There's a Dal society for that

Get active, get involved, get creative.

On Wednesday, September 14, many of the Dalhousie Student Union's 250-plus campus societies set up shop in the SUB’s McInnes room, recruiting new members for everything from biology to Korean, and dance to New Democrats. Here is just a sampling of what was on display as examples of how students can have a vibrant student experience at Dal:

Variety is the spice of campus life

Dal Scuba offers a chance to explore Nova Scotia’s rich variety of sea life. Organizers Yousef Alattar and Devon Johnstone schedule Sunday dives in the HRM and around the province for groups of divers. This year, the club received free fill cards so that members can fill up their tanks.

For those interested in watching movies and TV series with other anime fans, the Dalhousie Anime Club will be meeting Friday, September 23 and is hoping to recruit more members and apply for funding. Film buffs can also check out the Cult Classics Club and gather Thursday nights to watch both contemporary and retro movies and, as club president Julie Hall puts it, “make fun of films” that span a range from Napoleon Dynamite to Troll 2.

If you’re interested in retro culture and learning some new moves, look into the Dalhousie Swing Dance Society, inviting dancers of all levels. Nicole Giacomantonio says that the club aims to “keep the swing era alive.” They hold a social dance every November called Swinging with the Fishes, with 30s and 40s dress and live bands.

Dalhousie also has a team participating in the Canadian Satellite Design Challenge. Member Alex Holgate says that the group “is not just for engineers,” but involves students from all disciplines. The team wishes to recruit students who can help with the promotion of science, engineering and space awareness. The Dalhousie satellite will be designed to measure atmospheric density in a lower orbit and, if chosen as the winner of the challenge, will actually be launched into space.

The Dalhousie Rowing Crew is one of many athletic clubs that welcome men and women of all skill levels. The Rowing Crew has been competing in local regattas for about a decade now and also allows rowers the opportunity to compete in the Canadian university championships.

Dalhousie’s competitive societies aren’t just limited to playing fields and open water, though: the Dalhousie eSports Society, for example, offers a forum for competitive gamers as well. On September 24, the Dal eSports Society will be hosting Atlantic Canada’s largest gaming event—a fundraiser called Frag for Cancer. The club accepts beginners and also competes in collegiate Starcraft competitions, where it is one of the top ten teams.

Good fun for good causes

There are many socially-conscious societies at Dalhousie that advocate worthwhile causes. One of these groups is SchoolBox, a not-for-profit organization based outside of Ottawa that raises funds to build cost-effective schools in Nicaragua. Dalhousie is the first university chapter of SchoolBox after International Development student Rachael Gardiner travelled to Nicaragua with the organization. The Dal branch of Schoolbox is looking into sending more interested students to Nicaragua in the future.

Engineers Without Borders at Dal is one of about 30 Canadian chapters of the human development organization. The Dalhousie chapter is active in four African countries and initiates advocacy on campus and in the community, focusing on fair trade this year. The group accepts students of all disciplines and will fundraise to send two junior fellowships overseas to Africa for the summer.

For those who want to do charity work, but don’t want to leave the country, there’s Dalhousie’s Meal Exchange. The group raises awareness of local hunger and organizes Trick or Eat, collecting food donations for Feed Nova Scotia every Halloween. Meal Exchange is currently looking for first, second and third year reps.

Community-oriented students Daniel Gillis and Tim Disher want to “bring music into the lives of people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.” The two musicians are part of Unplug, a group that aims to facilitate live musical performances at three local homeless shelters and a physical rehab clinic this year. They are interested in involving others with their cause and finding musicians who are eager to participate.

Open invitations

Environmentally-conscious students will enjoy Muggy Mondays from Sustain Dal. The umbrella group for sustainability issues on campus includes committees for different initiatives such as water conservation and clothing swaps. The Muggy Mondays initiative offers free organic coffee and tea for those who bring travel mugs.

IDEAS is the International Development Education and Awareness Society and one of the many Faculty-related societies on campus. The group works in affiliation with the International Development Studies program to pair together students of different disciplines at socials and group events. Open to all Dal and King’s students, the society hopes to bring in guest speakers this year as well as host a fashion show.

The most important thing to remember is that Dalhousie groups are all-inclusive. “You don’t have to be Italian to join the Italian Society,” says society member Brandon Robinson. “An interest in Italian culture is all you really need.”

More information on all of the above-mentioned societies, as well as a complete listing of all groups, can be found at the DSU's Tiger Society website.