Cherry Blossoms / en Finally! In a long-awaited sign of spring, cherry blossoms reach peak bloom on Թϱ's St. George campus /news/finally-long-awaited-sign-spring-cherry-blossoms-reach-peak-bloom-u-t-s-st-george-campus <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Finally! In a long-awaited sign of spring, cherry blossoms reach peak bloom on Թϱ's St. George campus</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-Blossoms-4-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BYqOVunF 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Cherry-Blossoms-4-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=zt_GQiqA 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Cherry-Blossoms-4-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_K_ubWs0 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-Blossoms-4-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=BYqOVunF" alt="Three students take in the cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-05-05T12:21:15-04:00" title="Thursday, May 5, 2022 - 12:21" class="datetime">Thu, 05/05/2022 - 12:21</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">From left to right: Yi Huang, Bing Li and Marry Xuan take photos of the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts-library" hreflang="en">Robarts Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-blossoms" hreflang="en">Cherry Blossoms</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>With the exam period wrapped up, and a long, snowy winter now firmly behind us, <strong>Bing Li </strong>and her friends met outside the University of Toronto's Robarts Library this week to take pictures amid a blush cloud of cherry blossoms.&nbsp;</p> <p>The first-year student, who has yet to declare a major, struck poses atop a folding chair against a backdrop of pink petals.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It's my first time seeing cherry blossoms,” said Li’s friend <strong>Yi Huang</strong>, who is in her third year studying statistics and actuarial science.</p> <p>The undergraduate students were among a small crowd who wandered under the library's cherry blossoms on Thursday morning, taking in the view and snapping pictures for Instagram.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The spring is bringing people back,” said <strong>Marry Xuan</strong>, a second-year student who is majoring in health and diseases and cellular and molecular biology. <strong>Yingxi Zhu</strong>, a fourth-year student majoring in math and statistics, even wore a matching pink plaid skirt and floral earrings for the occasion.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0J5A0967-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Onlookers gather beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms at Robarts Library&nbsp;(photo by David Lee)</em></p> <p>Թϱ received many of its Japanese cherry trees – known as <em>sakura</em> – from the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto as part of its <a href="https://www.toronto.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/english/sakura/main.html">Sakura Project</a>. They have brought a dash of colour and sprinkle of joy to the St. George campus each spring since 2005.&nbsp;</p> <p>The library planted 15 new cherry trees within the last year, bringing the total to 55.</p> <p>In April,<strong> Michael Cassabon</strong>, director of advancement at Թϱ Libraries, attended a 10th anniversary event celebrating the end of the Sakura Project at the Japanese consulate.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We celebrated this as an enduring symbol of friendship between Թϱ&nbsp;and the Japanese government,”&nbsp;Cassabon said, adding that Թϱ Libraries is home to <a href="https://east.library.utoronto.ca/resource/japanese/special-collections">important Japanese Canadian archives</a>, including materials on <a href="https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/Japanese-redress-campaign.aspx">the redress movement</a>, a grassroots attempt by Japanese Canadians to hold the Canadian government accountable for human rights violations during the Second World War.&nbsp;</p> <p>Each spring, Cassabon said he need only look out his window to be reminded of Թϱ's friendship with Japan.&nbsp;</p> <p>“There's something magical about it,” he said. “They're right outside my office. When I look outside it's like I'm in a pink cloud.”</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Cherry-Blossoms-2-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Cindy and Connor Ewing, both assistant professors in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, take a stroll with daughter Margot and dog Buckley (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Cindy</strong> and <strong>Connor Ewing</strong>, both assistant professors in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, went for a stroll under the pink blossoms with their newborn daughter, Margot, and eight-year-old dog, Buckley.&nbsp;</p> <p>Whether seeing the cherry trees in High Park or at Թϱ, the sight of the blossoms each spring doesn't get old, according to Connor.