Sarah Khan / en 13 reasons to celebrate 189 years of the University of Toronto /news/13-reasons-celebrate-189-years-university-toronto <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">13 reasons to celebrate 189 years of the University of Toronto</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-03-13T09:57:00-04:00" title="Sunday, March 13, 2016 - 09:57" class="datetime">Sun, 03/13/2016 - 09:57</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">You may know University College is a favourite backdrop for tourist photos but did you also know this iconic building is one of the most reliably clicky images on social media? Maybe you should test this theory on March 15.</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Sarah Khan</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/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/campus" hreflang="en">Campus</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">What you may not know about Canada's top university</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto celebrates its 189th birthday on March 15&nbsp;– and across its three campuses and around the world,&nbsp;students, faculty,&nbsp;staff and alumni are invited to participate.</p> <p>You can test your&nbsp;knowledge of Թϱ through a quiz posted on the&nbsp;<em>University of Toronto Magazine</em>’s website or just quietly dress in blue and white and let others wonder if you're making more than a fashion statement.</p> <h2><a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/blogs/u-of-t-189th-birthday-quiz/">Go on, take the quiz</a></h2> <p>We can't tell you what's in store for birthday #190 but for this year, photo&nbsp;contests are everywhere.</p> <p>On the downtown Toronto&nbsp;campus, Student Life is hosting a photo contest open to staff and students and the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Kinesiology &amp;&nbsp;Physical Education are encouraging students to enter photo contests. The Division of University Advancement is also hosting a photo contest for Թϱ’s alumni.</p> <p>At <em>Թϱ</em>, there is no&nbsp;contest. But we hate arriving at a party&nbsp;empty-handed. So we asked social media expert <strong>Sarah Khan</strong> to&nbsp;compile&nbsp;13 random facts about Թϱ for your enjoyment. Please&nbsp;scroll down:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>1. &nbsp; &nbsp;We have a hard time keeping track of this thing&nbsp;</h1> <p><img alt="photo of the charter" src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-birthday-charter.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; margin: 10px 40px;"><br> &nbsp;<br> (<em>Above: the original royal charter for King’s College Circle, drafted in 1827/photo credit: University of Toronto Archives</em>)</p> <center><strong>(Yes, we lost the royal charter. Twice.)</strong></center> <p>Although <strong>John Strachan</strong> obtained the royal charter for the establishment of King’s College in 1826, the College did not open until 1843. Political turmoil dissolved&nbsp;King’s College&nbsp;in 1849 but&nbsp;the University of Toronto replaced it the very next day,&nbsp;retaining&nbsp;the faculty and staff of King’s College.</p> <p>Since the University of Toronto operated under provincial legislation, the original royal charter was no longer needed. Strachan kept it in his possession and passed it on to his successor, but that's when things get a bit fuzzy.</p> <p>Sir <strong>Daniel Wilson</strong>, who became president of Թϱ in 1880, was an expert on antiquities and saw&nbsp;the need for official symbols to represent the institution. He eventually found the missing charter in a church that was oddly reluctant to hand it over. Wilson&nbsp;had to&nbsp;ask&nbsp;for the Premier’s help to bring the charter back to Թϱ.<br> &nbsp;<br> In 1967, the charter went missing from Թϱ again. That summer, a student employee was helping to remove old records from Simcoe Hall. He saved an official-looking, leather-bound document that was headed to the incinerator, and took it to the library. The library staff, however, were not interested in this leather-encased document, and so the student took it home.</p> <p>In 1976, <em>nine years later</em>, Թϱ officials realized that the charter was missing and launched a search, appealing&nbsp;for the charter’s return in <em>the Bulletin </em>through a story titled “The case of the missing charter: an Archives mystery.” The former&nbsp;student employee promptly returned it to the University, and it has been in the possession of the University of Toronto Archives since.</p> <h3><a href="https://utarms.library.utoronto.ca/researchers/the-universitys-original-charter">Read more about the peripatetic&nbsp;charter</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>2.