OCNews

The power of pizza among peers is greater than procrastination.

With end-of-term deadlines in sight, organizers of the popular Okanagan College Long Night Against Procrastination are ready to offer up snacks, prizes and solidarity to students facing winter term finals.

Long Night Against Procrastination started at the Penticton campus in 2015, with students converging on campus for late-night cram sessions with help from faculty, librarians and Success Centre coordinators. The annual event helped students meet end-of-term deadlines with assignments, papers and projects. What started as academic help turned into a student life phenomenon: students would show up in pyjamas, enjoy a slice of pizza and take yoga breaks to power through those last to-do items.

And when COVID-19 sent everyone home, the popular event went virtual in November: drawing more than 70 students into online break rooms to receive study support, in addition to gift certificates for pizza.

“You could feel the OC community coming through the screen. We were thrilled with the turnout last year and have changed the online platform to make the experience even better for students this time,” says Eva Gavaris, a Librarian at the Penticton campus.

“The Long Night Against Procrastination is meant to acknowledge that most of us procrastinate, and it’s a phenomenon that college and university students are especially familiar with. The reasons for putting things off are not always as obvious as we might first think,” says Frances Greenslade, an English Department faculty member who brought the first Long Night to the Penticton campus six years ago.

On Thursday, March 25, from 8 p.m. to midnight, Okanagan College students can log onto an online platform where they can join breakout rooms for help from professors, librarians and Success Centre coordinators.

Students who register early could win either DoorDash or delivery gift certificates (location depending) to fuel their studies. Study breaks and stress-busting activities like yoga and meditation will be offered, and a prize draw will be held every hour starting at 9 p.m.

The entire session is free for Okanagan College students. Just register to receive the event link: www.okanagan.bc.ca/longnight.