VIU Student Pulse: February 9, 2022

We hope the semester is going well for everyone so far! If you’re in need of a break this week, don’t forget to check out Global Citizens Week activities, which continue until Friday, February 11. The week includes visiting speakers, a film festival, reggae symposium and much more. Also, in case you missed it, our Centre for Experiential Learning has new resources coming very soon to help expand work experience opportunities! 

Need to know

Candy grams 🍭

Are you interested in getting someone special a candy gram delivered to their classroom? Well you’re in luck! Until February 11, fun@viu will be in the cafeteria giving out candy grams for free from 11 am - 3 pm. We will be hand delivering your candy grams to your special people on Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s baking 😘

You can order, chocolates, baking products and even VIU’s very own Spindle Whorl chocolate flavour from the Baking department until February 8. Pick up on February 14 between 11 am and 1 pm from the lower cafeteria (Building 185).

Valentine’s bath bombs ❤️

The WEST students have been busy making Valentine’s Day bath bombs. Buy two large, heart-shaped bath bombs for $5 or three mini-hearts for $1 and choose from assorted scents like lavender, lemon, grapefruit and coconut. To buy, come to Building 205, Room 215, Monday to Thursday, between 8 am and 1:30 pm. All money raised goes directly to the WEST Foundation. 

Student housing webinar 🏠

What is living on campus like? What other options are available? VIU Student Ambassadors Amber, Taps and Kayla, as well as Residence and Off-Campus Housing staff, presented some info about housing options and answered questions during a webinar on January 25.

Connect

Bob Marley WinterFest ❄️

Bob Marley would have been celebrating his 77th birthday this year and what better way to celebrate him than a free reggae show on campus? Join VIUSU and Intercultural Connections outside in the Royal Bank Plaza on February 10. Aside from live performances, there will also be free cake, hot chocolate, coffee, a photo booth and good vibes. More info.

RockVIU Interactive Art Exhibition

Join us for the RockVIU Spring 2022 Interactive Art Exhibition on Friday, February 11 from 4 to 5:30 pm in the Malaspina Theatre. This interactive exhibition includes performance entertainment, visual art and animation art, all around the theme of “Matter Here.” Participants will also have the unique opportunity to participate in the RockVIU Reflection Time Capsule. Register via Eventbrite.

Mount Washington day trip ☃️

Come on down to our usual sign-up days (Tues & Thurs) from 10 am - 1 pm at Building 255 to sign up for our sweet Mount Washington road trip adventure on March 2. Sign-up deadline is February 15! So don’t miss out on this sweet chance to enjoy some beautiful views and shred some of that sweet pow! We will spend the day skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing!

Mariners Basketball and Hockey 🏀

• Men’s and Women’s Basketball host the Douglas College Royals at the VIU Gym on Friday, February 18 at 6 and 8 pm, then again at 12 and 2 pm on Saturday. Games are open to spectators so bring your friends or family, grab some pizza and a foam finger from the concession, and get ready for a great game!
• VIU Men’s Hockey host the Okanagan College Lakers on Saturday, February 19 at 7:15 pm at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.

Paint night

Join Fun@VIU on another classic virtual paint night hosted by Alex Waite! This Family Day event will take place at 6 pm PDT on February 21. Grab your friends, some painting supplies and join us! Sign up on the Eventbrite link or through VIU’s Co-Curricular App!

Spikeball tournament 

Sign up in teams of two for the inaugural VIU Spikeball Tournament hosted by Fun@VIU! The event will take place in the VIU gymnasium on Friday, March 11 at 4 pm. To register for the Spikeball Tournament, sign up at the gym.

Energy Dance

Thompson Rivers University challenges VIU students to dance. Why? To support energy conservation awareness and action. Register by emailing sustain@tru.ca with Energy Dance in the subject line by February 7. Make sure you use your VIU email! This is a FREE event, but the “cover charge” is to make an Energy Wise Pledge. Include this in your registration email. Some pledge ideas here. You could win some prizes like a pair of Bose ear buds for the best “electric” dance outfit. There are also some prizes just for VIU participants like hoodies and games. Learn more.

Student art exhibit at CREATE

Calling all student artists! CREATE 2022 will be hosting a student art exhibit called “Look Up Look Out” and we are accepting registrations until March 6. Interested? Two dedicated $250 prizes and chances to win more!

The best computer lab on campus 💻

Everyone has that one favourite spot on campus they consider to be the perfect secret study spot. For staff in the Nanaimo campus library, it’s the computer lab on the fifth floor of the Nanaimo campus library! Open from 8 am - 9 pm, here you can find an optimal study space with many available computer stations and breathtaking views of the Nanaimo campus! Contact us with any questions!

