It鈥檚 par for the course that the orientation week experience will include some tiring days, but many of Dal鈥檚 first-year students were surprisingly keen to make the most of their early mornings, too.
At 9:30 AM last Tuesday, September 6, the Sexton Gym was flooded with first-year attendees of 鈥榟fXplore鈥� 鈥� a new orientation week event which allowed students to discover some of Halifax鈥檚 hidden local gems while accompanied by seasoned (Haligonian) leaders.
I tagged along with a group of first year students, many of whom had come a long way to poke around Halifax鈥檚 nooks and crannies: from across the country, the States, and (in one case) Zimbabwe. Even before hfXplore kicked off the morning, there was plenty of early enthusiasm regarding the little municipality that could.
Where the cool people come to
鈥淭he houses here are really cute,鈥� said first-year student Kelsey, from Montana. 鈥淓verything鈥檚 really compact.鈥�
Fellow student and hfXplorer Kelly, from Ottawa, agrees. 鈥淚 thought it was so quaint and pretty,鈥� she said of the local scenery. 鈥淓very house is different from the next.鈥�
Here鈥檚 how one orientation week leader summed up the adventure: 鈥淭his event is designed to expose you guys to the total diversity of our city鈥� there鈥檚 something about this city that draws the coolest people in the world...this seems to be where the cool people from Toronto come to meet.鈥�
Organized chaos ensued after the event鈥檚 introduction, as two dozen or so groups of first years departed en masse to explore their corner of the city.
Where the monkeys are wooden
The first location our group visited was the Wooden Monkey restaurant (organic, local and cooler-than-cool). On the way, group leaders pointed out local landmarks like the ultra-hip Black Market and the infamous Pizza Corner.
At the Wooden Monkey, owner Lil MacPherson waxed jubilantly idealistic to her Dalhousie guests.
鈥淚 waitressed for 25 years. Very proud to say that,鈥� she said, relating the tale of her eatery鈥檚 origins, best summed up as a sort of gastronomical Cinderella story. When she decided to open a restaurant, 鈥減eople thought I was crazy. I had no money, none鈥ut my fear and my love鈥ust drove me.鈥�
Of the feat of opening the restaurant herself, Ms. MacPherson said, 鈥淚t was the easiest hardest thing I鈥檝e ever done鈥� 鈥� maybe not far divorced from the emotions of first-year students experiencing total freedom after travelling hundreds (or thousands) of miles from home. Ms. MacPherson continually emphasized the impact and influence she believed those students would have on food politics: 鈥淭he whole world has to shift, and you guys are right there. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.鈥�
For some students, the forward-thinking Wooden Monkey represents a culinary trend that has only brushed their hometowns. 鈥淚n Ottawa,鈥� said Kelly, 鈥淲e have a few places downtown that are very green, but they鈥檙e very small and hard to get to.鈥�
For others, Ms. MacPherson鈥檚 passionate interest in local and organic foods was a welcome reminder of home. Another student, Rachel, said that the mindful food trend is 鈥渁ll over the place鈥� in her hometown, Vancouver. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to see things like that in Halifax.鈥�
Where history lives on
Our group鈥檚 next stop was Citadel Hill, Parks Canada鈥檚 second most visited national treasure. A tour guide told us that the fort on top of the hill was built to defend against the Americans, but in fact never saw a battle or an 鈥渁ngry shot鈥� (although many POWs were held within its confines, including such noteworthies as Trotsky).
Students marched through the front gate, encountering guards in kilts and the sound of bagpipes, as our guide related choice tidbits of Halifax trivia: he informed us that George Washington wanted to attack Halifax but expressed trepidation at the thought of the Citadel鈥檚 lethal defenses, that the Hindenburg 鈥渁ccidentally鈥� drifted over the Citadel during World War II, and that the Commons 鈥� now the site of a playground and a skate park 鈥� were originally built as a sort of disguised battlefield. The tour is quick, wrapping up in plenty of time for students to escape being deafened by the daily noontime cannon.
First-year student Kuda from Zimbabwe found the Citadel 鈥渂eautiful鈥�, telling me that her hometown has plenty of historic sites, but not many military ones: 鈥淲e never got attacked that much.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e never been here,鈥� group leader Jess admitted, but shared that, "It was awesome.鈥� As they leave, many students are already expressing interest in going on the Citadel鈥檚 lantern-lit ghost tour.
At this rate, they may manage to keep their fondness for the city even when winter rolls around.