A profile of TRU was featured in The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report released Oct. 22. But the report wasn’t necessarily a good thing for the school.

The profiles are informed by the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE), which TRU was last a part of in 2011. The report of the survey results suggested that students at TRU complained most over few internships and co-op opportunities, and rated their education less favourably than the average.

The report categorizes TRU as specializing in applied or vocational learning and undergraduate education, and notes that the school has performed higher than average in some sections of the NSSE and that it caters to non-traditional students.

The Globe named TRU the “accessible education pioneer” and emphasized TRU as an open learning university.

Associate VP academic Katherine Sutherland was “extremely proud” to see TRU highlighted as accessible, but doubts the report does the value of accessibility any justice.

“I’m definitely not disappointed to be represented in that way. I’m disappointed that the reporters don’t seem to understand why it’s a good thing,” she said. “They don’t get it.”

Sutherland said TRU’s value for accessibility allows students to enter university even without a high school diploma, and can also see them go on to apply for law school. The interdisciplinary studies program, which is highlighted in the profile and Sutherland helped draft, allows student to transfer credits from trades or vocational studies into academic programs. The value of such programs isn’t well-represented in the profile, she said.

“It’s easy to teach social justice. It’s a completely different thing to live social justice every day, and by opening our doors whether [students] are privileged or not, we practice social justice,” Sutherland said.

The profile states limited course offerings as a con, particularly in the arts faculty, but TRU’s interim dean of arts doesn’t agree.

“I think we offer a wide variety of courses in programs, and I think we are continually developing courses,” Sandra Vermeulen said. “We have to keep in mind our size.”

Vermeulen said she thinks TRU does very well at what it does offer, and is very responsive to demand for changes. She also said TRU is a very comprehensive university and couldn’t recall why it would be referred to as having program gaps.

Sutherland said that the report seems to be Ontario-centric and favours the G15 universities, which she said are concerned with hierarchy and cater to high-achieving privileged students.

“I look at other universities that skim off the top five per cent of high school achievers and then talk about their success rate,” she said. “Well, I should hope so.”

Sutherland also noted that TRU students are just as successful after coming in with lower credentials.

The OmegaThompson Rivers University’s Independent Student Newspaper Ω

News Editorial & Opinion Life & Community Arts & Entertainment Sports

Both WolfPack soccer teams take provincials Pg. 11

Canadian University Report misses the mark: TRU admins

The Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report was released on Oct. 22 but faculty don’t necessarily think it does TRU justice. (Sean Brady/The Omega)

Peter Arthur has been supporting open access literature since 2004 and helped UBC Okanagan form a position statement sup-porting open access. ( Jessica Klymchuk/The Omega)

Volume 23, Issue 9october 30, 2013

Page 3 Pages 5, 8 Pages 6, 7 Page 11

The TRU library is looking towards a new model for resources, but there’s a long road ahead.

Unlike traditional published works, open access literature is digital, online, free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. There are currently 10,000 open access academic journals.

Free online access could revolutionize the production and distribution of research globally and radically change the culture of publishing research.

Director of the centre for teaching and learning at UBC Okanagan, Peter Arthur has been promoting open access since 2004 and visited TRU on Oct. 22 to discuss open access. Around 15 people took part in the discussion,

many of them TRU librarians.“Imagine how the world would

change. What would happen if every person could access all scholarly research?” Arthur asked.

He also asked if the traditional publishing model was working. The librarians’ answer was no.

“Journal costs are going up far more than inf lation, and our funding is standing still, so we are forced to make decisions about what to keep and what to cancel and that’s not benefiting our academic community,” librarian Penny Haggarty said.

“Wouldn’t it make sense that there should be more money for research if we didn’t have to pay so much for subscriptions?”

Current publishing model not benefiting libraries

Ω News EditorJessica Klymchuk

Pages 1, 2

Ω News EditorJessica Klymchuk

See ALUMNI, Pg. 2

See UBCO Pg. 2

October 30, 20132

The traditional model is driven by profit and is based on a subscription fee model where journals have subscribers, such as libraries. Academics receive funding from the government through their institution, which comes from the taxpayers. The researcher provides the content to the publisher and it undergoes peer review. Once it’s published, the libraries (and ultimately the institutions) have to buy it back from the publisher.

“A lot of people are questioning that model,” Arthur said.

Open access models include the gold model in which journals make all of their articles free online, the green model in which authors publish in any journal but make a draft article available in an institutional repository and the hybrid model in which authors pay traditional journals for their article to be open access.

Arthur has been involved with the Public Knowledge Project since 2004, which works to create opportunities for open access. It created open journal software that provides a low-cost way of creating journals online and it hosts 5,000 journals worldwide. UBC Okanagan created position statement endorsing open access on campus that took effect last April.

Arthur referred to open access literature as the “democratization of knowledge.” It would democratize access to scholarly output, he said.

The advantage would be a level playing field amongst post-secondary institutions that can’t afford the same resources. With TRU being one of the least-funded libraries in the province, open access could revolutionize the kind of material the TRU community has access to.

While there is a lot of doubt surrounding the traditional model, open access has barriers that will require a shift in academic culture.

The tenure of faculty is inf luenced by the quality of publications their work is associated with, and open access poses doubts when it comes to quality. Arthur says there are good and poor open access journals just as there are traditional journals.

Because publishers are benefiting from the profit-driven model, TRU university librarian Brenda Mathenia suggested that the university will have to start cancelling high-profile subscriptions to get their point across.

“If we are going to change the system, we have to do something at some point. It can’t happen with everything, but sometimes we have to exert our power as buyers and producers,” she said.

UBC Okanagan is following a green model, which is what TRU is aiming for. cIRcle, described on its website as UBC’s digital repository for research and teaching materials, was created by the UBC community. The materials in the repository are openly accessible to anyone with internet access, and UBC encourages its faculty to deposit a copy of their research into the repository for the community to access without subscriptions.

However, the first step will be creating a position statement or mandate for open access.

At UBC Okanagan, the students acted as advocates that helped form the university’s position statement. It was suggested that change will only happen with support from either the students or administration and not necessarily from the middle.

For now, Haggarty said TRU is starting at square one.

UBCO follows “green model” TRU also hopes to gain from

News

While the profile names a pro for TRU as being near holiday destination Shuswap Lake, Sutherland suggests a better pro would be the opportunities TRU provides for its students.

Sutherland said she thinks students are “unfortunately” reading these reports, but suggested that alumni would be better sources for learning what TRU has to offer.

Vermeulen said she thinks students are getting their information from social media outlets rather than reports like the one from The Globe.

“Every ranking system has its limitations, because if you’re a university like us that’s doing something totally cutting edge they don’t know how to deal with you,” Sutherland said. “These ranking systems are totally square peg round hole. We don’t want to be like everyone else, so therefore when we’re being measured against everyone else and with very traditional measures they just don’t know what to do with us.”

“I don’t think those ranking systems are relevant for any university that is trying to be cutting edge.”

Alumni would be better than reports for feedback: VP academic

UBCO director of the centre for teaching and learning Peter Arthur explains how the green model they follow could benefit TRU academics and researchers. ( Jessica Klymchuk/The Omega)

FrOM CUrreNT, Pg. 1

Associate vice president academic Katherine Sutherland doesn’t think the

Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report does TRU’s accessibility justice. ( Jessica Klymchuk/The Omega)

Community cornerThe Omega believes strongly that, as a society,

we need to look out for each other and help those around us whenever possible. It is only through cooperation and coaction that we build and retain strength as a whole.

It is with this in mind that we will be offering a

“Community Corner” in the upcoming publishing year, where we will advertise one fundraising or other community effort each week.

Email editor@truomega.ca with your event or cause and our editorial staff will choose one group to feature each week.

