A new lease on life

DAGS President Yannick Tremblay poses in front of the house at 1252-1254 LeMarchant St. (Pearce photo)

Looks like Scotch night every Tuesday has a future.

This popular event at the Grad House, along with other unique aspects of the atmosphere-soaked hangout, stand to gain a new lease on life.

If the referendum passes, the university will offer up, under basically the same terms as the lease on the current Grad House, a house located at 1252-1254 Le Marchant Street. The large house with a verandah is located almost directly across the road and is currently rented out as flats.

ÒIÕve listened carefully to students talk about the Grad House at the Imagine Õ07 event and I received many emails from grad students about this issue,” said Dr. Tom Traves, DalÕs President. ÒIt does seem that students have identified an area on campus that works for them.”

Special meeting

DAGS Council members have been informed of the offer. An additional special meeting was held on Mon., Feb. 12 in Room 302 of the Student Union Building (SUB) for graduate students to pose questions about the proposal directly to Dr. Traves. The next step will be the referendum vote, set for March 6 and 7.

ÒWe want a very high grad student turnout to vote in support. It is in our best interests,” says Yannick Tremblay, the new DAGS President and a PhD student in Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Medicine.

As part of the plan to add new and improved student space across campus, the existing Grad House has to come down to make way for a new student building. That building will include a combination of study and social space that would meet the needs of many more students.

ÒThe Grad House is just a very old house. The foundations are crumbling. From a green perspective, itÕs one of the worst on campus. It leaks heat and absorbs drafts. ItÕs a building whose days are numbered, whether we go ahead with the proposed projects or not. It just doesnÕt make sense to invest in the building on that scale,” says Dr. Traves.

Consultation

The house on Le Marchant is larger and in much better repair than the current space.  The preference would be for a move to happen during the summer of 2008 to minimize any disruption of services and operations, says Mr. Yannick. He anticipates using the interven-ing year to plan the transition in greater detail, including any renovations that might be required.

Another aspect of the referendum proposal involves dedicating space in the new student building on University Avenue for graduate student study and meeting space, following additional student consultation about requirements and preferences. Ñ DN