March 3, 2006
What do 21st-century kids do during their annual spring vacation? Build robots, of course!
In preparation for TRU's Sumo Robot Competition 2006, to be held during TRU's School of Trades and Technology's March 25 Open House and Skills Canada competitions, TRU's School of Advanced Technologies and Mathematics is offering neo-engineers a chance to build their robots with help from a mentor.
On Thursday, March 16 electronics students will be on hand to help kids of every age (contest categories include grades 9 & under, grades 10-12, and an open category for everyone else) assemble robots from a kit. The workshop will run from noon to 3:00 pm in room 282 of TRU's Trades & Technology Centre.
"The winning robot last year was built by an elementary school student," said TRU electronics instructor and contest coordinator Darryl Hutcheon.
"Building a robot from these kits, then programming and customizing them is a great introduction to the world of electronics," "We had round one of the Sumo competition last year. It was a great event. We're really looking forward to round two on March 25.
Building a robot is a two-stage process, explained Hutcheon.
"Putting the robots together from a kit is relatively easy. It takes about three hours. The hard part is giving the robot its personality. People don?t have to do this part. There's a default "mind" that comes with the robot, but it can be modified."
Modifications can mean life or death for the tiny machines.
"The world of the Sumo is a meter-wide circle with a white perimeter," said Hutcheon, "and it doesn't like to share its world. Anything appearing in its meter-wide sphere of influence is attacked and pushed out, if possible.
"When both robots claim the world, which they're all programmed to do, something has to give. In this case, it's the weaker robot. Sometimes they stalemate, and remain locked in an embrace until their batteries run out. Sometimes, one gets confused and before it gets its boundaries figured out, its opponent takes advantage and smacks it out of the circle."
Once the robot is built, Hutcheon and his students can help the builders to customize the robot's mental gears.
"Robots have eyes which see as far as 10 centimetres. One eye looks to the left and one to the right to keep track of the opponent, and two additional eyes look straight down in order to keep track of the white perimeter line. So if the robot looks and doesn't see its opponent, it may be programmed to turn to look, or maybe to go in a straight line for a certain distance, and then turn. This is the custom aspect of creating the robot mind."
While Hutcheon encourages those wishing to take part in the competition to attend the March 16th workshop, there are alternatives. People can pick up their robot kits anytime (the contest's $50 entry fee includes the kit) and call Hutcheon to organize a time to build it in the evening with an electronics student mentor, or to build it on their own.
To find out more about the contest, call 250-828-5137 or email.
For more information, please contact Darryl Hutcheon at 250-828-5137
Imagining Place
March 6, 2006
The Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) presents a free public lecture by visiting artist and artist-researcher Professor Craig Freeman on Wednesday, March 8th from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in room 1611 of Thompson Rivers University's Old Main building. A wine and cheese reception will precede the talk.
"During the Artist Statement: Artistic Inquiry and the Role of the Artist in Academe Workshop at Thompson Rivers University in November, I presented my art project "Imaging Place" and spoke about this work in the context of artistic research and the artist statement," said Freeman.
"While in Kamloops, I began work on an "Imaging British Columbia" addition to the "Imaging Place" project," he explained.
"I traveled to the western outskirts of Kamloops along the Thompson River with fellow workshop participants Michael Jarrett, Danyel Ferrari, Georgia Kotretsos and Shawn Berney. We spent the day shooting the panoramic images and video necessary to add the location to the larger project."
Freeman's Wednesday talk will focus on "Imaging British Columbia: A proposal for Research, a Public Lecture, and Fieldwork Production," an exciting new project he has proposed for the Mapping Quality of Life and Culture of Small Cities CURA.
Freeman uses digital technologies to produce place-based virtual reality and site-specific public art. Working with monumental, sequential, computer generated imagery and text, Freeman also constructs public roadside installations which can span miles of highway. In some projects, individual images have been as large as 400 square feet.
Using the strategies and forms of media culture in order to explore what happens when emerging technologies are used for artistic expression, Freeman has set out to invent new forms of visual art that address the transition from industrial culture to an information technological paradigm. Recognizing the need to integrate the work of a variety of experts, he has adopted strategies of project based interdisciplinary collaboration. The most recent work titled "Imaging Place" draws on the expertise of cultural theorists, architects, historians, scientist and community leaders.
