‘Profs and Pints’ highlights laid-back side of BU

New occasional series brings learning into the community

Quaff your thirst for knowledge with a new series of events from Brandon University profs that highlights the fun, unusual, or practical side of their expertise.

The first “Profs and Pints” event will take place at the Oktoberfest celebrations, tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Section 6 brewery in downtown Brandon. Trombone, euphonium, and tuba professor Dr. Nora Wilson will be leading a performance of classic German polka and ‘oom-pah’ music, interspersed with facts and anecdotes about the history of these styles of music and why they are so associated with celebrations like Oktoberfest.

“I could certainly prepare a dry lecture on German music history, complete with PowerPoint — and I could even quiz you at the end. But where’s the fun in that?” asked Wilson. “Everyone loves music, so let’s come together and celebrate some of what makes this particular music so catchy and iconic.”

Wilson helped conceive of the Profs and Pints idea with BU Marketing and Communications Director Grant Hamilton and BU Learning and Organizational Development Program Manager Erica Brown. The three drew inspiration from Mamaawii-atooshke aakihkiwiin, BU’s Strategic Plan, which calls for increased community engagement and the support of a vibrant Westman.

Profs and Pints will complement existing lecture and seminar series that are already offered on and off campus. This Oktoberfest event will be the first of several Profs and Pints through the academic year.

“There’s no set calendar, but we’re planning to offer several a year, depending on scheduling,” Wilson said. “We’ll feature different profs, visit different venues, and even try out different approaches.”

For example, a future Profs and Pints event might include a “Hot Ones” style challenge, where the prof is faced with increasingly spicier hot wings as they answer questions about the research specialty. Another might bring together two profs to interview each other without knowing anything about the other’s research.

“Let’s have some fun with it,” Wilson said. “Brandon is filled with smart, curious people whose enthusiasm and joy are contagious.”

The Oktoberfest “Profs and Pints” is running Saturday evening, Sept. 16 at Section 6. That is concurrent with the BU Homecoming, making Oktoberfest a great place for alumni and friends to meet up after a Saturday filled with activities on campus, including a GamesDay, the JRC Evans Public Lecture, campus tours, and an awards soirée. For more about homecoming, visit BrandonU.ca/Homecoming.

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