March 14, 2012

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 23 March 14, 2012

T

H

E

Ω

2012 TRU Job Fair

2

Kamloops Film Festival on now

8

TRU hosts another championship 13

Squirrel troubles? 14

M

E

G

A

PHOTO BY LARKIN SCHMIEDL

TRU’s Independent Student Newspaper

2

March 14, 2012

News Sleep routine more important than total hours Proper sleep patterns are important to give students their best chance at academic success Taylor Rocca Ω Roving Editor

With exams fast approaching, students may be finding that their average amount of nightly sleep is slowly decreasing.

According to a study released in 2009, the amount of sleep a student gets might not be what actually matters.

The study suggests that timely sleep patterns are more beneficial to students than actual time spent sleeping.

In the questionnaire-based study performed in 2007 at Montgomery College in Washington, D.C., detailed information was gathered from students regarding their sleeping habits, including naps, reasons for missing sleep, academic performance, study habits, time spent working outside of school and stimulant use.

Students with the highest academic performance were found to have the earliest bedtimes as well as the earliest wake times.

Napping was also found to be more common among students with higher academic performance.

170 questionnaires were sent out with 157 being returned to researchers including 76 from women and 81 from men.

Only 42 per cent of students surveyed were satisfied with their sleep and they were found to average at least 47 minutes more sleep per 24-hour period than students unsatisfied with their sleep.

Students regarded as having higher academic performance had GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 4.0 and an average bedtime of 12:00 a.m. with an average wake time of 7:13 a.m.

Students regarded as having lower academic performance had GPAs ranging from 2.3 to 2.9 and an average bedtime of 12:38 a.m. with an average wake time of 8:02 a.m.

There was not a significant difference between the total amounts of sleep time for each group. Students with higher GPAs had an average of seven hours 29 minutes of sleep before class while students with lower GPAs had an average of seven hours 35 minutes of sleep before class.

The use of caffeinated beverages and other stimulants were the same for both groups.

Dr. Manisha Witmans is an adjunct professor in the faculty of allied health at TRU. She was on campus on Mar. 9 for a presentation about sleep problems as a part of the 2012 Multidisciplinary Sleep Science Conference.

“Sleep is worthy of being nurtured for good health, as much as nutrition or anything else,” Dr. Witmans said.

She stressed a number of tips for students to ensure good sleep hygiene, including a consistent bed routine, regular exercise early in the day and a cool, dark, quiet bedroom.

Dr. Witmans also suggested that students avoid having a busy bedroom, bright light and

A wide array of sleep-related goods and services were on display and involved in the discussions at the Multidisciplinary Sleep Science Conference held from Mar. 9 to 11 at TRU in the Campus Activity Centre.

—PHOTO BY TAYLOR ROCCA

stimulating activities late at night in order to achieve good sleep hygiene.

While poor sleep hygiene is likely to make a student less productive in the short term, it can also lead to long-term health problems.

“Sleep problems and cardio-

vascular disease go hand in hand,” Dr. Witmans said.

“Sleep is as important as good food and good health.”

Dr. Witmans suggested some clues that students should look out for when assessing whether or not they are getting effective and restorative sleep at night.

The need for an alar m, excessive stimulants like coffee or energy drinks, a tendency to fall asleep unexpectedly and a noticeable change in functionality are all signs that a student might not be getting the type of sleep that they need in order to be successful.

Air quality and the Ajax mine Marvin Beatty Ω Contributor

Dr. Douw Steyn of the University of British Columbia has spoken to Kamloops citizens before regarding the “substantially degraded” air quality here, but last Thursday, Mar. 8, he addressed a new factor—the proposed Ajax mine.

A professor in UBC’s department of earth and ocean sciences, Dr. Steyn is a world-renowned expert in the field of air pollution, particularly at a regional level.

Dr. Steyn’s presentation, attended by over 100 people, was sponsored by the Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association, the faculty of science and the department of geography.

It was a similar talk to one he gave two years ago regarding a proposed railway tie burning plant.

“When I sat down to prepare

this talk,” joked Dr. Steyn, “I just pulled out my old slides and said, ‘Oh these are pretty good… what has changed?’”

In fact, he knows well what has changed.

He has produced a report, Approaches to Understanding Air Quality Impacts of Proposed Ajax Mine Development in Kamloops Valley, for the Kamloops Area Preservation Association (KAPA).

That report is part of KAPA’s submissions to federal and provincial governments regarding questions KGHM Ajax must answer as part of an environmental assessment.

The UBC scientist described technical and scientific models

that the assessment must use to predict the pollution impacts from mine operations.

Steyn said it is important to realize the air we breathe when outdoors depends on three

He spoke cautiously about how winds might affect large waste rock piles produced by the mine.

“It’s possible—highly possible—that the mineral dust will contain heavy metals.

“The world in this matter operates relatively simply; you’ve got to understand the consequences of this thoroughly and openly.

“A properly constituted air quality analysis within the environmental assessment process must be performed.

“I would not say air pollution in Kamloops is a disaster—I would say it’s substantially degraded.

Under all the indices, or compared with the Canada-wide

“It’s fantastic to see the community passionate and engaged.” things: strength of emissions, weather and the way weather interacts with the landscape.

He also said significant amounts of naturally occurring sedimentary materials, such as dust, exist here.

theomega.ca

standards, it’s not over the standards, but it’s just below the standards.”

Further loss of air quality can be prevented through a comprehensive airshed management plan, he said, balancing the two aims of the City of Kamloops’ motto, “Salus et Opes,” translated as, “Health and Wealth.”

Steyn was asked for his personal opinion of the proposed mine.

He said it was premature to be fixed on a position at this stage.

“It’s fantastic to see the community passionate and engaged.

“Whichever way the decision lies at the end must be based on an open, rational and scientifically defensible procedure,” Steyn said.

“In my mind it’s [a comprehensive air quality analysis] a no brainer, it has to be done and must be done properly.”

3

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

THE

MEGA

www.theomega.ca

March 14, 2012

Volume 21, Issue 23

Published since November 27, 1991

editorialstaff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Davies

editorofomega@gmail.com/250-372-1272 BUSINESS MANAGER Natasha Slack

Editorial We seriously still need a “Women’s Day?” Yes.

Having a specific “day” doesn’t make the subject less important any other time

managerofomega@gmail.com 250-372-1272 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Cory Hope

SPORTS EDITOR

Nathan Crosby Copy Editor

Larkin Schmiedl Photo Editor

Cory Hope News Editor

Brendan Kergin Roving Editor

Taylor Rocca Promotions Coordinator/Adsales

Amrita Pannu

omegacontributors Marvin Beatty, Amy Berard, Samantha Thompson, Arshy Mann, Ian Cowie, Daryl Hofmann, Tim O’Brien

publishingboard

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

letterspolicy

Literary and visual submissions are welcomed.

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

Opinions belong only to those who have signed them.

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 Omega 2012.

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society (Publisher of The Omega) TRU Campus House #4 Box 3010, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 5N3 Phone: 250-372-1272 E-mail: editorofomega@gmail.com Ad Enquiries: managerofomega@gmail.com

(Correspondence not intended for publication should be labelled as such.)

If you’d followed us on twitter you could’ve won film festival tickets last week!

@TRU_Omega

Editor’s Note Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief On Mar. 8, women the world over (and men too, I might add) take the day to recognize the beauty and importance that is women.

Here at TRU, a conference was organized and put on by a couple of intrepid students. People presented papers and engaged in discussion on the historical and contemporary roles of women in our society, and the sociological inequalities that remain between the sexes (see story on page 4).

I woke up on Mar. 8 and poured myself a coffee, and added all the goodies (yeah, I like French vanilla creamer, so what?) so it was exactly the way I like it — the first one of the day has to be right, after that it’s just a matter of keeping the caffeine going in.

I turned on the news as I do every morning, and f lipped open my laptop to check if anyone I know had said anything worth

commenting on, utilizing the ever-popular Facebook.

Here is an excerpt from the post I saw first, made by a friend of mine out on Vancouver Island: “Being a woman, of course I am grateful that I live in a country where I am not a victim of female genocide or have my rights taken away just because I am a woman. I don’t however think that a certain day of the year is the right way to get across the message that as a woman, our right to exist and be counted in the human race and worthy of having rights is the way to do it. Does today, Mar. 8th, being International Women’s day stop that baby girl from being murdered, or that woman from being pushed down and tread on because she is a woman? No.” She went on to talk about how we should recognize human indecency every day and fight to stop it, and that women’s struggles are no more or less important on any given day.

While I agree with the sentiment here — that injustice should be acknowledged whenever it rears its head, not just on specific days that are allocated for specific causes — I had to point out to my friend that while she had a good point, the day was still worth recognizing.

“I think maybe you should look at it like Mother’s day,” I said to her.

“I love my mom every day of the year, and I tell her it every time I see her. Though she might not get the day off work

that day, or feel any LESS like a mom every other day of the year, it doesn’t hurt to have a day that celebrates her motherhood, does it?

“It’s much like ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Month’ or your birthday,” I continued. “It’s not like we shouldn’t be aware of breast cancer for the other 11 months of the year, or that at any given time we aren’t one year older than we were at the same time 365 days ago, but it’s still worth acknowledging, if only to bring it back into people’s consciousness.”

Yes — there are indignities in the world.

No — having a “… day” is not going to change the fact that these injustices exist.

But to say (or imply) that the day isn’t meaningful or to fail to admit that recognition of issues in this way at least encourages productive dialogue and gets people thinking in the right direction, I think is doing everyone a bit of disservice.

As I say in the conclusion of my somewhat defensive post on Facebook that morning, before my first perfectly-prepared cup of coffee had reached my belly, “After all, if we spent every day talking about every cause that we care about, or every injustice and inequality in the world, we’d have no time for the good things in life.”

But we do need to talk about them, and keep reminding ourselves that they exist every now and then — even if it’s only once a year.

Take a break from studying and explore your creative side Building strong communities includes engaging individuals in a celebration of who they are.

Fine arts are great at embracing diversity using all different formats.

Kamloops and TRU offer inspiration through art at several different organizations.

The Kamloops Art Gallery, located at 465 Victoria St. downtown, offers a place for students to relax, wander and enjoy a quiet viewing of some thought-provoking exhibits.

