VIU Student News: February 22, 2023

February 22, 2023

Make your Study Days more productive 📕

Are you making the most of your Study Days break from classes? The library and other key services remind you to check in with them this week if you need support. Read on to learn more.

Need to know

Mariners at PACWEST Provincial Championships 🏐

Follow and cheer on the VIU Mariners volleyball and basketball teams online as they compete for provincial titles. Our volleyball teams will play February 24 and 25 in Cranbrook, BC, while our basketball teams take the court at the Pacific Institute for Sport Education in Victoria on March 3 and 4 (road trip, anyone?). Game times, opponents and live broadcast stream links will be posted on the PACWEST website.

VIU SDG Action Week 🌳

Vancouver Island University is participating in SDG Week Canada March 6 to 10, an annual week of action, awareness and accountability on university and college campuses across the nation in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. There are several events and workshops happening in honour of this week. Visit the SDG Action Week homepage to learn more.

Summer Session – start planning today 😎

Did you know you can earn university credits in as little as seven weeks? With summer session courses you can lighten your load in the fall or catch up on courses you missed. The course timetable for Summer Sessions is available now and registration begins in the first week of March. Watch your inbox for your invitation to register.

Connect

VIU Recreation Activities 🧗‍♂️

Go out and play! Over the next two weeks, VIU Recreation offers guided opportunities for standup paddleboarding, snow shoeing, bouldering and group mountain biking. Don’t forget to enter a five-member team for the VIU Amazing Race, taking place throughout Nanaimo on April 1! Register today at the VIU Gym Front Desk or online through VIU Athletics & Recreation.

Women’s Volleyball National Championship 🏆

We are two weeks away from the 2023 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship at VIU! Games will take place at the VIU Gym from March 8 to 11, and we want Mariner fans to dress in blue and fill the gym for VIU’s first game on Wednesday, March 8 at 6 pm. Special VIU student tournament passes are available from VIUSU. Volunteer opportunities are still available. Sign up today!

Join the Blue Crew 🥇

The VIU Students’ Union has your key to VIP access at the 2023 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship at VIU, March 8 to 11. The Blue Crew Fan Zone Package is exclusively for VIU students and includes a tournament pass, Mariners branded swag, food vouchers, exclusive seating and more! Early bird pricing on now until February 28. Purchase your Blue Crew Fan Zone tickets.

2SLGBTQIA+ student bi-weekly gatherings 🏳️‍🌈

Connect with peers in a safe space to chat, share food, do fun crafts and celebrate diversity. There will be an additional circle offered for 2S students. Brought to you by VIU’s Positive Space Alliance and the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement. Come out on Thursdays from 3 to 4 pm. Dates: March 2, March 16, March 30 and April 6. Email positivespace@viu.ca or Sheena.Robinson@viu.ca for location details.

Indigenous Women’s Circle 👥

A place for Indigenous female students and staff to connect on Wednesdays, 3 pm at Shq’apthut (Building 170). March 8: Women’s Day celebration. April 12: term wrap-up. For more info, email Sheena.Robinson@viu.ca.

Kairos Blanket Exercise

The Office of Indigenous Education & Engagement is running a KAIROS Blanket Exercise workshop on March 3 from 11 am to 1 pm, Building 305, Room 507. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is an experiential workshop that explores the nation-to-nation relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Blankets arranged on the floor represent land and participants are invited to step into the roles of First Nations, Inuit and later Métis peoples. Register on Eventbrite.

Graduating students: have you signed up for convocation? 🥳

The next convocation ceremonies are June 22 and 23. Convocation and graduation are two separate events. You must apply to graduate through your online student record and when you do so you can sign up to attend convocation. The deadline to sign up is February 28. If you miss this deadline, you will be considered for your ceremony only if space permits. You also need to order your guest tickets by this date. Find more graduation information.

Book grad photos 🎓

Don’t forget to book a graduate portrait session with Lifetouch. They will be on campus from March 6-31. Now is your chance! Lifetouch won’t be back on campus again until December 2023. Sign up here.

Read the Nav 📃

Do you want to learn more about VIU and the community from a student perspective? Visit The Navigator Student Press, VIU’s fully student-run online news magazine. Read, watch and listen to the stories that matter to you as students!

ImpAct-Cimate Challenge 🌱

Colleges and Institutes Canada is asking everyone on every campus across Canada to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are looking for creative solutions and offering big incentives. Share your ideas until May 31 and you could receive money to turn ideas into reality. Students and employees are welcome to participate.

Call for participants: Transgender Day of Visibility 🏳️‍⚧️

Transgender Day of Visibility is on March 31 and the Positive Space Alliance is organizing an event to mark this important day at VIU’s Nanaimo campus. The group is looking for volunteer participants for the fashion show and creative showcase parts of the event:

We are looking for 2SLGBTQ+ models interested in taking part in the fashion show.
We are looking for students, employees and the VIU community to share an original work (story, poem, photo, visual art, sculpture) along with a personal anecdote during the creative showcase.

