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WHY YOUR BOG VOTE MATTERS

WHICH KSA CANDIDATES DESERVE YOUR VOTE

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27FIGHTING THE MAN SINCE 2009

Feb

2013

find us online / www.runnermag.ca / twitter.com/runnermag / facebook.com/runnerpaper

THE

Vote in the KSA election and referendumWednesday & Thursday, February 27 & 28 @ 9 a.m-5 p.m.Cloverdale – Across from the Cafeteria Langley – Bookstore Hallway Richmond – Rotunda Surrey – Main Atrium Corridor

Vote for your representatives to the Kwantlen Student Association and have your say on the U-Pass, the creation of a Public Interest Research Group, and funding The Runner. Each voter must show a valid Student ID to receive a ballot.

Shit Harper Did Comedy TourThursday, March 14 @ 6:30-8 p.m.Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Fir 128, Surrey campus

From the award-winning comedians that brought you ShitHarperDid.Com comes a live comedy tour of universities and colleges in the Lower Mainland in BC. You’re invited to join us for the improvisational stylings of The Sunday Service (recently named “Canada’s Best Improv Group”) hosted by Graham Clark (awarded “Canada’s Best Podcast”).The comedy show will be followed by presentations by Brigette DePape (the Senate Rogue Page) and founder of ShitHarperDid.com, Sean Devlin.

The Runner is student owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society

Arbutus 3710/372012666 72 Ave.Surrey, B.C., V3W 2MB778.565.3801

EDITORIAL DIVISONCo-ordinating Editor / Je� Groateditor@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3803

Culture Editor / Max Hirtzculture@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3804

News Editor / Matt DiMeranews@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3805

Production Editor / Roland Nguyenproduction@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3806

Media Editor / Kimiya Shokoohimedia@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3806

Associate News Editors / Sarah Schuchard / Chloe Smith / Sasha Mann

Associate Culture Editor / Tabitha Swanson

Associate Opinion Editor / Hannah Ackeral

Associate Photo Editor / Vacant

Associate Sports Editor / Brian Jones

Associate Art Director / Sylvia Dang

Associate Copy Editor / Elizabeth Hann

www.runnermag.caVol. 05, Issue no. 10February 27, 2013ISSN# 1916 8241

CONTRIBUTORSBrendan Tyndall

Cover Photo / Roland Nguyen

BUSINESS DIVISIONOperation Manager / Victoria Almondo� ce@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3801

MASTHEAD02 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Rip-Off KwantlenFatima Zaidi, an elected KSA arts faculty representative has started a new project in which students can come into the KSA’s Surrey o� ce on their birthday and re-ceive a gift purchased from a dollar store to help them feel “special on their special day.”

Admittedly, the amount of money being wasted is small, but it’s the principle that irks us. Of all of the serious issues facing students, potential projects or events that KSA elected o� cials could be working on, Zaidi decided that giving out cheap dollar store junk would help students to appreciate the KSA. We’re tell-ing you that it won’t. Stop messing around and � nd something to do that actually bene� ts students.

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KSA business rep disciplined by council for ‘unbecoming conduct’

had been unable to host a tournament, but had instead used the money to attend a dif-ferent tournament hosted by someone else.

The KSA executive eventually relented and went against their own policies to make an exception for the KCC.

Raja did not respond to email and tele-phone requests for an interview before The Runner’s deadline.

According to Girodat, the Kwantlen Cricket Club still has other unresolved fi-nancial issues with the KSA.

“The Kwantlen Cricket Club does cur-rently have outstanding expenses, which have been claimed, but has not been re-imbursed. The KSA is not satisfied with the supporting documentation provided, since that club had previously been issued a warning for its financial relationship with the KSA, and since it’s a continued issue, these expenses were rejected,” Girodat told The Runner in a Feb. 24 phone interview

“Other than these outstanding expens-es, ultimately, most of these issues were resolved when the executive committee agreed after much discussion to make ex-traordinary exceptions to policy surround-ing supporting documentation.”

Yasir Raja, a current business faculty represen-tative on the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA), was disciplined by council last month.

Raja, who is also running for re-election, was issued an official warning for alleg-edly making “frivolous and vexatious com-plaints” and had his January honorarium reduced to $0 for “conduct unbecoming of a director of the society.”

The decision came after a 45-minute closed door in-camera session at the Jan. 16 KSA council meeting. Raja was not in atten-dance at the meeting.

In October, Raja was voted out as chair of the KSA’s finance committee and replaced with Punit Ghuman. No explanation for his ouster was recorded in the KSA’s minutes.

KSA spokesperson and chairperson of their executive committee Christopher Gi-rodat declined to give specifics about why Raja had been disciplined.

“That’s a board of directors issue be-tween the board of directors and Yasir, there-fore it’s confidential and I’m not able to pro-vide comment on that,” said Girodat.

However, according to KSA sources, the dis-cipline came after Raja made serious allegations against current director of finance Tony Chiao.

In late 2012, the KSA investigated and subsequently exonerated Chiao of harass-ment, after Raja alleged in early December that Chiao was incompetent and that Chiao had stalked him via Facebook and had sin-gled him out because of a personal grudge.

The KSA committee that investigated Raja’s complaint not only cleared Chiao, but had harsh words for his accuser in an internal report:

“Yasir Raja has been very disrespectful of everyone’s time and efforts on this file. He made a complaint to the Standing Commit-tee on Governance against Tony Chiao. Af-ter this complaint, he did not appear at the Standing Committee on Governance when he was asked to. Since then, he has not at-tended any of the Standing Committee on Finance meetings, or the regular Council meeting(s),” read the committee report.

“He has also been caught lying to the Standing Committee on Governance, failed to respond to emails in due time, failed to comply with the decision of the Complaint Resolution Sub-Committee, and when he was not satisfied with the decision, simply said he wanted to drop the original complaint.”

The committee subsequently recom-mended that Raja not receive his January honorarium and that Raja be discouraged from running for election in the next term. They also suggested that if Raja were to run again, that it should be recommended at the next annual general meeting that he be put in bad standing to prevent him from doing so.

Raja’s complaint against Chiao seeming-ly stemmed from last summer and fall when the KSA executive committee raised seri-ous questions and had reservations about spending and receipts submitted by Yasir Raja and the Kwantlen Cricket Club (KCC).