BC Post-Secondary Student Survey on Sexual Violence 

The BC post-secondary student survey on sexual violence is currently underway across post-secondary institutions. It is being conducted by Leger, an independent market research company contracted by BCCampus on behalf of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. VIU students are being asked to complete the survey between February 7 - 27, 2022. The survey only takes 15 minutes to complete and has a trigger warning regarding sexual violence. 

Youth Attraction and Retention Survey 

The City of Nanaimo is conducting a Youth Attraction and Retention survey. It seeks to discover the priorities of young people in the Nanaimo area. Help the city determine next steps in making a more attractive place to live and work for young people! 

Call for emerging artist ambassadors

Apply for the 2022 BC Culture Days Ambassador Program by February 28! Up to 10 successful applicants from across the province will receive artist fees and $2,000 to present an activity as part of an ambassador series of interactive, community-engaged projects to be showcased during Culture Days. They will also participate in a mentorship with an established artist starting in May, and act as a media spokesperson.

Living in Colour youth mental wellness workshop series

Youth 20/20 Can is hosting a Living in Colour Youth Mental Wellness Workshop Series and all 15-29-year-olds are invited. The six workshops are free to attend on Zoom:

• Feb. 10: Child PTSD & trauma with Ashleigh Martinflatt.
• Feb. 17: Anxiety 101 with Sarah Marshall.
• Feb. 24: Coping skills, self-care & compassion with Danielle Berube. 
• March 3: Keep active for mental health with Dustin King.
• March 10: Body types, it’s okay with Deanna Sullivan.
• March 17: Community engagement, awareness & battling stigma with Lauren Sykes. 

Meeting ID: 880 9676 2059, Passcode: youth2020. For more information, email youth2020cannanaimo@gmail.com.

Supports and services

Moving away from home checklist ✏️

Have you moved away from home for the first time this semester? VIU student blogger Preet Parmar has compiled 7 tips to help ease the transition. Check it out on the #VIUBlog!

Want to do research this summer? ☀️

Interested in a 16-week, full-time, paid research opportunity this summer in Science and Tech? Undergraduate Student Research Award applications are now being accepted for summer 2022. Deadline is February 23. Indigenous students who meet all requirements are automatically granted the opportunity. Learn more online or email Kendra.Stiwich@viu.ca. 

Financial aid checklist

Paying for university can be challenging. The good news is there are lots of options available to help you manage expenses and reduce costs while having a great university experience. Here’s a checklist to make sure you’re taking advantage of all potential savings/grants/programs.

Get some money to pay for school 💰

Did you know VIU has more than $3.5 million worth of scholarships, awards and bursaries available to help finance your education? Fill out the Scholarship, Award and Bursary Profile on your Student Record before March 31, 2022, at noon to get in the running. Learn more.

Help us improve our website

We are inviting you to help us re-organize the content on our website! We are looking for students to provide insights into how they search for information on the website, and what they search for most frequently. All of the information collected is confidential and individuals are not identified in any reports resulting from this interaction. Help us out!

VIUSU referendum

The VIU Students’ Union is holding a vote on four questions about the health and dental benefits plan, funding for a full-time Students’ Advocate and funding for student ideas and projects. Voting takes place March 1, 2 and 3 and students will receive an email with a link to vote. Learn more.

Mark your calendars

Black History Month

February is Black History Month in Canada. This year’s theme is February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day. In recognition of this important month, we have shared some resources on the VIU Blog. 

Family Day and Study Days 📌

Don’t forget that Monday, February 21 is the Family Day holiday in BC and VIU will be closed. Then the rest of the week (February 22-25) is Study Days for academic programs. The university and services will be open, but there are no classes.

Jim Holyoak: Arborescence 

VIU’s View Gallery presents Jim Holyoak: Arborescence. The exhibit runs from February 17 to April 9. A virtual opening reception is being held February 17 at 7 pm. An artist talk is Feb. 18, noon to 1 pm, at the Nanaimo campus in Building 200 (Student Affairs), Room 203. Proof of vaccination required to attend. More info. 

Deals

Did you know that as a VIU student you have access to exclusive discounts in your community and across the province? Download the Deals App, administered by the VIUSU and the BC Federation of Students, to learn more.

Today’s featured businesses:

• Harbour Air: Get 10% off on GoFlex and GoGold domestic service flights.
• White Rabbit Coffee Co.: Enjoy 15% off food and drink.

COVID updates

Frequently asked questions 😷

Got questions about what to do if you’re sick, what protocols you need to follow when on campus or where you need to show proof of vaccination? VIU’s FAQs page can help!

Campus events

Stay on top of what's happening at VIU. Find ways to get involved: 

• Campus Events website
• Co-curricular involvement app
• VIU Students' Union app