"The goal of "Imaging Place" is to document sites of cultural significance that for political, social, economic, or environmental reasons are contested, undergoing substantial changes, or are at risk of destruction. This includes historic sites as well as sites of living culture that are being displaced by the collapse of industrial modernism and globalization. The project also seeks to expand the notion of documentary by exploring how place is internalized, mapping place as a state of mind. "Imaging Place" is designed to accommodate interdisciplinary collaboration conducted across institutions and over distances," he said.
Freeman is currently an Associate Professor of New Media at Emerson College in Boston. The focus of his academic activities throughout the last decade has been to integrate computer technology and theory of electronic culture into visual art curriculum and to explore interdisciplinary approaches to education and technology. He is active in the College Art Association and has served on the national board of directors of the Society for Photographic Education. His work has been exhibited internationally, his writing has been published in numerous journals and in 1992 he was awarded an Individual Artist Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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For more information, please contact Will Garrett-Petts at 250-828-5248
For more information please visit: http://pages.emerson.edu/faculty/john_craig_freeman or http://institute.emerson.edu/vma/faculty/john_craig_freeman/
TRU WolfPack coach named BCCAA Coach of the Year
March 6, 2006
TRU WolfPack Badminton coach Brad Pape has been named BCCAA Badminton Coach of the Year.
Pape, who also won the honour in 1997, led a young team this year, after coaching two medal-winners last season: Men's Doubles and Men's Singles won BCCAA Silver in 2004-2005.
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For more information, please contact Brad Pape at (250) 828-6844 or by email.
National gardening expert at TRU next month
March 3, 2006
David Tarrant, horticultural expert, author and TV personality, will discuss global gardening April 8 in his keynote address to the TRU Friends of the Gardens' Horticulture Horizons 2006 conference.
Tarrant, who has been involved with the UBC Botanical Gardens since 1969, has travelled the world giving horticulture tours. He was the host of Canadian Gardener and more recently, HGTV's Spring, and is the author of several books and has regularly contributed to Gardens West and Gardening Life magazines.
"David is a true horticultural gem," said conference coordinator and horticulture coordinator Kevin Scollon. "His passion for horticulture is evident the moment he speaks and his knowledge and ability to capture an audience is truly unique."
Horticulture Horizons opens with Tarrant's address and then offers specialized talks on such subjects as tree health, irrigation, lawn care, ponds, pest management, planters, landscape design and photography.
Registration, which includes all speakers plus lunch and snacks, is $55 before March 10 and $65 after that date. Scollon urges people to register at their earliest convenience, as participation is limited to 150 people. To register call 828-5181 or email.
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For more information, please contact Kevin Scollon at 250-828-5181.
Philosfunnies
March 6, 2006
A Thompson Rivers University researcher says comics can be used to explain the real world.
Dr. Jeff McLaughlin, a philosophy professor who also teaches such courses as "Philosophy and Pop Culture," will launch Comics as Philosophy (published by Mississippi UP), an inventive anthology that uses comics to explore the tenets of philosophy, on Thursday, March 9 at 4:00 pm in TRU's Visual Arts Gallery.
The book's unique focus has garnered a few invitations for McLaughlin, who has been asked to attend a conference in Greece and to participate in a panel discussion of the book in San Diego in July.
The book's essays focus on a wide variety of genres, from mainstream superhero comics, to graphic novels of social realism, to European adventure classics, from Paul Chadwick's long-running Concrete series to Herg?'s perennially popular The Adventures of Tintin and Marvel's Captain America.
McLaughlin also explores the topic in his article, "9-11-01 Truth, Justice and Comic Books" to be published in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Comic Book Art, and has submitted "Conversations With Stan Lee," based on interviews with the creator of Spiderman, to Mississippi UP for consideration.
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For more information, please contact Brian Mitchell at 828-5142
ImagiNative Art Opening
March 8, 2006
The opening of the collaborative art exhibition ImagiNative at TRU at 5 pm on Monday, March 13 promises a unique opportunity to meet and view the work of over 20 regional aboriginal artists. Everyone is invited to attend.
The ImagiNative exhibition in the TRU Visual Arts Gallery will showcase some of the most innovative and reflective artistic efforts seen in the region.
ImagiNative is sponsored by the Thompson Rivers University Centre for the Study of Canada in co-operation with the TRU First Nations Students Association (FNSA), the Interior Aboriginal Artists' Society (IAAS), and the TRU Department of Visual and Performing Arts.