The KSA’s minutes paint a picture of an ongoing struggle between the KSA execu-tive and the KCC regarding funding. In June 2012, Raja submitted a funding request so that Kwantlen could host a cricket tourna-ment, which was scheduled to end on July 22, 2012. The KSA executive committee ap-proved $2,300 for the tournament to pay for insurance and ground bookings.

In July, the KSA discovered that Kwantlen had not and was not hosting a tournament as had previously been explained. By this point the KCC team had already received the money from the KSA.

When the KSA asked for an explanation, they were allegedly told that the cricket club

MATT DIMERANEWS EDITOR

KSA

KSA business faculty rep Yasir Raja was disciplined in January for

‘unbecoming conduct.’Chloe Smith/The Runner

NEWS 03THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

ADVERTISEMENT04 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 13 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

For the full notice of the KSA referendum, visit:For the full notice of poll for the KSA general election, visit:

Referendum Question 1:U-Pass B.C. Program

Do you agree that the U-Pass B.C. program be continued for all Kwantlen Polytechnic University students for $35.00 per month of study for the first year, for $36.75 per month of study for the second year, and for $38.00 per month of study for the third year?

Referendum Question 2:Public Interest Research Group

Do you support creating an independent Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group at a cost of 80¢ per credit per semester, and thereafter adjusted annually for inflation according to the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI), provided that every student will be able to opt out?

Referendum Question 3:Student Publication Fee

Do you support increasing the Student Publication (The Runner) fee to $0.89 per credit per semester, and thereafter adjusted annually for inflation according to the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI), provided that every student will be able to opt out?

KSAGENERAL

ELECTIONand REFERENDUM

notice of referendum:

february 27 – 28, 2013Each voter must show a valid Student ID to receive a ballot

february 27 – 28, 2013Each voter must show a valid Student ID to receive a ballot

KSAGENERAL

ELECTIONand REFERENDUM

notice of poll:

General Election Polling and ReferendumWednesday, February 27, 2013, 9 AM – 5 PM

Cloverdale – Across from the CafeteriaLangley – Bookstore Hallway

Richmond – RotundaSurrey – Main Atrium Corridor

General Election Polling and Referendum

Thursday, February 28, 2013, 9 AM – 5 PMCloverdale – Across from the Cafeteria

Langley – Bookstore HallwayRichmond – Rotunda

Surrey – Main Atrium Corridor

Referendum CommitteesPer KSA Regulations Article 6 sec 16 (viii), I publicize the availability of funding for a YES and a NO committee for each of Referendum Questions 1 and 2, and for a NO committee for Referendum Question 3. Funding details can be found in Article 6. For more information, contact the CRO.

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Student association takes stance in support of medical marijuana on campus KSA advocates for designated smoking areas.

Medicinal marijuana users should be al-lowed to smoke pot on campus, according to the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA).

The KSA adopted a new policy around medical marijuana use on Feb. 6, 2013, sup-porting the creation of designated areas on all Kwantlen campuses, specifically for the use of medicinal marijuana. It also con-demns discrimination against those who use the drug for medicinal purposes.

The KSA hopes that Kwantlen’s admin-istration will revise its zero-tolerance drug policy in order to be more accommodating of those who rely on the drug for health reasons.

“We felt it necessary that the student as-sociation have a direction whereby it can then approach the university for lobbying, internally or externally,” says Arzo Ansary, the KSA’s director of external affairs.

Kwantlen currently has a policy in posi-tion to discipline students found to be con-suming alcoholic beverages or using non-medicinal drugs on campus. The policy says

that the student found to be using intoxicat-ing substances on campus is subject to being kicked off campus grounds, or, in certain situations, suspended or expelled. Even though the wording of the university’s policy refers specifically to “the non-medical use of drugs,” there is no university policy in place protecting users of medicinal marijuana from the prosecution or discrimination they might face as a result of their chosen medicine.

Richard Hosein is the KSA’s students of colour constituency representative and is also the president of the Kwantlen chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policies (CSSP), a group concerned with the negative impacts of Canadian drug policies and laws. He says that cannabis users are stigmatized compared to users of other drugs such as pre-scription medicine and alcohol.

Hosein and the CSSP see the use of drugs as a public health issue, not a criminal justice issue, and are advocating for accessible edu-cation regarding drugs to be made available to the public so that they can make more in-formed choices. Like the KSA, Hosein is also hoping to see Kwantlen designate a special area on campus for medicinal marijuana

use. While there is plenty of support within

the KSA for the creation of an area on cam-pus to use medicinal marijuana, the student association must now convince the univer-sity of the benefits of creating such a space.

“The next step is to start with a plan, a multi-pronged approach, of contacting the university, having a meeting with their stu-dent life department, having a meeting with security, having a meeting with all relative parties to this zero drug policy,” says Ansary.

Meanwhile, the Kwantlen CSSP contin-ues to provide education about the benefits of cannabis to students at Kwantlen. On Feb. 20, as part of its ongoing cannabis education series, the group hosted a discussion by Dana Larsen, the leader of the Sensible B.C. movement, which campaigns to provide in-formation regarding the benefits of cannabis in order to open up the debate about its le-galization in B.C.

Despite student support, ultimately the decision to revise the university’s drug poli-cies regarding medicinal marijuana users rests with the university’s administration.

BRENDAN TYNDALLCONTRIBUTOR

Marijuana

Richard Hosein and Dana Larsen pose after a discussion around marijuana and drug policy at Kwantlen’s Surrey campus.Runner File Photo

NEWS 05THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

NEWS06 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

RiCHARd HosEiN 2Nd yEAR PoLiCy sTUdiEs Reason for Running: The Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) politics are all good, but I think that we can make more of a signifi-cant impact at the higher KPU governance level.

We don’t have child care on campus, which a lot of other institutions do. Kwantlen is still kind of trying to catch up. I think if I’m [on the] board of governors . . . we could get something going along those lines.

We’re not on an improved waste management system, like the [rest of the] City of Surrey. We should encourage a more sustainable practice on campus.

There’s more of a significant impact to be made on the board of governors to the KPU administration, and students need a strong voice on board of governors in order to do these things, and I think I could be one of those strong voices.

