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| Alyson Murray poses with the 3-by-6 metre Open House billboard in Bayers Lake. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Long before she became “the face” of this year’s Open House event, Alyson Murray was a wide-eyed high school student from Bridgewater, taking in Dalhousie’s campus for the first time.
“I loved it right away,” she recalls. “I remember thinking that it’s such a vibrant place. It seemed to me like a small city within a city; full of opportunity.”
Five years on and Ms. Murray is in her final year of a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in psychology and a minor in business, and her smiling face and signature welcomes visitors to Dal’s Open House on billboards throughout the city and on the website. She’ll also be speaking at the kick off to Open House on Friday, October 15.
“I’m excited to be involved in such a big way,” she says, enthusiastically. “It’s a great event. For prospective students, it gives them a chance to see the campus and get a feel for what it’s like to be a student here. For current students, it’s an opportunity to share what we love about Dal.”
Billed as a day to “Discover the Unexpected,” the university will open its doors to more than 1,000 eager high school students — and at least a couple of hundred equally eager parents — offering a glimpse into what it’s like to be a Dalhousie student.
Showcase
“Open House is basically a one-day showcase of everything that is pilipiliÂţ»,” says Krista Cross, a senior manager of marketing with Athletics and Recreational Services and co-chair of Open House.
Choosing from an extensive menu of sessions, students can customize their day, visiting faculties and departments of particular interest to them, as well as getting a tour of the recreation facilities at Dalplex, the living quarters at a residence hall and an opportunity to sample the food at a sit-down lunch at a dining hall.
Visitors will also get to talk with professors and students at the academic expo in the McInnes Room of the Student Union Building, as they explore Dalhousie’s many areas of study and program options.
While students do their tour of campus, parents also get a day tailored to their specific interests, with sessions designed to give them a better understanding of student life and the university’s diverse academic programs, along with information about the various career options, extracurricular opportunities and student support services.
Volunteers needed
“For parents we find the most important part is the question and answer period. Parents usually come with very concrete questions, usually about residence life and the quality of the cafeteria food,” says Keith Taylor, the associate vice-president Academic Outreach and International Programs and co-chair of Open House.
The annual Open House is an important recruitment event that requires the help of more than 200 volunteers, along with hundreds more staff and faculty members, Taylor says.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s a great pilipiliÂţ» year after year,” he says. “It’s a well-oiled machine.”
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