Kamloops Homelessness Action Plan and Life Skills Network recently launched a new workshop series called My Place, resulting from the collaboration of over 15 local

community agencies.located at 386 Tranquille Road, free workshops are hosted by Claire Macleod, the Life Skills

Coordinator for the Kamloops Homlessness Action Plan, and facilitated by a variety of agency staff who are members of the Life Skills Network.

The workshops provide food, community information, service referrals and bus tickets. They are free to attend and open to the public.

Doors open at 2:15pm on Thursday afternoons

Workshops are hosted from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, contact Macleod at 250-320-7945

TRUSU women’s representative Olivia Skagos aimed to show students the prevalence of gender inequality in films with a screening of The Help on Oct. 22 in the TRUSU lecture hall. The screening was the first part of TRUSU’s Bechdel test film series.

According to Skagos, the Bechdel test analyzes movies based on three criteria: the movie must have two female characters, the female characters must have a conversation with each other and the conversation must not be about a man.

“When I first heard about this test, I didn’t think this was that big of an issue,” Skagos said.

Upon investigating her own collection of movies, Skagos realized that a significant amount of them didn’t pass the test.

According to a study from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, called “Gender Inequality in 500 Popular Films,” females were “grossly under-represented on-screen in 2012,” featured in only 28 per cent of speaking roles.

The study analyzed 500 top-grossing movies, 100 for each year from 2007 to 2012. It found that female characters in 2012 were more likely to be sexualized than males.

Thirty-one per cent of females were partially naked in movies, compared to only 9.4 per cent of men.

For females 13 to 20, 55.6 per cent wore “sexually revealing attire,” compared to 33.9 per cent of females age 21-39 and only 16.4 per cent of females age 40-64. Females age 13 to 20 also had the highest percentage of partial and full nudity at 55.8 per cent.

The study states that the female roles per age category suggest a “sell-by date” for female actors. It found that women 21 to 39 held the majority of female on-screen roles at 54 per cent, compared to men of the same age at 44 per cent. Women age 40 to 64, had 23 per cent of on screen roles, whereas men of the same age had 36 per cent. The lowest percentage for female roles were for women 65 and older, at 3.7 per cent, compared to men of the same age at 5.5 per cent.

The study also revealed a gender imbalance behind the camera. “Only 16.7 per cent of the 1,228 directors, writers, and producers [were] female across the 100 top-grossing films of 2012.”

Skagos said she hopes the Bechdel test film series will show a large variety of films on campus that aren’t as male-centric in order to create an empowering message that leaves students with a good feeling.

Skagos said approximately 15 students came to the screening of The Help.

“Midsized groups like the one we got are great for post-film discussion, and it lends itself to creating a really positive group dynamic,” she said.

Skagos said the next film in the series will be screened sometime in the winter semester.

Film series focuses on womenΩ Roving EditorKarla Karcioglu

FrOM rePOrT Pg. 1

publishingboardEDITOR-IN-CHIEF * Mike DaviesINDUSTRY REP* Sylvie PaillardFACULTY REP* Charles Hays

STUDENT REP* Sadie CoxSTUDENT REP* Adam Williams

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

copyrightAll 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 2013.

October 30, 2013 Volume 23, Issue 9

Published since November 27, 1991

Cariboo Student Newspaper Society(Publisher of The Omega)TRU Campus House #4

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editorialstaffEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Mike Davieseditor@truomega.ca

250-828-5069@PaperguyDavies

NEWS EDITORJessica Klymchuknews@truomega.ca

@jjklym

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORCourtney Dicksonarts@truomega.ca@dicksoncourtney

SPORTS EDITORAdam Williams

sports@truomega.ca@AdamWilliams87

ROVING EDITORKarla Karcioglu

roving@truomega.ca@0_kmk_0

SCIENCE & TECH EDITORMark Hendricks

sci-tech@truomega.ca@MarkHendicks5

COPY/WEB EDITORSean Brady

copy@truomega.ca@iamseanbrady

omegacontributors

Nathan Weisbock, Taylor Fry

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 9 3The Omega

www.truomega.ca

Going to the dentist sucks. They shove their giant hands in your mouth for an hour, they prod around your gums until you bleed (and then blame you for poor flossing habits), they tell you (or at least they tell me) that the $5,000 your parents spent on braces was a waste because your teeth are still not perfect. And then they make you pay hundreds of dollars that you might have.

Unfortunately, visiting the dentist is a necessary evil.

Cavities and gum disease have been linked to other systemic conditions: heart disease, diabetes and oral cancer are just a few of the more serious issues that have been linked to not taking care of your mouth. Even a poor memory might result from poor oral health, according to a study at the University of Kentucky.

It can be difficult to make it to the dentist regularly, as students are constantly on the move and have busy schedules that sometimes can’t accommodate a dentist’s office hours.

There are some things we can do to maintain oral hygiene in-between our sometimes sporadic visits to the dentist.

1. Stop smoking. If not because it causes a truckload of chronic illnesses, then because it just destroys your mouth. Try searching Google for “smoker mouth” – that should give you an idea of what the future may hold.

2. Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes with the right toothbrush. When you walk into the drug store, there are about 784 toothbrushes to choose from – how do you choose? Next time you do see a dentist, ask about which bristles are appropriate for your teeth. The smaller the head (the part with the bristles) of the toothbrush, the easier it is to get into smaller areas that can be tough to clean. Pay attention to the handle on the brush you choose. Seems a little tedious, but a comfortable grip on a toothbrush can make a world of difference when you’re standing in front of the mirror brushing for two minutes. If you have your own checklist of what you’re looking for in a toothbrush, the task of choosing one doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

3. Floss once a day. Plaque build-up between teeth can’t be eliminated from brushing alone. Full disclosure: I floss about once a month, usually after eating popcorn.

4. Rinse your mouth once or twice a day with anti-microbial mouthwash. Most mouthwash is anti-microbial, but you can get more effective (and of course, more expensive) formulas from the dentist and pharmacy. This helps get rid of plaque in spots in

our mouths that are hard to access, especially for those of us who don’t floss as often as we should.

5. Look into the side effects of any medications you are taking, and ask your doctor about the relationship that has with your oral health. For example, some birth control medications can increase your risk of gum disease.

Simply taking care of your oral health on your own doesn’t mean you can excuse yourself from dental check-ups, but if you can’t find the time or money to go see a professional, it’s something. It’d be a shame for the primary cause of a chronic ailment to be something as simple as not brushing your teeth often enough. Take care of your teeth, and don’t eat too much candy this weekend.

arts@truomega.ca

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Re-examining the value we put on things — and the people who create them

When time and money fall short, so can oral hygiene

Courtney Dickson Ω Wellness Columnist

Wellness Matters

I was struggling to come up with a topic for my column this week for a long time.

Last week I made comment on the library-funding situation — which is bordering on irreversible catastrophe right now. If you missed it, I suggest you go check it out on our website (Jessica Klymchuk’s coverage, I mean, though you can check out my views on it too, I guess).

But this past week, I never really found myself getting angry about anything — as I was when I saw the numbers regarding the library. I wasn’t angry, but I was a bit sullen overall and specifically about one aspect of our culture.

This past week I found myself reading a lot of articles about “getting paid in the arts.” Whether it was about taking

unpaid work as a journalism intern to get “exposure,” trying to make a living as an oil painter in a world of computer desktop wallpapers and mass-produced paintings or survive as a musician buying permits to play on street corners.

It just seemed like everywhere I looked, creative folk were saying, “no one wants to pay me for what I do anymore.”

Then I found this article that, while one short piece of writing could not possibly explore the depth of analysis the problem being discussed deserves, kind of summed up my feelings on it.

And since it was written for a fellow Canadian University Press publication, I am free to share more of it than I would normally be allowed. I am about to do that. It was written by Julia Siedlanowska for The Other Press at Douglas College in New Westminister, and is entitled “Artwork is work.”

Enjoy.

