After only three days at Dalhousie, I can honestly say my time in Halifax is emerging as one of the best experiences of my life. I have met some of the most interesting people, whether they are Shads, PAs, or guest speakers. Today has been the best day so far, with wide agreement among the Dal Shads.
With our 6:00 AM alarm, 15 of us woke up and began our day in the best way possible: heading to the Dalplex. We did everything from swimming to weightlifting to basketball and even to ping-pong! An hour and a half later, we returned to the residence, had a quick shower and went for breakfast.
For the next two hours, we had the privilege of listening to two lectures from Tim and Ed. With Tim, we analyzed the original Spider Man comic books to determine if the actions in the series were physically possible. It turns out they are not. Ed helped us decide whether the billionaires of the world are “Heroes or Villains.” We saw several of the positive and negative effects of entrepreneurship on the world.
We then took a tour of the Dalplex facilities, although several of us were already familiar with them from our morning adventures. We played a big game of volleyball. It was really awesome to see so many different and talented athletes come together. Those who did not necessarily play sports had a great time as well. We had so many great laughs together!
Following our two-hour lunch break, we had the first seminar of the month, hosted by Tim and Jeremy. They are two of the most enthusiastic and passionate people I have ever met, and the session was divided by huge bursts of laughter, as they enjoy cracking jokes. The seminar tapped into our creative abilities. They promised us that if we believe we are creative, then we are in fact creative.
With three plates of dinner under my belt, the Shads met with our guest speaker, 1989 Shad alumnus, Ray Addington, who taught us about teamwork. It was a surprise to most of us at how difficult it can be to orally relay information. We also found it very difficult to build a tower of spaghetti and gumdrops. In the end, House 4 narrowly won the competition.
The Shadspeaks were amazing! One of the best parts of the experience so far has been getting to know the other Shads, and learning so many interesting things about so many interesting people!
After brownies and milk, exhaustion set in and we all quickly went to bed. I cannot wait to see what the rest of the month has in store!
Miles Marchand, Shad Valley Dalhousie University 2010
Hometown: Kamloops, British Columbia
