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Jose Carvalho was on the SUO’s board for Director at Large, as appointed by the board over the summer, and was a candidate in the SUO fall 2020 By-elections. He discussed his stance on prominent student issues during the By-election candidate debate on October 8th, 2020, but The Phoenix wanted to know more about Carvalho’s candidacy in the fall By-elections, his platform, and his position as Director at Large. Carvalho kindly agreed to participate in a virtual interview and shared an insider’s perspective on the SUO and the Fall 2020 By-elections. He provided valuable insight into his experiences with the SUO and the election process, in addition to sharing helpful advice for students who may want to get involved with the SUO but are unsure how. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//insiders-scoop-on-the-2020

"Art on the Line is a fundraiser for the VACU which raises money for travel grants, the fourth-year exhibition show, events, and other things related to the Visual Arts Course Union. This year, of course, it’s going to be online. Students and other artists donate works that are judged by a jury before being accepted for the gala. Then people can buy tickets to attend at a cost of $200, which guarantees you a piece of artwork, or you can buy a $5 ticket just to attend and watc...h the event. Everyone will get a chance to view all the artworks and write down their favourites before there’s a raffle in which names are drawn to choose which piece they would like. We’re working with a local company called Trellis who specializes in online events to support in-person fundraisingthey’re really great. Right now, we’re taking submissions from local artists who are both emerging and professional. We’re asking for high-quality images for now, and then they’ll go through a jury process before being potentially selected. Anyone interested can send their images to [email protected] and the final deadline for submission is February 5th, 2021. " - UBCO Visual Arts Course Union To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//spotlight-on-the-visual-ar

A university student emphasized the difficulty of actually maintaining identity while being a student, explaining, it’s been hectic. My mind’s been racing and I haven’t been feeling like I’m in the right place. I’ve been soul searching and having to keep up with assignments all at the same time. This begs the question of when and how are students able to discover who they are when they are constantly prioritizing school and homework over themselves. Is it only after graduation that a student can create an identity? - written by @rachelmacarie To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//ubco-students-share-their-

One of the best ways to find the comfort of home is through food. It is the feeling of smelling a very specific spice and being reminded of a dinner table you love, or biting into a fruit that instantly transports you to a moment in time from your childhood. There is no wrong way to achieve this. You can get takeout from your favourite local restaurant or learn to cook the meals that you grew up with. Over time, all of us find what works best for us based on our skill level and how much we can spend. So while we spend this time distanced from the people we love, use the food you love to take you back home, even for a few moments. Let the scents of the ingredients waft around you and bring you memories that you remember fondly. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/posts/food-is-home

Meg Miskiman is a third-year Creative Writing Major at UBCO who is curating a poetry chapbook written exclusively by LGBTQ+ writers, and it will include artwork by LGBTQ+ artists. Meg is currently looking for more LGBTQ+ contributors for the chapbook. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//lgbtq-authors-and-artists-

A little kindness goes a long way. Thank you team - Caro, Tafhim, Sam, Rachel, Emmah, Maria, Jayme, Madhu and Amber for being so wonderful and supportive! #worldkindnessday

After partnering earlier this year with the Okanagan College Foundation and committing $500,000 to the development of a Health Science Centre at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus and a $250,000 award fund, it was announced in October that the Stober Foundation would also be committing $1 million to UBCO. Both commitments, which will be made over five years, centre on training students in health and social service professions. For UBCO, the donation will be nearly doubled with the help of a fundraising initiative by Aspire, bringing the total contribution to $1.9 million. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//the-stober-foundation-make

Thrive encourages the maintenance and development of good mental health by outlining five steps called Thrive 5. These steps include: more exercise and movement; good sleep; a well-balanced and healthy diet; giving back to others and adding to your sense of connection, purpose and wellbeing; and spending time with family, friends, and community. The great thing about Thrive Month is that it promotes many wellbeing resources available to UBCO students. The big takeaway from this event and from Thrive is to educate yourself on mental health literature and discussions to destigmatize beliefs about mental health and promote wellness for all post-secondary students. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//thrive-month-is-officially

The struggles that the class of 2024 are facing are unfair, but these experiences only seem to make them stronger. They overcome everything and find a way to get in touch with each other in order to restore the true meaning of what the college experience is supposed to be. while we may not know when we can return to the lineup at the campus’s Tim’s or the crowded tables at the Commons, it is only a matter of time before these freshmen can experience it themselves for the first time. They teach us that we can work together to make this a little more bearable for all of us. - written by Madhumita Prasad To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//what-can-we-learn-from-the

"I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm pretty pessimistic about politics in general but the changes we were able to make, and those that are still going on, blew me away. But seeing the by-election results as low as they were this year is disappointing. Unfortunately, students don't appreciate the degree of the impact the SUO has on our lives until we become a part of the process. This is why I am really encouraged by the new student at large positions on the committees. One of my b...uddies was probably the most pessimistic person about the SUO you could find, but I convinced him to apply to the policy committee and his whole view changed once he was involved in the meetings and decision-making process and saw what we were actually doing. [...] The SUO is actually a lot more complex and multifaceted than most people think. " - Casey Stein To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//casey-stein-is-cautiously-

This year, the team at The Phoenix would like to reimagine the arts section as not only a platform that brings awareness to the multitude of artistic and cultural happenings at UBCO and in Kelowna, but also as a space in which our talented fellow students can showcase their personal work in an unrestricted manner. As such, we welcome students who wish to publish their creative writing to email Jayme ([email protected]) with short written pieces that they would like us to feature. In the first volume of this series, we present three poetic pieces titled Lorelei, Pandemic Vacations, and My Face an Eyeless Mask by Rachel Macarie, our Opinions Editor and a fourth-year English major. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/posts/writers-corner-volume-i