&nbsp;“It's special... it's a sign of spring,” he said.</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/0J5A0964-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>The pink cherry blossoms offer a striking contrast to the soaring concrete and glass exterior of Robarts Library (photo by David Lee)</em></p> <p><strong>Hana Kim</strong>, director of Թϱ's East Asian Library, said seeing peak bloom this year was extra special after the long and ongoing fight against COVID-19.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I feel that the pastel colours give me healing power and hope,” she said. “I feel more hopeful about the future during this uncertain time.”&nbsp;</p> <p>The cherry trees also remind Kim of the viewing rituals she took part in as a child in South Korea.</p> <p>“Cherry blossom viewing is very popular in East Asia,” Kim said. “It marks the arrival of spring. In spring, people there often gather and families unite for cherry blossom viewing, which has been practised for a long time. Many celebrations and festivals take place during the blooming season. The cherry blossom generally represents a time of renewal and optimism.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 05 May 2022 16:21:15 +0000 geoff.vendeville 174507 at Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing Թϱ's cherry blossoms /news/sakura-season-take-part-1300-year-old-tradition-cherry-blossom-viewing-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing Թϱ's cherry blossoms</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-blossoms-main---1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=L9jVdAu5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Cherry-blossoms-main---1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5UWMWi_Q 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Cherry-blossoms-main---1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=J0KcFZ_a 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-blossoms-main---1140-x-760.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=L9jVdAu5" alt="photo of cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-05-06T12:39:52-04:00" title="Monday, May 6, 2019 - 12:39" class="datetime">Mon, 05/06/2019 - 12:39</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library on the downtown Toronto campus (all photos by Romi Levine)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-blossoms" hreflang="en">Cherry Blossoms</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-trees" hreflang="en">Cherry Trees</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/japan" hreflang="en">Japan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts" hreflang="en">Robarts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-libraries" hreflang="en">Թϱ Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">Թϱ Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Warm spring weather means the cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto are finally blooming.</p> <p>The 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as <em>sakura</em>, were originally given to the university as a gift from the Consulate General of Japan in the early 2000s. They’re now an annual showpiece, attracting visitors from across the city who snap countless selfies with the photogenic backdrop.</p> <p>There are also&nbsp;50 cherry blossom trees at&nbsp;Թϱ Scarborough&nbsp;between the H-Wing and Social Sciences building.</p> <p>When you go to check out the blooms, you’ll be participating in a tradition that’s over 1,300 years old – and one that now spans the globe.</p> <p><em>Թϱ</em> went to the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library to speak with librarian <strong>Fabiano Takashi Rocha</strong> about the history and culture of cherry blossom viewing. Here’s what we found out:</p> <hr> <h4><strong>History of <em>hanami</em></strong></h4> <p>Flower-viewing parties – events where people gather to view tree blossoms – date back to the 700s, says Rocha.</p> <p>While they are associated with Japanese culture, the first events of this kind were believed to have taken place in China, he says, but with plum blossoms instead of cherry.</p> <p>In Japan, the custom,&nbsp;known as&nbsp;<em>hanami,&nbsp;</em>first took place during the Heian period, which began in 794. The event was initially exclusive to the aristocracy, but by the 1600s, during the Edo or Tokugawa period, <em>hanami </em>was enjoyed by the elite and commoners alike, says Rocha.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10850 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/Hokusai-750-x-500.