“The debate about whether arts should receive public funding is a hot one,” Siedlanowska begins.

“Although a part of me wants to believe that the arts should be able to sustain itself in a competitive market based on demand, another part knows that the government has a responsibility to ensure the health of our culture. Some art institutions providing valuable services could really use a hand in starting up. Some artists are worth developing, and sometimes that requires

a grant or residency funding. However, the root of it all doesn’t just lie in the government — it lies in us, the majority.

“We live in a complex and fast-paced world — this we know.

Music is abundant and everyone is a photographer. After all, when was the last time you paid for a song on iTunes? Music downloads are everywhere on the Internet, you can pick up the latest print from IKEA for $20, and everyone and their dog seems to make artisan soap and jewelry. In a world of excess, even the movement to simplify can quickly be disregarded, because of its abundance. There is simply too much!

“Love and passion are not always enough to make a living; and yet, we can see a distinct difference in quality between all these artistic products available to us. We only buy a product if we think it’ll add value to our lives. Perhaps a part of the problem is that we’ve forgotten what really does add value and how to patronize it accordingly. In all this abundance, we’ve forgotten that there is a person (hopefully) pouring their soul and talents into their craft.”

Siedlanowska then goes a bit into the changing arts scene in Vancouver — so I’ll just skip back to the general message she finishes with:

“I dreamt of a time when art could be a community event — free, without politics or want of personal monetary gain. Earning a living has always been a struggle for artists, and the extraordinary

have made their mark (sometimes surviving, sometimes dying in squalor).

“Travelling bands of actors had to go from community to community to make their fare.

“Artists provide a quality service; however, it’s in our hands to identify which services are valuable, and to show our gratitude in coins, bills, or plastic.

“The arts should unite us in public events and connect us with our community in a way that echoes its original roots in myth and ritual. It should engender a pride in ourselves and our culture. Although this is something that the government should value, we should also prove its value in the way we live our lives daily.”

She’s making a very good point here. We have changed what we see as

valuable. When really good musicians can’t get

paying gigs, painters can’t sell their work for more than the equivalent of minimum wage (once factors like time and expenses are considered) and mass-produced abstracts are “good enough” for most people — that just makes me sad.

I bought a CD (a real honest-to-God compact disc!) a couple of weeks ago and realized how long it’s been since I’ve done that. I don’t download free music, but I do stream a lot of tunes from YouTube — which I suppose is just as bad and makes me part of the problem.

I hope I can try to change that fact, and that maybe you’ll consider your role in it, as well.

editor@truomega.ca

Mike Davies Ω Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s Note

(Image courtesy Pete Simon/

Flickr Commons)

truo

meg

a.ca

October 30, 20134 Science & Technology

Potential relief for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease

The University of Melbourne has entered into a partnership with a startup pharmaceutical company to create a drug for treating neurode-generative diseases, such as Parkin-son’s disease, that could see clinical trials in as little as three years.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne discovered that a class of synthetic compounds known as cop-per bis, can halt the protein modifica-tion that causes proteins in the brain to become toxic in many neurode-generative diseases.

The startup, Procypra Therapeu-tics LLC, will have ownership rights over the drug, but the University of Melbourne will receive royalty pay-ments for its sale..

Find out more: http://newsroom.melbourne.edu

Flexible electronics are closer than ever

Smartphones are fragile devices. For anyone who has ever dropped their phone without a case to protect it, there is an instant and very real fear that they’ll pick up their phone and see a shattered screen.

The solution to this problem is one step closer, thanks to research-ers at RMIT University in Austra-lia. Researchers have found a way to transfer complex electronic circuitry, which is usually imprinted on hard, inflexible objects, onto a thin bend-able surface.

What this means is that thanks to this research, there is a very real pos-sibility that we might soon see flex-ible, more durable electronics. Your

next phone might bend like a piece of rubber, negating the need for a protective case and easing the fear of shattering phones.

Find out more: http://www.sciencealert.com.au/

news

Storing electricity in silicon

Researchers at Vanderbilt Uni-versity have created a new type of supercapacitor that is built out of silicon and is small enough to be built onto existing silicon chips.

Although supercapacitors aren’t new inventions, this is the first one that’s been made out of silicon.

The team did this by coating the silicon surface in a layer of gra-phene, which resulted in the dou-bling of energy storage capabilities.

The real goal of the project, how-ever, is to integrate energy storage into existing consumer electronics.

“All the things that define us in a modern environment require elec-tricity,” Cary Pint, who headed de-velopment, said in a press release. “The more that we can integrate power storage into existing materi-als and devices, the more compact and efficient they will become.”

Find out more: h t t p://ne ws .van de rb i l t .e d u /

research/

Ω Science & Tech EditorMark Hendricks

This week in scienceAnother neurodegenerative solution, new supercapacitors,

and phones and gadgets that are bendable?

The LG Flex is one of the first phones that will be hitting the market that takes advantage of bendable screens. (Photo courtesy Sean McMenemy/Flickr Commons)

Pop science: Genomes and you!

The Muse (Memorial University)Scott Wood

This is the building in London where much of the human genome was mapped. Pretty nice, right?

(Photo courtesy trmporalata/Flickr Commons)

Getting to the bottom of what makes us who we are (and why we turned out that way)

The figures are astronomical. Against all odds, some number of years ago, you were born.

People unfamiliar with the mathematics describing that process might label it as a bona f ide miracle.

The actual mechanics of how a human embryo is created, grows and is birthed are now very well understood.

But we’re not interested in that particular miracle of life. What is it that makes you different from everyone else? What about what makes you different from your brother or sister, fraternal or identical?

The answer lies in your genome.

An organism’s genome is the sum of all hereditary “instructions” that are coded into someone’s DNA. That’s every gene/chromosome that makes you into whatever brand of organism you happen to be.

Plants, animals and even simple organisms like bacteria and viruses all have genomes. Some are big, some are small,

but all are unique sequences of genes that define them.

The genes within the genome have a certain degree of variety also, and we call these alternative forms alleles.

Think of the gene itself as a shirt, having alleles of red, blue, white, etc. Some alleles are relatively cosmetic, such as the human allele for eye colour that offers no real advantage.

However, over time, a wild animal with an allele that predisposes its skin/fur to be better camouf lage for predators will gradually become a dominant species as its natural advantages ensure its survival.

The sequencing of genomes is very important to science, because it provides a reference for how related organisms are to each other.

The more similar the genome, the less distant the common ancestor for the two organisms in question is likely to be, and the more alike they are biochemically.

In terms of medicine, comparing the genomes of various viruses and their off-shoots allows us to create

targeted medicinal compounds to f ight them, and to aid in playing a slippery game of reverse-Pokémon with the virus, staving off evolution and hence, drug resistance, for as long as possible.

The human genome was f irst sequenced in 2003, and was a major step forward in biological science. It not only helps us identify and f ight more diseases, but has greatly improved the accuracy of DNA testing.

This boosts everything from the court system down to tabloid talk show paternity test episodes.

The human genome sequencing project took over 13 years and $3 billion worth of funding, but now, in an astounding re-aff irmation of the exponential growth of computing (Pop Science Moore’s Law, Vol 64, Iss 1), smaller genomes can be sequenced at your computer using a $1000 disposable USB device.

Talk about a good deal!The future of genomic science

is a bright and exciting one. As we better understand which allele mutations are related to which symptoms of diseases, we

can trace back their root cause. Not only will this enable better medicine and post-aff liction treatment, but doctors to provide better preventative advice to patients.

Science is a search for truth, and the deeper the encyclopedia of information, the more tools

we are equipped with to provide the clearest possible truths.

Just remember, when you’re in your twenties in the most confusing portion of your life, as you search for yourself in various ways—the truth is out there.

Just follow the genome.

NEW WESTMINSTER (CUP) — Recently, a friend of mine was playing Left 4 Dead and came across an enemy player who, let’s just say was less than skilled.

