KPU Welcome Week Features a Variety of Resources for Students

Welcome Week, which took place across KPU campuses from Jan. 13-16, was open to all students regardless of their year of study. It featured multiple booths offering information on different campus services and organizations.

Among the booths were representatives from the Career Development Centre, the Kwantlen Student Association, KSA MultiPass, Surrey for Future, My Student Plan, One Voice Canada, The Runner, Pulp MAG, KPU International Student Services, Sustainable KSA, KSA Peer Support, Active KSA, and the KSA Volunteer Program.

The theme for this year’s Welcome Week was sustainability, and while some students showed up because of their interest in knowing more about KPU’s services, others were cruising through for all the free stuff the booths had to offer.

Amna Hassoun is a first year political science and sociology student who attended the event on the Surrey campus. She says that she likes orientation events because they make KPU feel like a very welcoming university, adding that her favourite booth was the one representing the MultiPass program.

“They have a lot of services that they provide to students, and I also like the peer resource centre because they talk about mental health,” she says.

The Peer Support Program, which aims to help students maintain their mental health and wellbeing, displayed a number of small boxes made from newspapers which could be used as biodegradable seed starters at their booth. Students were able to put a little bit of soil inside the box along with a seed of their choice with the purpose of taking it home and planting it inside of a pot.

“If a student is struggling with their studies they can meet up with one of our very helpful volunteers, who are fully trained in knowing resources on and off campus and are able to provide the best listening support,” says Peer Support Program Coordinator Kiran Nat.

The KSA-run Reboot Computer Service was also at Welcome Week. The Reboot program fixes KPU students’ computers for free, though they do need to pay for any necessary replacement parts. To book an appointment with a technician, email the program at reboot@kusa.ca.

Harky Johal is the coordinator for the KSA Volunteer Services program, which connects students with volunteer initiatives in the community. She says that joining the program can provide students with benefits beyond volunteer experience.

“You get special coupons for Grassroots. You get free training that is provided by the volunteer program, such as first aid and FOODSAFE,” says Johal.

Surrey for Future, a local environmental group that focuses on political advocacy for environmental protection, was also present at Welcome Week.

Currently, they have three campaigns: Supporting the climate strikes, climate emergency declarations, and the SD36 For Climate. The latter calls on the Surrey School Board, or SD36, to declare a climate emergency.

“We are trying to get as many students as possible,” says Sebastian Sajda, who is part of the leadership program with Surrey for Future.

“Our current [SD36] campaign is to get students and teachers involved. We invite them to meetings, so we have either monthly or twice-a-month meetings, depending on how active we are at the time,” he continues.

Fleur Dias is a first-year creative writing student who attended the event. She says that she was interested in the KSA Volunteer Program.

“I wasn’t expecting all this free stuff here, so this is really good,” she says. “I think [this event] is really helpful, and the people here are really nice.”