waste system could also yield economic benefits.

6th international

“We pay the City of Kamloops to pick up both our garbage and our mixed recycling,” he explained, “and we pay per bin that they tip into their truck. It’s cheaper to have them pick up recycling than it is to pick up garbage.”

The savings will also be put towards a charitable cause.

“About 80 per cent of the cans, boxes and bottles that are collected on campus are done by staff and students from Beattie Secondary to fund an autism program that benefits students who have

autism. If you just take an extra second to put your bottle or can in the right bin, those students will benefit from that.

“From an individual’s view [reducing waste] might only make a small difference, but collectively, for the institution, you could save thousands upon thousands of dollars,” Gordon said. “Then all of a sudden you have tens of thousands of dollars that can be put towards other useful programs, as opposed to having more garbage trucks on campus.” Gordon said.

An existing zero-waste station located in the front lobby of Old Main. TRU hopes to add another 86 of these around campus. (Ryan Turcot/The Omega)

guevara

conference 2015 JanUarY 23-25 VanCoUVer JanUarY 26 KaMlooPS

Cuba

a Socialist Project in Progress

With Special GueStS:

►Dr. AleiDA GuevArA World-renoWned lecturer on cuba, Pediatrician, author and daughter of legendary revolutionary ernesto che guevara.

►José luis roDríGuez author of “notes on cuban economy”, researcher and Professor at the univeristy of havana. former cuban minister of economy and Planning and a former vice President of the cuban council of ministers.

KaMlooPS JanUarY 26

Thompson rivers universiTy irving K. BarBer CenTre 7pm

Trusu soCialisTs CluB trususocialists@hotmail.com vanCouver CommuniTies in solidariTy wiTh CuBa

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WWW.CHeGUeVaraConFerenCe.Ca

COMICS & PUZZLES

January 21, 2015

Puzzle of the Week #12 – 2,0,1,5 Using each of the digits in 2015 once along with addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, factorial (3! = 1 × 2 × 3 = 6, and 0! = 1), unary negation (as in -2 + 5 = 3), and brackets, as you choose, devise expressions.

(For example, 2 + 0 - 1 + 5! equals 121, and (2 + 0) × (1 + 5) equals 12.)

Do this for each of the whole numbers from 0 to 10. For more of a challenge, have the digits appear in the order 2, 0, 1, and 5.

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/) and in the Math Centre (HL304). Come visit: we are friendly.

xkcd.com

SUDOKU 8

5

1 7

Because you’re probably not doing enough math

1

7

3 8 2

7

2

9 8

5 1

1

7

3

6 1 4 1

smbc-comics.com

10

2 6

3 3

5 7

7 9 4

6

2 4

8

1

SPORTS

The Omega Ω Volume 24 • Issue 17

11

Surviving out of bounds at Sun Peaks One man lost on Sun Peaks for 15 hours, and how Sun Peaks is preventing further issues Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

The decision over whether or not to go out of bounds is something weighed by many skiers and snowboarders looking to push themselves even further.

Whether you’re prepared or not, alone or with friends, new to the mountain or a local, when you ski out of bounds you take on the risk of getting lost, getting hurt or even dying.

For Grant Tipler, the worst case scenario almost became a reality when he got lost for 15 hours while snowboarding alone on Gil’s, an out of bounds run at Sun Peaks Resort.

Tipler had trained to be a ski instructor during the 2012-13 season at Sun Peaks and returned to train as a snowboard instructor for the 2013-14 season. He’d skied Gil’s multiple times during his first season but was always with friends.

On the morning of Feb. 17, 2014, he was racing slalom before heading further up the mountain. When a man he met on the chairlift raved about the powder on Gil’s, Tipler went against his instincts and decided to go down the run alone.

He planned to take the route he knew on Gil’s, but fell and got disoriented. That’s when the man from the chairlift showed up again.

“I said ‘I’m trying to get to this route,’ and he said ‘just go down from here and you’ll be fine.’ Then he pointed out a route to take and just zoomed off.

“I went down like he said and then it just went flat. I took my board off, start-

ed walking and hiking around. I just got totally disoriented.”

Tipler climbed to higher ground and, seeing nothing he recognized, decided to follow some snowmobile tracks in the snow. He went around in circles and hit dead ends while trying to follow different sets of tracks.

Although he had a cellphone, Gil’s sits in an area without service. He had no water, no food, no transceiver and only his racing clothing and helmet. He had told no one where he was going.

“The temperature dropped to, I think, -10 C that night, which was quite lucky because the week before it was -27 C ...

I wouldn’t have survived, I don’t think.”

When night fell, Tipler abandoned his snowboard and kept following the snowmobile tracks.

“I did stop for half an hour. I was so tired and I got into the trees cause the wind was blowing. After about half an hour I was starting to shake. I started breaking down a little bit actually, thinking ‘I don’t want to die out here, no one will find me.’”

“I started tripping as well, later on, thinking I could see things coming. I started thinking about cougars and stuff.

I kept thinking, ‘is that something in the bushes or is that something running at me?’ Eventually as the light faded, I saw the groomers in the distance. But they were far and really high.”