Why Students Should Choose Him: Most students know I’m a pretty active student on campus. I’m really passionate about getting students involved and representing students in anyway I can, [those] things are really important for me, especially the social justice aspect of

it. I’m heavily engaged in the community myself, and I’m running

for the provincial political elections as well. so I really want to be an engaged citizen and try to make the best impact I can.

What Issues Will He Take on If Elected: We need a child care pro-gram here on campus. A child care policy would be really important.

I think the KSA is already on board with a harvest box program, but I don’t know if that would be on the BOG’s jurisdiction but it’s good to address those things as well. There is student poverty, which is pretty rampant as well. In order to encourage people in academia there has to provisions there for them, like child care or even transportation.

I’d like to lobby the provincial government and TransLink though the BOG to get a public transit system that goes all the way to Newton, because I don’t think it’s adequate enough for students- especially [because] we do have a significant student body that that doesn’t live in Surrey that has to travel from out of town.

The KSA does offer a shuttle but I think there needs to be a greater investment from the province and perhaps even the city to get involved.

CHRisToPHER GiRodAT 2Nd yEAR PoLiCy sTUdiEs Reason for Running: I’m running for the board of governors be-cause I think we’ve had a history of ineffective board members, not this year, but certainly in several years previously.

And I think that we need to get the administration to take student concerns seriously, and I think that I’m equipped to make that happen.

Why Students Should Choose Him: I’ve proven an ability to per-suade the university administration. This is true when it comes to creating a working group to deal with copyright modernization at the senate level.

It’s true when it comes to me convincing the administration to increase student representation on senior search committees con-siderably, in some cases doubling it.

So I think I have a proven track record of being able to forge rela-tionships with the administration and to actually make the student voice a respected perspective at the table.

What Issues Will He Take on If Elected: First of all, I hope to contin-ue to boost student representation on working groups and committees across the university, making sure that there are more student voices and we’re not drowned out by faculty and administration and staff.

Second of all, I actually want to work on a really big safety cam-paign on our campuses. So whether that’s making sure that cam-puses are better lit at night, whether it’s installing blue emergency phones that have become a mainstay at some other institutions, that we don’t have despite the fact that our campuses can be pretty dark and big at night when you’re by yourself, those are the sort of things that I’m looking at doing; a safe walk program.

Things like that, that’s the influence that you get when you’re on the board of governors can be a huge help when you’re talking to the vice-provost of students, the president, whoever, who can actu-ally make those things happen.

It puts you in a good position to connect with them and to convince them that these things should happen because students deserve them.

AHMAd KHEsLAT 1sT yEAR BUsiNEss MGMT

Unavailable for interview before deadline.

Candidate Statement: I am a new immigrant to Canada and have been a Kwantlen student for over a year now. Kwantlen Polytechnic University has enrolled International and multicultural students from all around the world. As an immigrant, I understand the com-

plex situations facing multicultural students. I have the ability to com-municate in Persian (Iranian), Dari (Afghan Persian) Pashto, Urdu, Hindi, Uzbek, and I understand Turkish, Punjabi and Tajiki.

Previously I worked as coordinator to the President of Afghani-stan National Olympic Committee on International Relations and Sports Federations. I was the voice of Sports Federations in Board Decision making.

I present myself as a candidate to the Board of Governors repre-senting students as I believe that I can fairly and strongly represent students’ voices to the board.

NEWS 07THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Sorry Kwantlen, we know that you’re well past your breaking point on student elections, but after the KSA elections and referenda this week are the annual elections for the Kwantlen board of governors (BOG) and senate. This year only four students were nominated for the four student seats on senate, so they were automatically acclaimed. However, that still leaves eight students battling it out for the two student representative seats on the BOG. Without further ado, here they are. Check out page 10 for our editorial take on this year’s race and the candidates. You can cast your vote online between March 8-11 at mykwantlen.ca

Race for the board

ARZO ANSARY 3Rd YEAR PSYCHOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY

Reason for Running: The board is one of the highest decision mak-ing bodies at Kwantlen and a lot of the decisions that the board of governors makes are sort of unheard of in terms of the student body.

We don’t pay attention a lot to what’s happening and the stu-dents need a strong voice at the board who can represent them, who has the time to go and attend the meetings, and who has their best interests at heart.

And as a body that is in charge of everything from tuition, to parking, to hiring, to the way fees are administered and collected: everything, I think it’s very important to have a strong student voice and I think I can bring that to the table.

Why Students Should Choose Her: I come from a background where it’s so varied and diverse that when I sit at that table, I will be speaking with the perspective of somebody who has been through the most rigorous tests of bureaucracy I can possibly think of.

KARI MICHAELS 3Rd YEAR PHILOSOPHY

Reason for Running: I am running for BOG because while I’ve been heavily involved in academic advocacy for students in terms of senate and fighting for student right in classrooms, I would like to start being able to represent students on the BOG.

[They deal] a lot with the institution as a whole, and how we are represented out in the communities, and the side of the institu-tion that makes the decisions that are best for student in regards to tuition fees and the overall direction of the university.

Why Students Should Choose Her: Students should vote for me because I have no problem challenging people with authority on things that matter for us. I think that critical perspective needs to be

brought to the table because I feel like the people previously who have been on the BOG over the years have done very little to actually raise issues that are critical of the status quo of university operations.

I think that I’ve been well connected with students on campus in terms of being available to listen to issues — understanding the climate of our campus — and so I would be very receptive to indi-vidual student needs as well as a group getting together to find out how we want to move our university forward.

What Issues Will She Take on If Elected: I would bring changes that, I would say first of all, to the underlying attitude that you’re there to represent the institution rather than a particular group.

I would make it very clear that the institution is the students and that any decisions that we need to make the bottom line is the students and not the budget.

The budget should feed into how we want to provide services and programs for students. I would also turn down the suck; turn up the cool.

Being a woman, and then being a coloured woman, and then being a single mother who is also a full time student and a full time employee, you get to have a perspective of students who most need a representative on a board like that. And that is what I bring.

What Issues Will She Take on If Elected: I really, really want to address three key things.