So as any good, upstanding player would do, my friend proceeded to rip the enemy a digital new one to gain kill points for their team. In response, the opposing player said “HEY immmma a girl stop it btich!” [sic].

Admittedly, picking on a weak player may not have been the gentlemanly thing to do — but then again, my friend doesn’t have to be a gentleman; my friend is a tiny girl who works at a tea house and likes to wear lace dresses.

I’ve been playing games since Sega Genesis, and I wasn’t always fantastic at them.

Honestly, I pretty much sucked until the PS2 rolled around, but at no time did I blame my vagina for holding me back.

Strangely enough though, female gamers have a pretty bad reputation. “Gamer girls,” as they’re called, have taken over the Internet, and not in a good way.

They’re the ones on your computer screen who pose suggestively with a console controller. They might have played a game of Super Smash Bros. or been cannon fodder in a game of Halo, and now they’re “like, OMG, such a nerd!”— but their main goal is attention.

These are the types of girls who had me playing as a male avatar in my World of Warcraft heyday.

In fact, I played in a guild for two years before they even found out I wasn’t a guy.

Sadly, even though we had gamed together for so long, their

opinion of me changed and I eventually left to seek bigger and better things; things where I didn’t have to have a penis to be part of the cool kids’ club.

Nowadays, I don’t bother to hide the fact I’m a girl.

I play as whatever I feel like, be it as a cat-girl in Final Fantasy XIV or as a lady champion in League of Legends.

I take full advantage of the fact I’m still underestimated on occasion — mostly with headshots.

But that doesn’t change the stereotype, and that won’t stop guys from approaching me at conventions and accusing me of being a fraud.

Now, I could challenge each and every one of them to a game of Injustice and see who comes out on top — and I have on occasion — but that seems really tedious.

So I’ve decided on a different route.

Welcome, “gamer girls!”Pretty revolutionary, right? I

don’t care about your motivations for trying a game, or if you’re kind of stupid and assume your gender somehow gives you a pass. Eventually, everyone smartens up.

They either learn to play or they tire of being humiliated and toddle off back to their makeup and Tetris.

My point is that even the best gamers start somewhere, regardless of gender.

All these “gamer girls” posting pictures on their Instagram could one day be the future pros you see winning the big money at tournaments.

The truth is that if anything is going to change the stereotype of the female gamer, it’s more females getting into games. Eventually there will be so many of us the menfolk will have to run for the hills — or at least bob and weave to avoid our crosshairs.

Opinion: Game on, Gamer girls

The Other Press (Douglas College)Brittney MacDonald

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 9 5Life & Community

After drawing 10,000 people to Canada’s electronic music haven Shambhala, Corrine Zawaduk is imparting her wisdom on the next generation of event gurus.

Around 150 people, many from the tourism management faculty, heard the event co-executive producer speak about the 17-year-long road that has brought Shambhala to the forefront of the electronic music scene.

Held on a farm near Salmo, B.C., twelve kilometers into the bush, Shambhala is the biggest and l o n g e s t - r u n n i n g festival in Canada and drew 10,000 guests by 2011. In September, it won four international awards from the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Festival and Events Association.

But Shambhala isn’t just a successful event. The “farmily” from Salmo has created an experience that is infused with their own passion for unique talent, a memorable ambiance and their invested interest in electronic music. Zawaduk’s c o m m e n t a r y outlined how the success would hardly be a reality without the genuine investment the Shambhala crew has in electronic music and its enthusiasts.

With an emphasis on the importance to have a mission and a statement about what you’re doing, Zawaduk’s week at TRU involved three classes of students learning what Shambhala’s inf luence on electronic dance music (EDM) takes.

Tourism management lecturer Billy Collins had Zawaduk and

three other Shambhala staff run workshops and lessons in his classes to dig into the business of a successful event. Within the tourism management department, TRU offers an event and management diploma and a concentration in events. Since meeting Zawaduk two years ago, Collins has made an effort to build a relationship with the Shambhala crew to create opportunities for students and keep their education relevant. He said he’s scarcely seen a festival so professionally run.

“For our students, it’s huge,” Collins said. “It’s important for our students to hear it from the

people that really do it.”One of the workshops had the

students planning a festival as if it was it was only two weeks out, and nothing had yet been organized. In reality, the success of Shambhala is 17 years in the making, and the business of it followed the genuine desire to break ground in electronic music. In her Oct. 23 presentation, Zawaduk veered away from the business side of things and more toward the relevance of Shambhala in the world of EDM.

It all started with an idea that was inf luenced by Zawaduk’s work with Sony that made her notice the mainstreaming of artists. It launched her family’s search for something fresh and new outside of rock and roll. They talked about the democratization of music.

“We just knew we wanted to accomplish a dream,” she said.

The road to Shambhala really started with artists like Lee Scratch Perry, Donna Summers and Kraftwerk. That music saw a decline in the west and Zawaduk said they believed they were picking up on something that had already seen its last legs.

Unlike the robust electronic music scene in Europe, disco didn’t last in the U.S. or Canada.

Fast forward to 2013, where Zawaduk says the mainstream and has radically altered the electronic music scene they saw in the mid-’90s. Today DJs are playing concerts that mimic a rock show – drastically different from EDM festivals. Zawaduk says electronic shows have always been about the crowd’s connection to the music and each other, and aimed to create an ambiance that’s more than a typical concert.

“It’s about the people on the dance f loor, not the people on the stage,” she said.

“There’s a fear from people who love electronic music that pop is going to change the intention of why we started in the f irst place.

“It’s turning DJs into rock stars.”

In 2012, Shambhala veteran Skrillex was the f irst electronic artist to win a Grammy, and is now around $200,000 to book – a far cry from his early days

on the farm. Fellow Shambhala veteran Datsik just wrapped up a tour in China.

“We’ve seen them grow from just going on the deck to playing huge shows,” Zawaduk said of the artists Shambhala has nurtured.

Festivals themselves have become a commodity with the revolution of EDM, drawing crowds hundreds of thousands in size. Where they were once shut down, they are now promoted.

The production company Live Nation has started capitalizing on EDM by buying festivals, a corporate inf luence that Zawaduk said has potential to thwart festivals like Shambhala.

“Live Nation could sink us all,” she said.

The “all” included global frontrunners Electric Daisy Carnival in the U.S., Outlook in Croatia, Boom in Portugal, Tomorrowland in Belgium and Shambhala in Canada. Zawaduk said they’re watching what’s happening in Brazil, Portugal and China where EDM is about to break out. She keeps up with producers across the world, which she says is important to knowing what’s going on.

Foreign artists break into the Canadian market through Shambhala, and Zawaduk said they’re always head hunting in Europe. They try to keep one-third of their artists international.

“We are breaking ground for DJs,” she said. “As we develop technology and international relationships, we are influencing each other’s music in global ways.”

Shambhala is currently the biggest festival in Canada, and Zawaduk said it’s something of a feather in the cap of artists who can say they’ve played there. Yet, only four per cent of their budget goes towards talent. Most of their budget goes towards the infrastructure.

Since 1998, the farm has seen stages built, torn down, built bigger and adopt new names. The Jungle Pit is now the geodesic dome, and Downtown Shambhala, the Pagoda and the Fractal Forest are now unrecognizable glories of the former fields and tents. From the technology of video mapping to the silk dancers and magicians, Zawaduk said Shambhala strives to wow people and make them want more.

And it will continue to evolve, as Zawaduk said they are always trying to top the previous year. But they don’t plan on upping the attendance for fear of ruining the ambiance.

“I don’t want it to become too big,” she said. “You start to lose the people who truly loved it. You have to keep your eye on the vibe.

“It’s not just about the music, it’s about the people that come and the celebration of bringing people together. I believe in that cultural exchange.”