Admission is only three dollars for students, and Thursdays are entirely free courtesy of a B.C. Lottery Corporation sponsorship.

A yearly student membership for $20 gives you access to exhibition openings and free admission or discounts on many of the gallery’s events.

The exhibits, workshops and tours can be a great way to explore your creative side and rid yourself of the stress and anxiety that arrive with the end of the semester.

Many of these workshops, like printmaking and storytelling, are free.

“We want youth to recognize the gallery as another public space to interact,” said Tarin Hughes, education co-ordinator.

Many TRU students have become engaged through different roles with the gallery. Various fine arts students sit as members of the board, instruct classes or

Know Your Community Amy Berard

work in the gallery store.

If you are looking for ways to become involved, you should consider applying to the new youth council the gallery is in the process of creating.

The council will work with gallery staff, visiting artists and lecturers to create its own programming to connect with youth.

The council will also have access to the extensive gallery li-

brary for personal or professional use.

If you would like to lead the arts scene in Kamloops for youth, this council could be the right fit.

Musical entertainment at The Art We Are downtown or performances from Western Canada Theatre provide another source of arts activities.

Don’t forget, we already have the TRU Art Gallery and the Actors Workshop Theatre on campus in Old Main on Student Street as well.

Make visiting these locations an item on your to-do list while studying at TRU and enjoy the arts and culture opportunities that Kamloops has to offer.

Strong communities include representation from all sectors – social, recreational and arts.

If you need a break from your studying in the coming weeks, take the time to enjoy an exhibit or sit back and watch some theatre.

It could be just the kind of inspiration you need.

Amy Berard is a TRU business student and the campus liaison for United Way. To get connected with the community, email her at youth@unitedwaytnc.ca.

Calling attention to robocalls Samantha Thompson

Capilano Courier (Capilano) VANCOUVER (CUP) — When it was announced that the first conviction had been doled out to a culprit of the Stanley Cup riots, people rejoiced. The general sentiment seemed to be that justice had finally been served. Yet when the story broke a couple of weeks ago suggesting that the last federal election had been littered with fraud, many labeled it as “typical dirty politics” instead of what it actually was: potentially illegal.

“This is simply a smear campaign, without any basis,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the House of Commons on Feb. 29. He was referring to accusations against the Conservative party that suggested they were responsible for a series of “robocalls” during the last federal election.

The phone calls were made to potential voters, asking if the residents would be voting for the Liberal or NDP candidate in their riding. In some circumstances, the caller impersonated Elections Canada and told the would-be voter that their polling station had been moved.

The Conservatives began arguing that the whole situation was concocted by a bunch of “sore losers.” They suggested that there was not enough evidence to support these claims — while voters from at least 38 ridings were simultaneously reporting they were victims of these robocalls.

Soon, they stopped trying to deflect questions and instead began trying to put the blame on the Liberal party. The Conservatives claimed that the Liberals had been using a phone company in North Dakota to make these calls, but the NDP was quick to point out that there were two companies, the other one in Canada, who were unrelated but had similar names.

Liberal MP Frank Valeriote told CBC that, “it is ridiculous to think that Liberals would try and suppress their own voters from coming out to vote.”

The robocall issue is going to be on the table for a while, particularly as Elections Canada decides to what extent they are going to investigate given the fact that some 31,000 people have now come forward to complain about robocalls during the election. In the meantime, nearly 40,000 Canadians have signed an online petition demanding that a full public inquiry is conducted. Although many MPs have also expressed their anger and frustration regarding various facets of the scandal, we still don’t know precisely what happened.

People are angry, and with just cause.

Something is going on, but the only way we’re going to find out is if the authorities take charge. Instead of initiating a rapid inquiry, as Rex Murphy pointed out on CBC’s The National, “Mr. Harper is wearing his injured, angry face.”

Politicians need to be held responsible for their actions, just like everyone else.

They are Canadian citizens, and should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law — after all, they are the ones making those laws. The robocalls affected individuals’ ability to vote, and no one should be allowed to take away that most fundamental right that is the basis of democracy.

Politics are integral to the way we live in Canada. Certainly, they can be trying at times, but that is no reason to ignore them altogether. We are able to celebrate someone being punished for destroying physical property, yet are only mildly irritated by the robocalls.

As Rick Mercer aptly pointed out, “We have always agreed that voting is a fundamental right. This is not a left or a right thing, this is just a thing. If we don’t believe in that, what else do we have to believe in?”

4

March 14, 2012

News Women celebrated academically and intellectually Papers presented and intelligent discussions abound at International Women’s Day event on campus Mike Davies

Ω Editor-in-Chief

belonging in the kitchen is a prevalent stereotype that has still yet to be broken, she said.

The advent of the barbecue being introduced as a “manly” alternative to food preparation has possibly still relegated and encouraged the role of women into the kitchen, according to Pikkarainen.

She examined why these roles have become so accepted still to this day, and says it’s mainly due to advertising strategies and product commoditization aimed at promoting these stereotypes historically, despite the position of “chef ” still being dominated by men.

Jeff Maxwell presented his paper, “Gender and Gin in the 18th Century,” where he examined how the status of women prior to the industrial revolution may have been more egalitarian if you use the consumption of spirits in British society as a gauge.

He talked about how women were very involved in the consumption (and in fact sale) of gin and alcoholic beverages before the industrial revolution got into full swing in the mid-18th century, and asserted, or at least implied, that the industrial revolution may have been a significant turning point for women insofar as their being relegated into the background in our society.

Sarah Fletcher presented on how Sigmund Freud’s studies, and the acceptance of those studies, opened up the role of women in English literature by bringing sexuality into the mainstream

The third annual Kamloops International Women’s Day conference took place on Mar. 8 in the Irving K. Barber Centre in the Brown Family House of Learning, and despite the sparse turnout, the message came through loud and clear.

Organized by Kristy DeWolf and John Sheppard, the event was an intellectual look at the historical and contemporary inequalities between the sexes.

After the welcome by DeWolf, one speaker after another took the f loor to explore various aspects of women’s issues and their role in our lives, on both a historical and contemporary level.

Katherine Goertz, a political science student from Okanagan College in Salmon Arm, came to the event to present her paper on, “The Merit of Nordic Law in the Prevention of Human Trafficking in Canada,” where she analyzed Katherine Goertz came from Okanagan College in Salmon Arm to present her paper, “The the pros and cons of a regulatory Merit of Nordic Law in the Prevention of Human Trafficking in Canada” at the International approach to prostitution versus an Women’s Day event held on campus Mar. 8.

—PHOTO BY MIKE DAVIES abolitionist view of the situation.

“I would like to prioritize the An examination of how media She went on to found a monaschology and people’s connections protection our Aboriginal and tery, and her life and experience portrayal of women leads to the to their own mothers. lower-class sex workers over the Janice Beck took the f loor to may have had a role in the Catho- mis-shaping of women’s percepfreedom of upper and middletalk about the history of Spiritual- lic Church accepting women’s tion of themselves and the pursuit class women who go into the sex of an unrealistic and unattainable ism and whether the advent of that “visions” and writings. trade because it’s easy money,” The keynote speaker, Dr. Mi- ideal of beauty, Miss Representabelief and its subsequent growth Goertz said, pointing out that a empowered women, as they were chael Gorman, spoke of how we tion examines the media’s role on high percentage of women in the at the forefront of the movement, misremember and misrepresent the way women see themselves sex trade are in it against their or if it in fact helped to reinforce iconic women from Hollywood. and each other. will, or have found themselves in It looks specifically at its efHe spoke about how the film ingender stereotypes. a position of relying on it for surShe argued that the prevalence dustry has historically tried to fect on young girls, and how it vival (because of various extenuof women in tap into our need for stereotypes, continues to subdue the goals and ating circumstances) the Spiritualism not even knowing what the quali- aspirations of women in our sorather than it being a movement largely ties are that touch us, or the rea- ciety. conscious choice.

Filled with some shocking but strengthened the sons for those connections.

She pointed out the Our feminine icons from Hol- accurate statistics about women misogyny of our implementation of culture rather than lywood and how we attribute in the media, the film unfortulegislation in Sweden them to stereotypes and attach nately is filled with some very challenging it. that has effectively self-reverShe said it did them to ideals is not necessarily propaganda-style, confronted the issue, ential and self-interested interallow some wom- accurate, according to Gorman. making it illegal to He specifically cited Marilyn views, yet it still sheds a light en the opportupurchase sex, but not nity to confront Monroe and Doris Day as rep- on the media’s representation of to sell it. Sweden is p r e c o n c e i v e d resentatives of those icons from women. working on educating Much of it is accurate, but unideas and attain the 1950s and 60s that have had those purchasing sex new levels of their legacy tarnished, or at least fortunately it often comes across to enlighten them on the commoditization

—Katherine Goertz freedom, for ex- remembered inaccurately, by the as an angry rant or “poor me” diatribe. ample aiding in media. of the human body.

Nonetheless, it examines the Assumptions have been made the women’s sufThe country would frage movement about them based on their on- current state of media represenrather do this than in North America. screen personas, and the reality tation of women and it’s growing punish those who are Lucas Warner, a fourth-year of these women’s lives is often effect on the youth of our world— using sex work for subsistence, consciousness of the general pubhistory student at TRU, dis- ignored or misrepresented, which a situation which is appalling. whether or not it was a conscious lic.

Things need to change — hence The depiction of female sexual- cussed the life of St. Teresa of allows for the continuation of the choice or a repercussion of cirity quickly became more accepted Avila and how she lived accord- stereotypes that have been ac- the reason International Women’s cumstance.

Day exists, and will continue to ing to her religious obligations as cepted for them.

Jessica Pikkarainen examined in literature because of his work.

Women’s Day at TRU con- exist until we seriously contin“The mother” character in liter- a woman, until she began having the role of women in food prepaature also gained depth and began visions that were recorded (and cluded with a screening of the ue to examine these issue on an ration. playing a key role in storytelling encouraged by the patriarchy of film Miss Representation at the intellectual level and decide to That’s right. change it.

Clocktower Theatre.

The whole concept of women because of his research into psy- the church).

“I would like to prioritize the protection of our Aboriginal and lower-class sex workers.”

