From the editor: The Runner at risk, your student newspaper under threat

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Last month, Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society (PIPS) received a petition signed by 150 Kwantlen Polytechnic University students calling for the society to be dissolved. The Runner and pulp MAG, KPU’s literature and visual arts magazine, operate under PIPS, meaning both publications would be dissolved. 

The signed petition did not mention a reason why PIPS should be dissolved. In addition to the  dissolution, the petition calls for Bylaw 11 in the PIPS bylaws to be removed, which stipulates that no Kwantlen Student Association or KPU-elected official can be a member of the PIPS board of general purposes nor a staff member of The Runner or pulp MAG. This bylaw exists to ensure independence and the maximum autonomy of PIPS. 

The petition also calls for PIPS to destroy all articles related to the KSA, both online and in print, and for the PIPS board of directors to be removed from their seats immediately. 

When PIPS receives a petition with more than 100 signatures, it is required to hold a special general meeting (SGM) for students to vote “yes” or “no” to the actions detailed above. 

However, The Runner looked into the means of this petition, and PIPS has determined it to be questionable. After verifying the status of the signatories with KPU, we found many student numbers to be invalid.

After speaking with some students who signed the petition, The Runner was informed that they didn’t know the contents of what they were signing. Some said they were told it would lead to a trip to Cultus Lake, and others said they thought it was regarding student political matters.  

“[They] surely didn’t tell us in detail about the matter, because if we knew about the whole thing, we would have never signed it,” said one KPU student, who The Runner agreed to keep anonymous, in a statement. 

To hear that KPU students were potentially misled into signing a petition to dissolve PIPS is of great concern and unethical on many fronts. But what remains clear is that some students at KPU would like to see their student publications disappear. 

To receive such a petition is truly heart-breaking. Both The Runner and pulp MAG are publications that are run by and for students — dissolving them does nothing but hurt fellow students and the KPU community as a whole. 

Serving as a platform for free speech, The Runner allows KPU students to express their thoughts, gain work experience, and, most importantly, keep the student body informed. Without The Runner, no one would be there to hold people in positions of power at KPU accountable, which is dangerous territory to enter. 

For example, this past year, The Runner reported on KPU faculty’s concerns with the university’s enrolment in Manulife’s Drugwatch, KPU club leaders’ difficulty communicating with the KSA, and community issues like the challenges rideshare and food delivery drivers face on the job. 

The Runner is also a powerful way to bring the KPU community together. We love to highlight the amazing work students and faculty are accomplishing, new initiatives KPU implements, and students’ takes on recent current events or pop culture moments. 

Being a commuter school, KPU inherently lacks a sense of community, which The Runner strives to create each and every day, not only through our stories, but through our face-to-face interactions with students. 

PIPS’s publications are also integral outlets for students to build portfolios of work before graduation. Whether it’s reporting on a local event or issue, designing eye-catching illustrations, or pouring your heart into a poem, The Runner and pulp MAG allow students to hone their skills, express their truest selves, and see their hard work published, all while receiving compensation. 

If The Runner and pulp MAG did not exist, students would not have the same opportunities to gain work experience or contribute to their university community  — it would undoubtedly be a huge loss for KPU. 

If anyone has any concerns about The Runner, please reach out to us. We are students as well, and are very open to hearing feedback and improving in whichever ways we can. PIPS’s publications cost KPU students $0.75 per credit. If students do not wish to fund The Runner or pulp MAG, they can opt-out of this publication fee by contacting office@runnermag.ca. 

At this time, I also encourage all KPU students to think for themselves. While I know juggling course work and potential jobs can be hard to manage, try your best to stay informed and pay attention to what is happening in your university community.