Passing through the revolving doors into the Dalplex Fieldhouse typically means one of two things to Dal students: it's time for a workout or it's time to write an exam.
For the next 12 days or so, it's likely to be the latter. Exam season, which runs April 11-23, means the Fieldhouse has undergone its twice-annual transformation into an exam hall. As one of the largest open spaces on campus, it's well suited when it comes to holding finals for big classes. Any student who has taken a popular first- or second-year course has most likely completed a final or two in the fieldhouse.
You can see the space transformed in the time-lapse video below. (Video by Cody Turner)
Amazing, right?
That's 1,100 tables and chairs!
Undertaking such a big operation takes time — almost a full week, actually. That's four and a half days and 14 separate trips to bring furniture and exam booklets from storage to the Fieldhouse. It takes another two days to set the space up.
Dal's Facilities Management team leads the effort with two vehicle operators and six staffers, gaining assistance from six to 10 Dalplex staff.
The Fieldhouse closes for most activities during the duration of exams, for obvious reasons. The one exception is the track, which opens to runners during select hours each day. Find a full track schedule here.
Facilities and Athletics staff reassemble following exams for the teardown. Tarps that were laid down to protect various court markings are lifted and the furniture and any remaining booklets are delivered back to storage until next time.
The Fieldhouse then reverts to normal operations as a training ground and play space for active students and Dalplex members of all stripes with courts for basketball, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, and even pickleball.
To any students reading, good luck on finals!
Learn more about the Fieldhouse.
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