Sign up on

www.dealmate.ca brought to you by

5

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

News

Job seekers, employers meet at TRU job fair Devan C. Tasa Ω Contributor

People entered the ballroom – some in their best suits and others in casual wear – prepared to perform that dance that takes place between job seekers and potential employers.

Around 2,000 people attended the TRU Job Fair in the Grand Hall on Mar. 8 to talk to 45 different employers, said representatives from the career education department.

The job fair had a number of benefits to visitors according to student employment co-ordinator Megan Gerow.

“It’s a opportunity to practice networking, practice professionalism, gain confidence and obtain careers,” she said.

While the fair is aimed at students, student employment co-ordinator Susan Forseille says other groups also attend.

“Lots of alumni, tradespeople and people from the community come too,” Forseille said. She added that faculty also come to learn about the job market for the subjects they teach, making changes to their curriculum if necessary.

Forseille said that it was difficult to determine how many TRU students are hired as a result of the job fair.

That sentiment was echoed by most of the employers there, but Matt Richmond, a senior accountant at KPMG’s Kamloops branch, says that his company hires an average of six to 10 new accountants from all of the career fairs he visits.

The Rocky Mountain Rangers were just one of the many recruiters on hand at the 2012 TRU Job Fair, held Mar. 8 in the Grand Hall of the Campus Activity Centre.

—PHOTO BY MIKE DAVIES

B.C. budget calls for cuts at post-secondary institutions

Hiring new people wasn’t the only reason why employers attended the career fair.

Many were there to promote their companies and services to TRU students.

“We get a lot of exposure to the community,” said Lorianne Gotro, a human resources specialist from Interior Savings. “That’s our primary objective.”

Others said they were there to contribute to TRU and its community.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to help the university,” Richmond from KPMG said.

He explained that paying for a booth, which ranges from $200 to $3,000, helps fund the career education department.

Fourth-year journalism student Allison Gibbard says the job fair was useful to her.

“It’s a good opportunity to find out information about a company or career that you may have never thought of,” she said.

First-year philosophy student D’arcy Bruce says that the fair wasn’t useful to him, as he plans to attend law school first.

“But I can see it being useful for more than a few people,” he said.

TRUSU VP external Jordan Harris, who was near the Grand Hall promoting a different event, says the job fair was busy for most of the day.

“It’s great that students at TRU can drop off resumes and talk to companies about career opportunities,” he said.

The job fair isn’t the only thing the career education department does, Gerow says.

Students looking for help in finding a career can go to the department located in OM 1712.

Provincial government asks universities and colleges to find $70 million in administrative savings Arshy Mann

CUP Western Bureau Chief VANCOUVER (CUP) — In the pursuit of a balanced budget, B.C. is asking universities and colleges to tighten their belts.

The provincial government, in its budget tabled Feb. 21, is calling for post-secondary institutions to cut $70 million from their collective budgets over the next three years.

According to Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, the government expects this money to come from administrative savings.

“The province will work with universities, colleges and other institutions to help ensure that front-line programs are not affected,” he said in his budget announcement.

“And we believe a one per cent cost reduction is very achievable.”

Funding will stay stable for the next year, with the cuts coming between 2013 and 2015.

The budget document asserts that savings can be found by combined purchases of equipment by institutions, cutting travel costs and through a reduction in support services.

A statement from the Ministry of Advanced Education emphasized that the budget also included a $9 million increase for “additional medical, health and other priority seats,” and that $462 million had been set aside

for capital projects over the next few years.

UBC declined to comment about how the university would deal with budget cuts.

Michelle Mungall, the NDP critic for advanced education, said that despite the government’s promises, the cuts are likely to affect students.

“We’re seeing colleges report projected deficits, and that would be before the budget was released. And now with this budget, we’re going to see program cuts.”

She argued that institutions have been cutting back on administration for years and that there remains little left to cut.

“They’ve become very lean machines,” she said. “And they have no choice but to go back to students. No surprise here, when you look at the budget book, the only thing increasing in postsecondary education is revenue from tuition.”

Mungall said that colleges will be hit harder by the budget cuts than universities.

“They don’t have the ability to seek out research grants to top up in the same way that universities do.”

Mungall also pointed to the special challenges of northern and rural institutions.

SEE FUNDING p. 12

President’s Lecture Series “Your Space Place” The exams will soon be finished.

Now you need to store your possessions for the summer.

You are invited to a lecture by

Kartikeya Sarabhai

Sustainability in India: Learnings and Challenges Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at 7pm > TRU Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre > Williams Lake Campus, Broadcast to Room 1303

Everyone Welcome!

STUDENT SPECIAL 15% OFF March to September

Free admission, tickets are required.

Tickets will be available at: The Kamloops Art Gallery, TRU Student Union office and TRU Bookstore.

For as many months as you prepay.

10’x10’ or smaller—must present Student ID

Clean; Controlled Access; Security Systems; All Sizes Boxes & Moving Supplies Available

For more information call

250.377.6119

Close to you at 820 Notre Dame Drive

MC115959

www.tru.ca

Call

250-374-7368 to book your space! www.budgetstorage.ca

6

March 14, 2012

News In case you missed it, Kergin’s got you covered:

Things you probably didn’t see happening around you last week

Brendan Kergin Ω News Editor

Global

29

95

$

$tudent pricing

*

• Remembering a disaster Mar. 11 marked the one-year anniversary for a dark day for one of Canada’s friends.

Japan was hit by the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear event all in a frighteningly short period of time.

People around the world took time to remember the ongoing struggle people are going through on the island nation and sites were visited to pay tribute to personal losses.

Others took the chance to reapply pressure on the ongoing debate about nuclear energy.

For just $29.95, walk in with your taxes, walk out with your refund. Instantly.

You’ll also get a free SPC Card to save big at your favourite retailers.*

instant

we make taxes painle $$

cash back

& free SPC Card*

• American Officer Reports from Afghanistan tell a horrifying story of essential a mass murder.

An American soldier, possibly trained as a sniper, walked a mile from his base to a small village, broke into multiple homes and began shooting.

While some were shot put blank, execution style, others were cut down as they attempted to run. He then moved on to a second village.

In all 16 died while five were injured. A suspect has been arrested, but his name has not been released.

National • Montreal Protests Quebec’s discussion over tuition hikes have taken to the streets in recent weeks.

In the most dramatic incident riot police were called in on a protest in downtown Montreal when students took to protesting in front of a building that housed the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities, an organization supporting the tuition hikes.

Tear gas and a couple of minor injuries were reported.

Student organizers of the protest did not consider the measures taken by authorities to be necessary.

University students across the province have been walking out of class as a form of protest as well.

Read more at cupwire.ca

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

hrblock.ca | 800-HRBLOCK (472-5625)

© 2012 H&R Block Canada, Inc. *$29.95 valid for regular student tax preparation only. Cash Back service included. To qualify for student pricing, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2011 or (ii) a valid high school identification card. Expires July 31, 2012. Valid only at participating H&R Block locations in Canada.

SPC Card offers valid from 08/01/11 to 07/31/12 at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only. Offers may vary, restrictions may apply. Usage may be restricted when used in conjunction with any other offer or retailer loyalty card discounts. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards or certificates.

Provincial

to do more to defend B.C. Taxpayers from federal costs.

He’s concer ned that as the What has been dubbed the “Om• Inquiry stalled federal gover nment looks to the nibus Crime Bill” made it through the House of Commons Mar. 12 B.C.’s Missing Women Inquiry provinces for funds the burden with a 154 to 129 vote. DOCKET/AD#: 11-HRB-047-BW-SP-E-1 is stalled yet again after theNEWSPAPERS: lawyer may go to provinces with less The bill imposes mandatory representing aboriginal interests vocal leaders.

Recently the premiers from minimum stricter- ENGLISH resigned.

JOB NAME: TSsentences, ‘12 YOUNG ADULTisNEWSPAPER towards youth crime and crimiRobyn Gervais steppedSCANNER down Ontario and Quebec held a press DATE STARTED: Jan 11 AREA: – MEDIUM conference to war n the public nals, strengthens sentences for LIVE sex for a variety of reasons according ARTIST: CS TYPE SAFETY: – crimes committed against a minor, to her, though one was the lack of about these issues and ask the REV#: 0 TRIM: 8" X 10"aboriginal witnesses called to the federal gover nment for greater reduces the use of conditional senLASER %: and many other alterations BLEED: – dialogue. B.C. Premier Christy tences case.

BW toDISKED: the way the justice system deals Gervais was appointed after ab- Clark defended her gover nment with criminals. original groups backed out of the saying there’s pressure from ART DIRECTOR COPY WRITER CREATIVE DIR. PRINT PROD. STUDIO MGR. ACCT. MGMT. Opponents have said the bill is inquiry when they were told they the federal level, but that B.C. over-the-top and won’t deter real would have to pay for their legal is having discussions with Otcriminals, instead catching more council while the government had tawa. people caught in the wrong place at already paid for two lawyers for Read more at thetyee.ca the wrong time. victims of Robert Pickton.

All parties supported the tougher Commisioner Wally Oppal, sentences on sex crimes committed heading the inquiry, is concerned Local against minors. about her withdrawal and has put However, most other parts of the the inquiry on break until Apr. 2 to • Application for Graduation bill were considered micro-man- find a new lawyer. agement of the criminal code and Four th-years be aware, TRU based on ideology rather than sysRead more at vancouversun.com is instituting a new policy retematic proof. garding convocation and gradu•Provin-Jousting ation.

Read more at literally any major You must register by Mar. 31 Canadian news agency.

Provincial NDP leader Adrian for graduation in order to parDix is calling on Christy Clark ticipate in the June convocation.

• Crime Bill

In other words, if you wish to wear a robe and cap with your friends up on stage, it’s best to get this done early and avoid issues.

Read more at tr u.ca • Parking Campus parking may hit students and faculty alike a little harder in the bank account next year.

The university is looking at raising hundreds of thousands through parking on campus lots.

For students that would mean daily parking going from $3 to $5 and semesters rising from $150 to $200 or $250. That is the high end of the proposal.

The proposal also includes raising the fees for faculty and reser ved spots (often senior administrators).

