It's been seven years since The Coast, Halifax's Weekly, last asked Haligonians to vote on the city's best university or college.
They said 鈥淎V俱乐部鈥� then, and they're saying 鈥淎V俱乐部鈥� now.
in The Coast's yearly 鈥淏est of Halifax鈥� readers' poll, AV俱乐部 pulled out a first-place finish.
鈥淲e're proud part of this great community here in Halifax, and honoured that our community feels the same way about us,鈥� says Dal President Tom Traves. 鈥淭o be named among so many great institutions and leaders across HRM is truly special.鈥�
If you're looking for hints as to why Dal took home the gold, look no further than to a few of the Coast categories where Dal domination has become the norm.
Take Roberta Barker, for example, who was named for an incredible fifth year in a row.
鈥淚t's incredibly flattering and I've always been a bit shocked by it,鈥� says the theatre professor. 鈥淲e have so many wonderful, truly great professors in Halifax, and especially here at AV俱乐部, so it's very humbling.鈥�
Dr. Barker's courses include Modern Theatre, Gender in Theatre and Opera and the Idea of Enlightenment, the latter of which is part of the Early Modern Studies Program at King's. When asked about her philosophy of teaching, she explains that it's about creating a space for students to engage with one another.
鈥淥ne of the real goals of a teacher, as one of my colleagues puts it, is to make yourself redundant: giving the students room to learn and grow and think critically for themselves, creating an opportunity for a meaningful exchange of ideas. It's creating a context to explore and discover the material.鈥�
T-Room triumphs
Another returning Dal champion is the DSU's acclaimed T-Room pub, located on Sexton Campus. For the third year in a row, it was named the . What's more, its super-popular Friday night trivia took home the award for for the fourth year running.
鈥淭hey have a very loyal fanbase,鈥� says Greg Wright, director of licensed operations for the DSU. In fact, the trivia night just celebrated its tenth anniversary last month. Stan Selig, an engineering grad, has been there for the duration while Thomas Craig, its other co-founder, recently retired from the host post. Pharmacy student Matt Morrison has now joined the team.
鈥淵ou can't beat consistency and enthusiasm when it comes to something like trivia,鈥� says Wright. 鈥淪tan's passion for triva is infectious.鈥�
As for the T-Room's popularity more generally, Wright attributes it to the way it feels like home to students.
鈥淧eople see it as an extension of their own living room, somewhere where you hang out, see friends.鈥�
Wright adds that his team has plenty of activities lined up at both of the DSU's campus pubs 鈥� the T-Room and the Grawood 鈥� throughout the next couple of months, including a special night to mark the Grawood's 40th anniversary.
You can follow both the Grawood and T-Room trivia on Twitter: ,
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