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In response to recent criticisms of Victoria University’s sustainability policies and practices, President Robins announced earlier today that the renovation of Northrop Frye Hall will use crumpled up, unread copies of The Strand instead of asbestos insulation.
The crumbling and derelict Northrop Frye Hall and its asbestos-filled walls are long overdue for a face-lift, or a demolition. Victoria University is already in the early stages of planning these renovations.
Proponents of the Repurposed Insulation Plan (RIP) cite four key benefits, calling it a “four birds, one big stone scenario.” First, it’s something productive to do with those stacks of painstakingly-written but perpetually unread copies of student publications. Second, since printing is covered by the levy, the insulation is practically free for the taking. Third, student-publication-insulation won’t kill you like asbestos will. And fourth, going from unread newspaper to wall insulation is basically up-cycling, and up-cycling is really “in” right now.
Asbestos insulation is a known carcinogen. The Canadian Cancer Society has called it “Canada’s leading cause of workplace death.” On the other hand, student publications such as The Strand are not known to cause cancer, and probably never will.
As reported by The Varsity, Robins included in his response that the “strategic” hiring of Vikas Mehta as Director of Physical Plant will bring a professional with experience in sustainability and “greening” initiatives to the university. In fact, Mehta will personally oversee the collection of tens of dozens of unread copies of The Strand, The Varsity, The Gargoyle, The Mike, and other student news publications from stands around Vic, where they consistently pile up. The papers will then be crumpled and individually stuffed through small cracks in the walls of the new Frye Hall as it is being constructed.
VUSAC Sustainability Commissioner Jared Connoy, whose letter to President Robins provoked this response, weighed in on the issue: “I’m not sure about the insulating capacity of newspaper, but it’s probably the best use for The Strand anyway.”
“I’ve fully used a pile of [copies of] The Strand to clean up spilt coffee in the Cat’s Eye,” he added.
One of The Strand’s Editors-in-Chief, Molly Kay had this to say: “I’ve seen someone use a copy of The Strand to wipe up a spill. I’ve also seen someone use it as an umbrella during a rainstorm. As far as I’m concerned, using copies of our paper for insultation instead of asbestos is probably the least offensive [use] by far.”
At press time, it remains unclear whether Commissioner Connoy was the person Kay saw cleaning up a spill with copies of The Strand.
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