The exhibition coincides with the TRU Aboriginal Awareness Week celebrations of Aboriginal heritage and culture and the 2006 BC Aboriginal youth conference Gathering our Voices, hosted at TRU by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres from Mar. 12 to 15.
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For further information, please contact Dr Martin Whittles, TRU Centre for the Study of Canada at 371-5914
Graduate degrees in nursing now available at TRU
March 9, 2006
Nursing professionals interested in taking their learning to the next level are encouraged to attend a 1.5-hour information meeting at Thompson Rivers University, which will offer UBC's Master of Science in Nursing program in the BC Interior for the fourth time.
The meeting, to be held Friday, Mar. 17 at 2:30 pm in Room 375 of TRU's Science building, will acquaint nurses with information about the fourth cohort of the program, scheduled to begin in September, 2006, with students slated to graduate after two years of study. Dr. Carol Jillings, program coordinator of the MSN program at UBC, will be on hand to provide a program introduction and answer questions.
The program is being offered after the BC Government recognized a need for nursing education development, and announced additional funding to help prepare nurse educators at the master's level. As education is a component of many nursing roles, this does not exclude those who, in addition to an education focus, also want to incorporate course work that focuses on a clinical area.
One goal of the TRU MSN cohort is to create an opportunity for graduate-level study for nurses living outside the Lower Mainland, but TRU MSN coordinator Sharon Simpson said the program attracts nurses from throughout BC including the Fraser Valley.
"It's largely an on-line program," she explained. "There are only two courses that need to be taken in a face-to-face classroom format, and nurses in Chilliwack and Hope tell me it's easier for them to travel up the Coquihalla than it is to make their way to UBC in Vancouver."
She also noted that most of the students in each cohort continue to work full-time while completing their degree work.
The distance delivery aspect of the program was an attraction for TRU nursing instructor Erin McGarvey, who balanced work and a new baby with completing the program in only five semesters.
"The on-line courses were nice," she said. "They allowed me to make choices and to balance my time in ways that were best for me and my family."
McGarvey said she took the program for job security, since her university requires instructors hold a graduate degree, but noted other benefits.
"I wanted to take my learning to the next level regardless of teaching, but it also opens up a lot of other doors," she explained. "Having a master's degree means far broader options in the form of management and training in the hospital setting."
In addition to the five core MSN courses, the program focuses on educational processes in nursing, including curriculum design and content, as well as experience related to teaching in several contexts, plus course work in a clinical context.
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For more information on the program or information meeting, please contact Sharon Simpson at 250-828-5420 or by email.
High schoolers on campus
March 9, 2006
High school students from all over BC will be on campus at TRU next week for TRU's mid-March Spring Break Experience, which includes an in-depth look at university life at the Discover the Difference Spring Break Conference for High School Students on Friday, March 17.
"I'd like to emphasize that the day isn't just for students who have firmly committed to coming to TRU after graduation. This experience will give any student and/or parent a good overview of campus life," said TRU Public Relations Director Josh Keller.
"If students aren't sure what they want to do after they graduate from high school, or know they're headed for post-secondary, but aren't sure what program to take, or what programs TRU offers, they should visit TRU any day during Spring Break, Monday, March 13th to Friday, March 17th, and find out what we have to offer," said TRU liaison coordinator Angela Trudeau.
Trudeau has also organized a tour programme so that anyone can drop in for a guided 90-minute tour, held Monday to Thursday at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm or 6:00 pm, or at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm or 3:30 pm on Friday. Those wanting a tour are invited to assemble at the Clock Tower building 2nd floor foyer five minutes before the scheduled tour time.
Tours will make a stop at information displays set up by each of TRU's 10 Schools and Faculties, which will have information about their programs displayed the entire week, as per the schedule below:
Faculty of Arts
10:30 - 11:20, AE108-Language class presentation
1:30 - 2:20, AE266-Canadian Studies and Theatre English
Other displays and presentations throughout the day in A&E
School of Social Work and Human Service - Arts and Education Building,
2nd floor foyer
School of Education - Arts and Education Building, 3rd floor, room 364
School of Business and Economics - International Building, 1st floor, across from the ISAP desk
School of Tourism - Clock Tower Building, 2nd floor, room 201
School of Advanced Technologies and Mathematics - Old Main Building, 2nd floor, room 2802
University Preparation - Old Main Building, 2nd floor, room 2551
School of Nursing - Science Building, 3rd floor, rooms 331 and 333
Faculty of Science - Science Building, 2nd floor, room 212
School of Trades and Technology - Trades and Technology Centre, 1st floor foyer
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For more information, please contact Angela Trudeau at (250) 828.5013 or by email.