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>You may recognize the work of famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai from “<a href="http://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/great-wave-evolution-5.jpg">Th</a><a href="https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/great-wave-evolution-5.jpg">e Great Wave off Kanagawa</a><a href="http://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/great-wave-evolution-5.jpg">,”</a>&nbsp;but he also painted other scenes of Japanese life and nature, like this one, featuring cherry blossom trees. Both works of art are part of a series called “Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji”</em></p> <h4><strong>Picnic in the park</strong></h4> <p>“In many ways, Japanese cherry blossoms and <em>hanami </em>became part of the national identity,” says Rocha.</p> <p>Today, he says, Japanese families, friends and co-workers flock to groves of <em>sakura </em>to have picnics under the trees, either with food they prepare themselves&nbsp;or bento decorated with cherry blossom motifs sold by vendors at some of the bigger parks.</p> <p>“It's an opportunity for people to bond and enjoy the very ephemeral beauty of the <em>sakura</em>, which is there for a very limited amount of time,” Rocha says.</p> <h4><strong>Kanpai!</strong></h4> <p>Along with lunch, Rocha says it’s tradition to drink sake, Japanese rice wine, during <em>hanami</em>.</p> <p>“The first time I did a cherry blossom viewing in Japan, they said if you hold your sake cup and if a petal falls into your cup, that’s a sign of good luck,” he says.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10851 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Kyoto-750-x-500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Japanese artist Andō Hiroshige captured cherry blossoms in bloom outside&nbsp;Kyoto’s Kyomizu Hall in the 1800s, printed here in the 2007 book&nbsp;Meisho Edo hyakkei: hizō Iwasaki korekushon</em></p> <p><strong>Deeper meaning</strong></p> <p>What draws people to cherry blossoms year after year? Rocha says it’s more than just their beauty.</p> <p>“It’s because of the transience,” he says. “You know it’s not going to be there for a very long time, so you want to enjoy as much as you can. There’s a connection to the cycles of life – you know death is probably inevitable but while you’re alive you should be enjoying the beauty of life.”</p> <p>Cherry blossoms are, indeed, only in bloom for a short period&nbsp;– about four to 10 days.</p> <p><img alt="poem" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__10852 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/poem-750-x-500.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Cherry blossoms appear in literature as well as art, says Rocha. Here, a woman is depicted attaching a poem about her lover to a sakura that reads “On meeting again, there will be sorrows / How fleeting are the cherry blossoms”</em></p> <h4><strong>Blossom biodiversity</strong></h4> <p>There are over 200 species of cherry blossoms, says Rocha.</p> <p>The most common type is the <em>Yoshino</em>, he says, which is the kind you will see outside of Robarts.</p> <p>Most <em>sakura </em>are cultivated by people, but there are some that grow in the wild. They include the <em>Yamazakura</em>, which often grows in Japan’s mountainous regions. &nbsp;</p> <h4><em>Snapped a selfie with&nbsp;cherry blossoms at Robarts or Թϱ Scarborough? Share it on social media using #UofTBlooms for a chance to be featured on Թϱ channels.&nbsp;</em></h4> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 06 May 2019 16:39:52 +0000 Romi Levine 156581 at Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events /news/cherry-blossoms-and-black-holes-check-out-these-may-events <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Cherry blossoms and black holes: Check out these May events</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eUpr8whm 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bJc64hTN 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=Z12vt37M 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms_0.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=eUpr8whm" alt="Photo of cherry blossoms"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Romi Levine</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2019-05-01T12:14:22-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 1, 2019 - 12:14" class="datetime">Wed, 05/01/2019 - 12:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library (photo by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/romi-levine" hreflang="en">Romi Levine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/myhal-centre-engineering-innovation-entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art-museum" hreflang="en">Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-blossoms" hreflang="en">Cherry Blossoms</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/daniels-faculty-architecture" hreflang="en">Daniels Faculty of Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/housing" hreflang="en">Housing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/photography" hreflang="en">Photography</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/physics" hreflang="en">Physics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts" hreflang="en">Robarts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rotman-school-management" hreflang="en">Rotman School of Management</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/science-rendezvous" hreflang="en">Science Rendezvous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/thomas-fisher-rare-book-library" hreflang="en">Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">Թϱ Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">Թϱ Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>April showers have brought May flowers as the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library begin to bloom. But the Instagram-worthy foliage isn’t the only event getting people excited at the University of Toronto this month.