Faculty could be hit by a greater rise than students.

Read more at kamloopsnews.ca

7

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

Caracol sends shivers with first English album Taylor Rocca Ω Roving Editor

Upbeat but relaxing, Caracol’s newest album, Shiver, allows the listener to sink into a world of peaceful dreams powered by romantic lyrics and invigorating guitar.

For those who enjoy indie pop, soft rock or silky female vocals in any form, you should get your hands on this album sooner rather than later.

Shiver is the latest release from FrenchCanadian folk artist Caracol. The album hit shelves on Mar. 6 and is the first English release by the Quebec-born artist.

Sounding eerily similar to fellow Canadian folk darling Feist, Caracol soothes and charms listeners with graceful vocals.

Carole Facal is the face and voice behind Caracol. Facal also wrote all the songs on Shiver.

Featuring an array of different instrumentation, Shiver has a unique sound.

Facal not only wrote all of the music for the album, but also performs vocals, guitar, ukulele and percussion on the recording. Apart from her contributions, the album also features instrumental additions of cello, baritone and tenor saxophones, trombone, trumpet and violin, performed by a variety of musicians.

All the Girls is the opening track on Shiver and it introduces the listener to Caracol’s vocal presence.

It also helps set the emotional tone for the rest of the album, as Facal sings, “All the girls whose hearts have been broken, see them tread on your shadow today. All the girls whose hearts have been stolen now grow flowers where you once lay.”

Fittingly, Summer Blues is powered by a bluesy piano track that paves the road for Facal’s somber lyrics.

Horseshoe Woman departs from

the indie pop sound preceding it on the album. With the addition of the banjo, it conveys a much more country-folk sound. This is a much welcome diversion as it prevents the album from slipping into such a consistency that it would lull listeners to sleep.

Strange Film returns to the indie pop sound that is consistent throughout the majority of the album. With a melodic chorus and a peaceful choir of backing vocals, Strange Film is certainly one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album.

Despite being a primarily English album, Shiver does wander back to Facal’s French roots for two tracks, Certitudes and Blanc Mercredi.

Certitudes is arguably the best song on Shiver. The French vocal track adds a dynamic element that otherwise is not heard up until this point on the album.

Blanc Mercredi, while more subdued than Certitudes, brings that same spinetingling feeling with its French vocal track. Only one word comes to mind when listening – beautiful.

On Sailor Boy, Facal’s vocals are truly allowed to seduce the listener with only the ukulele and minimal percussion accompanying them, “Sailor boy, ride and kiss me until my lips are sore.” This track is perhaps the moment in which Facal’s vocals most remind the listener of Feist.

On Mar. 8, Caracol won a 2012 Genie Award for Best Original Song for Quelque part, which was featured in Starbuck, a film out of Quebec directed

by Ken Scott. The song is originally from Caracol’s 2011 album, Blanc Mercredi.

Currently touring Canada and having just completed a swing through the Prairies and Ontario, Caracol will spend the next month playing shows in Quebec.

For a free stream of Shiver, visit http://shiver.indica.mu/. For more information on Caracol, visit http://caracolmusic.com.

Carole Facal is the voice behind Caracol. Her latest album, Shiver, was released Mar. 6, and is definitely worth a listen.

—PHOTO COURTESY INDICA RECORDS

theomega.ca

Arts & Entertainment

8

March 14, 2012

You don’t want Monseiur Lahzar: A truly to watch Tyrannosaur Canadian film without hockey?

Most people don’t like examining everything inside themselves and then looking for more Mike Davies

Ω Editor-in-Chief Ten minutes in, I sloppily scribbled, “Not sure I’ve ever seen a more powerful opening ten minutes of a film,” in my notebook, but I soon realized that I might as well just put the damn thing away.

Tyrannosaur didn’t let up, and I wasn’t about to just keep adding, “and then the next ten,” over and over again.

I almost want to say that people shouldn’t be allowed to do what director Paddy Considine has done in Tyrannosaur — in fact I have said that a few times since I experienced it.

You shouldn’t be allowed to look that deeply into the soul of people.

You shouldn’t be allowed to look that definitively into the power of emotions and the interrelationships between people and their own feelings, or into why those feelings exist in the first place.

You certainly shouldn’t be allowed to examine that closely what it is to be human, especially when you’re acknowledging both the good and the bad contained within everyone, and the struggles between those powers.

I’ve never experienced a film where you as a viewer feel the emotions of the characters and the internal conflicts within those characters so acutely.

And yet as deeply as you feel these emotions and internal struggles within yourself as you watch the film, you somehow find yourself wanting to feel them even deeper , because you know that the film is connecting you to what it is to be human. But you don’t think it’s possible for you to go there.

And then the filmmaker adds another level, pushing you deeper — just where you were begging to go.

Peter Mullen plays Joseph, an unemployed widower with some serious emotional scars, a drinking problem and a pressure-cooker of rage. His intensity is unnervingly real, and yet somehow he manages to have your pity, despite all his abhorrent actions.

He meets Hannah (played by Olivia Colman) early on in the film when he stumbles blindly into her charity thrift shop, where he cowers behind a rack of clothes as she prays for him, asking God to grant him peace.

A friendship develops despite her wholly different background, lifestyle choices and beliefs.

While his pain is evident immediately, hers emerges gradually as the film progresses, exposing a conflicted life (dutifully religious upper-middle class charity thrift shop owner with turmoil and abuse at home) leading to yet another layer of emotion within the characters, the narrative and the viewer.

I’m trying to find something negative to say about this film, I really am. It’s almost as if the film itself was so powerful, it won’t let me talk badly about it.

Okay, there are times where the thickness of the somewhat-cockney-like accents of a few characters makes it a bit hard to understand them, but as the film’s effectiveness and power exists outside the dialogue contained therein, it makes little difference.

If you don’t want to sincerely look at what it is to be human — to look at good and bad, serendipity and fate, misery and happiness, compassion and rage, terror and joy, sanity and madness all at the same time — don’t watch this film.

Brendan Kergin Ω News Editor

This is the kind of film that shows Canada can create stories with the best of them.

The plot follows a variety of threads all wound into the same story, revolving around a teacher joining an elementary school class mid-way through the year due to the suicide of the former class teacher.

Every character is multifaceted, and each scene relevant to the progression of the story. All the threads together create a very cohesive and unique story. The film is all done with a subtle, natural hand that mainstream cinema has lost.

There’s a very Canadian feel to it, with the weather expressing the passage of time (progressing from a winter to spring in Montreal), immigration issues, and a school,

which, aside from the French, could be in B.C. The story seems natural, the characters realistic.

Interestingly enough, for a film with a very Canadian edge, there are barely any references to hockey, curling, or any sport for that matter.

Particular praise should go to the child actors.

The two lead children (Genie winner Sophie Nélisse and Émilien Néron) carry the story at times, showing a great understanding of who their characters are and their characters’ emotions, as they deal with a death and the undeserved guilt associated with it.

These aren’t kids being kids; they’ve taken on their role with more skill than most of Hollywood.

There were more than a couple tears in the audience at the climactic moment of the film which relies heavily on Néron and he certainly shines at that moment.

The central character is the pillar of the film though. Monsieur Lahzar is played by Algerian actor Mohamed Fellag, who deservedly took home a Genie for best actor, as well.

He balances the pain of his past, his eagerness to work with the children and the challenges of arriving in a new country perfectly, creating a character who is not overly-tormented by his past, but still strongly affected by it. Given the character’s background there is a good chance for over-acting, but Fellag doesn’t fall into that trap, instead creating a very natural character who has not had the easiest life.

The only criticism which comes to mind is the fact that, get this, The Simpsons did it. One of the story threads resembles the episode “Lisa’s Substitute” with Dustin Hoffman.

Not to ruin it, but for fans of the classic series it’s hard not to see.

Tomboy goes deep using simple moments Larkin Schmiedl Ω Copy Editor

An intimate exploration of a 10-year-old Transgender child, Tomboy is a moving film for anyone who wants to educate themselves on gender roles and perceived identity — both within and without.

—SUBMITTED IMAGE

Transgender children have been coming more to popular awareness lately, with Anderson Cooper featuring a family with a transgender child on his show, CBC’s Passionate Eye looking at the topic back in January, and CNN covering it last September.

Director Celine Sciamma engaged this topic with her second film, Tomboy, which played on Saturday, Mar. 10 at the Kamloops Film Festival. Tomboy shows us in intimate detail the life of a 10-year-old transgender child during a pivotal summer in his life. It’s a French film, and was made in 2011.

Tomboy keeps a slow pace, but rather than being tedious, it allows viewers to absorb the significance of each moment as it unfolds.

‘Laure’ is the oldest daughter of two in a close loving family. When her family moves to a new neighbourhood, she introduces herself as Mikael to Lisa, the first other kid she meets. Lisa later falls for Mikael, leading to complications down the road.

Mikael begins living as a boy all summer long, without the knowledge of his family.

The movie comes across first and

foremost as a story about a specific person’s struggle with gender identity, and this is where it succeeds and draws its power.

Mikael carries a silent, inexpressive air with him throughout most of the film. His muted expressions convey the palpable sense of the weight he carries, of the secret he feels he can’t tell anyone.

The cinematography was brilliant, revealing the emotions of characters even during moments of silence through close-up face shots.

Tomboy is not depressing, but interesting, educational, fun and extremely well-storied. Each event contributes to the plot in some way and nothing is wasted.

Mikael is always quietly calculating and on guard, having to construct scenarios to prop up his new identity. As a result he is rarely able to be open and spontaneous as a child. This tension is felt through the screen as everyday scenarios play out.

During a soccer game with the neighbourhood kids, Mikael sits out.

The boys are playing a shirts versus skins game, and that night, Mikael goes home and inspects his chest in the mirror.

He practices spitting in the sink like

he saw another boy do during the game.

The following day, he strips off his shirt and plays along with the others.

He even spits.

The body dysphoria experienced by many transgender people is shown when Mikael looks at himself in the mirror different times, trying to adjust what he sees to fit his image of himself as a boy.

His yearning to fit into this image is tangible.

When the kids later decide to go swimming, Mikael takes his bathing suit into his bedroom and cuts off the top half to create trunks. He folds in the jagged cut top and models his new suit in the mirror, and smiles widely with glee.