Trades and tech show
March 13, 2006
KAMLOOPS- The Trades & Technology Centre at Thompson Rivers University throws its doors wide open March 25, to welcome the public to an open house in conjunction with the high school Skills Canada competitions hosted by TRU the same day.
From 9 am to 3 pm every trades department, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, welding, mechanics, computerized manufacturing and other electronics career programs will offer visitors hands-on opportunities to experience.
"People can try their hands at welding, there'll be a nail-driving contest and Sumo robot wrestling," said School of Trades & Technology dean's assistant Cindi Thompson, who also coordinates the annual high school skills contest at TRU each year.
Thompson said the day promises fun and interest for the whole family. "There will also be lots of demonstrations and some great outdoor sports equipment like boats and sea-doos on display," she added.
People can look in on Skills Canada competitors, who represent high schools from as far north as Clearwater and Williams Lake, south to Princeton, West to Lytton, and east as far as Revelstoke test their skills in an Olympic-style event in 10 trades and tech categories.
The Sumo robot wrestling competition is also a big draw. "This year is round two," explained TRU electronics instructor and contest coordinator Darryl Hutcheon.
"The winning robot last year was built by an elementary school student," added Hutcheon, who organizes mentoring sessions for those who wish to build a robot competitor.
To find out more about the contest, call 250-828-5137 or email. Or check out TRU's sumo site.
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For more information, please contact Darryl Hutcheon at 250-828-5137 or Cindi Thompson at 250-828-5207
Culture and conscience
March 13, 2006
Two student initiatives will bring cultural understanding and education to Thompson Rivers University next week.
Culture Feast, to be held on the International Day for Elimination of Discrimination Tuesday, March 21, will feature speakers, entertainment and international cuisine. Student speakers will discuss their ethnic backgrounds, including Colombia, Nigeria, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, China and North American aboriginal. Ethnic dancing will precede and follow the speakers and fill the intermission.
The event, presented by the TRU Student Social Justice Committee and sponsored by TRU World, Kamloops Rotary, Grinders Coffee House, Accolades, the Smorgasbord and Bookies, will be held at 7 pm in the Panorama Room, located on the third floor of TRU's new International Building. Admission is free, with a suggested food or $2 donation.
Asked why she took time from her busy schedule to help organize an event of this nature while other students are busy writing essays and preparing for exams, event co-coordinator Monique Smith, currently in her first year of study for a Bachelor of Arts degree, said, "I love culture, and this event is something I would like to go to."
Smith, a dual citizen from Tacoma, Washington, will experience another culture first-hand when she takes part in a Study Abroad exchange to Spain in her third year of study.
The remainder of the week will offer three days of presentations on global issues at Evolution: Health, Community, Global Conscience, with an aim to promote understanding and compassion at both a global and local level.
The awareness-raising event, sponsored by ACE TRU, Oxfam TRU, and the TRU Arts Community, will begin at 11 am on Wednesday, March 22 with a traditional First Nations blessing and drumming on Student Street. A short reception with refreshments will follow the opening ceremony.
That evening at 7 pm at the Kamloops Centre for Water Quality, Miriam Palacios, the BC Programme Coordinator for Oxfam Canada, will deliver a free public talk on global poverty.
Later that evening, local artists and musicians will be showcased at Youtopia Jam Night, starting at 8 pm at Heroes Pub in TRU's Campus Activity Centre. Admission is $2 or a food donation. March 23 features nine workshops led by a variety of campus and community groups from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm at various campus locations, followed by a forum, "How we can build community through the arts," beginning at 2:30 pm in Room 1611 of TRU's Old Main building. That evening, TRU student Adam Sanders delivers a free public talk on Personal and Group Sustainability in the Environmental movement starting at 5:30 pm in Old Main 2422, followed by a free showing of the movie "Thirst" in TRU's Alumni Theatre, sponsored by the Council of Canadians in recognition of World Water Day. The week wraps up Friday, March 24 with a BBA fundraiser for The X campus-community radio starting at noon in TRU's Independent Centre, along with live music and a "World's Fair" showcasing 50 community groups and organizations involved in wellness, community and global conscience from 11 am to 4 pm.
