November 1, 2020
Monthly E-Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:

BC's 2020 Election Results

OCSU's Newest Service

Health and Dental Registration Period

Meet Your 2020/21 OCSU Student Reps

Overcoming Social Media Addiction

International Education Week

OC Serves Up

Fair Trade Campus Week Recap

Bursary Opportunity for Students
BC's Election Results
With the preliminary results of the 2020 BC Election in, the NDP will form a majority government for the first time since 1996. John Horgan will become the first consecutive 2-term premier in the party's history. The NDP Party platform ran along its promises of expanding $10-a-day child care and implementing a rent freeze until the end of next year. 2020 was additionally a record-breaking year for the number of voters who voted before Election Day. As of October 25, 1.2 million valid votes had been received on Election Day. For more information on election results for your riding, visit Elections BC. To see colour-coded election results for the province, click below.
OCSU's Newest Service

Although we are not on campus this year, we are still striving to offer quality service to our members. The OCSU's newest service will be monthly mail out menstruation kits! If students are interested in receiving this kit, they will be required to fill out a form each month to request their supplies preferences. Each student is limited to ONE menstruation kit per month. If students request sexual health information, pregnancy tests, or internal condoms, they will be required to email [email protected]. Menstruation kits will be sent by mail on the first and third week of each month and is only available for current Okanagan College students.
Health and Dental
The Health and Dental registration period is OVER! Students may now register with Green Shield and begin claiming back any eligible expense. The opt-in deadline for dependants is now November 15, 2020. You will be getting an email from us shortly to set up your plan. To see your coverage, go to ocsu.studenthealthbc.ca.
Meet Your 2020/21 Student Representatives
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's OCSU Election! Congratulations to the 2020/21 OCSU Student Representatives!
Ashley Robinson
(Kelowna)
Claudia Polk
(Regional)
Evan Smith
(Regional)
Indervir Kaur
(Kelowna)
Janet McLeish
(Regional)
Jennifer Gullins
(Kelowna)
Joe Welton
(Kelowna)
Jordyn Battista
(Kelowna)
Kasiya Matululu
(Kelowna)
Kieran Knoll
(Regional)
Lorreine Stanley
(Regional)
Sunidhi Sobti
(Kelowna)
Tobe Francis
(Kelowna)
Tyanna Paling
(Regional)
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Overcoming Social Media Addiction

This year has been especially hard on all of us and the added strain of online education has been a tough transition for most. A big concept of this year will be staying mindful of our own screen use and considering if there are areas we need to cut back for the sake of our health.
The first step in managing your social media use is identifying the signs of internet and social media addiction. Symptoms like losing track of time, irritability, excessive use, and compulsive/constant accessing can have a huge impact on relationships and school or employment. Research suggests that more than 20 hours of personal internet/social media use per week can constitute as an addiction.
To relieve the stress of social media, the best steps you can take are going on a digital detox, spending time away from screens, establishing a contingency plan, and reducing your contact/access list on social media.

For more information on social media addictions and the impact on your brain, visit the link below!
International Education Week
International Education Week (November 16-20) is an annual celebration of the importance of international education and exchange programs.
This week is celebrated worldwide by over 100 countries. OC will celebrate this week with a variety of activities: cooking lessons, crafts, mini language lesson videos, and more! If you love to play games, join us for our virtual world flag game!
OC Serves Up
Kelowna’s OC Serves Up program continues to grow! Dozens of OC students accessed the program in the month of October, resulting in over 500 meals being given out! We have some changes to the program that we would like to announce:

Meals are now to be picked up from inside the OC Cafeteria. Wearing a mask is mandatory.
The application process will be changing soon to be a little easier and more user friendly. This new application is NOT in effect yet, but it is coming soon! Please keep an eye on our website and social media for announcements.

Never heard of OC Serves Up before? Here’s how it works: As part of their training, OC Culinary and Pastry Arts students prepare up to 50 meals each day. These meals are then donated to the OC Serves Up program and distributed to OC students. Students must apply for a meal each time they want one, as the program works on a first come first serve basis. Please note that this program is only available to OC students in the Kelowna area.
Fair Trade Campus Week Recap
This year's Fair Trade Campus Week provided viewers with a variety of virtual seminars aimed to promote and increase fair trade awareness and practice. The OCSU is lucky enough to additionally have support from many fair trade, local businesses that send us sustainable goodies each year! If you are interested in winning some of these goodies, make sure to check out our social media pages for information on our Fair Trade Giveaway happening until November 3rd! (Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm)
Bursary Opportunity for Students

Although school may look a little different this year, tuition costs have remained the same. Interior Savings is giving 1000 students the opportunity to put $1000 towards their education! To read bursary requirements and determine your eligibility, visit the link below.