KPIRG hosts counter-orientation days for new and future Kwantlen students

“Dis/Orientation” events aim to un-teach students’ common information

The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group (KPIRG) insists on providing students with a series of alternative information events for students new and old this fall—information that likely won’t make it to the regular orientation days.

This is why they’re calling it “Dis/Orientation,” and it’s the second-ever annual series by KPIRG, which runs from Sept. 8 to 18. KPIRG says the series is meant to be, “A counter to the conventional orientation days,” and that they want to help students “unlearn certain things that are oppressive.”

KPIRG staffer Deanna Fasciani adds that this event is about, “Questioning what you have been told from institutions of authority and power,” regardless of how you identify as a person. “You’re gonna want to be critical and wary of what you’re being told.”

The series began with “We are at Kwantlen” on Sept. 8 in the aboriginal gathering place, the side-wing of Main building just beside the Surrey campus gazebo. Newly appointed elder-in-residence Leykeyten talked about the Kwantlen First Nation—which is the band that he’s from—and the meaning of being a Kwantlen student. The event also, “Aim[ed] to contribute to the process of decolonization and to raise consciousness around the sovereignty of the Coast Salish peoples on whose unceded territories KPU students reside and study.”

The next day saw labour rights outreach in Cloverdale and, on that note, Sept. 11 saw the spirit of the Paris Commune Café rise within Grassroots—it was the first successful workers revolution in 1871, and it’s the namesake of the two-part event at Grassroots.

“So, in the spirit of that, we’re going to have a lot of critical discussions on collectivism versus individualism, formal party politics versus informal politics,” among other topics, says Fasciani.

Dr. Fiona Whittington-Walsh from the KPU sociology faculty—along with some other undisclosed, long-time community speakers—will speak at the “Women’s Liberation” event on Sept. 15 from 1–4 p.m., inside Fir 146 at KPU Surrey. That event explores emancipation from capitalism and patriarchy, presumably in a women’s-lib context, and local and global struggles for working-class women.

According to her KPU bio, Whittington-Walsh is also the vice-president of Inclusion B.C., a non-profit organization that, “Strives for full-inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of life.” So it’s fitting that she will also speak at the accessibility rights event by D.A.M.N. on Sept. 16. The acronym stands for Disability Action Movement Now, a student action group. That goes from 1–3 p.m. in conference centre B in Cedar building on Surrey campus. D.A.M.N. seeks to raise consciousness among KPU students concerning the access barriers that persons with disabilities face each day. They’re also trying to push KPU to expand services to those with disabilities.

Other events include “Decolonizing Yoga,” which means to break modern connotations of yoga that have overshadowed the original meaning of the practice. That’s going to be an actual yoga class at Surrey campus on Sept. 14 from 2–4 p.m. in a location only described on Facebook as a “quiet and hidden area on campus.”

KPIRG staffer Richard Hosein says that a lot of people, “Don’t understand that it comes from a long-standing Indian tradition.” He adds that it’s respectful to understand where such practices come from and “how they’re related to our current existence.”

“You could talk about the commercialization of it,” says Hosein. “About a month ago, B.C. premier Christy Clark was trying to institute this yoga day, which overshadowed some of the yoga events that the Indian consulate wanted to do, in addition to it being aboriginal day in Canada. So when we’re talking about respect and decolonization, those are the types of things that we want to be aware of in those activities.”

“So it’s not about Lululemon,” says KPIRG staff member Inder Johal. “It’s about actually being in the moment, it’s all about the spiritual experience and it doesn’t matter what your fitness level is—yoga is for everybody.”

They add that you should bring your own mat.