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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. Itâs scattered across tables hung with glitter-painted banners, most bearing acronyms starting with a âD.â You guessed it ... Wednesday, September 15 marked ±«Óătvâs 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 ±«Óătv mainstays â 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 ±«Óătv Society Fair, though, is the slightly off-kilter clubs ±«Óătv students embrace. The Cult Classics Club fits the bill; their representative Pete Schnare is adamant their slightly unusual subject matter hasnât depleted interest levels.
âWe are cleaning the expletive deleted up,â he says (verbatim.) âWe are defeating our direct competitor and neighbour, ±«Óătv Political Science Society, one hundred per cent!â Really, theyâll probably only be competitors if the ±«Óătv Undergraduate Political Science Society screens Kramer vs. Kramer, since the Cult Classics Clubâs sole (and worthy) purpose is showing cult films to local audiences. âWe take suggestions, and heckle the screen, and then go out for a beer after.â
Theyâll 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 âgreen sexâ planned for October 1 and their annual âCome OUT at the Grawoodâ 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 donât wait for you to stroll past their table â they come to you. A talented guitarist making the rounds of the room, reveal upon interrogation, that he is playing Hasta Siempre Com Andante â a Cuban song about famed revolutionary Che Guevara. (if you donât know him, fear not, youâve seen him on a T-shirt.) Cheâs balladeer is Dustin Ferretti, the vice president of the ±«Óătv Spanish Society. âThe people are great and the times are fun. Thatâs why Iâve been wandering around with a guitar.â
Also getting into the international spirit was Kristen Kukula, the president of the ±«Óătv Undergraduate German Society, who manned her booth in a traditional pink dirndl. âItâs a big part of Oktoberfest,â Miss Kukula says of her costume. The societyâs Oktoberfest celebration is already in the planning stages. âWeâre going to have our sausage and sauerkraut and that sort of thing... there will definitely be beer.â And everyone is invited, including non-German majors. âIâm actually a biology student,â 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 âfar awayâ isnât quite your thing, âlong agoâ is also an option â 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, theyâre free. No better excuse to wear that swank fedora.) Nearby was the DalDance table â they offer classes in everything from ballet to bellydance, beginner to advanced. Those whoâd rather go pro can check out PerformDAL â a competitive, performance-oriented contemporary and hip-hop dance troupe.
Alongside well-established societies were relative start-ups such as the ±«Óătv 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: âIn history, I like to win, and in gaming, I like to win,â he explains. âI like to win in everything I do.â
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Brandon Parsons and Alex Martineau represent the ±«Óătv Water Polo Society. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Even newer than the Gaming Society is DalSMH â ±«Óătv 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.
Thatâs just a few of the clubs represented at the society fair. You can find a complete list of societies at:
I didnât 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.