Another free movie, "Don't Temp Me," will be shown starting at 6 pm in TRU's Alumni Theatre, and the event wraps up with a concert and closing ceremony from 7 pm to 12:30 am in the Independent Centre.
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For more information, please contact:
Culture Feast: Monique Smith at 828-0662 or siocantleat7@hotmail.com
or Merel at 319-9506 or living_it_all_up@yahoo.ca
Evolution: For info call Tria Donaldson at 374-3234 or kamtracc@gmail.com
or Andrew McNab at 574-1896 or tru_evolution@hotmail.com
TRU hands out tourism awards
March 20, 2006
KAMLOOPS-TRU's School of Tourism held its third annual Tourism Awards Reception Mar. 9.
The event, held each year to honour industry leaders who have contributed to the school over the years, was organized by tourism students, with help from faculty sponsors. A few "single recipients" are also recognized.
"Single Recipients" receiving awards were Ryan Liebrecht and Ciao Thyme, who received the Alumni Award, Morgan Willes, who received the Current Student Award, and Purchasing, which received the TRU Department Award.
Receiving awards from each department within the School of Tourism were:
ADVENTURE
1) Industry Rep: Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, Scott Davis
2) Over 5 Years: Johnny Mikes, Canadian River Expeditions
3) Under 5 Years: Evan Loveless, Bryn-Mor Consulting Ltd.
4) Employer: Terry and Jody Cinnamon, Mount Robson Whitewater Rafting Co.
CULINARY ARTS
1) Industry Rep.: Sysco/ HRI Kelowna, Mark Chomyshen
2) Over 5 Years: Wayne Hall, Kamloops Catering
3) Under 5 Years: Andrew Adams, Tango Restaurant
4) Employer: Delta Sun Peaks
TOURISM
1) Industry Rep.: Roland Neave, Wells Grey Tours Ltd.
2) Over 5 Years: Lee Morris, Venture Kamloops
3) Under 5 Years: Kim Dorrington, Delta Sun Peaks
4) Employer: Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
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For more information, please contact Shannon McKee at 250-828-2159
TRU students get ready for first-ever Belize field school
KAMLOOPS-Just over a month from now, 13 students from across the disciplines at TRU will be boarding a plane for the Central American country of Belize, where they will participate in a field school, working on a riparian restoration project, and learning about the environmental challenges facing another country. ?
"This course examines the issues, approaches and people involved with natural resource management in a tropical country," said faculty sponsor Karl Larsen, who teaches in the natural resource science program at TRU.
"We run this course in Belize, Central America, because the country is relatively accessible and English is the spoken language. Belize also has good facilities, and many of its diverse natural resources are in the early stages of development," he explained.
Of the 13 days the students will spend in Belize after they arrive April 30, two of them will be spent working with students from the University of Belize on the restoration project, and in showcasing resource issues in their respective countries. The students will also spend some time chatting in small groups, getting to learn one another's perspectives.
"I personally feel this might be one of the most enriching points in the course," said Larsen, adding "Although I'm sure looking forward to getting back into the old growth rain forest, and snorkelling with the sea turtles!"
He went on to explain, "Anyone who has done international travelling will also recognize the value of getting at least a wee bit outside of 'one's comfort zone'; aside from the focus of the course (natural resource management), I think our students will benefit immensely from just seeing another part of the world, and interacting with the people who live there."
Participating students, all in their third or fourth years of study, represent a wide range of program areas, including biology, journalism, geography, history, arts, business and natural resource science.
Larsen, who will be accompanying the students along with TRU range ecology specialist Wendy Gardner, explained the value of the course to students in all disciplines.
"Natural resource management involves not just science, but also social and cultural issues, economics, and a historical perspective. This course is designed to expose students to these issues within a developing, tropical nation such as Belize. ?
"Students in this course are not 'based' at one particular location for the duration of the course. Instead, we make short-term trips to various sites throughout the country, in order to examine a wide array of areas, concepts and subjects. Some, but not all of the resource sectors we investigate are animal and plant conservation, costs and benefits of ecotourism, government policies, cultural resources (e.g. Mayan temples), industrial development, fisheries, and agriculture."
The students not only will learn from their experiences in Belize, but also from one another; in fact, a part of the course's mark is based on an 'expert oral report' that each student must deliver to the other students, at an appropriate point in the trip.
