Check out what BUSU's Vice-President, Student Services, Shinaya Peiris has been up to this month

The Last Call

On March 27th, BUSU hosted a farewell event for Isaac’s. This was a final goodbye to the current building, as we await the opening of a new space in the future. Over 300 students attended the event. It was well received and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

As a member of the executive team, I was honoured to help plan this night. Isaac’s has been a place filled with lasting memories. It has also hosted huge name artists like Avicii, Mac Miller, and many more. Saying goodbye to such a legendary space was definitely bittersweet, but so special. It was also really nice to see students enjoying the space one last time and creating new memories before the change of the building.

Other Events

Tuesday Trivia wrapped up on April 1st, with The Dog Pound taking home the win for the second consecutive semester. To end our free food events programming for the year, we hosted a free pasta bar on April 31st.

Clubs

On April 3rd, BUSU hosted the annual Clubs Awards Ceremony at Isaac’s, one of the final events held in the space. The evening celebrated the achievements of student clubs across various categories. As someone who’s worked closely with many of these clubs, it was a proud and fulfilling moment to witness their hard work being recognized.

Winners chosen by the Clubs Advisory Committee included the Travel Association (Rising Star), Best Buddies (Community Engagement), Winter Club (Best Marketing), Relay for Life (Fundraising), and the Lego Club (BUSU Spirit). The Muslim Students' Association received two awards: Community Impact and Club Event of the Year for their Grand Iftar. Other winners included Brock Pride (Diversity and Inclusion), Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (Religious and Faith), Black Student Association (Academic and Well-being), Brock, Paper, Scissors: Journaling Club (General Interest and Arts), and Japan Society (Most Active Club). The Filipino Students Association was awarded Club of the Year.

OUSA Partners in Higher Education Dinner (PiHED)

On the 8th of April, I had the privilege of presenting the Teaching Excellence Award to Instructor Lee Martin at the Partners in Higher Education Dinner hosted by OUSA. It was an honour to represent BUSU at such a meaningful event and to recognize an educator who has made a lasting impact on students’ academic journeys.

Personal Note

As we wrap up the year, the executive team has been reflecting on our achievements and challenges, learning from both to prepare for the next opportunities in our lives. For me, some key achievements include introducing new programming like Connections Café, New Year New Me, Drag Brunch & Learn, and over 50 free food events throughout the year. I also worked on enhancing existing events, such as the Fall Carnival with arcade prizes and Unwind Wednesday with a new escape room experience. Another highlight was collaborating with various clubs, including ice skating with Brock Winter Club, the Lego-gram event with the Brock Lego Club, Drag Bingo and Pasta Bar with Brock Pride Club, and Afro-Caribbean Night and Night Market. Additionally, we saw record-breaking attendance with over 1,300 students at Sexy Bingo and 1,000 at the Ice-Skating event. We also achieved a milestone with 141 clubs ratified, a new record for BUSU. Reflecting on these moments reminds me of how much we’ve grown as an executive team and what we can continue to build moving forward.

I’m grateful to continue at BUSU in the capacity of Events Administrator. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my executive team; Anusha Pahuja, Carleigh Charlton, and Mark Chrabawaloski for being such an incredible team. I’ve been truly lucky to work alongside such dedicated and supportive individuals. I also want to express my gratitude to Celyn, Chloe, Jamie, and Jessie for being amazing. Their guidance and support have helped me evolve and grow in this role, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to learn from.

Read more from BUSU's VPSS here.