</p> <p>May is full of fascinating events – from city-wide science, architecture and photography festivals to talks by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and a researcher on the team who captured the first-ever image of a black hole.</p> <p>Here is a selection of events taking place on all three campuses this month:</p> <h3>May 2</h3> <p>Kids can learn about what it’s like to work and study at Թϱ at Bring Our Children to Work Day. The annual event invites appointed faculty, librarians and staff to bring children in Grades 4 to 7 for an exciting day of activities. Registration is now closed but you can find out more about the events on the <a href="http://www.odlc.utoronto.ca/hr/bocwdstg">downtown Toronto</a>, <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/hr/bring-our-children-work-day">Scarborough</a> and <a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/bring-our-children-work-day-utm">Mississauga</a> campuses.</p> <p>Faculty and students from Թϱ, York, Ryerson and OCAD have been working together on a research project exploring affordable student housing in Toronto. The group will be presenting some of their findings <a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/studentdwell-reimagining-student-housing-tickets-59075865504">at StudentDwell+: Reimagining Student Housing, a two-day symposium</a> held at York University.</p> <p>Donna Strickland, Nobel Prize in Physics recipient for 2018, <a href="https://welsh.physics.utoronto.ca/history/2019/public-talks/generating-high-intensity-ultrashort-optical-pulses/">will be delivering the Welsh Lecture in Physics at Թϱ</a>. She’ll be talking about her award-winning work on ultrashort optical pulses. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Hear from Harvard University’s Peter Galison, a member of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, about what went into capturing the historic image of a black hole, at <a href="https://hps.utoronto.ca/peter-galison-philosophy-of-the-shadow/?utm_source=Bulletin+Brief&amp;utm_campaign=425e41805c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_06_13_COPY_01&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_66bc4ba557-425e41805c-109987547">an event presented by Թϱ’s Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology</a>.&nbsp;</p> <h3>May 3</h3> <p>Exciting news for the Robarts Library expansion – <a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/news/notice-concrete-drilling-robarts-library-may-2-7-7-am-12-pm">crews have begun to drill the concrete to connect the library with the new Robarts Common structure</a>. Studying at Robarts may be a little loud, but you can ask staff at the ground floor information desk and second-floor Ask Us desk for earplugs.</p> <p>Shutterbugs rejoice – Toronto’s Contact photography festival is back, with captivating exhibitions taking place on Թϱ campuses:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>See the world through the eyes of an engineer at <a href="https://scotiabankcontactphoto.com/exhibition/ambition-innovation-and-excellence-a-decade-at-skule/">Ambition, Innovation, and Excellence: A Decade at Skule</a>, which will feature photographs from current students and alumni, providing an intimate look at the faculty.</li> <li>Director of the International Human Rights Program in the Faculty of Law, <strong>Samer Muscati</strong>, will be showcasing photographs from his visits to Rwanda 15 and 25 years after the genocide at <a href="http://harthouse.ca/about-i-live-on/">Hart House</a> and at Թϱ Scarborough. An event to commemorate the 25<sup>th </sup>anniversary of the genocide <a href="https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/events/commemorating-25-years-rwandas-genocide">will be taking place at Թϱ Scarborough this afternoon</a>.</li> </ul> <h3>May 4</h3> <p>American artist <a href="https://www.daniels.utoronto.ca/events/2019/05/04/spotlight-lecture-carrie-mae-weems">Carrie Mae Weems will be speaking at Թϱ</a> as part of the Contact festival. The MacArthur grant recipient, whose work has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, will also be presenting her work at Թϱ’s Art Museum and at locations across the city. Her lecture is sold out but you can join the waitlist.