Once back in Canada, the students will also write a short report which is basically a self-analysis: what did the student learn, and what area(s) were particularly intriguing, and may make them think about the sort of work they want to do in their careers.
There?s also a philanthropic aspect to the course, said Larsen.
"Some of the course charges, along with additional funding, will be put toward offering a student at the University of Belize the opportunity to come here to TRU and Kamloops, for approximately two weeks," he said. "We see this is a way of 'putting back' something into the country that is going to host us for two weeks this spring. ?The professors at UB have already said the excitement is brewing with the announcement that a class of Canadian students will be spending a couple of days with them, and that one of them will be able to come up here for a visit."
Arts student Chantal MacDonald, who has already travelled extensively in northern, central and eastern Europe, as well as Mexico, Jamaica, Chile and the Dominican Republic, was attracted to the course because it will afford her the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom setting.
"I previously went on [TRU Anthropology professor] David Sheffel's Eastern European field school, so I'm aware of the educational possibilities when exposed to a different culture,? she said. "Since natural resource management is outside of my studies, I find it quite interesting to explore a new area of interest while combining it with my anthropological training."
MacDonald won?t be staying put when she returns from Belize.
In the next academic year, she'll spend her last two semesters in Spain on an educational exchange, and once finished, will graduate with a bachelor of arts degree concentrating in anthropology.
"I'm not exactly sure what I want to do after TRU because there are so many different opportunities," she said. "Though without a doubt, I will continue to travel and learn from experience."
Fellow student Morgan Rankin, who will complete her degree in natural resource management this year, is also excited about the trip.
"The fact that I?m able to go to another country and learn so much in two weeks in unbelievable," she said. "I know that if I went down on my own I would not learn as much. Now that I have an education in natural resource science, I'm sure I'll appreciate things a lot more and gain more knowledge."
This is the first year TRU has offered a field school in Belize, but Larsen hopes it?s the first of many, and he?s already talking up next year's course.
"We will be starting to accept applications in September, but students potentially interested in the course can drop us an email at any time at belize@tru.ca," he said, warning that, "Students who want to consider joining for the May 2007 course may want to start planning soon, as we expect the demand and number of applications to go up this fall, now that the word is spreading." Interested students may also check out course details on the web.
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For more information, please contact Karl Larsen at 250-828-5456 or Chantal MacDonald at 250-377-3536.
Alumni fool around for funds
March 21, 2006
KAMLOOPS-TRU's Alumni Association is marking the maps for its second annual TRU Campus Classic 5/10km run April 1st.
The run, which starts at 10 am in front of TRU's International Building, is open to all: students, alumni and the public. The route winds around the campus and ends back at the International Building.
The Alumni Association's Heather Scollon explained why: "The run is on campus because we want to bring the greater community to our university community."
Scollon also described this year?s twist: a prize to be awarded for the best April Fool's costume.
"It's fun to be a fool sometimes," she said. "People can wear something as simple as a funny hat, or a clown costume or get creative?there's the challenge."
Scollon explained that while the race will attract people to the TRU campus, and give alumni a fun way to meet old school buddies they've lost track of, "I'd like to emphasize we raise money for student projects and awards with this run."
She also pointed out that student entrants have a chance to win one of two $250 cash awards, and there will be participant prizes and age-category winners, thanks to local sponsors.
"Local sponsors have been very generous to give fun and sports-related prizes for our participants," she said. "And Runner's Sole, which is a major sponsor, has lent their incredible event expertise to planning this run."
Local businesses are also behind the snacks available after the event.
"At the end of the run, we have great food for all the participants from Gourmet Greens, Fresh is Best, and Tim Horton's," said Scollon.
Students are also helping out, giving of their time to take care of and entertain children at the free childminding service while their parents enjoy the run.
Entry fees for the run are $25 for the public and $15 for students. People may register as an individual or in teams of four by calling 377-4055.
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For more information, please contact Heather Scollon at 371-5711 or by email.
Joinery show and shine
March 21, 2006
KAMLOOPS-The public is invited to view the year-end projects created by TRU's entry-level joinery class this Friday at its annual "show & shine" of fine woodworking.
"This is an opportunity for the students to show off their final projects to friends, family, the general public and potential employers," said instructor Jeff Collett.