Mikael realizes he must fashion a penis to wear in it, so he sits down with the play-dough machine beside his sister and fashions a small roll.

The audience laughed most at the parts of the film where this makeshift penis was shown.

For anyone who likes a film showing people and their relationships, that describes psychological dynamics profoundly through straightforward life moments, or who’s interested in gender or wants to know more, Tomboy is a must-see.

9

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

Love for Luna Ian Cowie

Ω Contributor We all posses a certain affinity for our pets, and for some it’s a bond akin to family.

But what happens when that bond is with a 3,000-pound wild killer whale who has been separated from his pod and craves human affection as much as people crave his?

The Whale is a documentary by journalists turned activists Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit about a young orca named Luna who challenges people’s notion of what the human/animal relationship really is.

Vancouver-born actor Ryan Reynolds narrates the film.

When Luna was two years old he was separated from his pod, and being the highly social creature that he was, he found a new family —a human one—with the people of Nootka Sound on the west side of British Co-

lumbia’s Vancouver Island.

People came from all around to pet, hug and even kiss the gentle giant.

This interaction turned out to be a not-so-simple thing. Often when wild whales befriend humans there are unforeseen consequences, for both whale and human alike. This was no exception.

Government authorities, in an attempt to protect Luna, forbid touching or even looking at him, and threatened curious onlookers with $100,000 fines.

But this was no easy task because Luna loved to be petted and would often find someone willing to risk getting fined to oblige him.

Word of Luna began to spread all over the world.

Eventually a movement of people assembled to reunite Luna with his pod; however, when rumours spread of the possibility of Luna begin sold

into captivity, the First Nations peoples of Nootka Sound decided to take it upon themselves to “free” Luna.

This documentary goes beyond regional battles to explore the philosophical relationship between humans and the animals they assume to know so much about.

Ambition, vengeance, and deconstructed/reconstructed identity — literally Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In twists and turns and questions identity and gender concepts Mike Davies

Ω Editor-in-Chief In the interest of full disclosure, I should premise my review of The Skin I live In, which played at the Kamloops Film Festival on Mar. 9, by saying that it was unfair for any film to have to follow Tyrannosaur (see review opposite page), and that placement is surely responsible for some of my feelings towards the film.

When you see a film like Tyrannosaur you really need to give yourself some time to recover, which I didn’t have, but I will do my best to examine The Skin I live In on its own merits.

The film was directed by Pedro Almodovar, undisputedly one of the greatest Spanish directors of our time, and stars Antonio Banderas (another heavyweight in Spanish filmmaking), was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes this year, and won this year’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for Best Non English Film.

It should be phenomenal, right?

The best praise I can give for this film is “above adequate,” or maybe “acceptable,” or “not a complete waste of one’s time.”

It’s an interesting examination of human identity and of persona being an artificial construction one presents to the world.

It touches on some other heavy ideas like genetic modification and scientific experimentation ethics, but it ultimately falls somewhat f lat overall, despite Almodovar’s valiant attempt to surprise and shock the audience with plot twists and time jumps.

Banderas definitely makes an excellent depraved and deranged scientist in the form of a plastic surgeon, and Almodovar’s shot selection, framing and lighting are excellent.

So how can a film I have so

much good to say about be so adequate?

A couple of big things (if others don’t consider these things “big” then I guess I’m a film snob, because they always upset me and detract from my enjoyment of a film): The first beef I have goes as follows.

Quinton Tarantino uses f lashback well. Almodovar seems to be trying to capture some of that brilliance using a similarly nonlinear, disjointed style of storytelling, but unfortunately he’s decided to clarify time movements with huge imposing “six years earlier” tags across the screen.

I generally feel this means you haven’t done something right, since you feel the need to tell the audience what you’re doing.

Because of this attempt at disjointed and non-linear plot construction, Almodovar has incorporated a scene early on in the film where the audience receives a few minutes of exposition.

One character basically f leshes out a chunk of the plot’s history in a conversation with another character to clarify it for the audience.

Scenes like this aren’t good in English — they’re even worse when you have to read them off the bottom of the screen.

These complaints might seem petty to some, but I think everyone’s got certain things that bother them a lot when they crop up in a film, and those are a couple of mine.

I do recommend you see the film, as — like I said — it’s an interesting observation of human identity construction, contains some great cinematic elements, intriguing ideas and concepts, and a couple of very good acting performances.

And it’s not a waste of your time, unlike most things that come out of Hollywood these days.

Even After all these years, Shakespeare’s stories still pull their weight Brendan Kergin Ω News Editor

When you have a script writer like William Shakespeare to work off of it’s difficult to mess up, but critics will be watching for the smallest mistakes.

In this version of Coriolanus, the story of Roman general Caius Marcius Coriolanus gets updated to modern times.

The directorial debut of Oscar nominee and Shakespearean stage actor Ralph Fiennes, the film is definitely for fans of the bard.

Brutal visuals accompany the clever language, which brings the story into a frame more people will be able to understand.

However, at times the pacing seems off, though this is due to the long speeches Shakespeare wrote, since the film uses the bard’s words they couldn’t really take out the long pieces of diatribe.

The other major criticism would be the shaky camera work.

It works in the chaos of an urban war or a riot, where characters are actually recording the activity with a cellphone. It doesn’t work in, say, a TV studio where the audience can see tripods.

It’s understandable that Fiennes was going for the feeling of being there in the midst of the

characters, but it wears on the mind as you try to keep track of which direction you’re facing and trying to decode the words at the same time.

That is a minor quibble though when compared to the plot and acting.

Fiennes takes on the task of lead as the aforementioned Coriolanus with fine form, though it should be expected from a man who wins awards for his Shakespearean roles.

Gera rd Butler also does well as the opposi ng general, thoug h not as much is requi red of h i m.

James Nesbitt as Sicinius, a smarmy representative of the people, was especially fun to watch and listen to.

All in all, Shakespeare’s stor y of the rise, fall, rise again and f inal fall of an egotistical general will be great for Shakespeare’s fans and those willing to work at following the language will be rewarded by a f ine piece of cinema.

Pedro Almodovar’s film is worth a look if you want to engage in an examination of identity construction while watching Antonio Banderas as a brilliant, ambitious and utterly deranged plastic surgeon.

—SUBMITTED IMAGE

10

March 14, 2012

Arts & Entertainment Dark Fest shows a resurgence in horror genre

Dark Fest: Hobo with a Shotgun

Cory Hope

and Robert Rodriguez in 2007.

After winning the competition, Ω Arts and Entertainment Editor the Hobo With A Shotgun trailer was incorporated into the release of the When a hobo played by Rut- grindhouse films, and in 2010, filmger Hauer rides the rails into Hope ing began on the feature-length verTown to build himself a better life, sion.

It was the opening feature of Dark he finds a town overrun by crime.

Seeking only to buy himself a Fest 2012 in our very own Clocklawnmower so he can start his own tower Theatre.

While the attencompany and dance was sparse make an honest on Friday night, living, he instead there were enough finds himself on people there to a mission to clean provide a variety up the streets, of responses to the “one shell at a screening. time.”

At least one perThat’s essenson was laughing tially the plot of out loud with pure Hobo With A Shotdelight at the overgun, the Canadian the-top special efexploitation film fects, and I heard starring Rutger at least one person Hauer. say things along If you’re asking the line of, “Oh yourself who that my god. That’s is, I highly recawful,” at almost ommend you put precisely the same this paper down points. It’s grindright now and find house. yourself a copy of Rutger Hauer stars in the Splatter and The Hitcher.

2010 full-length feature gore is the name Not the 2007 re- version of a fake trailer of the game, and make but the origmade in 2007.

Hobo With A Shotinal 1986 version.

—SUBMITTED gun plays it really Sure the 2007 well. version is good, With its over-saturated film qualibut it doesn’t have Rutger Hauer in it, so watching that will not help ty and retro music and credits, Hobo With A Shotgun pays a wonderful clarify who Rutger Hauer is.

Hobo With A Shotgun is the fea- homage to the grindhouse films of ture-length film based on a fake the past.

It certainly isn’t a genre that is movie trailer of the same name.

The trailer was originally pro- ever going to appeal to the masses, duced for an international compe- but it’s a lot of fun for those who tition to promote the grindhouse are willing to sit back and enjoy revival films by Quentin Tarantino the ride.

Cory Hope

Ω Arts and Entertainment Editor In conjunction with the Kamloops Film Festival (see pages 8 and 9), the first annual Dark Fest also took place over the weekend of Mar. 9 and 10, featuring four feature-length films as well as a short film and a preview of director John Fallon’s upcoming film, Dead Shadows.

Although attendance was relatively low for the majority of the screenings, the resurgence in interest in horror films is tangible.

Having been generally turned off mainstream horror films for several years now, it’s an exciting time to see the genre coming back from the hyper-realistic torture-porn style of cinema that has been all the rage (no pun intended), and returning to a form of its former glory.

The exploitation, or grindhouse, style films are known for being gory, but the style of violence generally depicted within them is more cartoonish in nature, not taking itself seriously enough be offensive. They rely on splatter and effects that have a carnival ride appeal to them.

You might laugh out loud and be uncomfortable at the thought of what you just witnessed, but it’s not likely to be truly disturbing.

Okay, maybe the violence at the beginning of Deaden might be right up there as far as disturbing, but outside of that 10-minute period, Dark Fest was a joyride of good old-fashioned horror movie fun.

And that, to me anyway, is what horror films are supposed to be.

Scary is good, and gory is as well, but the adventure, the fear of the unknown thing that goes bump in the night, the monster under your bed that your parents are too afraid to truly look for lest

The TRU Clocktower was home to the first annual Dark Fest Mar. 9 and 10, showcasing some of the best grindhouse films going.

—PHOTO BY CORY HOPE

it should eat them whole — it’s all been missing, and has been exchanged for brutal graphic violence with the barest thread of a story to keep it all together.

In short, mainstream horror films just haven’t been any fun for quite a while now.

The good news is that the same brand of horror movies has never really gone away - it’s just been sitting on the sidelines for so long that it has been essentially forgotten about. Fans of the genre have long been chided for watching “B” grade films.