</p> <h3>May 5</h3> <p>Roll up your sleeves and join the Թϱ Trash Team for <a href="https://twitter.com/UofT/status/1121428917536083968">the annual Clean up the Don event</a>, where you can do your part for the environment by picking up litter along the Don River watershed.</p> <h3>May 8</h3> <p>What makes a successful city? <a href="https://www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/events/perfect-city">Թϱ’s School of Cities is hosting an event</a> that will explore the challenges and opportunities faced by big cities around the world&nbsp;for the book launch of <em>Perfect City: An Urban Fixer’s Global Search for Magic in the Modern Metropolis</em>, by <strong>Joe Berridge</strong>, one of the world’s leading urban planners.</p> <p>Ahead of the G20 summit in Japan, the Centre for the Study of Global Japan and the G20 Research Group of Թϱ are <a href="https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/27719/">hosting a one-day symposium to discuss the evolving agenda of the annual meeting of global leaders</a>. Officials and scholars from around the world will be attending the event held at the Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy, including Takako Ito, consulate-general of Japan in Toronto.</p> <h3>May 11</h3> <p>Glowing bacteria, mutant flies, scavenger hunts and virtual reality tours are just a few of the displays and activities at this year’s Science Rendezvous, the annual family-friendly festival. Here’s what’s happening on the <a href="https://www.sciencerendezvous.ca/event_sites/university-of-toronto-st-george-campus/">downtown Toronto</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencerendezvous.ca/event_sites/university-of-toronto-scarborough/">Scarborough</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencerendezvous.ca/event_sites/lets-talk-science-central-library/">Mississauga</a> campuses.</p> <h3>May 13</h3> <p>This is the last week to <a href="https://artmuseum.utoronto.ca/exhibition/2019-university-of-toronto-mvs-studio-program-graduating-exhibition/">see the work of some of Թϱ’s talented artists</a> at the Master&nbsp;of Visual Studies graduate exhibition and the Shelley Peterson art exhibition at Թϱ’s Art Museum.</p> <h3>May 14</h3> <p>Listen to captivating stories told by members of Toronto’s medical community at <a href="https://medicine.utoronto.ca/event/story-slam">the department of medicine’s annual Story Slam</a>, in partnership with the Annals of Internal Medicine.</p> <h3>May 25</h3> <p>Explore some of Թϱ’s most fascinating spaces at this year’s Doors Open Toronto. It’s your chance to admire the architecture in the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, explore One Spadina, and check out the new <a href="http://uoft.me/doorsopenmyhal">Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a>, which will be hosting lightning lectures and interactive activities for kids.</p> <h3>May 28</h3> <p>Join urban thought leaders, policy-makers, planners, community advocates and business leaders to exchange ideas on ways to meet the challenges of governing cities in the midst of change at the Governing Cities in the 21st Century symposium. The event will feature experts including Michelynn Laflèche, vice-president of United Way Greater Toronto, Bill Peduto, mayor of Pittsburgh, and <strong>Richard Florida</strong>, <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/#section_2">University Professor </a>at the Rotman School of Management.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/events/governing-cities-21st-century">You can learn more and register here</a> or <a href="https://livemedia.biz/UofT.html">watch the livestream</a>.</p> <h3>May 30</h3> <p>Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic will be at the Rotman School of Management <a href="http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment/Events/UpcomingEvents/20190530TomasChamorro-Premuzic">to discuss his new book, <em>Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? (And How To&nbsp;Fix It)</em></a><em>, </em>which explores the flaws in a system that rewards arrogance and loudness over humility and wisdom. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 01 May 2019 16:14:22 +0000 Romi Levine 156489 at They're back: Թϱ's cherry blossoms have begun to bloom /news/they-re-back-u-t-s-cherry-blossoms-have-begun-bloom <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">They're back: Թϱ's cherry blossoms have begun to bloom </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A-oocjT5 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cWmtf-TK 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=aV1H-poQ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=A-oocjT5" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-05-04T13:18:51-04:00" title="Friday, May 4, 2018 - 13:18" class="datetime">Fri, 05/04/2018 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Cherry blossom trees outside Robarts Library have begun to bloom (photos by Noreen Ahmed-Ullah) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-blossoms" hreflang="en">Cherry Blossoms</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts" hreflang="en">Robarts</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The cherry blossoms –&nbsp;an annual rite of spring&nbsp;–&nbsp;have begun to bloom outside the University of Toronto's Robarts Library.