ASHEE Sustainability Conference Recap

Sustainable KSA took to the road this fall visiting San Antonio, Texas for the 2017 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Conference.

The annual conference brings together university sustainability professionals, students and faculty from across North America and internationally to share what’s happening in campus projects, research, and programming. Sessions like campus tours, speakers, film screenings, and poster presentations help everyone to exchange ideas, network and talk about what they’re doing at their campuses.

The AASHE Conferences give attendees an opportunity to share best practices, innovation and their refinement or application of a program. One of great parts of AASHE is that multiple groups present on a similar topic, for example, bee projects on campus - so you get several unique perspectives on the topic in each session.  The KSA’s delegation uses AASHE to learn about new programs and initiatives, tweaks for projects we’re already doing, and best practices in the industry. We share our learning with other departments when we return to help us implement these ideas or share them with our community.  Attending AASHE also gives us opportunities to see a wide range of presentation styles enabling us to learn better presentation skills and unique ways to share information.  

This year’s delegation was Mairi, KSA Sustainability Coordinator, Tonya, Active KSA Coordinator, Tia, student delegate and KSA Sustainability Specialist, and Sustainable Agriculture student Will. After the conference this year, each member of the delegation pulled together their thoughts. Read on for some personal insights.

WILL

On our final night in San Antonio, Texas we had an incredible Mexican meal and finished the evening off with a walk back to our hotel along the popular stone paths that navigate alongside the main river, the River Walk. As we left the river path and turned on to our hotel’s street, we realized that the San Fernando Cathedral that was in front of us, was somehow being lit up with all sorts of constantly changing bright lights and images. It turns out we had stumbled upon an art exhibit by the renowned French artist, Xavier De Richemont. This exhibit is a 7,000-sq-ft projection with music, which showcased the discovery of the area by Spanish conquistadors, settlement and development of San Antonio. While AASHE allowed me to be informed about the current sustainability issues at hand, the art exhibit allowed me to understand the importance of truly understanding a region’s history, if you want to tackle any issues in sustainability. - Will

   

TIA

AASHE 2017 was a fantastic experience and I learned a lot from both the conference and the trip. The focus on social justice was extremely beneficial to my current job, as well as my future career goals. I particularly got a lot of value out of the keynote speaker and the half-day workshop I attended, which was about understanding privilege in environmental sustainability work. It helped me develop my ideas about how to create a sustainable future with a focus on social equity, which I think is an ever-important topic on and off campus. In the future, I’d like to see Kwantlen move towards uniting social justice and sustainability issues, as I believe they are tied together in an important way. Since we are working on some workshops for the Spring that will focus on environmental racism and decolonization in Canada, I think this training came at the perfect time. - Tia

MAIRI

I was lucky enough to attend two different campus tours during my time at AASHE this year I visited the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at San Antonio,  Each campus showed off different sustainability projects and features.

   

I visited a Monarch garden at UT San Antonio and saw Monarch butterflies, enormous air conditioning systems and condensers big enough to stand inside of and a campus that has to address groundwater everyday because they’re located on an area that naturally recharges the local aquifer through the limestone caves on campus.

At UT Austin, they showed off their bike rental program, talked about the waste impact of their tailgating events for Football and how they’re managing to get volunteers to sort publically the thousands of pounds of waste from inside the stadium. I loved seeing all the cactuses and arid region plants in the local landscaping. In Texas, you’ll want to be careful cutting through the gardens some of them are very prickly!

I also attended an eye opening session with Dr. Heather Hackman about developing your social justice lens. The session gave me knowledge to start developing my own social justice lense to use for projects and my own experiences in my community.  If you get a chance to attend a workshop by Dr Hackman, I strongly recommend her work. She presents with humour, knowledge and candor which makes her workshops both useful and memorable.