I’d like to talk about international student fees: the way that the decision is made, the percentage increase that we have, and irregard-less of the fact that the provincial government does not have a cap on international tuition, we as an institution can still advocate for one. I’d like to focus on that. I’d like to focus on issues of parking.

And the main one that I’d really really like to focus on is child-care facilities on campus. And to continue the momentum from the previous board members, which is the longer library hours.

Extend services to students that benefit students. Like keeping the library open for longer. Like having more resources available for students to use on campus. Space for students, like a peer coun-selling centre, social justice space: areas that students can congre-gate and be university students at.

NEWS08 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

STEVEN BUTTON 3Rd yEAR pHilOSOpHy

Reason for Running: I’m running for the board of governors be-cause I think I would do a good job at it. I don’t have a really great understanding of what the role entails. I kind of threw my hat into the ring because I come from a profes-sional background; I worked in IT for seven years before I came back to school and I’m just interested in these sorts of things.

Why Students Should Choose Him: I’m not a politician. I would vote for me because I’m not a politician. I don’t really know how to dodge questions and I don’t interview very well. But, what I do have going for me is that I’m honest and hardworking.

I’m not afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty in dealing with upper-level administration. I always answer fully and truthfully.

What Issues Will He Take on If Elected: There’s a lot of issues that come to mind, but nothing that I can say that can be definitively fixed.

But the issues of communication, between the faculty, between the administration and between students. I think it would be naive for me to think that I could jump in there and fix everything though, because the administration has been dealing with that problem for many years.

But I hope to keep it in the spotlight and help figure out ways of getting information that students actually want and in a timely manner to them.

FATiMA ZAidi 2Nd yEAR CRiMiNOlOGy

Reason for Running: The board of governors [makes} business de-cisions for university and I think it’s really really important to have student perspective on the board, and be able to meditate with stu-dents and keep them on board with what’s going on, on the board of governors.

And just being able to bring a student perspective on the board is really important because even though university is a business, it’s also a place where students come in and they pay their money and they’re paying for education.

So we want to make sure that by bringing a student perspective to the board, their voice can be heard better in business decisions I guess.

Why Students Should Choose Her: Most students know I’m a pretty active student on campus. I am a very honest and straight-forward person.

I always do my job to the best of my ability. Most of the time I am an overachiever. I like to make things happen. I am good at being able to put my personal opinion aside and be able to truly represent the voice of the people that I represent. I don’t know if that makes sense.

So instead of my personal beliefs, I look at what students want and bring that to the board rather than my personal opinion as a person, as an individual.

What Issues Will She Take on If Elected: To me I think diversity is really important. And issues, there are always new issues coming up as we progress as a society.

And to me personally, I think diversity and equality is what matters more and that’s what I would love to push forward.

But at the same time, if any other issues come up that students seems really passionate about and want me to bring that thing to the board, I will do that too.

I think that there are some problems at Kwantlen and before anyone appreciates Kwantlen to its full extent and its potential, these problems need to be fixed.

I think there’s a lot that Kwantlen can offer all of its students.

What Issues Will She Take on If Elected: The problem with stu-dents getting into problems and being wait-listed to get into their programs. Some of them are wait-listed for years.

Out of the small pocket of people that I know quite a few of my friends have been on wait-lists and a lot of them have transferred. The retention rate at Kwantlen is suffering because of it.

TABiTHA SWANSON 2Nd yEAR FASHiON MARKETiNG

Reason for Running: Since I’ve come to Kwantlen I’ve noticed a problem that there so many students waiting on wait-lists to get in to their programs and there are too many people stuck in second year.

It can be really unmotivating and a lot of them transfer to different schools. I think it’s something that has to be fixed. I am looking to ad-vocate for students while on the board, to get more funding for classes.

Kwantlen is really growing and they need to revise some of their policies to make it a more concise and meaningful experience for their students.Why Students Should Choose Her: I’m not doing this as a resumé builder, I’m not doing this just for the status, for the title. I’m doing it because I want to make a difference.

EDITORIAL 09THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Why your vote for the board of governors student representatives matters The Runner endorses the candidates we believe can make a difference.The student representatives on Kwantlen’s board of governors have too often been si-lent and invisible to the students for whom they purportedly speak. The tragedy is that these reps sit on arguably the most powerful body on campus, yet have rarely done much to further student interests.

While the two student seats don’t have enough power to override the appointed majority on the board, they have direct ac-cess to the university’s true decision-makers;

Kari Michaels has been a passionate and vocal advocate for students and for increased diversity initiatives during her current term on the university senate and would be a powerful addition to the board of governors.

Michaels has repeatedly proven herself as a hardworking and capable voice for students. KARI

MICHAELS

ENDORSED CANDIDATES

Arzo Ansary is a political dynamo and her sharp mind and even sharper tongue may be just what the board of governors needs to shake it out of its complacency.

Though she understands the subtler nuances of diplomacy, she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. ARZO

ANSARY

Richard Hosein is a much newer face in Kwantlen student politics, but has quickly proven himself as a leader and proponent of social justice and environmental causes.

While not as experienced with the university’s structures and processes, we think he will quickly get up to speed. RICHARD

HOSEIN

Christopher Girodat is involved in almost all student political arenas at Kwantlen and would be a welcome addition to the board.

Our only caution is that with so many responsibilities, there’s only so much one person can do, before some of them start to slip. CHRIS

GIRODAT

Fatima Zaidi

Fatima Zaidi is supremely confident in her own abilities and in time she may yet prove herself as a valuable student representative, but she isn’t there yet. Her tenure at the KSA has been largely uneventful. She lacked ba-sic knowledge of the board of governors’ workings, had never attended a meeting and had no concrete plans to implement if she were elected.

a board that is often far-removed from the practical realities of the student experience and the university.

Unfortunately, the Kwantlen board of governors elections have a long history of attracting opportunists as candidates. These self-serving student politicians have run, not because they were interested in helping or representing students, but so that they could add another line to their resumé, or to net-work with connections who could further

their academic or professional futures.These types of candidates have largely

been useless as student representatives. They have made hollow promises during their election campaigns and then squan-dered their opportunity during their terms.