&nbsp;</p> <p>Every year, the grove outside Robarts has provided a peaceful&nbsp;spot to take a photo with the pink blossoms – a quieter option than&nbsp;the crowds at High Park's Cherry Blossom Festival.</p> <p>The university received 70 Japanese cherry trees known as sakura as part of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.toronto.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/english/sakura/documents/concept_paper.html">Sakura Project</a>, an initiative of the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto, and the trees have been blossoming each year since 2005. There are&nbsp;another 50 sakura trees at Թϱ Scarborough as well.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8258 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/2018-05-04-cherry-blossoms-2.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px; margin: 10px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> On Friday, faculty, students, visitors&nbsp;and passersby at the downtown Toronto campus took a few seconds out of their lunch break to snap a photo&nbsp;to share on Instagram and Facebook.</p> <p><strong>Leon Cheng</strong>, 25, who is an international student from Hong Kong working on his PhD, came out with&nbsp;the brief burst of sunshine to take some photos.</p> <p>“It is very beautiful,” he said.&nbsp;“It signifies the arrival of spring at Թϱ.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Marina Falkovich, 36, was just taking a walk during her lunch break when she saw the blossoming trees and took out her smartphone.</p> <p>“I noticed them and thought, 'Who needs High Park? Who needs the craziness,'” she said.</p> <p>This year visitors will not get to enjoy the entire cherry blossom grove&nbsp;– part of it is behind fencing in a tree protection zone for the <a href="/news/cherry-trees-protected-preserved-work-begins-robarts-library-extension">Robarts Common&nbsp;extension</a>&nbsp;construction.&nbsp;But in springs to come, students&nbsp;will be able to study under the cherry blossoms in a new outdoor plaza (see rendering below).</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8263 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" height="453" src="/sites/default/files/2018-05-04-blossoms-rendering-resized_0.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="560" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>A rendering of what the plaza might look like under the cherry blossoms (rendering courtesy of Diamond Schmitt Architects)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 04 May 2018 17:18:51 +0000 ullahnor 134710 at Forget the lines at High Park: check out Թϱ's cherry blossoms /news/forget-lines-high-park-check-out-u-t-s-cherry-blossoms <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Forget the lines at High Park: check out Թϱ's cherry blossoms</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-blossoms-%28for-web-main%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OF9IVKUN 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Cherry-blossoms-%28for-web-main%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=8yEK_kg3 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Cherry-blossoms-%28for-web-main%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=0pTq7Q49 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Cherry-blossoms-%28for-web-main%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=OF9IVKUN" alt="Cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-04-21T17:10:55-04:00" title="Friday, April 21, 2017 - 17:10" class="datetime">Fri, 04/21/2017 - 17:10</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">There are no long lines for the cherry blossoms outside Robarts Library (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/plants" hreflang="en">Plants</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trees" hreflang="en">trees</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts" hreflang="en">Robarts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cherry-blossoms" hreflang="en">Cherry Blossoms</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/urban" hreflang="en">urban</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/parks" hreflang="en">Parks</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Peak bloom is expected over the weekend or early next week, arborist says</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Each spring, large crowds&nbsp;descend on High Park to behold the majesty of its many cherry blossoms&nbsp;– and shamelessly&nbsp;snap selfies.&nbsp;</p> <p>For those who prefer quieter surroundings, Թϱ's Robarts Library provides a welcome option. A path cutting across&nbsp;the grounds from Huron Street&nbsp;to Harbord Street&nbsp;is flanked by 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as <em>sakura</em>.</p> <p>The university received the trees&nbsp;through the <a href="http://www.toronto.