Walking through San Antonio one evening we saw a local group ride, that meets every week at 7pm and often has more than two hundred riders! Because the sun sets quite early in San Antonio due to its latitude, often the rides resemble Bike the Night as everyone wears lights, decorates their bike with lights and rides together in a group! If you’re in San Antonio I recommend finding the SATX Social Bike Ride group and find out if you can ride along on their next themed event! - Mairi

TONYA

AASHE 2017 in San Antonio was a great conference. This was my third AASHE and I went to the conference wanting to gather resources on active transportation, and connecting athletics and sustainability.

My favourite session during the conference was a presentation from two universities that partnered their sustainability department with their athletics department to run their most successful zero-waste and green energy projects.

What I really enjoyed seeing is that the majority of schools that were in attendance had made great changes on their campuses since I had last attended three years ago. Also, I really appreciated that many schools were putting an importance on having green spaces on campus. Schools are using these green spaces as living classrooms for academics, and also as mental health spaces so that students and staff can still feel connected to nature.

I’m looking forward to bringing project ideas back to campus in relation to zero-waste and active living with our sustainability department for our students on and off campus.

Outside of the conference, I really enjoyed the city of San Antonio. It has beautiful architecture, and the River Walk was my favourite space for trees and other plants right in the middle of downtown. There is a lot of cultural history in the city with the Alamo and the many small markets in the town. I learned about the Grackle, a very common bird in Texas and surrounding areas of the US, who is very intelligent and has a very interesting call.  - Tonya

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As a KPU student, you can look at the conference materials and many other resources from AASHE about campus sustainability, events and research you can register for an online account at www.aashe.org with your KPU email address.

If AASHE sounds like the type of conference you’d like to attend, keep an eye on the KSA’s social media because we do occasionally have calls for students to attend conferences as part of our delegation.

Did you know the KSA offsets all its flights throughout the year? At the end of each year, flight offsets are purchased through Offsetters.

The 5 Best & Weirdest Places To Eat In Victoria

So I get to do a lot of really cool stuff at work. One of the really awesome things about doing work that involves government is being able to go to Victoria. We recently went there with a bunch of fantastic students from across the province to meet with government for several days and talk about student issues. It was a really engaging and fulfilling trip and don’t get me wrong, politics is important, but today we are here to talk about the 5 best places to eat in Victoria.

Floyds

Victoria is the self-proclaimed brunch capital of Canada, so it only makes sense to start with a brunch place. Floyds has a quirky diner vibe, with booths, a collection of Marilyn Monroe decorations, vintage posters on all the walls, and a massive fish tank. Their fun breakfast thing is called the Mahoney, it’s $14 and you get whatever the kitchen feels like cooking for you (so this isn’t for those with dietary restrictions). The best part is that you can flip a coin for it. If you win the meal is free, but if you lose then you pay double.

Tapa Bar

The Tapa Bar is a really great place to go with a bunch of people because you can order seven different dishes and it’s normal. If you play your cards right you can end up with half of the menu on your table. It’s tucked away in a little alley right downtown (which is called Trounce alley, and that is adorable) and has warm decor and a great atmosphere. There are good vegetarian and gluten free options, and a great selection of drinks.

The Bent Mast

The Bent Mast is actually more of a pub than a restaurant, and if I’m being honest, it is actually a house. Well, it is a pub/restaurant that is run out of a house that was built in the 1880s. This sounds weird (because it is weird) but stay with me, it is a legitimate establishment and it is really cute. They serve brunch, craft beer, burgers, and occasionally have live music. It’s a little strange at first, but then you start to feel right at home. Obviously it is supposed to be haunted.

The Drake

The Drake is really trendy but also really comfortable, with couches and nice rugs, and it’s right downtown. It’s really laid back, like everything in Victoria. There is a good beer selection, and really interesting food. We went there on our first night in town and I got kimchi grilled cheese. I didn’t know you were allowed to put both of those things into the same sandwich, but oh man was it delicious.