With reading week just around the corner, we thought we’d round up a list of some art-related events happening in Kelowna for the viewing pleasure of The Phoenix’s readers. Let us know if we’ve missed any arts events going on in the Kelowna area that should be featured in The Phoenix by emailing [email protected] To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//current-art-events-in-kelo Art galleries mentioned in the post:... Kelowna Art Gallery Rotary Centre for the Arts Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art Lake Country Public Art Gallery FINA Art Gallery at UBCO - Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies See more

UBCO students, I urge you to be mindful of our community and adhere to the social distancing guidelines as put forth by the Province and Dr. Bonnie Henry. It could quite literally save lives. Being a hero has never been easierstay at home and stay safe. Remember, there is a reason school is online right now. Do not think that you are exempt from following government rules and restrictions simply because it is Halloween. Besides, there are other ways to celebrate Halloween th...is yearyou can still have fun without going to a huge Halloween party. You could spend time with your long-distance friends virtually, or watch scary, Halloween-themed movies on Netflix. You could go to a pumpkin patch, a winery, or run through a corn maze. You could dress up in a costume and eat a 50-pack of assorted mini-chocolates in one sitting. Do anything except throw a massive costume party with people you don’t know. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//dont-throw-a-huge-hallowee

Have you thought about your identity outside of being a student? Tell us your experiences with school consuming your life. DM us or fill the form https://forms.gle/GLMda9BLt1xnuTTR8 (you can fill it anonymously if you wish to).

Garvin Leon LeBlanc, a 23 year-old Visual Arts major at UBCO, is among the 160 artists featured in "Love Always Wins, a global collaborative art initiative started by Gabriel Morais. The project was conceived to combat the hate spread by President Trump, but fighting against one type of hate is a step towards fighting all types of hate. The project is an eclectic collection, featuring 160 artworks by artists from 160 countries all over the world. Each artwork is a piece inspired by the phrase Love Always Wins, and also features the phrase in each artist’s local language. It’s amazing that so many communities, including the UBCO community, were able to be represented in this positive collaboration. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/posts/love-always-wins

Moozhan Ahmadzadegan and Brooklyn Bellmond are recent graduates from UBCO’s Fine Arts program. Throughout their years as undergrads, their ethos was always about inclusion and diversity within the arts, which they were able to promote through their roles as President and Vice-President of the Visual Arts Course Union. After graduating, it only made sense to the duo that their involvement in the arts community would continue beyond the parameters of the university. In fact, their strong connection to the artistic community has been the driving force behind The Laundry Room Collective, an intimate space they created to host events, workshops, and exhibitions in Lake Countryand yes, it all began in a laundry room. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//spotlight-on-the-laundry-r

Some UBCO students shared their experiences with The Phoenix News about how they are adjusting to dating during COVID-19. I guess I’m trying to date but it’s complicated, said one UBCO student talking about the new ways they were trying to meet people. I find myself getting frustrated, but then realise that I have to take a step back and look at the situation and try to figure out if I’m frustrated about something in the relationship or just frustrated with lock down. ... To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/posts/dating-during-covid-19

The topic of the first AVPS listening session was the virtual student experience, but the event’s emphasis seemed to be on discussing students’ virtual outside-of-the-classroom experiences. The discussion was guidedstudents were encouraged to reflect on the following: -Why did you choose UBCO, and are we meeting those expectations for you still today? -In what ways has this year been a positive virtual experience outside of the classroom? -What has been the most challenging ...aspect of your virtual student experience outside of the classroom? -If you could change one thing to improve the virtual student experience, outside of the classroom, what would it be, and how? -If you could keep one aspect of the virtual student experience, when we’re able to be together again in person, what would it be? To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com//feedback-for-ubcos-first-a

In response to questions asked by The Phoenix News regarding our articles on the Mona Wang case, Mayor Colin Basran has provided a statement on important updates and initiatives happening within the Kelowna community which is shared in the article with his permission.

[D]espite funding being allocated by the City of Kelowna to the RCMP for PACT‘s expansion and an officer already assigned to partner with another nurse, Interior Health has made no movement toward employing an additional nurse despite requests to do so since 2017. To read more, https://www.thephoenixnews.com//interior-health-is-stallin

Maura Tamez is an enrolled member of the Lipan Apache Band of Texas and is related to the larger Dene Nation. She currently lives in the unceded Okanagan territory of the Syilx peoples, specifically with her family on the Okanagan Indian Band #1 Reserve near Vernon, amongst the Nk'mlpqs (Head of the Lake) community on the Okanagan Lake within the Syilx families of Nsis'soolwx (Dry Creek). Her art draws on personal themes of belonging, identity, place, borders, displacement, loss, and history. Her work (re)thinks and (re)examines how colonialism has affected Dene Nde people’s experiences and is a way of resistance. To read more about Maura ‘s artistic practice and her thoughts surrounding the current identity and racial politics at the forefront of our times, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/po/voices-of-change-volume-3

I miss walking from class to class. This would have never crossed my mind last year. Online school has made me appreciate the seemingly mundane act of walking outside. Currently, my life revolves around my desk. Nothing compels me to get up and move. Everything I have to do is done from my chair. I have no need to venture out into the forgotten outdoors. Nevertheless, this lack of apparent necessity should not prevent me from going for a hike or spending an evening at a park.... These moments in which we step away from our desks are, perhaps, as you may discover, needed. I hope to encourage students to not let fresh air become a forgotten luxury. This brief article can serve as a guide to show you a couple spots not too far from campus where you can relax and enjoy being out in nature. To read more, visit https://www.thephoenixnews.com/posts/remember-the-outdoors

Help locating missing UBC student