Please email positivespace@viu.ca for further information about these two opportunities.

Call for CREATE submissions 🔬

Are you engaged in a cool project? Learning something neat in class? Want to gain some super valuable communications skills? Why not share your knowledge at CREATE – VIU’s largest student knowledge-sharing event. Posters, presentations, video, photography. Lots of options. Early bird registration deadline is March 6.

Language in the Library 🗣

Join us for Language in the Library, an Indigenous initiative at the VIU Nanaimo campus library! Learn how to speak introductory Hul’q’umi’num’ with authentic language speakers and enter a community of other passionate learners every Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 pm in the Madrona Room. Register ahead!Refreshments provided.

Learn how trauma affects people 🧠

Youth 20/20 Can in partnership with the City of Nanaimo present a screening of The Wisdom of Trauma featuring Dr. Gabor Mate on March 10 at 5:30 pm at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. The event will feature a discussion panel. Tickets are $10. and can be purchased on Eventbrite or by emailing youth2020cannanaimo@gmail.com.

Reconciliation workshops

Returning to Spirit is offering several reconciliation workshops in March in the mid-Island region. Workshops are free but donations are accepted. Visit the workshop calendar to learn more and register.

Supports and services

Library here to help 📑

A reminder to all students that during Study Days this week, Nanaimo Library will be open 24-7 with VIU ID card access. Research help, the Writing Centre and International Academic Support services are all available. Take advantage! Looking for research help? Reach out!

New VIUSU Grant Program 💰

VIUSU is proud to announce the launch of its new Student Grants Program, designed to support student-led initiatives on campus. The program offers financial support for conference attendance, club events and educational initiatives through three distinct streams of funding. Apply for funding.

Need help with next steps? 📋

First semester didn’t go as well as planned? Advisors make great sounding boards. We can help you get back on track and ensure you get the learning support you need. Connect with an advisor anytime.

Career Fair March 1 💼

There will be a Career Fair taking place in the main cafeteria (Building 300) from 11 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, March 1. Students can register to attend on the CareerVIU event calendar, where they can also opt to receive reminders about other upcoming career-related events.

Career Studio 🧾

Calling all VIU students! If you’re looking to secure a job or volunteer position in the coming months, stop by the new Career Studio in Building 255, Room 204. Our team can assist with resumés, cover letters, interview preparation and all other career-related needs. Drop in for an appointment between 9 am and 12 pm, or visit our website for more info.

CareerVIU 👜

Hey VIU! Thousands of local employers are looking for talented future leaders like you. Many of these employers post their jobs on CareerVIU. Access CareerVIU now and check back regularly for new part-time and full-time, on-campus and off-campus, as well as volunteer and paid opportunities.

Become a volunteer tutor! 👥

Boost your resumé, give back and reinforce your own learning – and do it on your own schedule. Tutor a fellow VIU student for an hour a week in the area you choose. To learn more, visit the Volunteer Tutor Program homepage or email VolunteerTutorCoordinator@viu.ca.

VIU Off-Campus Housing support 🏠

International student numbers are rising to pre-pandemic levels. Coupled with Nanaimo’s record growth, we continue to feel the challenges of securing decent rental housing. Need info or support? Visit Off-Campus Housing, email Michael at housing@viu.ca or book a meeting.

Peer helpers needed 🗣

Apply to be a Peer Helper with Cultural Connections. Peer Helpers gain valuable work experience, meet a lot of awesome friends, and support fun and meaningful intercultural events at VIU. Applications extended to February 24. Email mitch.miyagawa@viu.ca for more info or apply online.

Give yourself the give of cyber security 💌

💕Valentine’s Day may be over but it is never too late to give yourself the gift of cybersecurity💕
♫ 'Cause the passwords gonna crack, crack, crack, crack, crack
And the hackers gonna hack, hack, hack, hack, hack
I'm just gonna back, back, back, back, back
Back it up
Back it up ♫

Mark your calendars

She Kills Monsters

A dark comedy into the world of D&D role-playing and epic ’90s music, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she comes to terms with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When she finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, she embarks on an adventure in this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres and ’90s pop culture. Acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all. Running in the Malaspina Theatre at VIU from March 2 to 11. Buy tickets on Eventbrite. Want to attend but don’t have the money to purchase a ticket at this time? Simply use promo code VIUpromo to attend for free.

Black History Month

Each year, Canadians mark Black History Month in February to recognize the contributions, accomplishments and ongoing inequities of Black and African descent Canadians and people living in Canada. There are a variety of events and activities being organized to celebrate this important month at VIU. Read about them on the #VIUBlog.

Science and Technology Community Lecture Series

This series runs Wednesdays, 5:45 to 7 pm, from February 8 to March 29, doors open at 5:30 pm. There is a short student presentation before the featured faculty speaker. Lectures are free to attend and are in Building 355, Room 203, and pizza is provided. Learn more about the community lectures.

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. Featured deal:

Funk Revival: 15% off any in-store purchases.

Campus events

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