The Mint

To get to the Mint you have to walk down a dark and kind of sketchy flight of stairs, but it is so worth it once you’re there. The food is really good. We booked a room there for our government social and we hung out with Melanie Mark, the Minister for Advanced Education, and enjoyed the delicious combination of West Coast and Himalayan cuisine that they serve.

If you are interested in going to Victoria, meeting with MLAs and promoting students issues like mental health funding or student loan interest rates (and maybe getting a chance to visit one or two of the places on this list) then you should get involved with the advocacy work we are doing at the KSA. A great way to do this is to join the External Affairs committee here:  http://www.kusa.ca/committees.html

Club of the Month: Science In Action Club

Every month we (try to, yes sometimes it just doesn’t end up happening, we’re sorry, please forgive us) feature a KSA club and highlight the fun/cool things that make their club different from the others. It’s a chance to get a little inside information, and see what events and meetings they have coming up.

Our November Club of the Month is the new Science in Action Club!

The Science in Action Club was established in Fall 2017. This club was initially two independent clubs under the KSA (Biology Club and Health Science in Action Club). Both clubs decided to merge after their successful collaborative effort to host the first ever Health and Wellness Convention. Science in Action Club aims to provide a platform for students to apply theatrical knowledge learned in class thus enhancing their education while increasing student network.

At the core, the Science in Action club’s mission is to emphasize health, enhance student learning through collaboration with various organization and like-minded individuals.

They have a monthly Healthy Talk Series, approved by the Faculty of Science, that includes relevant health topics supported by current research, conducted by members.The Science in Action Club also has a monthly Speaker Series, inviting guests from various fields to discuss current research, discoveries, and provide relevant information for students.

The Science in Action Club meets every month. This month’s meeting is on November 17, 2017.

For more information, please email kpuscienceinaction@gmail.com.

Movember At The KSA

We’re nearing the end of November, and if you’ve been wondering why you’ve been seeing a hairier campus than usual we’d like to shed some light on the situation. Over the last decade and a half, a mo’vement has sprouted on the upper lip of men worldwide. The origins of this movement lie in Melbourne, Australia - where, in 2003, couple of brucies (men) met at their local boozer (bar) to shout (buy) a couple of butchers (drinks) and yabber (talk)* about how out of style moustaches had become. They decided, on a lark, to bring the ‘stache back, and like all good jokes, they decided to take it a little too far. Thus, they invited 30 of their mates to do their best Tom Selleck impersonation and become Mo-Bros. The challenge was simple - every Bruce would pay a 10 Didgeridollar entry fee and compete for the best moustache by the end of the month (which just so happened to be November). The proceeds of this entry went towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

*Editor’s Note: Yes, we know Australian slang is confusing.

The following year the concept was formalized and they were able to find more than 450 men willing to participate. As the tradition (and moustaches) grew, the Movember Foundation was created and a men’s health awareness campaign was launched. The campaign addresses 4 key issues that have been identified as key risk factors in the early death of men: prostate & testicular cancer, mental health, and physical inactivity. By 2007 the Movember movement had made its way across the world with more than 130,000 participants and over $21.5 million Didgeridollars raised - that’s around $21 million Beaver Bucks! At the time of this post there have been over 5 million participants, nearly 16 million donations, and over $80 million raised for various charities.

This year Canada has the third largest Movember registrants worldwide - losing out to the original moustachioed mavericks in Australia, and those pesky Americans. At the KSA we’re getting involved in two ways:

1. You can catch us at KPU rec’s Movember 17 Dodgeball Tournament.
2. To help contribute to the cause, the Kwantlen Student Association has signed onto the Movember Foundation and needs your help to raise some coinage.
   
   

Below is a smattering of the ‘staches that the KSA has produced this Movember, ranked of course (this is a blog after all):

The Duster

Sported by Tanvir Singh, President of the KSA. The Duster is on its way to becoming a great stache, but it needs a little more time before it’s ready for the spotlight.

