Discussing Clubs and How to Improve the Student Experience

by: Erin Woodward

First off, what is COCA? COCA is the Canadian Organization of Campus Activities; they are an organization that focuses on improving and enhancing student life at post secondary campuses across Canada. Basically, they make it easier for your student union to plan fun and exciting things for students to do around campus.

Day 1: Monday, June 12th: Arrival

There is nothing quite like getting off a plane after being trapped for five hours in a cramped metal tube shooting through the sky. Don’t get me wrong—I am so excited to be representing the SSU at COCA—but having room to stretch out your stiff limbs for the first time in hours is nice too.

After the flight, stepping off the train for the first time was amazing. The hotel is right next to the water, and you can smell the Pacific Ocean. The salty breeze cooled us off and the lively green spaces that surrounded the urban architecture really made it feel like we were in a whole different world. There’s just something so refreshing about the air in Vancouver. Even though it’s a major city like Toronto, all the green space makes you feel like you’ve escaped the city—despite being smack-dab in the middle of it.

After unpacking and settling into our hotel rooms, a group of us decided to walk to a restaurant to get dinner. Along the way, we saw the Vancouver Art Gallery, the University of British Columbia, and some amazing murals and street art.

Day 2: Tuesday June 13th: Welcome Reception and Showcase I

Our second day in Vancouver began with a nice, calm morning, as our first COCA events didn’t start until around 3 pm. We had the morning to explore the beautiful city around us and, looking back, most of our adventures in the city revolved around food (but I won't complain because it was all really good). We ended up taking the long way to a little Chinese restaurant that was about 30 minutes from the hotel, mostly because I made the group take one wrong turn. After a delicious dinner of noodles and a stop for gelato on the way back, it was time for the new delegates meet and greet! There was a huge crowd of people, and it was really cool to meet delegates from other schools and in different positions than me.

When we had free time, I made the mistake of introducing the group to a card game called Uno Flip. The next hour descended into chaos—let’s just say that there was screaming and accusing each other of cheating. But one good thing about playing the game was that it made our bonds stronger, especially when people teamed up against the other players. After, we headed to a club called The Cobalt for our Welcome Reception and the first of many showcases. We listened to some amazing artists, from country/rock artists like Brayden King to a metal band Andre Pettipas & the Giants, and a colour party with Decibel. The first showcase really set our expectations high for the ones to come.

Day 3: Wednesday June 14th: Education Sessions and Showcase II

I was really excited for the education sessions we were going to. The ones that definitely held the most intrigue for myself and Will (my fellow Clubs Coordinator) were the sessions on day one, which were “Rebuilding Campus Culture Through Clubs” and “Clubs Policies and Transitions.” We learned a lot about what clubs look like at a variety of campuses and got some amazing ideas to make our club's department even better. We also met the club’s leaders and coordinators from many different schools across Canada, and got to share our resources with each other.

We went to the variety showcase that night and got to see comedians and magicians. Some of us are still reeling from the magic shows! (How do they do that?) The comedians had us almost on the floor with how hard we were all laughing. I thought I was going to puke from how hard I was laughing, and it felt like I got an ab workout from all the laughs that night. They really brought their A-game and knew their audience very well.

Day 4: Thursday June 15th: Education Sessions and Showcase III

Thursday morning started off with more education sessions: “Choosing the Right Data” and “Building Leaders Through Service.” This is where we learned about what data management processes are the best for our campus and how to be a better student leader. We had roundtable discussions, which were about different topics and held with different schools, and ended up talking about some amazing ideas and initiatives to improve campus culture through clubs. On that fourth night, we crammed into a bus and were on our way to a third showcase. We saw some amazing musical performances at a place called The Pearl. I’m not sure if I can pick a favourite performance! From the hip-hop/rap stylings of Melissa Vales to the multilingual pop songs of Ethan Surman, and the rap/R&B performance of Dynesti—they were all incredible.

Day 5: Friday June 16th: Regional Meetings

Since we didn’t have to attend any of the regional or general meetings on the Friday, we had a lot of free time on our hands. We decided to hang out and explore the city, and ended up walking around parts of Devonian Harbour Park before we walked down to English Bay Beach. On the beach, we found some cool statues called “A-maze-ing Laughter,” and they were very interesting to see. We stayed so late that we watched the sun setting on the beach.

Day 6: Saturday June 17th: Education Sessions and Awards Banquet

It was the last education session of COCA and I decided to go to “What’s Your Why?” It was about how to plan events that are both inclusive and accessible for the student community. We learned about equality vs. equity and how to think about inclusion from the start of the planning stage instead of the end. We also learned how to be mindful of what different campuses want based on their programs and students. It was a really interesting session and I learned a lot, but it was time for us to head to lunch. After practically begging us to go back to the Chinese restaurant that we went to on the second day, Alfred got his wish and we went to Happy Noodle.

Fast forward to 3 o’clock and it's time for us to get ready for the awards banquet. It was the first night we dressed up and were fancy and I will say, as a group, we cleaned up well. We spent the evening recounting our adventures from the past week and listening to all the awards being presented. All in all, it was a great end to the week at COCA. I made amazing friends and created strong bonds with fellow students and delegates. COCA taught me a lot about being a leader and gave me the tools I need to succeed in my role with the SSU.

Day 7: Sunday, June 18th: Departure

When I say the flight back home was a complete 180 from the flight to Vancouver, I really mean that. First, we were running late to the airport (which was our fault, we got distracted...whoops). Then, after a very stressful run through security and the airport to get to our gate, we made it with 20 minutes to spare before our flight was supposed to board. We decided to get food, but spoiler alert: this is where everything started to go wrong. Some of our group stopped for Starbucks, and barely made it to the gate—with just one minute before we were supposed to take off. Stress was high. We took our seats on the plane, settled in, and received a message from Kim wishing us a good flight. Then, like some trickster spirit was waiting for that exact phrase, chaos descended upon us. Next thing I knew, a venti matcha frap flew off a tray table and sprayed multiple people, seats, and the floor, turning everything green. At the exact same time, someone in our group realized that his laptop was sitting nice and safe…back at the security gate. After a mad dash and so many napkins later, we were all back on the plane and ready to go home. I’m almost positive that everyone on the plane hated our guts at that point, but it's okay because it made telling everyone about our COCA trip even better.

So, I will end off by saying: “Onto our next great adventure!”

We believe that the best #SheridanLife is one where students have access to opportunities, experiences and tools that help them grow and serve their fellow students.

That’s why the Sheridan Student Union is committed to offering our student leaders career development opportunities and experiences that help them grow and serve the needs of our students. To read more about how your student leaders are working together to advocate for the best #SheridanLife, visit thessu.ca/sheridanlife