From 11 am to 1 pm in room 230 of TRU's Trades and Technology Centre this Friday, people can see numerous projects including dining tables, a poker table, a hammock stand, cabinets, a rolling wine cabinet, a tool box, a router cabinet, a vanity, a night stand, and other items.
"Joiners use their skills to envision how an item will be constructed, create a detailed shop drawing with a cut list for the item, build and assemble all the components, and then apply the required finishing material," explained Collett, who added the students have completed the first-year equivalency to a joinery apprenticeship and are now ready for employment.
As graduates proficient in basic woodworking, they'll be looking to help out the trades shortage at cabinet and furniture shops.
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For more information, please contact Jeff Collett at 371-5657 or by email.
March 22, 2006
KAMLOOPS-TRU WolfPack point guard Sean Garvey, who finished his team's inaugural CIS season ranked 5th in assists and 9th in 3-point field goal percentages in conference play in Canada West and was a finalist for BC Sport's College Athlete of the Year, will not be playing with his team in the 2006-07 season.
"Sean is opting out of next season to get caught up on his studies so he can finish playing the same time he finishes his degree," said WolfPack men's basketball head coach Nevin Gleddie.
Gleddie's not losing Garvey entirely, however.
"Sean will sit out next season helping me out on the bench and basically redshirting and will play his final year of eligibility 2007/08," explained Gleddie.
"While I am disappointed that Sean will not be returning to the roster next season, I do look forward to his return. I am also excited that Sean will be staying involved with the program by joining coaches Blair and Haugland and I on the bench next season."
Although Gleddie's going to miss his star player, he's comfortable with Garvey's decision and how it fits into his long-term plans.
"I support Sean and his family in their decision," said Gleddie. "We all felt that it was important that Sean finish his degree prior to trying to gain a playing contract in Europe. Sean and I agree that it will be easier for him to secure a contract overseas if he has a current stat line."
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For more information, please contact Nevin Gleddie at 250-828-5272 (w) or 250-318-8733 (c) or Sean Garvey at 250-314-1070.
March 22, 2006
KAMLOOPS- The co-author of No Place to Learn: Why Universities aren't Working, a controversial book that argues most universities place too much emphasis on specialized research and too little on teaching, will speak at TRU April 5.
Tom Pocklington, Adjunct Member of the Board of the TRU Centre for the Study of Canada and Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta, will deliver a free public lecture entitled, "From College to Knowledge Factory: Why Canadian Universities Aren't Working," at 3 pm on Wednesday, April 5 in the Alumni Theatre of TRU's Clock Tower building.
"This topical presentation represents several years of research into campuses across the country," said Ginny Ratsoy, coordinator of TRU"s Centre for the Study of Canada, which, along with the TRU Faculty Association, is sponsoring the talk.
The theme of No Place to Learn is that Canadian universities, especially the large ones classified as "medical/doctoral", have seriously distorted their priorities. They are obsessed with research, and most professors are now primarily researchers rather than teachers. Teaching and learning now run a poor second.
The presentation will focus on three questions: How did this decline occur? What reforms are necessary and possible? Since reform will not come about overnight, what advice can we offer now to students who want the best education possible?
Pocklington received his B.A. from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. from Indiana University. He taught in the Political Science Department of the University of Alberta from 1961 until 1998, when he took early retirement. His principal area of interest is political philosophy, but he is a generalist rather than a specialist, and he has a special interest in the teaching of introductory courses in universities and colleges. He also has an abiding interest in aboriginal politics, and was acting director of the University of Alberta's School of Native Studies in its first year of operation. In 1997-98 he was President of the Canadian Political Science Association.
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For more information, please contact Ginny Ratsoy, English and Modern Languages Department, at (250) 828-5238 or by email.
March 24, 2006
The TRU Actors Workshop Theatre closes its 22nd season with the seventh Annual Directors' Festival featuring five short one-act plays. This year we present the following:
- SCUBA Lessons, by Joseph Zeccola
- The Heartbreak Tour, by Peter Morris
- The Most Massive Woman Wins, by Madeleine George
- This is a Play, by Daniel MacIvor
- How Gertrude Stormed the Philoshopher's Club, by Martin Epstein.
The performances run April 5, 6, 7, & 8 at 8:00 p.m. in the Actors Workshop Theatre. All tickets are $10. each and can be picked up at the theatre box office Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., or on each performance night.
For reservations call the box office at 377-6100.