The Runner interviewed seven out of the eight candidates running in this year’s elec-tion. We based our evaluations on the can-didates’ grasp of the duties of the board, on whether they had done any sort of research

before deciding to run, and on their plans if they do get elected. The board only meets five times during the year, so a good can-didate must hit the ground running if they want to accomplish their goals. We’ve de-cided to not limit our endorsements to two candidates. We have however separated the best from the . . . rest.

Ahmad Kheslat

Ahmad Kheslat seems to be well-intended and is also running for the first time for the KSA. However, he lacked basic awareness of board governance and wouldn’t be our first choice as a student representative.

Steven Button

Steven Button is opinionated and has the skills to be a capable representative, but lacks sufficient experience wih KPU gover-nance structure. In his candidate statement, he explained that he wants to fix how the university communicates with students. While this is certainly a worthy issue that deserves addressing, the board of governors isn’t the proper forum.

Tabitha Swanson

Tabitha Swanson is a passionate student who has used every opportunity available to her to get involved with Kwantlen. How-ever, she lacks the necessary experience to make an effective board of governors rep-resentative as of yet. After she has gained some experience on the senate, she will like-ly become a formidable candidate.

ADVERTISEMENT10 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

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NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

Feb

2013

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CULTURE11 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Top five romantic horror movies for your post-Valentines Day blues

Corpse Bride: Tim Burton’s hauntingly beautiful stop-

motion animated romantic horror musical

film (try saying that three times fast)

takes the classic love triangle story and

tweaks it by throwing in an undead

corpse bride. Set in Victorian-era Europe,

Corpse Bride stars a young, shy, awk-

ward man named Victor Van Dort (voiced

by Johnny Depp) who is forced into an

arranged marriage by his parents for

financial reasons. Although he is initially

weary at the thought of marrying some-

one he doesn’t know, Victor changes

his mind immediately after meeting the

lovely bride (voiced by Emily Watson).

Unfortunately for Victor, he is dragged

down to the underworld by an undead

woman, after he accidentally proposes

to her while practicing his wedding vows

in a cemetery. The creative set pieces

and catchy songs make Corpse Bride an

excellent horror/romance movie filled

with quirky moments and lovable charac-

ters that are far more likeable than the

movie’s gruesome title suggests.

The Fly: David Cronenberg’s sci-fi horror classic

The Fly follows Seth Brundle, a brilliant

scientist working on inventing a teleporta-

tion device. While working on his project,

Brundle begins to fall in love with a

journalist who had been documenting and

reporting on his teleportation research.

Their relationship becomes complicated,

however, when Brundle accidentally com-

bines his DNA with a the DNA of a house-

fly that had entered the teleportation de-

vice unbeknownst to Brundle. As the fly’s

DNA begins to take over Brundle’s body,

Brundle starts to transform into a highly

aggressive and increasingly disfigured fly/

human hybrid. The journalist, Veronica,

has to search for a way to save Brundle

before the fly’s DNA fully consumes her

new boyfriend. The Fly combines hor-

ror, sci-fi, and tragic romance elements

into a cultural milestone of a movie that

deserves to be seen.

Let the Right One In: Let the Right One In is a Swedish horror/

romance film based off of a 2004 novel by

John Ajvide Lindqvist. The movie follows

a twelve-year-old boy who is frequently

picked on and bullied at school. The boy

eventually befriends and falls in love

with a girl who moves into the apartment

across the hall from him. As members of

the town begin to disappear in a series of

grisly murders, the boy begins to suspect

his new girlfriend isn’t quite the person

he thinks she is. Let the Right One In re-

ceived universal acclaim upon its release

and was named #15 on Empire’s “100 Best

Films of World Cinema.” If you ever feel

like watching a vampire romance done

right (unlike a certain movie franchise

that shall remain unnamed), Let the Right

One In is definitely worth watching.

Edward Scissorhands: Another Tim Burton classic, Edward Scis-

sorhands follows the life of the titular

character, an artificial man whose place-

holder scissor-hands are never removed

due to his creator dying before he could

attach the real hands. Edward is found

in his old master’s mansion by an Avon

saleswoman named Pegg, and is brought

back to the main village due to Pegg

feeling sympathetic towards Edward’s

condition. Despite struggling to adjust

to village life and experiencing ridicule

from its inhabitants, Edward eventually

falls in love with one of the women in

the village. What follows is a sweet story

of love in non-ideal circumstances, as

Edward has to deal with the villages in-

habitants repeatedly trying to rid Edward

from their town. Edward Scissorhands

serves up a slice of sweet goth-inspired

romance worthy of any date night.

Shaun of the Dead: Shaun of the Dead follows Shaun, a

salesman with no ambition in life beyond

playing video games and hanging out

at the pub with his best friend, as he

tries to win back his ex-girlfriend. Then

zombies attack. Armed with a shovel and

a cricket bat, Shaun and his pot-dealing

best friend battle through the zombie-in-

fested streets in an attempt to save and

win back Shaun’s girlfriend before taking

refuge in Shaun’s favourite pub. Succeed-

ing as both an excellent zombie movie as

well as a surprisingly effective comedy,

Shaun of the Dead is a modern day zom-

bie classic that shouldn’t be missed.

// //CHRIS HARCUSCONTRIBUTOR

// //

Margaret Atwood discusses Payback at Kwantlen

path.No matter how much money one has, if

all the resources are gone there will be no amount of money great enough to bring them back. Though it may be a stretch, At-wood gives the possibility of another future, where we all donate to charities, care for one another, and sport hemp suits. During the town hall discussion, she admitted that this future is unlikely.

Atwood was joined by a renowned ecol-ogist from UBC, William Rees, who gave a stimulating lecture about the ecological impact of humans, as a species and as in-dividuals. The event was also hosted by CBC’s Sheryl MacKay, who has an exten-sive background in journalism and current affairs. The stage was set up by Kwantlen’s design and horticulture departments, and at the end of the evening, the audience was in-vited to take home the plants strewn about the stage, increasing the sustainability of the evening. The entire event was dedicated to showing how it is only when we recognize what we owe, and not just what is owed to us, that we move forward towards a more altruistic and sustainable society.

Margaret Atwood was recently at Kwantlen’s Richmond campus for the screening of the documentary Payback by the Kwantlen-based group Miss Represen-tation. The film, based on Atwood’s book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, focuses on debt as a social construct and how it impacts our personal lives as well as the future of our beloved planet Earth. The documentary follows specific stories that represent issues in Atwood’s book.