Verdict: 2.25 High Schooler’s First Lip Hairs/5

The Half-Way to Handlebar

You may mistake Munir Dossa’s (the KSA’s current Students of Colour Representative) stache for a beard, but you’d be mistaken. With just enough room to sneak by and qualify as a lip toupee However the lack of commitment on the curl has us hesitant to call this moustache great.

Verdict: 3 Gastown Hipsters/5

The Subtle Stubble Upgrade

On the other side of the stache/beard divide is Matt Hunt, KSA events coordinator. There is certainly a moustache there - don’t get us wrong. We just can’t rightfully call this a valid contribution to the Movember effort.

Verdict: 1 Midlife Crisis Beard/5

The Woodsman

As with the Subtle Stubble Upgrade, Jeremy McElroy, KSA General Manager, has a beard and not a moustache. However there’s no denying that there’s a great stache there just waiting to be uncovered. There are rumours that if the KSA is able to raise enough money, we may just get to see what his chin looks like. Until then, the best we can do is rate him just above the Subtle Stubble Upgrade.

Verdict: 2 Okay Lumberjacks/5

The Wizened Selleck

The GSTM, or “Greatest Stache of Them All™” is sported by Adam Rhodes, GrassRoots Cafe manager. Rumour has it that he’s been growing it since before Tom Selleck had even contemplated whiskers. We wouldn’t ask him about it though, this isn’t the kind of ‘stache that you question.

Verdict: 5 Magnum PI’s/5

Bonus: The Minimalist

Jay Reedy, Vice-President Student Life, (and author of this post) once attempted to grow a moustache. After 2 weeks this was his progress. Note the adherence to minimalism, the esoteric eccentrism of daring to call this a moustache. Truly this is a stache for an underappreciated, and misunderstood Mo-Bro.

Verdict: 0.5 Disappointing Genes/5

- Jay Reedy (VP Student Life)

KSA Spotlight: Konny

Konny – Member Services Coordinator

There are some pretty amazing people on our staff and because we do a lot of the 'behind the scenes' work, students don't always get to know who we actually are. Every month we'll feature a staff member (and occasionally Council member) so you can actually put a face to the name/event/project. This month, I invite you to meet Konny!

Here are a few things about Konny…

1. How did you come to work for the KSA?

I was originally a student member of some committees at the KSA.

I was scouring Craigslist ads, trying to find a position that would allow me to work around an incredibly hectic 4-class schedule. I saw a job posting on http://kusa.ca/ and decided to go for it. I felt I had the experience and relevant client care skills necessary, and I guess my interview went okay!

2. Position title & summary of your job:

I am currently the Member Services Coordinator for all four campuses at Kwantlen University at the KSA. Essentially, I coordinate the member services and assist management with ensuring everything is running as it should be. Aside from working at Member Services on a daily basis, I help organize food bank logistics, design signage, set the schedule for Member Services staff members and send a lot of emails with GIFs in them. I just find GIFs make everything slightly more palatable. I kind of wish a GIF could be provided with this answer. I will work on making that happen.

3. What is your favourite thing about working here?

I think the best thing about working for your alma mater or your student association is that I'm finally able to give back to an institution that has given me so much in the capacity that I best can (I sincerely love you, KPU -- thank you). I enjoy being able to help someone in a pinch or resolving somebody's frustrating experience --whether it be not knowing where your classroom is or how to properly open those goshdarn combination locks we sell. There's also the people -- so many people I work with (both at the KSA & KPU) are absolutely wonderful!

4. Best activity to do on the weekend?

Going for a run early in the morning -- when I can drag my butt out of bed. Sweat before breakfast. It keeps you young.

5. What is something that makes you unique?

I don't really think I'm all that unique, even though like everyone else, I often yearn to be. I am good at the things I do and I'm a quick learner because I've been lucky to develop my perceptive skills and imagination by those who have helped and mentored me along the way! I can draw pretty well, and I know my way around pretty much anything technical. I love learning, and if I could get paid to do so I totally would. Seriously -- any takers? Will learn for food.

