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Fourth-year science student Kirsten Kukula represents the German Student Society. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Every September, the McInnes Room fills with candy. It’s scattered across tables hung with glitter-painted banners, most bearing acronyms starting with a ‘D.’ You guessed it ... Wednesday, September 15 marked Dalhousie’s annual Society Fair, where student societies annually set up tables and attempt to entice students into joining their groups via that most convincing argument: sugar.
Academic societies are Dalhousie mainstays – this year saw a showing from societies for English, biology and neuroscience, among others. Whatever your major, it likely has a fan club. And, naturally, booths were run (and sticker/button/candy bribes offered) by societies religious (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) and political (Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green.)
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Michael Forrester, president of Dal Swing Society, shows off some moves with the help of fellow enthusiast Rebecca Ladouceur. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
One of the highlights of the Dalhousie Society Fair, though, is the slightly off-kilter clubs Dalhousie students embrace. The Cult Classics Club fits the bill; their representative Pete Schnare is adamant their slightly unusual subject matter hasn’t depleted interest levels.
“We are cleaning the expletive deleted up,” he says (verbatim.) “We are defeating our direct competitor and neighbour, Dalhousie Political Science Society, one hundred per cent!” Really, they’ll probably only be competitors if the Dalhousie Undergraduate Political Science Society screens Kramer vs. Kramer, since the Cult Classics Club’s sole (and worthy) purpose is showing cult films to local audiences. “We take suggestions, and heckle the screen, and then go out for a beer after.”
They’ll have some real competition come Halloween, when DalOUT holds their annual screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. This event-heavy society (they aim to stage one event per month) has a workshop on “green sex” planned for October 1 and their annual “Come OUT at the Grawood” event will be held on October 15.
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Gerjan Altenburg is the vice-president of the Dal Magic Society. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Some societies don’t wait for you to stroll past their table – they come to you. A talented guitarist making the rounds of the room, reveal upon interrogation, that he is playing Hasta Siempre Com Andante – a Cuban song about famed revolutionary Che Guevara. (if you don’t know him, fear not, you’ve seen him on a T-shirt.) Che’s balladeer is Dustin Ferretti, the vice president of the Dalhousie Spanish Society. “The people are great and the times are fun. That’s why I’ve been wandering around with a guitar.”
Also getting into the international spirit was Kristen Kukula, the president of the Dalhousie Undergraduate German Society, who manned her booth in a traditional pink dirndl. “It’s a big part of Oktoberfest,” Miss Kukula says of her costume. The society’s Oktoberfest celebration is already in the planning stages. “We’re going to have our sausage and sauerkraut and that sort of thing... there will definitely be beer.” And everyone is invited, including non-German majors. “I’m actually a biology student,” she adds.
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Graeme Raymond and Evan Oberman play one of the games that will be part of Frag for Cancer on September 25 at the SUB. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
If “far away” isn’t quite your thing, “long ago” is also an option – Dal Swing Dance Society representatives were lindy-hopping tirelessly in front of their booth. (DSDS lessons are obscenely inexpensive. In fact, this Saturday and next, they’re free. No better excuse to wear that swank fedora.) Nearby was the DalDance table – they offer classes in everything from ballet to bellydance, beginner to advanced. Those who’d rather go pro can check out PerformDAL – a competitive, performance-oriented contemporary and hip-hop dance troupe.
Alongside well-established societies were relative start-ups such as the Dalhousie Gaming Society, now in its second year, whose members meet for gaming (both tabletop and video varieties) every Sunday. President Thomas Eaton sees his history major as aligned with his society: “In history, I like to win, and in gaming, I like to win,” he explains. “I like to win in everything I do.”
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Brandon Parsons and Alex Martineau represent the Dalhousie Water Polo Society. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Even newer than the Gaming Society is DalSMH – Dalhousie Student Musicians in Hospitals. Headed by Aled Iaboni, DalSMH aims to bring live music to long-term veteran patients lacking sufficient mobility to seek out live entertainment.
That’s just a few of the clubs represented at the society fair. You can find a complete list of societies at: http://dsu.ca/tiger_society/
I didn’t come away from the Fair with much candy (too shy to claim any while on the job) but I did sneak my name onto several mailing lists.