Growing EDM on the farm

Ω News EditorJessica Klymchuk

Co-exectuve producer Corrine Zawaduk said Shambhala music festival

involves a cultural exchange that isn’t just about the person on stage. ( Jessica Klymchuk/The Omega)

Shambhala producer shares her experiences with students and staff

Around 150 people attended co-executive producer of Shambhala Corrine Zawaduk’s presentation on the

evolution of electronic dance music. ( Jessica Klymchuk/The Omega)

We just knew we wanted to accomplish a

dream.” —Corrine Zawaduk,

co-executive producer,

Shambhala Music Festival

“

October 30, 20136

A Grimm story

Performing arts students are bringing quirky fairy tales to life in the TRU Drama and Theatre (TRUDAT) club’s first production of the year.

The Untold Tales of the Brothers Grimm features six student actors who will play more than 50 characters in this fast-paced comedy, put together entirely by TRU students.

Theatre student Andrew Cooper was inspired to write the show when he realized there are a multitude of fairy tales that haven’t been told in mainstream media the way they deserve to be.

“I’ve always been a fan of Grimm fairy tales,” Cooper said. “This past summer I purchased a book that had the complete works of the Brothers Grimm, all 210 tales.

“Stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel people had heard about and they’ve been done over and over.

“This inspired me to write a show that would share the stories that people don’t usually hear about. The stories are not as well known, but equally captivating and fantastic.”

The Untold Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a compilation of six stories, told in just one act. Queens, kings, cross-dressing prostitutes, witches, bears and princesses are just a few of the characters that

will appear on-stage.“Casting a show is always

difficult. Auditions are a very scary thing for an actor to do, so it’s hard as the director to correctly evaluate their talent based on their audition,” said Brittany McCarthy, theatre student and director of the show.

After just six rehearsals, the

club is ready to see the zany show on-stage.

TRUDAT used some of their club funds (provided by TRUSU) to pay for props, masks and the more than 60 costumes used throughout the play. They also borrowed from the Actors Workshop Theatre, friends and family to ensure their needs would be met.

There will only be one performance of The Untold Tales of the Brothers Grimm, as theatre space and time is limited due to sharing theatre space with the Actors Workshop Theatre and performing arts classes.

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 in the Black Box Theatre.

Tickets will be $5 at the door.

Whimsical tale hits the stage for one night

Directed by Canadian Denis Villeneuve, Prisoners is the story of the disappearance of two young girls. Both of their fathers (Hugh Jackman and Terrence Howard) are naturally distraught and are desperately trying to find out what happened to them.

The ambitious dads are quick to find a suspect named Alex Jones (Paul Dano), who seems to secretly and ambiguously admit to the kidnapping. Unfortunately, the detective on the case (Jake Gyllenhaal) doesn’t have enough evidence to keep the man detained, despite the protests from the fathers.

So, they take matters into their own hands.

They kidnap the alleged kidnapper and, through brutal means, try and interrogate him to reveal the whereabouts of their daughters.

Prisoners attempts to be a whodunit-style movie that keeps some viewers wondering, from start to finish. Prompting the audience to ask where the children are, and if Jones actually had anything to do with the kidnapping.

Viewers are presented with puzzles and clues that are engaging throughout this intense drama.

A word of warning: there are a few disturbing scenes that will cause the audience to squirm.

An interesting twist in the film is that Jackman’s character is a little bit crazy himself. Dano, who plays the suspected kidnapper, does a great job portraying a very eerie, creepy character.

He is a young adult with the social skills and intelligence of a young boy who is emotionally detached from society.

At times the audience hates Alex Jones, and other times they feel sympathetic towards him.

Prisoners gives what one can assume is a relatively realistic portrayal of the emotions that families might actually go through when put in this horrible situation. The emotion can make it difficult to sit through at times, however this isn’t really a negative for the movie, as the discomfort is what makes the film so real.

The one downside to this film is that it is just so predictable, despite the characters being so well-written.

Prisoners is a great film, despite the predictability, thanks to superb acting on Jackman’s part and an emotional pull that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.

Ω ContributorNathan Weissbock

Ω Arts & Entertainment EditorCourtney Dickson

Film review: Prisoners

Arts & Entertainment

TRUDAT’s rendition of Grimm brothers tales is by no means the first (Heath Ledger and Matt Damon played the brothers in a 2005 blockbuster, for example) but they will try to make a few more of the stories known by a few more people. (Image courtesy Dimension Films)

(Image courtesy Alcon Entertainmentt)

Interested in reviewing films, albums, books, theatre productions and the like? Contact Courtney at arts@truomega.ca for information on how you can do that!

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The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 9 7Arts & Entertainment

Horror fans were treated to three hours of fan-made films at the Fake Flesh Film Festival, held at the Kamloops Convention Centre on Oct. 27.

The Fake Flesh Film Festival is a travelling horror festival making its way across British Columbia and Alberta over 10 days, featuring 12 films submitted by both national and international filmmakers.

Zombie lovers were no doubt pleased by the festival. The undead shuff lers were major players in the films presented at the festival.

The Post-Lifers was filmed to simulate the look of an actual documentary by interviewing zombies and providing an inside look to the life of a zombie, or “post-living,” as they prefer.

Cargo was another excellently filmed motion picture that featured a father trying to provide safety for his child before becoming a zombie himself. This one really captured the feeling of The Walking Dead, and at points I thought I was going to see Rick Grimes.

Revenge of the Ooze, a sequel to the much-hyped film Night of the Ooze, was filmed here in Kamloops. Event founder Darryl John made a guest appearance in the film.

John is a lover of horror and is always excited to spread the genre around Canada.

Hats off to the film Don’t Move, which features teenagers trapped within a house possessed by an evil demon. If you move, you will get killed.

While the story itself seems basic, I was very impressed with the Hollywood effects used to make the evil spirit look authentic.

The squeamish or the faint of heart should be advised that there is a lot of blood and gore.

One film, Fist of Jesus featured Jesus fighting off zombie hordes for 10 minutes, and Dia de los Muertos was pretty much made

up of exotic dancers brutally murdering patrons.

If you are not a lover of the horror genre, but still enjoy a good laugh, this festival might still have a place for you.

Not only was the host Dan Jakes quick with a joke, but many of the short films were quite comical, including Tasha & Friends, a film about murderous

children’s TV show puppets that come to life to try and kill the show’s host, and Hell-No, a fake horror movie-style parody trailer with the tagline “a sensible horror film with smart characters and good decisions.”

If you missed this year’s event, check out the Fake Flesh Film Festival website, where you can view some of the featured films.

Ω ContributorNathan Weissbock

CFBX Record Fair – Nov. 10Sahali Mall 10 a.m. $2 admission.

The annual record fair in support of the campus radio station will feature everything from musical instruments to

classic vinyl, as well as door prizes.

Matt Mays – Nov. 10Blue Grotto 8 p.m. $20 in advance.

Matt Mays is returning to Kamloops, but this time he’s on his own. Head to the Blue Grotto for a solo acoustic show

from one of Canada’s favourite musicians.

Hollerado with The Zolas – Nov. 12Blue Grotto 8 p.m. $15.

Popular indie rock group and Juno nominee Hollerado takes the stage in Kamloops with pop duo The Zolas for an

evening of energetic live music.

Chad Brownlee, Deric Ruttan and Jason Blaine – Nov. 13

Sagebrush Theatre 7:30 p.m. $49.50.

Country music is coming to Kamloops yet again, with three of the most popular young country stars today. Get your cowboy boots ready for this one as it’s sure to be a good

old boot stompin’ time.

Josh Hyslop – Nov. 14TRU Alumni Theatre 12:30 p.m. FREE.

Fans of Iron & Wine and Damien Rice unite. Modern folk artist Josh Hyslop is heavily influenced by these great

artists and will be conveniently playing on campus. Hyslop is the second performance in this year’s Live at TRU

series.

