This Friday, February 17^th is the deadline for you to put in your orders for OISA clothing. If you are still on the fence about buying some OISA merchandise here are a couple reasons that will make you want to buy it.

1. Awesomeness

For sure, there is no one that wants to wear clothes that are ‘blah’. If you haven’t already checked out what the merchandise looks like check it out here, go ahead I’ll wait. Awesome ain’t it?

There is something different for everyone, and each item is guaranteed to bring you awesomeness, after all it is OISA swag! From touques to FCUK-esque hoodies, there are many options to choose from, and for those people missed out on not buying OISA scarves, and who surely regretted, this is your chance to buy those awesome scarves you’ve been seeing in pictures.

2. Represent OISA at PSG

OISA was recently at Skits Night where Aliya, Faheem, and Bismah dazzled with their performance. Every person in audience knew that OISA was there and representing Ottawa loud and proud. Now that everyone knows who OISA and how awesome we truly are, why would you not want to wear OISA clothing to PSG this year and let the rest of the world know who has the best ISA. At last year’s PSG, OISA took home the Spirit trophy. And let’s be honest, which one of us would not like to win that again?

3. OISA logo > (Any Other Brand logo)

Many of us will walk into clothing stores at malls at some point in the very near future. We’re all going to look at a sweater or a touque or other items, and they will all have some brand on it. Why not spend money for that same sweater but have a much, much better logo on it, the crowned ‘O’ of OISA (and it might even be a little cheaper).

So what are you waiting for? Order your OISA merchandise now, and be ready to rock it in public in a few weeks. And again, the deadline for purchasing your OISA merchandise is THIS FRIDAY… get your money in!

Click here to place your order!

Here we stand at the end of January and I just wanted to take a moment and look back at the past weekend and really the year at large.  All I can start with is a huge wow.  I’m honestly in shock at how much effort, talent and great times were had at the hands of the McMaster ISA, as well as the Skits Night 2012 Exec Team.  I laughed till I couldn’t anymore, and throroughly enjoyed the dancing, acting and the moment of bonding of around 1000 people from different ISA’s.  I loved how all the ISA’s had a chance to represent themselves on stage, and how jokes were made both at the expensive of, and by, everyone in the auditorium.

In between the “Otta-WHAT’s?!” and the “Yea-EH!”‘s, it seemed that everyone had noticed that OISA. that WE,  had taken the long trek down to the Hammer to get in on the fun.  It was amazing hearing how excited everyone was that we had taken notice of an event so far away, and that we wanted to not only watch but be a part of it.  And what a part of it we were Aliya, Faheem and Bismah, only had a minute to present ‘Muqabla’ in the item ‘ISA’s Got Talent’.  In that one moment the three of them were…BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS.  Channeling their inner…I’m failing to come up adequate Indian actor/actress names….but yeah, they were awesome! We couldn’t walk with them on the way down the stairs from the upper auditorium, they were mobbed by adoring fans! We even had to remove a few overly eager supporters…just kidding.

I wanted to write this post to let you all know how special a moment I think this is for OISA, especially with everything that we have all accomplished together over the past 6 months.  When I looked at the stage, I saw not only the amazing work put on by all of the other ISA’s, but the potential for OISA to continue our growth in both size and success to the same degree as other great schools.  I’m so glad that when, not if, that happens – we’ll all be able to say we were here.  Together.

1. Mont Tremblant is one of the best places to ski in Canada.

Go ahead, Google it…we all know Google doesn’t lie. Now Tremblant may not be as epic as Whistler in beautiful British Columbia, but let’s not sell ourselves short with what the East Coast has to offer. I could sit here and spew facts (which I will obviously do…thanks google!) about how Tremblant has 95 trails at a variety of levels and 3 different snow parks, and how it is the highest peak in the Laurentians. Needless to say, Tremblant is renown across Canada and has the reputation of an all star ski resort. We are lucky enough to have access to a beautiful ski resort, just a short ride from Ottawa so why not take advantage of it, right? Imagine yourself skiing or snowboarding down mountains, paving your way through fresh snow. How could you NOT want to go on the ski trip?

2. For the atmosphere, food, friends, and all that nature has to offer.

Now, we all know that skiing or snowboarding is not for everybody, and that’s perfectly fine! Lucky for you, Tremblant caters to the desires of all individuals. For those non skiers, feel free to take part in what the village has to offer. There are an abundance of activities, from tubing to skating to snowshoeing (for the adventurous). If you’re not one for the snow, have no fear for the pedestrian village is here! You can walk around the gorgeous village, shopping, eating, people watching (we all do it, no judgment). So go ahead, have a snowball fight, make some new friends, play some games, or just go on a stroll through the village, guaranteed you’ll find something to do!

3. A great get away and a chance to rejuvenate our minds and bodies.

Somehow it’s only been two weeks, and school is just kicking in full force. I’m sure everyone is feeling the effects, so why not take a weekend and getaway from the harsh reality known as school, and have a little fun for a few days? At Tremblant, with an array of activities, you’ll surely dismiss those nagging reminders about assignments and all the readings you have to do for class. Even if you don’t find solace in any of the activities offered, just chill in bed and sleep in till noon or hangout with friends in the chalet. Do whatever your heart desires (within reason, of course), but don’t miss out on an opportunity to rest your body and mind before, dare I say, e***s (exams), roll around the corner. Come back after a fun weekend feeling refreshed and ready to own school!

4. Legen-wait-for-it-dary stories that last a life time

Now, if you were one of the unfortunate few, like myself, who weren’t at ski trip last year, you’ll know what I’m talking about. When everyone came back, they brought back some stellar tales of what went down over that weekend. The exhilarating experience just tearing down the hill, the amazing view from the top of the mountain, and some oopsie daisy moments in ski history, are just a few I heard about.
Speaking of stumbles, one of our very own OISA members had a pretty remarkable run in (or should I say tackle) with another skier. For all intents and purposes, I won’t name this individual, (hint: second year, female, begins with an A, followed by another, then a S, H, N, and ends with an A). Alas, I digress. Legend has it that she started the run normally, at the top of the mountain. Yet somehow, she decides to split from her friends and takes a turn onto a blue run… and let’s just say her skiing skills did not match the level of the run. Needless to say, disaster ensued. Onlookers at the bottom of the hill claimed that they saw this person speeding down the hill, hands flailing in the air, unable to stop. They then see her plow into some poor guy waiting with his friends to get onto the ski lift. I guess it was just one of those you-had-to-be-there moments, so don’t miss out on the future stories this 2012 ski trip has to offer.

Just as a side note, if you have not paid for ski trip, you only have 2 more days (till Jan. 26th) and also please message Al-Rahim if you’re planning on going! These are just a few reasons why I’m going to OISA’s 2012 ski trip this year…with reasons and stories like these, how could you say no? I guess the more important question is: have you paid? Don’t miss out on a great chance to make new friends or to rejuvenate your body and mind or to have a little bit of fun. This invigorating experience only happens once a year, so make sure you capitalize on this fun and wonderful opportunity!