I've also been known to run a 5K in under 25 minutes. Which is something I don't think anyone else at the KSA outside of Matt Hunt can do. I hate you for that, Matt. You have guitar and piano. Let me have running.

I can speak like 4 languages (English, French, Russian, American Sign Language). My French is the rustiest. Seven if you count programming languages </(cough) nerd>.

6. Favourite Food?

Matzoh ball soup or my mum's recipe for eggplant spread (we call it 'caviar' in Russian). Also: real caviar. I see you judging me. Honestly, anything in the world of Russian cuisine is my jam.

7. Best KSA Memory:

To be honest, I've had many lovely memories at the KSA. Also a few not so great memories (it comes with the territory of working in proximity to the realities of student politics).... please vote. I'd have to say my favourite memories have all been made at START (http://kusa.ca/START) and ActiveKSA (http://kusa.ca/activeKSA) events where I get to goof around and get to know all sorts of students from so many walks of life! I find the more I learn of others, the more I learn about myself -- so that's always been something I enjoy thinking about.

- Konny

Want to do more with the KSA? Volunteer with our START Program, Peer Support or the KSA Street Team. Looking to do more as a student? Consider attending a committee meeting or running in election next Spring. Want to work for us? Check out our job postings here.

Waking Up Early And Creating Routines

I get up at 4:30am every single weekday. Does that seem crazy to you? It seemed impossible to me. However, for my mental health it was a necessary step and now it’s my routine. Want to know how to do it, or how to create a routine? Tune into my story and find out!

Two years ago I went through a series of unfortunate events in my life. I felt like I had lost control of who I was and what was important to me. This led me on a journey to find ways to release my stress and learn new things about myself. Talking with my mom one day she suggested joining a local gym. My initial thought was that I had no time to dedicate going to the gym and building a routine for myself.

 

Reluctantly I joined a gym and once I realized I had to pay that same amount month after month I knew I wanted to get the best bang for my buck. However, I work a Monday-Friday day job and while that gives me the luxury of having nights and weekends off under no circumstance did I want to interfere with that. After work I would dread having to change into my workout gear, drive to the gym, fight to find a parking spot and then fight to find a machine that wasn’t drenched in sweat. Weekends were a GIANT NO because I loved my weekends and the thought of committing to something every weekend wasn’t practical for me. I like to camp, hike and use my weekends for outdoor fun.

So that left me with one option….MORNINGS….

Now, by nature I am an early riser, as a kid I got up at 6am most days. However 4:30am seemed nuts. I wanted the gym to be a part of my day without ruining the routine I thoroughly enjoyed. I liked having breakfast at home before work, I liked to shower at home in my own space. I found out my gym opens at 5am on weekdays. I started getting up at 5:30am. That way I would be at the gym by 6am, workout until 7am, go home, shower, have breakfast and get ready for work. I found the 1 hour at the gym didn’t suffice. I talk way too much and wasn’t putting the work in. So each week I would set my alarm 5-10 minutes earlier. Doing the gradual time change, as opposed to drastically changing it, helped my body adjust to the routine. That went on until I finally got to the elusive 4:30am. At 4:30am the world is quiet and it can be easy to want to stay in bed, but it’s the best time to get up.

I discovered that the people who go the gym at 5am are always in a good mood. I found that to be because they start every day challenging themselves. When you start the day on the right foot it propels you to thrive throughout the rest of your day.

Two years later and I still get up at 4:30am on weekdays. I am the happiest I have ever been. The gym became so much of a routine that I now volunteer twice a week teaching Circuit Classes. I’m not suggesting you be crazy like me but if I can make it work, even at 4:30am, you can too.

- Alicia (Kwantlen Health Plan Administer)

Looking to set up a routine for yourself? The KPU Fitness centres are free for students and we have monthly student passes to Steve Nash Gyms for as low as $5 a month. Switching gears, are you struggling or concerned with your own mental health? Check out the new MyWellness program(Also free) at mywellness.com