Enemy of the People – Nov. 14, 15 and 16

Black Box Theatre 8 p.m. $12.

TRU’s Actors Workshop Theatre’s second production of the year starts its run Nov. 14.

Les Misérables – Nov. 28 to Dec. 12Sagebrush Theatre, show times vary.

This classic musical tragedy is coming to the stage in Kamloops, thanks to Western Canada Theatre.

The Reason with Thee Attacks – Nov. 28

Blue Grotto 8 p.m. $15 in advance.

Celebrate the end of the semester by enjoying some rock music from Canadian group The Reason, before exams get in the way. Danish rock band Thee Attacks will be there to

keep things interesting.

Santa Claus Parade – Nov. 30Victoria St. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. FREE.

You’re never too old to enjoy the magic of the Santa Claus parade. The parade will begin at St. Paul St. and 2nd Ave.

and head east on Victoria St.

Events calendar:November

Review: Fake Flesh Film Festival

The Fake Flesh Film Fest, held in Kamloops Oct. 27 this year, celebrates the horror genre by screening a dozen films full of graphic material not suitable for all audiences, but loved by many. (Image courtesy Fake Flesh Film Fest)

A mock parking meter, installed between Old Main and the House of Learning on Oct. 10, was an art project by two fine arts students looking to create some dialogue over parking costs.

Before fine arts students Levi Glass and Harrison Ross had finished setting up their parking meter poll box, people had already started to take notice. Everyone was asking about the colourful, pinata-like art they were erecting on the grass on the pathway leading to the Brown Family House of Learning.

Ross said he was surprised at the level of interest people had towards the project, and at the anger people felt over the cost of parking at TRU.

Passers-by were asked to fill out complaints about the cost of parking on campus. The project produced so many complaints over parking costs that it ran out of paper multiple times during the five days it was set up. When people were unable to write on paper, they were so intent on expressing their opinions that they wrote on the table, their own

paper and even the project itself.Glass, who drives to school, said

the project’s purpose was designed to give people an outlet to release some energy and anger towards the high costs of parking at TRU.

The meter itself was designed to be bloated to stand out, reflecting what the artists saw as the bloated

pricing of parking. Glass and Ross wanted the meter to be talked about and noticed.

Glass described the 95 responses received over five days as being unanimously negative. Not only were students expressing their concerns, but so were faculty members.

Ω ContributorTaylor Fry

Levi Glass and Harrison Ross stand by their parking meter poll box art on Oct. 21. (Taylor Fry/The Omega)

Art stirs responses over parking costs

October 30, 20138

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Life & Community

Eat to live, live to eatPresented by iLive2Eat.com

Cat & Joe’s Pig Rig

Price range: $7 to $11Location: Varies

If you’re after food truck delicacies in Kamloops you’ve only got a few to choose from. Thankfully Cat & Joe’s Pig Rig is one of those few, and a great choice for any meat-lover.

Pulled pork tops the “Southern BBQ” menu, appearing in four of the six available menu items. As their main ingredient, they have to get it right. Thankfully, they do. It’s a satiating barbecue-sauce-bathed concoction that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy and perfect slathered all over whatever they can come up with, including poutine.

Their standard pulled pork sandwich, the Ripped Pig, is a tasty slaw-topped, meat-stuffed delight served on what has got to be the shiniest bun I’ve ever seen. Accompanying the sandwich is a side of fries and a treat of slightly sweet baked beans. While I found the fries to be quite dry, they were well-seasoned and accompanied the beans nicely.

Another great option on their menu is the Mac Cheezy Pig. A generous helping of homemade mac and cheese is piled onto bread along with pulled pork and even more cheese and then grilled. The sandwich is an endeavour worth pursuing, and served with fries it’s certainly a full meal.

The Pig Rig does cows, too. Their complete menu includes the Smoked Philly (with whiskey barbecue sauce) and the Bad Ass Burger, a half-pound helping of beef with cheese, bacon, whiskey barbecue sauce and Joe’s special sauce.

The ambiance could sometimes use some work. Valleyview Square makes for some pretty unforgiving scenery, assuming you’re not into staring at an endless horizon of parked cars and distant storefronts. The Best Western isn’t much better, but at least there are some nearby views just a short walk away.

In Pioneer Park during the summer, things are a little different. Cat & Joe’s adds to the lake beach atmosphere and provides park-goers with a delicious place to eat.

Though it should be noted that the their location is rarely their first choice. The owners are currently working with the city to allow them access to better spots.

Among the things not to miss are the homemade tequila habanero sauce (which is nearly salsa and really tasty) and the Chocolate Pig, a strip of bacon thoroughly covered in chocolate. The Chocolate Pig is certainly a novelty item, but it’s worth trying at least once. It’s a salty helping of chocolate which reminds me of a meatier version of Turkish delight.

Find the Pig Rig in Valleyview Square, Pioneer Park or the Best Western on Columbia. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed (@CatJoes) or Facebook page to see their location and the day’s menu.

Ω Copy/Web Editor

Sean Brady

Top: Check the food truck’s Twitter feed (@CatJoes) to see their location and the day’s menu.Below: The Mac Cheezy Pig won’t disappoint or leave you hungry. It’s a grilled cheese stuffed with homemade mac and cheese and pulled pork.Bottom: The Chocolate Pig (that’s right, chocolate-covered bacon) is a novelty item, but it’s one worth trying at least once. (All photos by Sean Brady/The Omega)

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 9 9

NANAIMO (CUP) — The Nanaimo Museum where Kevin Kennedy is performing has no stage, so he’s perched atop a simple wooden stool, putting him a head above the audience. He’s flanked by three black curtains on his right, left and back, hiding the Arctic exhibition on display during the day. The makeshift venue, composed of these curtains, two speakers, and three spotlights, is assembled every evening, giving Kennedy and his fellow artists a space to perform. The barebones set matches Kennedy’s minimalist act. The one-man show sees him stuck to his seat for a majority of the hour, splicing his tales of the wilderness with the occasional insight, burst of song and even a pantomime of a frightened bear. He practiced the whole way down from Whitehorse.

“Nobody really notices when I leave. My kids say goodbye, but I don’t think they know what I’m heading for. Just dad leaving on another crazy trip,” he said. “My wife has a better idea of the risks, but she doesn’t try to talk me out of it. She knows not to interfere with my obsessions, my quest for adventure.”

Wolf Trek follows Kennedy through Wood Buffalo Park, Northwest Territories, where he spent three weeks alone, hiking on decades-neglected trails with a broken arm. It’s packed with revelations on Kennedy’s relationship with the wild, his childhood and his failing marriage with his wife at the time. The middle-aged college instructor is now taking his insight on the road, on a “pilot tour” at Nanaimo’s Fringetastic Theatre Festival, the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival, and the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Plays like Wolf Trek are standard fare for fringe theatre. They typically eschew large casts and props, and it’s not uncommon for costumes to consist of whatever the performers threw on in the morning (a grey button-up and brown

khakis in Kennedy’s case). This stripped-down approach to theatre makes the stage more accessible to less-experienced troupes and individuals, allowing them to travel the fringe circuit, which extends from Victoria to Halifax. A smaller budget also means less financial risk, which means more creative freedoms. This can result in bizarre or surreal concepts.

Last year’s Fringetastic featured both Cardboard Robot, a comedy about a scientist communicating with his ever more intelligent cardboard creation, and The Cult of Brother XII, a musical comedy following Cedar-by-the-Sea’s notorious cult leader. Although not every play embraces such unorthodox subject matter, many are deeply personal.

“The fringe style of theatre tends to be a lot more raw and intimate and paired down technically,” said Chelsee Damen, operations manager for Fringestastic. “In a lot of cases, it’s one person and they’ve written this show themselves and they’re performing in it and often it’s autobiographical so we get a lot of heartfelt, personal stories. Or perhaps somebody really cares about a particular social issue and that’s why they want to perform. Whatever it is, people do this because they really, really care. The idea is that it’s really democratic and it’s available to anybody and it’s easy to travel so they keep it really simple and focus on the art of storytelling.”