The issue of debtor/creditor is first em-bodied by two Albanian families engaged in a blood feud caused by a land dispute. One man’s family is now trapped on their own property because he shot the other man and therefore owes him a debt. Images of the malnourished children and the hollow, sunken faces of their parents make the view-er question why this is happening. These images of suffering are juxtaposed with an image of the man who was shot, still laugh-ing and smiling about the incident, as he sits comfortably in his home, sporting a leather

jacket. Next, the audience sees the BP oil spill

and how detrimental the damage is — not just to an isolated area of the spill, but to the entire world. Images of planes spraying the dispersant over the oil spills whiz across the screen, as an environmental worker’s voice explains how damaging a chemical disper-sant will be for the ecosystem.

A third story discusses the plight of to-mato workers in Florida, who have suffered slave-like conditions at the hands of their employers. One employee speaks about how he enjoys his work, but not how people are treated. The documentary was able to shine a ray of hope over the audience with this story because at the time of filming, one of the larger tomato growing compa-nies signed an agreement with the workers’ union in order to protect basic rights.

These stories, and the short clips of At-wood speaking about and reading from her book, demonstrate how once such a serious debt is owed, it is almost impossible to pay it back. Furthermore, many such debts cannot be fixed with money. Atwood speculates at the end of the book and documentary that inflation is inevitable, if we continue on this

JESSICA LAR-SON

CULTURE12 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

// //

Painting the town red Dear Rouge aim to inject a dose of sugar into Vancouver’s folky bloodstream.

Dear Rouge is a bit of an anomaly in Van-couver’s music scene, and songwriter Drew McTaggart, who formed the synthpop band last year with his wife Danielle, is the first to admit it.

“In Vancouver, it sometimes feels like we’re not in the right place,” he told The Runner during a phone interview.

It might seem strange hearing this from someone whose band just won the $102,700 top prize at the 2012 PEAK Performance Project, Vancouver’s biggest music com-petition, but McTaggart has his reasons for feeling this way — he’s observed that Vancouverites are more enthusiastic about indie-folk bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers than they are about polished synthpop bands like his.

“There’s a [Vancouver indie-folk artist] Dan Mangan shadow over the city right now. And it’s good. He’s an amazing musician, but it’s not our style,” McTaggart said.

As far as flourishing local bands go, Mc-Taggart prefers groups like Mother Mother, which he refers to as a “full-on rock band.”

International bands that Dear Rouge look to for inspiration include Phoenix, M83,

Passion Pit and The Naked and the Famous — bands that could be classified as pop but are not what McTaggart would call “bubble-gum pop.”

Ever since M83 released their chart-top-ping album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming in 2011, synthpop has had a resurgence, and McTaggart is quick to admit that the album opened a lot of doors for bands like his.

“I definitely think over the last two years, it has become a valued genre,” he said.

Despite their interest in pop, it wasn’t until 2012 that the husband and wife duo decided to give it a shot. Drew is primar-ily a guitar player, and before forming Dear Rouge last year, he and Danielle didn’t have much experience with synthesizers or drum machines and were content to admire synth-pop from a distance.

“Danielle and I both kind of did singer-songwriter stuff, but we loved creative and respected pop music,” McTaggart said.

It wasn’t until they recorded their latest EP, Kids Wanna Know, that they began leav-ing their rock roots behind.

Recording was a bit of a challenge at first because of McTaggart’s lack of experi-ence with keyboards, but once they started removing guitars from the studio — a move inspired by Radiohead — the music came naturally.

McTaggart hopes that future recording sessions will go even smoother now that the duo can afford to spend more time in the studio.

“We have a budget to work with, so we can make the music we want to make. We al-ways feel like, ‘Oh, man, I wish we just had a full other week in the studio, but we can’t af-ford it.’ Now we have the money to do that, and to make the music that we’re proud of. That’s pretty huge,” he said.

The money from the PEAK will help the band with recording, touring and promo-tion, but McTaggart said that the publicity that comes along with winning the competi-tion is just as helpful.

“If [we] send someone an email in Toronto, we can say, ‘Hey, we won the PEAK Perfor-mance Project in Vancouver.’ If they’re in the music industry, they may not know a lot about it, but they’ve heard the name,” he said.

For now, the McTaggarts are taking things slow, carefully planning out their next steps and deciding what to do with the PEAK prize.

“We definitely want to be smart with it. Our goal is to build up our band with that money so that we can be a band, have a good life through music, and have a career in music.”

After almost twenty-two years, the hyper-influential Irish indie-rock band My Bloody Valentine has returned to the scene with their new album, MBV. The new album is quite a feat – the equal of their previous album Love-less, sounding familiar enough to please fans of My Bloody Valentine’s previous work, and fresh enough to appeal to first-time listeners – but all the same, the songs on the album almost fade into insignificance before the backstory behind the album itself. There are at least two reasons for this.

Firstly, My Bloody Valentine has one of the smallest canons of any contemporary band. MVB is not only their latest full-length album, it is only their third full-length al-bum. Secondly, twenty-two years is an in-credibly long gap between albums. When frontman Kevin Shields announced in 2007 that the band was reuniting, long-suffering fans could be forgiven for thinking it was a hoax or a joke. Of course, they could also be forgiven for wondering just what the long-awaited album might sound like – and whether or not My Bloody Valentine still had their magic.

Well, the fans needn’t have worried. As mentioned above, the songs on MBV hold up well enough with anything on Loveless. Some of them – in particular “She Found Now”, the furious “Only Tomorrow”, and the entrancing “New You” – may even sur-pass some of the material on Loveless. MBV is an album that lends itself well to deep and dark thoughts. As such, I recommend it not just to fans of My Bloody Valentine, but to everyone who has occasion to think such thoughts – which ought to mean just about everybody.

MAX HIRTZCULTURE EDITOR

Local Music

Husband and wife duo Danielle and Drew McTaggart won last

year’s PEAK Performance Project

CULTURE 13THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Album Review

// //ELIZABETH HANNASSOCIATE

COPY EDITOR

Loveless no more: My Bloody Valentine return with thrilling new album MBV

// //

Painting the town red Dear Rouge aim to inject a dose of sugar into Vancouver’s folky bloodstream.

