One month into the second semester, and new things are on the horizon. In conversation with Student Union Okanagan’s (SUO) President, Peter Idoko, he reflected on how his team can feel how tired students are as they push through to the end of the term. Currently, the SUO is focusing on ending the year on a good note.
The SUO executive committee has focused a lot this year on lobbying for students at various student forums across the province. Rising tuition and living costs are hard on everyone, so Vice President External, Olivia Lai, along with the British Columbia Federation of Students have been working to ensure students will not suffer excess financial burden while pursuing their goals in post-secondary.
Efforts to fight food insecurity have also had massive success this year, as the SUO has attained thousands of dollars in funding to support their food bank, Pantry, as well as their Community Meals initiative. With the future in mind, there is no plan to stop providing food to students, replacing worries on their plates with free and nutritious meals.
As for campus life, the SUO board is putting together more ways they can give back to the clubs who contribute so much to the vibrant campus community at UBC Okanagan. Plans for the next Heatwave concert are also in the works, and students should expect an even more exciting concert on campus as the SUO takes their feedback and works it into their plans. Parties are still on the agenda for the rest of the year, but the SUO is still sticking to their mission of diversifying what they offer to students and wants to commit to a variety of events for all students to enjoy.
Importantly, SUO elections are coming up. Detailed information regarding the upcoming elections can be found on the SUO website, but there are some important dates that all students should be aware of. The deadline for nominations to run for a position is February 14th, 2026, at 4pm. For those on the fence about running, there is still time, but applications should be submitted as soon as possible!
Following nominations, the campaigning period will take place from February 23rd, 2026, to March 6th, 2026. This is the time for anyone running for a position to campaign on campus. During this time students can ask them questions, and begin deciding who they want to vote for in the forthcoming election. Debates will take place between candidates in this time period as scheduled by the SUO.
Voting will open online on March 3rd, 2026, at 8am. Information about where exactly to vote will be released by the SUO, and students can follow those instructions to vote accordingly. On March 6th, 2026, at 11:59pm, the online voting will close, and afterwards the winners of the election will be announced.
When asked what he wishes to see from the next SUO executive committee, Idoko emphasized that the future board should remain involved with student affairs on campus:
“Have a spine, and keep the energy going. The amount of good the SUO can do within the student body is immense; if the next board is not ready to rise up to the occasion, the occasion will come to pass.”
With the success over the last year, Idoko thinks it is very important to continue the precedent that has been set. A lot of trust has been gained with students, and the SUO has shown at various times that the Okanagan campus should be taken seriously as an institution. He recognizes that the SUO has a lot of power, which can do a lot of good. Instead of being caught up in the perks of being on the executive board, the elected members should ensure they are showing up for students.
Commenting on the different things the SUO can do for students, Idoko expressed that “we need more than one event to classify a good school year,” stressing that the “next person needs to understand that and should try their best to meet the needs of the diverse student population.” It is clear that Idoko does not want all of the work done this year to be swept away, instead it should be used as a starting point for the next board to do something even greater.
On a conclusive note, Idoko stated: “we need good people who will put in the time and effort, and who will advocate for UBCO to reach its fullest potential, because we have a lot of potential.”
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