Damen and her partner Jeremy Banks started Fringetastic in 2011. Although Banks holds a technical theatre diploma from VIU, Damen had little experience in theatre — her first gig was the sole role in a production of Diane and Me at the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival, which she performed just three days before the premier of Fringetastic.

“I arrived in Victoria and met all these other artists and felt welcomed in their community,” Damen said. “A fringe festival is really a mixture of people with a

lot of experience and people with no experience. I think it’s really important to have some insight into the experience of the artists in the festival. My job is really to make sure the community is happy and that the artists are happy. They’re really all the same thing but I want to be good at communicating with the artists and meeting their needs and resolving issues if they come up.”

Fringetastic ran August this year and featured eight different acts, a long way from the original

four-day, six-play festival of 2011. Damen says the 25 applications they received were literally “drawn from a hat,” though four of the eight slots were reserved for Vancouver Island artists. While Damen has a clear vision of what Fringetastic could become in the future, she said she’s waiting until the waters are warm before diving into any long-term goals.

“We don’t want to present Nanaimo with a huge elaborate festival before they’re ready for it,” Damen said. “We need to take our time and we don’t want to have too many shows going on at once. Meanwhile, our crew of volunteers is growing every year and the level of engagement is growing every year and it’s the same with the public– we’re seeing a lot more people at the fringe hub getting in touch with us and talking to artists and these are all signs to me that we’re going in the right direction.”

Fringetastic represents only a

subset of smaller, more focused fringe festivals. The idea of fringe theatre dates back to 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland in an origin that seems half legend. After failing to secure a spot at the Edinburgh International Festival, eight separate theatre groups decided to perform in pubs and other venues on the fringes of the festival. Over the next decade, more groups followed suit until the formation of the Festival Fringe Society in 1958 made the new festival official. The most recent

Edinburgh Festival Fringe, held for nearly the entirety of August, saw 2,871 shows performed on its stages—an average of 115 plays per day. After gaining ground in Europe, fringe theatre saw its North American debut as the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival in 1982, which founder Brian Paisley has said was directly inspired by its Scottish predecessor. According to the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, the Canadian fringe scene has grown to house over 17 festivals, including three on Vancouver Island.

Proponents of fringe theatre often cite its low cost barriers as a defining factor of its popularity, but can such a minimalist craft hold onto its own talent, or is the fringe stage merely a jumping off point for artists?

“In some cases, that’s their goal from the outset, and in some cases they don’t really think that far ahead but it just ends up

happening,” Damen said. “There have been lots of success stories like Charlie Ross.” Damen explains that, ten years ago, Ross was new to theatre, a young emerging artist who wanted to do a show where he re-enacted the entire Star Wars trilogy by himself. His fringe play grew to be huge success, which has carried on into a tour, including an appearance on Conan O’Brien.

“I don’t know if that would have been possible without the fringe circuit,” concludes Damen. “He was just a kid with an idea and he succeeded because people liked what he did.”

“Many companies and theatre-makers start in fringe as it’s a place where they can develop their craft and showcase new work,” added Rhian Hughes, media manager of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in an email. “There are artists who have started at the Fringe but return year on year. Much of the work presented at [Edinburgh] Fringe goes on to tour nationally and internationally, some to mainstream venues. There is often crossover between artists working on the Fringe and in the mainstream and the two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

Regardless, fringe theatre has spread across the world, growing from a few rebel plays on the outskirts of a festival, into enormous international events. In a province where arts funding is seriously lacking, new bylaws are making it increasingly hard for theatre companies to stay afloat and the public is becoming apathetic, fringe theatre is tightening its grip, turning enthusiasts like Kennedy into stars and outsiders like Damen into torch holders.

“I have nothing against traditional theatre but there’s something exciting and fresh about how fringe works,” Damen said, “I think in one way it makes it relevant again because anybody who sees a show may say ‘hey I’ve never thought about making a play before but now I‘m thinking that’s a possibility’ and the people most likely to have a feeling like that are the ones who have a message they really want to get across.

“That’s how you keep theatre relevant.”

Arts Feature

A life lived on the fringeThe Navigator (VIU)Drew McLachlan

Fringe festival actors don’t do it for the crowds...at least they shouldn’t. (Photo courtesy Jaako/Flickr Commons)

Nobody really notices when I

leave.” —Kevin Kennedy,

Fringe festival actor, Wolf Trek

“

October 30, 201310

Across

1. K follower5. Said sheepishly?10. Big laugh line (slang)14. Old World bird15. Charles de Gaulle’s birthplace16. ___ Danger17. Convention city for felines?20. Pang21. Masses formed by heating22. Downer25. Brahman, e.g.26. 1935 Triple Crown winner30. Ancient Greek weight33. Lifeboat lowerer34. Fair share, maybe35. “My man!”38. Class for teen felines?42. But, to Brutus43. Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g.44. Kind of wave45. Of a great range47. Wee48. Big sheet51. Dalai ___53. Ham it up56. Santa’s original reindeer, e.g.60. Feline in a Salinger title?64. Cornstarch brand65. Mushroom caps66. Dangerous biters

67. Capital of Rhône68. Light parody69. Dutch painter, to friends

Down

1. ___-Atlantic2. Risk prison3. Little impressionist?4. Anastasia’s father, for one5. More gloomy6. Balloon filler7. “Aladdin” prince8. Building additions9. Kosher ___10. Diminutive11. Double-reed instruments12. Bat an eye?13. Band on a shield18. As yet19. Creep23. Cleave24. Slow but steady26. Ends partner27. Filly’s mother28. All fired up29. Certain retrovirus31. She has a degree32. Certain refrigerant, briefly35. Dwell36. Bookbinding leather37. The “O” in S.R.O.

39. “Awesome!”40. Hook up41. 20-20, e.g.45. Cooling system (Brit.)46. Wyle of “ER”48. Central49. Egg producer50. “Take your hands off me!”52. Recurring theme54. Eur. think tank55. Field ___57. Heavy furniture wood58. European language59. Ilk61. 1969 Peace Prize grp.62. “The Matrix” hero62. Cousin of -trix

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Coffee Break

Got a better joke? Got a comic? Send ‘em in and we might run ‘em. editor@truomega.ca

RANDOM JOKE!This lady is giving a party for her granddaughter, and has gone all out. She had a caterer, band, and a hired clown.

Just before the party starts, two bums show up looking for a handout. Feeling sorry for the bums, the woman tells them that they can get a meal if they will chop some wood out back. Gratefully, they head to the rear of the house.

Guests arrive, and all is going well with the children having a wonderful time. But the clown has not shown up and she unsuccessfully tries to entertain the children herself. She happens to look out the window and sees one of the bums doing cartwheels across the lawn.

She watches in awe as he swings from tree branches, does midair flips, and leaps high in the air. She speaks to the other bum and says, “What you friend is doing is absolutely marvelous. I have never seen such a thing.

Puzzle of the weekPuzzle of the Week #8 – Leaves

Ah, fall! There are some leaves on a tree. They are red, orange, yellow, orgreen, and possibly, more than one of the colours.

There are 500 red leaves, 1500 orange leaves, 2000 yellow leaves, and 2000green leaves.

Given that 1) all red leaves are also orange, 2) one-half of the yellow leavesare also green, and 3) one-half of the orange leaves are also yellow, answerthe following:

1. What is the maximum number of leaves possible? The minimum?

2. What is the maximum number of leaf colour combinations possible?The minimum?

3. Is it possible for there to be a leaf that is all four colours?

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 the second-to-

next Wednesday to Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net>. Submissions by others

are also welcome. The solution will be posted the Wednesday after that in my

blog (http://genew.ca/) and in the Math Centre (HL210A). Come visit: we

are friendly.