Dear Rouge is a bit of an anomaly in Van-couver’s music scene, and songwriter Drew McTaggart, who formed the synthpop band last year with his wife Danielle, is the first to admit it.

“In Vancouver, it sometimes feels like we’re not in the right place,” he told The Runner during a phone interview.

It might seem strange hearing this from someone whose band just won the $102,700 top prize at the 2012 PEAK Performance Project, Vancouver’s biggest music com-petition, but McTaggart has his reasons for feeling this way — he’s observed that Vancouverites are more enthusiastic about indie-folk bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers than they are about polished synthpop bands like his.

“There’s a [Vancouver indie-folk artist] Dan Mangan shadow over the city right now. And it’s good. He’s an amazing musician, but it’s not our style,” McTaggart said.

As far as flourishing local bands go, Mc-Taggart prefers groups like Mother Mother, which he refers to as a “full-on rock band.”

International bands that Dear Rouge look to for inspiration include Phoenix, M83,

Passion Pit and The Naked and the Famous — bands that could be classified as pop but are not what McTaggart would call “bubble-gum pop.”

Ever since M83 released their chart-top-ping album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming in 2011, synthpop has had a resurgence, and McTaggart is quick to admit that the album opened a lot of doors for bands like his.

“I definitely think over the last two years, it has become a valued genre,” he said.

Despite their interest in pop, it wasn’t until 2012 that the husband and wife duo decided to give it a shot. Drew is primar-ily a guitar player, and before forming Dear Rouge last year, he and Danielle didn’t have much experience with synthesizers or drum machines and were content to admire synth-pop from a distance.

“Danielle and I both kind of did singer-songwriter stuff, but we loved creative and respected pop music,” McTaggart said.

It wasn’t until they recorded their latest EP, Kids Wanna Know, that they began leav-ing their rock roots behind.

Recording was a bit of a challenge at first because of McTaggart’s lack of experi-ence with keyboards, but once they started removing guitars from the studio — a move inspired by Radiohead — the music came naturally.

McTaggart hopes that future recording sessions will go even smoother now that they can afford to spend more time in the studio.

“We have a budget to work with, so we can make the music we want to make. We al-ways feel like, ‘Oh, man, I wish we just had a full other week in the studio, but we can’t af-ford it.’ Now we have the money to do that, and to make the music that we’re proud of. That’s pretty huge,” he said.

The money from the PEAK will help the band with recording, touring and promo-tion, but McTaggart said that the publicity that comes along with winning the competi-tion is just as helpful.

“If [we] send someone an email in Toronto, we can say, ‘Hey, we won the PEAK Perfor-mance Project in Vancouver.’ If they’re in the music industry, they may not know a lot about it, but they’ve heard the name,” he said.

For now, the McTaggarts are taking things slow, carefully planning out their next steps and deciding what to do with the PEAK prize.

“We definitely want to be smart with it. Our goal is to build up our band with that money so that we can be a band, have a good life through music, and have a career in music.”

After almost 22 years, the hyper-influential Irish indie-rock band My Bloody Valentine has returned to the scene with their new al-bum, MBV. The new album is quite a feat – the equal of their previous album Loveless, sounding familiar enough to please fans of My Bloody Valentine’s previous work, and fresh enough to appeal to first-time listen-ers – but all the same, the songs on the album almost fade into insignificance before the backstory behind the album itself. There are at least two reasons for this.

Firstly, My Bloody Valentine has one of the smallest canons of any contemporary band. MVB is not only their latest full-length album, it is only their third full-length al-bum. Secondly, 22 years is an incredibly long gap between albums. When frontman Kevin Shields announced in 2007 that the band was reuniting, long-suffering fans could be forgiven for thinking it was a hoax or a joke. Of course, they could also be forgiven for wondering just what the long-awaited al-bum might sound like – and whether or not My Bloody Valentine still had their magic.

Well, the fans needn’t have worried. As mentioned above, the songs on MBV hold up well enough with anything on Loveless. Some of them – in particular “She Found Now”, the furious “Only Tomorrow”, and the entrancing “New You” – may even sur-pass some of the material on Loveless. MBV is an album that lends itself well to deep and dark thoughts. As such, I recommend it not just to fans of My Bloody Valentine, but to everyone who has occasion to think such thoughts – which ought to mean just about everybody.

MAX HIRTZCULTURE EDITOR

Local Music

Husband and wife duo Danielle and Drew McTaggart won last

year’s PEAK Performance Project

CULTURE 13THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Album Review

// //ELIZABETH HANNASSOCIATE

COPY EDITOR

Loveless no more: My Bloody Valentine return with thrilling new album MBV

Instead of walking, try crawling like a crab everywhere you go. It’s a great cardio exercise that, unlike walking, doesn’t make you look weird or creepy at all.

AriesMar 21 - Apr 19

How much does your job pay you? Enough? More than enough? Good. We’re all very happy for you up here in the spirit world.

TaurusApr 20 - May 20

Try to break out of your comfort zone this month. Lock yourself in a cabinet with a cobra. Tell someone you love that you don’t want to see them anymore. Get arrested at a pool.

GeminiMay 21 - Jun 20

You’ve had your eye on someone special for a few months now. It’s time to get your ass out of bed, go to Future Shop, buy him or her a gift card, and throw it at his or her face awkwardly.

CancerJun 21 - Jul 23

“The sky is blue. This does not mean that the forest is green, for the forest is home to many critters, many of them rabbits.” - Anonymous

LeoJul 24 - Aug 23

Stay home on March 1. Lock your doors and board up your windows. Don’t let anyone in unless their name is Jessica.

VirgoAug 24 - Sept 23

Toasters are your friend this month. And every month after this month. Even after you die, toasters will be your friend.

LibraSept 24 - Oct 23

Passion. Geography. Felt pens. Keep these three things on your mind at all times and you will live a rich life.

ScorpioOct 24 - Nov 22

There are a few numbers floating around in your head and one of them isn’t a number at all but a letter.

SagittariusNov 23 - Dec 21

“Give a man a fish and he will cry all night long like a little baby because he wanted cabbage rolls.” - Abraham Lincoln

CapricornDec 22 - Jan 20

I’d say it’s going to be a pretty good month for you, but what the heck do I know. Take that for what it’s worth.