So many of the movies made within the horror genre have gone straight to video or DVD that it has become more of a habit to troll the Internet looking for information about the films and then go in pursuit of them online or in video stores than it is to wait for them to ever come into the theatre. (It has been increasingly difficult to find these films, but Movie Mart has you covered - be warned though, it’s probably in a section marked “Hair-standing-on-enders”

or something like that by now.)

It looks like the genre is getting the reboot.

With the ingenuity of independent filmmakers and the relatively inexpensive equipment that is available, more and more of the films are getting made, and if there wasn’t an increase in audience numbers as well, odds are many of the independents would never get made.

This genre of films might not make it back into the theatres in full force any time soon, but isn’t the model of the theatre suffering anyhow?

Maybe the horror genre has got it down right by keeping it smaller, and catering to their audience.

Maybe the films that are kept on the fringes will lead the way into the next big thing, and they can rule there until Hollywood comes over to mess things up again.

Editor’s note: See all four of Cory’s Dark Fest film reviews at theomega.ca.

Eastern Grey Squirrel • Native to eastern North America; now invading the Southern Interior of British Columbia!

• Ranked one of the Top 100 Invasive Species in the World.

• Look for: grey or black fur with a long bushy tail.

• See the website for more information.

Please report all sightings in the Thompson-Nicola at www.introsquirrel.ca or 1-855-468-7077.

Left: This photo was taken by flickr user JanetandPhil on December 3, 2011, in Wadsworth, Illinois.

Right: This photo was taken by flickr user magnificentfrigatebird on November 4, 2011 in Gemini Springs, Florida.

11

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

Dark Fest: Deaden Cory Hope

— vengeful. Certainly nothing that compares to the opening sequence, but some pretty disturbThe first eight minutes of ing things go down in the name Deaden have caused numerous of revenge during this movie.

While I have read several repeople to walk out of the theatre — most of them women. Dead- views of this movie, it seems en writer John Fallon explained that they are essentially dividthat to the crowd at Dark Fest ed into two camps: those who compared it to during a brief the production talk before the quality of multiscreening of his million dollar film, claiming movies and comthat after the plained about it, first eight minand those who utes were over, saw beyond the it settles down production qualand becomes a ity and saw the more mellow story for what it film, and that was. he’d appreciate The latter it if everyone camp, generally would give it a speaking, enchance. joyed the movie.

If I said the At a time first eight minwhen big-budget utes were brumovies have betally violent, come so banal I might be unthat I can hardly derstating it.

This is not the Those who make it past the be bothered to go to the theatre feel-good movie first 10 minutes of Deaden of the summer, are in for a treat for the last more than about four or five the sleeper hit, hour-plus.

—SUBMITTED times per year, it or something to is refreshing to show the kids.

What Deaden is, however, is an see storytelling like Deaden.

I’d like to see what Fallon imaginative take on the revenge film, shot on a shoestring bud- could do with some serious figet over 13 days. It does to the nancial backing behind him, revenge film what Clerks did to but until Hollywood decides to the comedy: it proves you don’t start making new movies again, need huge financial backing to instead of focusing on “safe” remakes and sequels, I’ll just have make your movie work.

After the first eight minutes, to steer clear of the theatres.

That’s okay, though. It might Deaden does calm down, but perhaps not to the degree of be- be a bit more difficult to find the independent films, but more ofing “mellow.”

In fact, some of the kills made ten than not it’s worth the extra later on in the film are quite effort.

Ω Arts and Entertainment Editor

If you’d like to review a film (either at the KFF or any other time) get in touch with us.

Contact Mike at editorofomega@gmail.com

Arts & Entertainment Dark Fest: Skew Cory Hope

ing the stor y.

The other impor tant aspect of Skew that separates it from the It’s about time something genre of “found footage” f ilm is good came out of The Blair that it’s actually a really good, Witch Project. Skew director/ creepy f ilm.

The production quality seems writer/editor/producer Sevé Schelenz became inspired to to be better than what it should make Skew after seeing Blair be half of the time as well, especially during Witch, and in scenes where my opinion he the camera has blew it out of been left on a the water. table and is reSkew is the cording without stor y of three the characters’ friends who knowledge. head out on a While the road trip to go acting in these to a wedding, types of f ilms but f ind themusually plays selves plagued out a little bit by misfor tune too much like along the way. actors acting Simon (played like they’re

by Rob Scattr ying act like tergood) has they’re not acpurchased a tors acting but video camera regular people to record their in front of a adventures on Skew has managed to friend’s camera, the trip. After change our arts and which makes seeing strange entertainment editor’s them slightly things happen thoughts on first-person u n c o m fo r t a ble , through the filmmaking.

—SUBMITTED the cast of Skew camera, Simon comes off as star ts to become more intrigued and more depen- completely natural for the majority of the f ilm. dent on the camera.

Skew opened my mind to the Unlike many of the f ilms shot through the point of view genre of f irst-person f ilms, of a Handycam over the last which I have never enjoyed up ten years or so, Skew is not a until this point.

Schelenz has taken what I “found footage” f ilm. It is a stor y told through the camera, but thought was something of a the camera is used as a vehicle pointless fad and legitimized it.

Maybe I’m just late jumpand a character.

Rather than simply being a ing on the bandwagon, but I’d bunch of footage found on the like to think I was just waiting camera, the camera itself be- for something wor thwhile, and comes an impor tant par t of tell- Skew is it.

Ω Arts and Entertainment Editor

12

March 14, 2012

Life & Community

Big Dreams Big Ideas about to take off?

New website for innovators looks to change the way products are developed Taylor Rocca Ω Roving Editor

Big Dreams Big Ideas is a new online community for aspiring inventors and creative minds.

Dean Horsfield is the chief executive officer and creative innovator at Big Dreams Big Ideas. A recent graduate from the University of Calgary, Horsfield first came upon the idea for Big Dreams Big Ideas when he came across Starbuck’s mystarbucksidea.com.

The overarching shared concept behind both Big Dreams Big Ideas and My Starbucks Idea is that consumers are provided with a means to communicate with the company and suggest product ideas.

“What an empowering position to be able to say something and a company is willing to listen,” Horsfield said.

Big Dreams Big Ideas allows users to suggest product ideas and concepts to the online community at www.bigdreamsbigideas.ca. The platform allows users to comment on what they like or dislike about submitted concepts.

“Every great idea starts with a problem,” Horsfield said.

Users vote on concepts that they like. At the end of each week, the concept receiving the most votes moves on to a finalist round where it eventually goes head-to-head with other popular concepts.

A quick flip through the website shows a great variety of different product ideas. Currently in the finalist category are ideas such

as a solar-powered cellphone battery charger, a digital touch photo frame that allows users to crop and edit photos, a pedal-powered mobile charging station for electronics and a gym lock that uses a fingerprint to unlock.

The creative innovator of the winning concept that emerges from the finalist round receives a $1,000 tuition credit (or cash prize if they are not a student). A 10 to 30 per cent revenue share of the product is also awarded to the creative innovator.

Once the concept has been voted a winner, it goes into production and eventually ends up for sale online.

The online community is free to join. The only cost involved at any point in the process is when it comes to submitting product concepts and ideas. It costs $10 for a user to submit an idea. The cost isn’t in place to nickel and dime users according to Horsfield, it’s simply there to ensure that users have put good time and thought into their idea. It also helps to cut down on any potential spam that the site might receive.

If you’re a real go-getter but you don’t want to pay the $10 concept submission fee, Horsfield said that he gladly gives out free coupon codes to users that go out of their way to communicate with him on Facebook or via email.

“We’re trying to give back as much as we can [to users] while still being a viable business,” Horsfield said.

For young inventors and creative innovators, Big Dreams Big Ideas provides an opportunity to build a portfolio and receive constructive feedback on ideas.

Steve Billings is an engineering student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a user of the Big Dreams Big Ideas website.

“I met the creator of the website on campus at UBC,” Billings said via email.

“At first I thought he was trying to sell me something, but he convinced me that I should at least check out the site.”

Billings went on to submit an idea that would be voted into the finalist category, the digital photo frame mentioned earlier.

“I like the fact that anyone can submit an idea,” Billings said. “I would way rather see products hit shelves that were created and designed by students and other creative people, not just corporate big wigs.

“If the site takes off, it could become a really influential concept.”

While it may just be an infant in the realm of creative engineering and product development, Big Dreams Big Ideas is aiming to be a significant player in the near future.

With an interesting concept that promotes consumer communication and input, it will be interesting to watch this service upon its full launch.

Currently in beta mode, Big Dreams Big Ideas will launch completely this September.

That’s what you said

Community Calendar Wednesday,

Saturday, Mar. 17

• Arts Colloquium Series Dr. Sandra Vermeulen CAC 314 (CURA offices) 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• TRU PAC Pan African Club hosts Africa Day

Mar. 14

• Do it in the Dark Party hosted by TRU Eco Club.

Live music in candlelight and free pizza & smoothies to raise environmental awareness 7 p.m.

The Terrace, CAC

Thursday, Mar. 15 • StickyBuds live at Cactus Jacks Night Club $5 cover

Know of upcoming events the student body should be aware of?

Get them in the calendar for free!

Contact: editorofomega@gmail.com “Community calendar” in the subject line will help ensure they get to the campus community.

Friday, Mar. 16 • TRUSU India Club presents Festival of Colours (Rang de Basanti) 6:30 p.m. to midnight TRU Gymnasium

For this week’s issue, we patrolled the grounds looking for your answers to this question:

Would you pay for parking at the university if the rates go up?

FUNDING...from p. 5 Cindy Seto

Cody Rose

Finona Brown

“I [already] take the bus....You get to be more adventurous, you get to take your time.”

“No, I would probably take the bus. I think three [dollars] is pretty high.”

“I think three dollars is pretty steep right now.

“I’m shocked that they would even consider [raising parking fees].”

Fine Arts

Business

Arts

That’s right, we’re getting you involved

To get even more involved, contact editorofomega@gmail.com

She went on to say that the budget also falls short on financial aid for students, and that an NDP government would reinstate a needs-based grant program that was axed in 2005.

Rober Clift, the executive director of the Canadian Federation of University Faculty Associations of B.C., said that post-secondary institutions face greater inf lationary pressures than other sectors of the economy.