The Omega · Volume 23, Issue 9 11

WolfPack Bites

Sports

Each was decided by a single goal, but both had the same outcome.

The WolfPack men’s and women’s soccer programs both brought home gold from Pacific Western Athletic Association’s provincial play in Nanaimo on the weekend, with the women defeating the Quest Kermodes 1-0 in the championship final and the men topping the Douglas Royals 4-3 in penalty kicks.

The WolfPack teams will now head to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championship.

“Both teams are going to nationals, so it was a little relaxed,” co-head coach Sean Wallace said from the ferry following the match. The Royals are also going to be heading to nationals as B.C.’s wildcard team.

“It was just sort of seesaw back and forth. The boys show a lot of resilience, digging their heels in and withstanding the pressure they gave us with the one man advantage.”

TRU played most of the second half down a man after Brandon Mendez was shown a red card and ejected from the game. The team was already missing its leading scorer and the Pacific Western conference’s player of the year Justin Wallace, who had been injured in the semifinal and underwent a procedure on his spleen in a Victoria hospital. They were also missing Corey Wallis, who was also out with a groin injury. The team looked to its depth to come through.

And come through it did.Ashley Raynes scored in the second

half to give TRU a 1-0 lead, which

held for nearly 20 minutes. The Royals tied the game off a corner kick in the 65th minute and the teams remained deadlocked for the remainder of regulation and two overtime periods. The game would be decided by penalty kicks.

After Kyle Logan, Joseph Rose and Oriol Torres scored on their attempts, while Dion Gouldsborough was stopped, the teams were tied at three penalties apiece. Keeper Travis Froehlich made his second stop on the Royals’ fifth shooter and set the stage for Raynes to play hero again.

Raynes put the ball past the keeper into the lower left hand side of the net to win the match and the provincial championship.

“We don’t quit,” Wallace said. “We have talked to the guys all season that we need to put in a full 90, or in this case a full 120, and they did that. They battled for each other, they battled for a couple injured players ... it was completely impressive, I’m very proud of everyone who was on the field.”

It’s the team’s second provincial gold medal in the last six years, the first coming in 2007. Sebastian Gardner, the WolfPack’s only fifth year player, is the only holdover from that team and now has a gold medal in his rookie and final seasons.

The men’s team’s focus will now turn to the national championship, which will take place in Saint John, N.B. Nov. 6 to 9. They will be forced to play without Justin Wallace, whose injury will sideline him for the remainder of the season.

The WolfPack women are also shifting their focus to nationals, but at this point that’s old hat for them. The women captured their third-consecutive

provincial title on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over the Quest Kermodes. They will head to the CCAA championship in Surrey Nov. 6 to 9 and hope to improve on a pair of fourth place finishes at their last two national championships.

“That was one of our goals right at the start of the season and it’s so good to accomplish it,” head coach Tom McManus said Sunday. “Now we just have to get to nationals.”

TRU’s game against Quest was the polar opposite of its semifinal match

against the Langara Falcons, which ended 5-1. The WolfPack got goals from Katie Sparrow and Jayden Radu, and a hat trick from Alanna Bekkering to propel them into the championship game.

Sparrow, a third-year forward, also scored the only goal in Sunday’s match.

“It was just one heck of a great team effort,” McManus said.

He added that it’s a great way for the soccer teams to end of their season and their time in the Pacific Western

conference; both teams will depart the league as the reigning provincial champions.

“I think it’s phenomenal for the athletics department, I think it’s phenomenal for Kamloops itself, actually,” McManus said.

He added that to the best of his memory “it’s the first time both teams have both ended up in first place and it’s the first time that we’re getting into the nationals together, so it’s going to be great.”

He’s known as a great setter with a fierce moustache, but this year it might be his beard that gets all the attention.

Colin Carson, setter for TRU’s WolfPack men’s volleyball, has quite the look going on heading into the first weekend of the Canada West volleyball season. For some, he might look more like a character from Duck Dynasty or a member of the Boston Red Sox than a university athlete, but he’s hoping it can bring a little luck to the WolfPack this season, and maybe a little fear to its opponents.

“I decided to stop shaving about six months ago and haven’t really touched it since then,” said Carson, who was known last year for his Super Troopers-like moustache. “I know a lot of people are bugging me about Movember coming up here, saying I have to get rid of the beard, but I don’t think I can do it.”

Carson said he’s thinking about keeping the beard, a pseudo-playoff beard from day one of the regular season.

Joel Schmuland, formerly of the University of Alberta Golden Bears and CIS player of the year, had a similar thing going on back in 2009, and it has become a team identity of sorts, with the university’s mascot even donning a beard. Carson hopes the same thing can take off at TRU.

Along with Carson, the WolfPack has returned a core group of players this season, including right-side hitter Brad Gunter, who spent his summer playing for Canada’s world junior championship team. Eleven of the WolfPack’s 17 listed players are playing in their third or more season.

“I think we’re a very deep team,” Carson said, himself one of three players entering their fifth and final year of eligibility in the CIS. “I’m not sure that we’re going to have a set starting six all the time. I think it depends on who’s playing well and who we’re playing against in certain match ups. Definitely Brad had a great summer, he’s improved a ton, he’s going to be a

very good player for us this year.”Head coach Pat Hennelly is

hoping to lead his team back to the post-season this year for the first time since 2010-11, when it lost in back-to-back matches to the Trinity Western University Spartans. Carson was a part of that team and is on the same page as his head coach.

Carson said that all of his goals for the season are team-based, and making the playoffs is at the top of the list.

“I think we had a good preseason, got all of the matches under our belts,” Carson said. “Pat was pushing us hard but I think that’s obviously good in the preseason and I think it will be beneficial to us now.”

Ω Sports EditorAdam Williams

Colin Carson has traded his moustache for a beard in hopes that it will help lead the WolfPack back to the post-season this year.

(Images courtesy TRU Athletics)

Both TRU soccer teams (pictured) captured magic this season, bringing home gold from the provin-cial championships. (Michael Crawford/Submitted)

Oct. 25 to 28

Ω Sports EditorAdam Williams

It’s all in the beard Carson hoping a combination of depth and playoff beard can lead WolfPack back to the post-season

Another two for the trophy caseDouble gold for WolfPack soccer at Pacific Western Athletic Association provincials

With an unbeaten record on the weekend, the Wolf Pack men’s basketball team captured its own tournament at the Tournament Capital Centre.

On Saturday, the men defeated the Evergreen State College Geoducks of Washington state 112-68. Gerard Gore led the team with 22 points and tournament all-star Josh Wolfram had 18 points.

Earlier in the tournament, the Wolf Pack defeated the Northwest College Eagles, also of Washington, 89-76.

Reese Pribilsky was named tournament MVP.TRU will play next on Nov. 1, its home-opener against the

University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Following the conclusion of the Pacif ic Western conference’s provincial championship, the Wolf Pack named the team it will be taking to Toronto for this season’s cross-country running nationals.

Faryn Brown, Alesha Miller, Rolena Debruyn, Melissa Ryeo, Christa Miller, Tiffany Adams, Ryan Pidirniak, Connor McKay, Mark Carolan, Conlan Sprickerhoff, Tanner Gainer and Sunny Dulay will represent the Wolf Pack at Humber College on Nov. 8 and 9.

At provincials this past weekend, Alesha Miller and Mark Carolan both f inished in the top seven, with Miller’s time of 25:10.35 good for f ifth and Carolan’s 38:15.31 landing him in seventh.

Conlan Sprickerhoff f inished 14th and Connor McKay grabbed an 11th place f inish.

More WolfPack Bites available at truomega.ca, including men’s hockey’s second win of the season and the continuing struggles of the women’s volleyball squad.

October 30, 201312

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