Sun Peaks had certain runs lit up to be groomed for the morning. It was about 11:30 p.m. when Tipler decided to climb toward the lights on the groomed runs.

“They kept appearing and then disappearing. I was starting to get disheart-

Snowghosts line the Crystal Chair at Sun Peaks, making for an eerie ride to the top. (Justin Terwiel/Submitted)

ened and they’d appear again just as I was feeling at my lowest,” he said.

When the lights weren’t visible, Tipler followed the lighter clouds in the sky.

“The snow was up to my waist. I was dropping all the time and falling into the snow... When I stopped that’s when I started to freeze so I knew that I couldn’t stop. I never stopped walking for practically the whole 15 hours.”

“Eventually I looked into the distance. I could see, that’s a groomed run, and I was like, I’ve made it.”

Tipler made it to the hotel at 4:30 a.m. He’d been lost for about 15 hours.

His friends had noticed his absence but no one had reported him missing.

He wasn’t the only person to get lost on Gil’s last season. Kamloops Search and Rescue president Alan Hobler said at least eight people were rescued last

season. Jamie Tattersfield, manager of mountain operations at Sun Peaks Resort, can recall two specifically who were lost on Gil’s.

“We had quite an extensive system of signs on there that told people [they’re] leaving the patrolled area and it also told them that they shouldn’t go there unless they’re properly equipped,” Tattersfield said.

“In spite of that, we still ended up with quite a few people getting lost in Gil’s terrain out there and the reason for that is more geographical than anything else,” Tattersfield said. “The terrain tends to pull you away from the ski area once you get below a certain point.”

When Sun Peaks expanded its boundary this season, a 4.5-kilometre fence was put up in Gil’s terrain with signage that points the way back to the resort.

“So now if you get down to this sort of terrain trap, you’re going to run into this rope boundary. Then all you have to do is follow it out and you’ll be safe,” Tattersfield said.

“Usually when people get lost it may not be lack of equipment but it’s definitely lack of thought,” Tattersfield said.

Tipler said that this was true in his case.

“It’s a risk you take anywhere you go, if you go under the rope. I knew better.

I knew that I shouldn’t have gone out there without a transceiver but I didn’t really listen to my instincts,” Tipler said.

“It was a life changing experience to come that close to possibly freezing outside. It gives you a different perspective on things.”

This season, things look a little better at Sun Peaks, with no reported incidents of people getting lost.

X Games competitor has sledding in his blood

Kamloops professional snowmobiler Brett Turcotte to compete in the X Games Tayla Scott

SPORTS EDITOR Ω

They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and in professional snowmobiler Brett Turcotte’s case, that has proven to be true.

Turcotte will be the only Canadian competing in the Jan. 22 winter X Games in the Speed & Style category. How did he get to this level of competition? He learned his craft from his father.

“My dad owned a snowmobile dealership. He and I were riding snowmobiles every weekend that we could through the winter.

That’s where it kind of came naturally for me,” he said.

Turcotte raced snowmobiles professionally for 13 years before deciding to focus more on his family. Now he is passing his knowledge on to his kids.

“They love it. I’m sure that they’re going to grow into it naturally like I did,” Turcotte said.

“They’re definitely paying attention to stuff that I’m doing so I’m sure that they’re going to follow suit.”

After he quit racing, Turcotte found himself drawn to snowmobile tricks in the backcountry.

He often practices at Sun Peaks,

Crowfoot Mountain and areas in Revelstoke.

Filming his stunts gained Turcotte a social media following and sponsorship, which paved his way to competing in the X Games. He has been in the competition five times, even winning a silver medal in the Snocross category in 2008.

This will be his first year in the Speed & Style category.

“There’s three jumps, where you get judged on your style, trick difficulty and the extension and how good the trick looks,” Turcotte said.

“Then there’s two laps of a Snocross course where they time you, and between those two things it gives you an overall score.”

“I’m going to be doing a back flip, a back flip no-hander and a super flip,” he said.

Turcotte said the super flip takes the most commitment to learn and will be the most visually exciting.

“It’s a ‘Superman’ but upside down. My feet will be hanging off the back of the snowmobile and I’ll be following the rotation of the snowmobile but just hanging on with my hands.”

Contestants will be eliminated from the round robin competition, which leads to quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all taking place on Jan. 22.

Pro-snowmobiler Brett Turcotte will compete in the X Games.

Turcotte has never been a stranger to the spotlight, but his global attention reached a new high when a promotional video of him jumping his snowmobile off a cliff in Barriere went viral, reaching almost half a million views on YouTube.

“It was probably just the ‘wow’ factor, like the shock of those rocks being so close and being in the air for so long,” Turcotte said. “It’s like for the average person that’s pretty unbelievable to watch let alone even attempt. For me on a daily ba-

(Jeremy Winchester/Riderscope)

sis that’s more or less my job.”

Turcotte is grateful for the community support he has received and plans to continue teaching his craft to his children and local residents who want to learn how to do snowmobile stunts safely.

12

January 21, 2015