“Prices for things like journals, scientific equipment, laboratory supplies ... the inf lation rates for those types of goods and services increases at a faster rate than the general price index,” he said.

Clift was suspect of the government’s claim that funding cuts won’t affect students.

“They said that the cuts can’t come at the expense of services to students, which is laudable, but impossible,” he said. “Students are going to feel this one way or another.”

Clift went on to say that while lay-offs are unlikely at universities, one way that savings may be found is by departments not rehiring for vacancies.

“So it’s not that a faculty member gets laid off, but a department that was maybe looking to hire somebody won’t do that hiring now. When we can’t reduce services to students, we can’t cut the number of sections, so what we do [is] we try to hire sessional instructors to do that job.”

13

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

Sports

University hockey championship coming to Kamloops Nathan Crosby Ω Sports Editor

The Wolf Pack hockey team is hoping the home crowd will finally help it win its first championship after back-to-back heartbreakers to SFU the past two years.

The BCIHL Championships hosted by Kamloops and Thompson Rivers University this weekend at the Memorial Arena will be the last chance veteran centre David Gore has to win the school’s first title.

“It’s super exciting because it’s my last year,” Gore said.

“We’ve been a team that has played really well at home and it gives us home ice advantage.”

Gore, along with defenceman Cody Lockwood, forward Jassi Sangha and Captain Andrew Fisher, have been with the program since it joined the BCIHL in 2009, and all are hoping for a dream ending; winning the title in the Kamloops Memorial Arena.

“It means a lot for the program itself, it’s a big honour to host the league tournament,” Lockwood said.

“We’ve had our slide. Our guys weren’t 100 per cent but they still played and they didn’t get better. Regular season is over. It is what it is.”

The Wolf Pack enters the tournament as the third seed, after finishing the season with 12 wins, eight loses and four ties.

Down the stretch, the team lost four of its last six games and was hampered by sickness.

“It’s not how we want to go in,” Gore said last week after

getting out of an early class.

Earlier, his teammate Lockwood made a joke that Gore is always at school. Both are assistant captains and both are from Kamloops.

Gore was one of the Wolf Pack players that caught the f lu back in early February.

WolfPack captain Andrew Fisher (Photo courtesy of TRU Athletics)

“We had quite a few guys that were really sick, not to make too many excuses.

“We are starting to look pretty healthy. One guy had bronchitis, then all of a sudden, three, four guys are sick and by the next week we had eight, nine guys missing practice.

“It went through our team hard and lasted a long time. Everything looks good now and I think we are all feeling good.”

The ‘Pack will get its tournament started with the surprising Okanagan College Coyotes on Mar. 14, a team that has given TRU a lot of trouble this year.

The Coyotes won the season series, winning twice and tying once. TRU beat Okanagan once on Jan. 21 in Kelowna 4-3.

“It’s a matter of who’s going to show up, who’s going to put in 100 per cent and who’s going to play 60 minutes to win the game,” Lockwood said. “This is a whole new season starting right now.”

Eastern Washington and Victoria kick off the tournament at 4 p.m. on Mar. 14. The winner will play number one-seeded SFU on Mar. 15. If TRU wins its opening game against Okanagan, it will get a day off before a late Friday night match-up with possibly SFU if things go as they should.

“We showed that we can turn it on,” David Gore said.

“That home game against SFU, we really played well and we carried the play. It was our best game of the season.

“When our team wants to dominate we can dominate. It all comes down to one game, so it’s tough to say. It’s not always the best team wins.”

Gore knows by experience that the best team doesn’t always win. TRU went into last year’s tournament as the one-seed, and the year before as the two-seed.

With a healthy lineup and one last chance for many of the players to win a championship, the table is set for TRU to end its season in dramatic fashion.

Editor’s note: Check the schedule and get out to see some TRU hockey as they host the league championships at Memorial Arena on Victoria St.

2012 BCIHL Championships Kamloops, BC *All Games at Memorial Arena Game 1: Wed. March 14, 4 p.m.

Eastern Washington vs. Victoria Game 2: Wed. March 14, 7:30 p.m.

Thompson Rivers vs. Okanagan College Game 3: Thur. March 15, 4 p.m. game 1 Loser vs. game 2 loser Game 4: Thur. March 15, 7:30 p.m. game 1 Winner vs. Simon Fraser Game 5: Fri. March 16, 4 p.m. game 4 loser vs. game 3 Winner Game 6: Fri. March 16, 7:30 p.m. game 2 winner vs. game 4 winner Game 7: Sat. March 17, 7:30 p.m. game 6 Loser vs. game 5 winner

Championship: Sun. Mar. 18 3 p.m. game 7 winner vs. game 6 winner

TRU and SFU rivalry writing a new chapter Nathan Crosby Ω Sports Editor

Ask any WolfPack hockey player about SFU and they will try not to cringe too hard.

SFU and TRU have met consecutively in the last two BCIHL finals and each time the Clan was able to deny the ‘Pack its first hockey championship.

“This rivalry that might only be three years old seems like it’s been around for a hundred,” SFU head coach Mark Colletta said last week over the phone.

“Our guys love the fact that it’s being hosted by TRU. We love the fact that there is this rivalry.”

The BCIHL Championships get going this weekend at the Kamloops Memorial Arena, and once again the WolfPack and the Clan

WolfPack Centre David Gore (Photo courtesy of TRU Athletics)

are two of the top three teams to a place TRU didn’t fare well in this year, losing 7-3. In total, the ‘Pack beat.

TRU lost to SFU 2-1 in the 2010 surrendered 14 goals in two games championships and again in last at SFU. “There’s definitely a good rivalry year’s BCIHL final 5-2.

Needless to say, the target is on built up,” WolfPack centre David Gore said. the backs of the “It goes to a SFU team, with different level TRU having the when we play biggest motivathem in terms of tion to stop the intensity.”

Clan from winThe pressure ning its third will be on SFU championship in to repeat but they a row. will have to do it “We know the in a building they target, or the haven’t played bull’s eye I guess particularly well you could say, in this year, is pretty big on considering the our sweater with WolfPack haven’t respect to every forgotten the past. other team in “Essentially the league that’s WolfPack defenceman Cody it’s anybody’s gunning for us Lockwood (Photo courtesy tournament but and we take that of TRU Athletics) I want to play in at face value,” the finals against Colletta said.

“Why wouldn’t you want to be in SFU,” WolfPack defenceman Cody Lockwood said. that spot?”

“Everyone knows the history beThis year’s SFU team only lost two games in regulation. TRU and tween our two teams and I want to SFU’s first date this season ended play them in the finals. There are a in a 7-4 loss for the WolfPack on few guys on that team that I want to the road. The next meeting on Oct. beat.”

SFU hopes to arrive in Kamloops on 22 resulted in a 2-2 tie at the MemoThursday morning. Head coach Mark rial Arena on Oct. 28.

The two teams didn’t meet again Colletta was unsure if they would be until Feb. 3, in what was credited able to get a skate in before their first as the game of the year. The ‘Pack game on that same night against either won 5-4 in front of a boisterous Victoria or Eastern Washington.

“We have some injuries; we have crowd at home.

The final meeting occurred on some guys who are hurting,” accordFeb. 25 at the Bill Copeland Arena, ing to Colletta.

Last year’s WolfPack hockey team fell just short of their goal, and this years’ hopes to make amends for that.

“At this point of the season, that separates the better teams from the teams that don’t get there.”

This tournament has the makings of a great story if SFU and TRU meet in a third straight championship game, but coach Colletta isn’t worried about his team collapsing under the weight of being the team to beat. “You embrace the pressure,” he said.

“As a player and a coach, you want to be in that position, you want to be in that spotlight and have that pressure.

— OMEGA FILE PHOTO

“I think it’s a different kind of pressure when it comes to winning and losing.”

Since joining the BCIHL, the ‘Pack are 4-6-2 against SFU in regular season play, and 2-2 in tournament play against each other.

“I think everybody wants to see a TRU/SFU final on that Sunday and I think the fans we’ve been gaining over the last two years want to see that too,” Colletta said.

The first possible meeting for the teams could be Friday night if both win their opening matches.

14

March 14, 2012

Science & Technology

Squirrel invasion!

Brendan Kergin Ω News Editor

Squirrels, while retaining their place as one of the cutest animals out there, are not all nut-nibbling fuzzy warmness.

Some of them are invaders from another land. These are called Eastern Grey Squirrels.

Dr. Karl Larsen, an ecology professor at TRU, is helping co-ordinate an effort to at least document the arrival of the invasive species.

“At this point we’re just trying to see how many are there and where are they?

That’s all we can do right now,” said Dr. Larsen.

The Eastern Grey Squirrel is from Ontario and the eastern American seaboard according to Dr. Larsen.

While that is where they originate, there is a large population around the lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

There are a couple reasons for the spread of the grey squirrels.

One is that they do well in urban and suburban areas, as they eat virtually anything.

Also, they’re from an area where forests are mainly leafy trees, which they have an easier time climbing. Since people tend

take over all the mountainous forests around here because [the forests] are just pure conifer and [the grey squirrels] don’t do well in pure conifer.” said Dr. Larsen.

“They’re a much bigger squirrel, so the branches don’t tend to hold them up very well whereas the little red squirrels can move around on those branches to cut the cones.”

He expects that the greys will do well in the valleys were people live or farm.

To keep track of the number of Eastern Grey Squirrels in the area Dr. Larsen is part of a group of scientists setting up a reporting system for

—Dr. Karl Larsen people to tell them when and them to live in close proximity where they see the greys.

“We’re a coalition of people, to each other.

This is all fairly different than scientists, concerned about the the local squirrels native to Ka- appearance of these animals in mloops. The red squirrels seen the BC interior,” said Dr. Larslocally, even on campus, are en.

“There’s people in ministry smaller and have fairly different behaviour, such as being very offices in the Okanagan and Kamloops and Victoria, but I guess territorial.

While the grey squirrel may right now their just supporting take over some of the reds’ habi- me as I try to get a handle on tat, Dr. Larsen isn’t too con- where they are.”

