Have You Met ... Gil Anderson? | The Quad

Have You Met

Meet Gil Anderson, the first Indigenous program coordinator at the Alberta School of Business. When Gil is not at the U of A helping guide and support Indigenous students or learning Cree at the Faculty of Native Studies, you might find him playing one of his favourite tabletop, role playing board games.

What is your first U of A memory?

My first memory at the university is from over 35 years ago! I had to show up at the Butterdome at 8 a.m. after working the graveyard shift to get my picture taken for my ID and pick up my timetable. I looked really rough. I kept that ID for years because the picture was so ridiculous!

What's something your coworkers don't know about you?

My coworkers will tell you that I'm an open book. They know pretty much everything about me. I'm a sharer!

What's your favourite distraction?

I love to play tabletop, role playing board games (ttrpg). My favourite games right now are Pathfinder (1st Edition), Runequest (4th Edition) and Coyote and Crow (an Indigenous created ttrpg).

If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be?

I'm currently enrolled in the Faculty of Native Studies program and have begun learning Cree. It's a great opportunity to further immerse myself in Indigenous Peoples' culture and language, which I know will help me approach my role at the U of A more inclusively and holistically with a greater understanding for others' lived experiences.

What's a weird pet peeve you have?

The mattress cover tag has to be at the foot of the bed!

You can invite anyone - alive or dead, real or fictional - to dinner. Who would it be?

I'd have to say Captain James T. Kirk. For those that don't know, he's a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise and originally appears as the captain on board the USS Enterprise. As someone who explored new worlds and civilizations and would "boldly go where no man has gone before," I bet he'd have amazing stories to tell and advice to share.

If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be?

Easy. Queen with Freddie Mercury. He was such a passionate musician and storyteller. His shows were unforgettable.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

Probably…don't let yourself get out of shape. Speaking from experience, it's much harder to get back into healthy habits.

What's one thing you can't live without?

My community.

What three words describe your U of A experience?

Collaborative, progressive and innovative.

About Gil

Gil Anderson is the first Indigenous program coordinator at the Alberta School of Business. He supports current and future Indigenous students and is passionate about using his experience to help advance decolonization and re-indigenizationat the U of A.