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/english/sakura/documents/concept_paper.html">Sakura Project</a>, an initiative of the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto.</p> <p><img alt="A picture of Kristen McLaughlin, a master's of museum studies student, taking photos of cherry blossoms" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4344 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Student-photog-%28for-web-embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em><strong>Kristen McLaughlin</strong>, a master's of museum studies student, snapping pictures of the cherry blossoms. The trees remind her of Vancouver, she says (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)&nbsp;</em></p> <p>They have flowered each year since 2005, providing students with a peaceful oasis, especially during exam season.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Diana Teal</strong>, the executive director of the High Park Nature Centre and a certified arborist, told <em>Թϱ</em> that the trees near Robarts&nbsp;will reach peak bloom April 23-25.&nbsp;</p> <p>They are in the fifth stage in the bloom process, the “puffy white stage,” she said, adding,&nbsp;“That is absolutely the scientific name for it.”&nbsp;</p> <p>“Given that it's going to be warm and a little warmer where you are because you're surrounded by buildings and concrete, you're close to peak bloom for sure,” she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The cherry blossoms have a relatively short blooming period. Their flowers are said to last only four-to-ten&nbsp;days. Last year, many&nbsp;cherry blossoms in Toronto <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/05/12/bloom-and-bust-high-parks-cherry-blossoms-miss-their-peak.html">didn't flower at all</a> because of erratic weather.</p> <p><img alt="Photo of Robarts library and cherry blossoms" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4345 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Robarts-%28for-web-embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>The cherry blossoms cut a stark figure against the brutalist concrete architecture of Robarts (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>“I've seen the trees at Թϱ, and I know it's a beautiful little spot,”&nbsp;Teal said. “If you're going to have a moment with the trees and enjoy that rite of spring, going to a different park is a good option because the crowds in High Park can be overwhelming.”</p> <p>Although it may be tempting to handle the trees to snap a perfect picture, Teal reminds visitors to be respectful.</p> <p>“By their nature, the cherry trees can be rather fragile,”&nbsp;she said. “We've seen five people sitting on a limb together, and the limb falls off,”&nbsp;she said of the trees in High Park. “If you love the trees, treat them with respect&nbsp;– as you would any living thing.”&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="A photo of Sofia Vitorino, an ESL student, taking a selfie amid cherry blossoms" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4343 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Cherry-blossoms-selfie-stick.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Sofia Vitorino, an ESL student visiting Թϱ, takes a selfie amid the cherry blossoms outside Robarts (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Hager Jahim</strong>, an English major, took a study break by going for a stroll among the trees on Thursday.</p> <p>“It's really pretty,”&nbsp;she said. “I've never seen something like this before.”</p> <p>It was a campus visit to&nbsp;Թϱ that led her to choose to study here.</p> <p>“I went on a tour and I was like, 'Wow.'&nbsp;I was so fascinated by all the buildings, and it's such a nice campus,” she said.</p> <p><img alt="A woman takes a selfie beside Թϱ's cherry blossoms" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4351 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Cherry-blossoms-and-red-shirt-%28for-web-embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image">&nbsp;<br> <em>The cherry blossom is meant to be a symbol of goodwill and friendship between the governments of Ontario and Japan (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>The trees outside Robarts aren't the only ones at the university.</p> <p>Another well-kept secret among local cherry blossom-connoisseurs are <a href="http://utsccommons.utsc.utoronto.ca/spring-2015/annotation/sakura-grove">the 50 trees at&nbsp;Թϱ Scarborough</a>&nbsp;between the H-Wing and Social Science building.</p> <p><img alt="Instagram photo of sakura at UTSC" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4352 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Sakura%20UTSC.JPG" style="width: 916px; height: 359px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Avoid the lines at High Park by checking out the sakura grove at Թϱ Scarborough (photo by Kristina Doyle)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:10:55 +0000 geoff.vendeville 106855 at