If people would like to report cerned that the grey will completely take over the reds’ range. an Eastern Grey Squirrel visit “I think it’s safe to say the introsquirrel.ca or call 1-855eastern greys aren’t going to 468-7077 to plant leafy trees, this creates an ideal habitat.

The Eastern Grey Squirrels also have a breeding pattern that would make even rabbits jealous.

It might only take three or four to arrive in an area to establish a population, said Dr. Larsen.

On top of that, they’re a nonterritorial animal, allowing

“At this point we’re just

trying to see how many there are, and where are they?”

New Mozilla add-on shows who’s tracking you Collusion illustrates how web browsing is tracked by third parties Tim O’Brien

The Muse (Memorial University) ST JOHN’S (CUP) — On Feb. 28, Mozilla CEO Gary Kovaks announced the introduction of Collusion — an experimental add-on for the Firefox web browser that allows users to see how they are being tracked online by third parties.

Developed as a prototype by Atul Varma, Collusion will show, in real time, how a network of interaction is created by companies and other trackers.

“Collusion will allow us to pull back the curtain and provide users with more information about the growing role of third parties, how data drives most web experiences, and ultimately how little control we have over that experience and our loss of data,” Kovaks said in a blog post.

Mozilla has created an online demo of Collusion to show how user data ends up in the possession of several companies as users move through sites such as the Internet Movie Database, the Huff-

campaigners, stating, “When we launch the full version of Collusion, it will allow you to opt-in to sharing your anonymous data in a global database of web tracker data.

We’ll combine all that information and make it available to help researchers, journalists, and others [to] analyze and explain how data is tracked on the web.”

Mozilla states that not all tracking is bad, but that most tracking happens without users’ consent and without their knowledge.

“Few people realize the extent to which the tracking of our online activities is occurring, and

—Gary Kovaks, CEO, Mozilla who is doing it.

“At best, it would make most interactive diagram to show how uncomfortable. And at its worst, it website visits are tracked by com- makes many of us outraged, particularly those of us who are parpanies.

At the basic level, Collusion en- ents,” said Kovacs.

Collusion’s launch came just ables users to see the interactions between sites they browse and the two days before Google’s new advertising, marketing, and ana- privacy policy was activated, lytic services that can be used by which combines users’ history across all Google products, givthose sites.

Mozilla aims to build up a da- ing them more data to work with tabase of behavioural trackers in making better assumptions and make it available for privacy for advertisers. ington Post, and the New York Times.

Collusion currently taps into information from privacychoice. org to explicitly identify sites that engage in behavioural tracking.

With data drawn from users’ browser cookies — information that a website puts on your hard drive for future reference — and web history, the add-on creates an

“We’ll combine all that

information and make it available for researchers, journalists and others...”

Solar flare blackout

Explosions on the Sun’s surface knock out University of Saskatchewan radar network Daryl Hofmann The Sheaf (U of S)

SASK ATOON (CUP) — A blast of energetic par ticles from the sun collided with Ear th early on Mar. 8, causing disr uptions in all four of the University of Saskatchewan’s SuperDARN radars.

SuperDARN, or Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, is an inter national system of over 20 radars operating together and looking into the polar regions of the Ear th.

The U of S controls four SuperDARN radars: one in Saskatoon, one in Prince George, B.C. and two situated in the arctic.

“All of our radars in the last day or two have been receiving no data, they’ve been blacked out,” said Kathr yn McWilliams, a physics professor who specializes in analyzing the radar network.

The blackouts were due to the largest solar stor m to hit Ear th since 2006, McWilliams said.

Earlier in the week, an explosion on the Sun’s surface sent massive clouds of par ticles — resembling bubbles — racing outward into space.

“We just happened to be in the path of this thing,” McWilliams said.

As the stor m reached Ear th, the par ticles interacted with the upper atmosphere and the magnetic f ield, which lead to repor ts of aurora activity dar ting from the Nor th Pole to Canada

and dipping into the nor ther n United States.

But McWilliams said the magnetic activity can also result in damaged power grids and cause GPS systems to misalign.

“I believe GPS was probably quite strongly affected in the last day or two, because the communications between [satellites] and the ground have to go through the atmosphere,” McWilliams said.

“So when the stor m is enhanced, radio waves tend to bend a bit more so your position is off.”

Explosions on the sun, or solar f lares, gradually increase in 11-year cycles. At peak level, Ear th will absorb two or three solar stor ms per year. The last peak period was in 2001 or 2002, McWilliams said.

“We should be getting more of these things happening as it has been unusually quiet even though we are getting close to the maximum activity period.”

McWilliams says the SuperDARN radar system allows scientists to capture large-scale voltage readings from miles above the surface to examine what happens when solar wind reaches Ear th’s atmosphere.

“We’r tr ying to understand the physics of the coupling between the solar wind, the Ear th’s magnetic f ields and the upper atmosphere,” said McWilliams.

“Unfor tunately, this time, because of the operational prob-

Puzzle of the week Puzzle of the Week #18 – Alphabet Sets The letters of the alphabet have been divided into three sets. Each letter is in only one set. Determine the membership rule for each set.

1. E, M, W 2. C, I, L, O, S, U 3. the rest of the letters 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@ocis.net>. Submissions by others are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in the Math Centre (HL210A). Come visit: we are friendly.

15

The Omega · Volume 21, Issue 23

Coffee Break 3

2

5

8

9 6 2

4

8 7

5

8 7

2 4

2 9 7 6 5 4 6 7 1 5 9 7 3 SUDOWEB.COM

8 4

6 3 5 3

3 9

2

5

4

sudokuhard

6

7

7

9 1

8

3 6 9 1

7

1 2 SUDOWEB.COM

last week’s answers easy

hard

4

5

1

9

2

7

6

2

8

2

4

1

5

8

6

3

7

9

6

8

9

1

5

3

7

4

2

7

8

9

1

3

2

4

6

5

2

7

3

8

4

6

9

5

1

6

3

5

9

4

7

1

2

8

1

6

8

7

9

4

5

2

3

5

1

8

3

7

9

2

4

6

9

4

5

3

6

2

1

8

7

4

2

6

8

1

5

7

9

3

3

2

7

5

1

8

4

6

9

9

7

3

6

2

4

8

5

1

7

1

2

4

8

5

3

9

6

1

6

2

7

9

3

5

8

4

8

9

4

6

3

1

2

7

5

3

5

4

2

6

8

9

1

7

5

3

6

2

7

9

8

1

4

8

9

7

4

5

1

6

3

2

Across 1. ___ Eaters 5. Mail place (abbr.)

8. Barely enough 13. Auld lang syne 14. Billy or night 15. Dungeon & Dragons creature 16. “Our Time in ___” (10,000 Maniacs album) 17. Mercury, for one 18. Absinthe flavoring 19. Fast airship 22. Egyptian fertility goddess 23. An end to sex?

24. Follower of Dionysus 27. “___ Loves You” (1964 hit) 29. Far from ruddy 33. Accused’s need 34. Civil rights org.

36. “MS. Found in a Bottle” writer 37. Devoted astrologers 40. Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir.

41. ___ Pudding 42. Cotton fabric 43. “Buona ___” (Italian greeting) 45. Doris or Alice 46. Polish rolls 47. Hawaiian dish 49. 007 50. Energetic scientists

58. Give extreme unction to 59. Ace 60. “O Sanctissima,” e.g.

61. Conundrum 62. Phone connection 63. Circular course 64. Arrogant ones 65. Ground cover 66. Beach, basically Down 1. Court call 2. Birdbrain 3. Sundae topper, perhaps 4. Chinese currency 5. Gurgling sounds 6. Idiot 7. “O” in old radio lingo 8. Comes (to) 9. Auteur’s art 10. Angle between the stem and the leaf 11. Not yet final, at law 12. Stripling 14. Jackal, e.g.

20. “Four Essays on Liberty” author Berlin 21. Allotment 24. Confusing places 25. “___ in the Dark” 26. Downy duck 27. Off-color

28. Unclear 30. Pamper too much 31. With intensity 32. Pro votes 34. Discovery grp.

35. Applying tar 38. Spain’s Gulf of ___ 39. Millstones 44. Computer term 46. Aqua vitae, e.g.

48. Bond inspections 49. ___ Melon 50. Nukes 51. Knowing, as a secret 52. 100 centavos 53. Hooters Its quarter says “Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers” 54.

55. ___ bean 56. Beach bird 57. Coaster L A P P

U R E A

S I N S

R E C A P

E V A D E

S E P I A

F L A B

R I C E

A N A L

T A N S T A F E E R I T E U P L E I L C O I T

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

G E N I U S I D E S M E T

U S I A N G S E T A D L D A T Y A C A O R A B

N E A R

D E V A

O P E D

O D I U M

C E N T O

A R G O N

R I L E

O A T S

B L O T

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

sudokueasy

6

MYLES MELLOR and SALLY YORK

9 1

crossword

6

“Catching Some Zs”

Notice anything wrong with The Omega? Bring it to our attention and win a prize. We may have done it on purpose just to keep you on your toes...or you might just be helping us get better. Either way... you win!

16

March 14, 2012

TRUSU Membership Advisory ELECTION NOTICE Nomination pacakges can be picked up and dropped off at the Members’ Services Desk in the Students’ Union Building

Check out trusu.ca for more information Nominations open March 7 at 9:00AM and close March 14 at 4:00PM

Ban Bottled water Come by Old Main on Wednesday March 29th between 10am and 2pm Get a reusable water bottle and sign the pledge to ban the sale of bottled water on campus

Story Teller's Gala Grand Hall • March 15 • 10am-2:30pm Join the TRUSU Aboriginal Collective for the Story Teller’s Gala. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to guichon@trusu.ca Workshops include: • Pine-Needle Basket Weaving • Post-Secondary Student Support Program • Performers TRUSU ABORIGINAL • Keynote Speaker Pamela Palmater

Post-Secondary Education Fact:

More than a dozen campuses across Canada have banned the sale of bottled water

This Week: • Do it in the Dark • Rang de Basanti • African Gala Night • Graffiti Dinner Party • All Candidates Forum • Council Meeting Check out the Events Calendar at trusu.ca for details!

Log on to trusu.ca and get connected!

• Subscribe to the Newsletter • Join us on facebook • Follow us on Twitter

Advocacy | Services | Entertainment