AquariusJan 21 - Feb 19

Try to stay away from baked goods this month. They’re not good for you. They’re not good for NOBODY.

PiscesFeb 20 - Mar 20

Horoscope

PROCRASTINATION14 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

THE RUNNEREDITORIAL

No-contest elections don’t bode well for student association’s future Kwantlen, you’ve got a problem. Or rather, you could have one.

countable for their actions, but reporting on their screw-ups doesn’t guarantee they won’t happen. It is up to students to become more involved. Apply to sit on committees, join clubs, and educate yourself on the poli-tics of Kwantlen so when the next election rolls around, the student body has a choice of credible and competent candidates.

In the recent elections for the Kwantlen Stu-dent Association (KSA), only the position of international student representative was contested.

With no competition, everyone who ran will likely win their seat despite their qualifica-tions (or lack thereof), positions on key issues, or even level of interest in what the KSA does.

Also uncontested was the senate election, with only four people applying for four seats. Those new senators will automatically have voting rights on the KSA board when they take office in September, if they choose to.

If you’re not sure what the KSA does, you’re not alone. Neither do some of its new additions. To put it briefly, they are respon-sible for student life on campus. They pro-vide services, host events, and hold an awful lot of meetings to make sure your time spent outside the classroom is positive.

And they do it all with a multi-million dollar budget, made up almost entirely from fees that come from the pockets of students.

To reiterate: these people, who may or

may have been arbitrarily voted in, now have a monopoly on campus activities and the student activity budget. If that doesn’t raise alarms for students, perhaps a reminder of the corruption of previous councils might.

Unchecked, previous councils misman-aged millions of dollars from student fees. Not the least of these self-serving use of stu-dent money was the 2011 Cram Jam, which had a staggering cost of $125,692.79 and is nearly universally regarded as a colossal waste of money.

Of course, not every council member is out to steal from students. Some are just looking to pad their CVs or make future business connections. For them, the KSA is a means to an end, and the end has nothing to do with students or the school.

Is it worse to have multiple seats vacant because nobody ran for them, or to have those seats filled by students who aren’t even sure what the acronym KSA stands for, let alone what’s expected of them? Unfortu-nately, students can’t make the right choices if they have none to begin with.

Ultimately, the shortcomings of the council fall on the students. The Runner is committed to keeping an eye on the elected officials of the KSA and holding them ac-

Student Politics KSA Election

Which candidates deserve your voteSince almost all of the KSA election races aren’t contested, you’ll be asked to vote yes or no in most cases.

Based on our interviews with them, The Runner has divided the candidates into three groups: those who deserve yes votes, those who deserve no votes and those who don’t really deserve your vote, but are better than no one at all.

The only contested race is between Ming Li and Jasmine Kaur Sudhan for internation-al students representative. Our vote goes to Sudhan, who, although green, has demon-strated a passion for international issues. Li, however, has been completely silent and in-visible during her first term on council.

Candidates who deserve yes votes: Luk, Hosein, and Bige have been strong advo-cates for social justice. Campbell brings a strong measure of institutional memory to the table. Mckee and Kheslat both have strong ideas about representing student voices. Kwong needs direction, but we think she will come into her own.

Morgan Mckee (Business faculty)Jennifer Campbell (Langley campus)Chanel Kwong (Academic & career faculty)Ahmad Kheslat (Mature students)Lydia Luk (Queer students)Richard Hosein (Students of colour)Melinda Bige (Aboriginal students)

Candidates who deserve no votes: Raja has polarized the current council and was disciplined for his misconduct. He is not a worthy choice in our opinion. Xu has been absent for most of his current term and has brought nothing to the table.

Yasir Raja (Business faculty)Jun Tao (Davis) Xu (Richmond campus)

Candidates who don’t really deserve your vote, but are better than no one at all: These six are a combination of newbies who lack the experience to make effective change and incumbents who have made little difference during their first terms. That said, someone is better than no one in these cases.

Kirpanpreet Dhillon (Surrey campus)Andrew Yergatian (Science/horticulture faculty)Samantha Klassen (Arts faculty)Fatima Zaidi (Arts faculty)Gaurav Kumar (Business faculty)Michelle Brewer (Arts faculty)Kayla England (Arts faculty rep)

EDITORIAL 15THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

Vote in the KSA election and referendum. Each voter must show a valid Student ID to receive a ballot.

Wednesday, February 27 & Thursday, February 28, 2013, 9 AM – 5 PM

Cloverdale – Across from the Cafeteria

Langley – BookstoreHallway Richmond – Rotunda Surrey – Main AtriumCorridor

// //

The Runner’s handy referendum voting guide Kwantlen students cast their votes on three referendum questions on Feb. 27 and 28, 2013. Here is our editorial take on the issues and how we think you should vote.

The U-Pass is a polarizing issue and so our verdict is divided. If you are a Langley or Surrey student who rarely uses transit, then you should vote no.

However, for all of you who depend on buses to get around, then you should absolutely vote yes. If you’re on the fence, think about the available subsidized $5 Steve Nash passes, the intercampus shuttle and the other new services being developed by the hardworking KSA MultiPass team.

EDITORIAL16 THE RUNNER FEB / 27 / 2013 W : RUNNERMAG.CA

MultiPass: Renewing the U-Pass program for $45 monthly in the first year

Vote Yes or No

Creating a PIRG for $0.80 per credit (with the ability to opt out)

Vote Yes

Vote Yes

Student-led Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) exist on campuses across North America and act as research facilities, community resource centres and advocacy groups. A Kwantlen-based PIRG would allow students the venue to get active in their communities and create real social change.

A PIRG could be an amazing force on campus, and since anyone can can opt-out. There’s no reason not to vote yes.

Increasing The Runner fee to $0.89 per credit (with the ability to opt out)

If you’re reading this, you probably know that The Runner is the source for all your Kwantlen news. We’re student owned and student staffed – anyone can write for us, which includes you!

We help keep a watch on the KSA and the university, and call them out when they’re not looking out for your best interests. Our investigative work helped impeach a corrupt KSA government. Obviously we’re biased, but vote yes!