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Leafs borrowed Թϱ’s blue and white</h1> <p><img alt="photo of hockey player" src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-birthday-hockey.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; margin: 10px 40px;"></p> <p>&nbsp;<br> (<em>Photo above of recent Varsity Blues graduate Christian Finch/ photo&nbsp;credit: Martin Bazy</em>k)</p> <center><strong>(It was&nbsp;Conn Smythe's&nbsp;styling&nbsp;shout-out to Թϱ)</strong></center> <p><strong>Conn Smythe</strong>, who gave the Toronto Maple Leafs their name and team colours, was a Թϱ alumnus. After studying engineering at Թϱ, he went on to coach the Varsity Blues hockey team from 1923 to 1926. The following year, he claimed majority ownership of the Toronto St. Pats hockey team and renamed them to the Toronto Maple Leafs.</p> <p>He also borrowed the new franchise’s sweater design and colours from our own Varsity Blues. Because even then, the Leafs needed all the help they could get.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://varsityblues.ca/index.aspx">Learn more about Toronto's greatest athletes</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>3.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Թϱ was home to Canada’s first electronic computer</h1> <p><img alt="photo of computer scientist" src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-birthday-computer.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 80px;"><br> &nbsp;<br> (<em>Above: FERUT computer at Թϱ Computation Centre, 1952/ photo credit: University of Toronto Archives</em>)</p> <center><strong>(We also had Canada's first female computer scientist – but that's not her)</strong></center> <p>A predecessor to modern computers, the Ferut was Canada’s first electronic computer, and the world’s second commercially sold computer. Built in Britain, it was purchased by Թϱ for $300,000. The massive computer arrived in Toronto in 1952 and was installed in the Physics building (now known as the Sandford Fleming Building)&nbsp;on the downtown Toronto&nbsp;campus.</p> <p><strong>Trixie Worsely</strong>, Canada's first computer scientist, worked on Ferut.&nbsp;During its lifetime, Ferut was responsible for making complex calculations for the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and for helping make Toronto the first city in the world to have a computer-controlled traffic system.</p> <p>You're welcome, commuters.</p> <h3><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/honouring-canadas-first-female-computer-scientist-u-ts-trixie-worsley">Read about Թϱ's&nbsp;Trixie Worsley</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>4.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;A Թϱ Prof created the Iron Ring Ceremony</h1> <p>&nbsp;<img alt="photo of engineers with ring" src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-birthday-iron-ring.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"><br> (<em>Above: Engineering students with their new iron rings at Convocation/ photo credit: Greg Fisher</em>)</p> <center><strong>(Because&nbsp;Engineers were&nbsp;seen as&nbsp;shy &amp; bashful)</strong></center> <p>In 1922, Թϱ’s Professor <strong>Herbert Haultain</strong> and six other past presidents of the Engineering Institute of Canada attended a meeting in Montreal. Haultain, who graduated from Թϱ and later returned to teach engineering at Թϱ, was one of the speakers of the evening and he mused aloud about&nbsp;the need for an official oath or a creed to bind engineers together.</p> <p>It wasn't just talk. Haultain&nbsp;approached poet Rudyard Kipling to compose an oath. The resulting poem, known as “The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer”, has since been used to remind Canadian engineers of the civic and social responsibilities of their profession.</p> <p>During the ceremony, the engineers also receive their iron rings, which are worn on the little finger of the working hand. The rings serve as a reminder to the wearer to live by a high standard of professional conduct. Thanks to Haultain, engineering students across Canada celebrate their Iron Ring ceremonies every year.</p> <h1>5.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Թϱ has&nbsp;been to space&nbsp;– more than once</h1> <p><img alt="photo of Roberta Bondar" src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-birthday-space.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"></p> <p><em>(Above:&nbsp;Alumna <strong>Roberta Bondar</strong> at the Canadian Space Agency/ photo credit: Canadian Space Agency</em>)</p> <center><strong>(Don't forget Julie Payette!)</strong></center> <p>When <strong>David Onley</strong>, UTSC alumnus and Ontario’s 28th Lieutenant Governor, wrote his space novel <em>Shuttle: A Shattering Novel of Disaster</em>, everything fell into the right place at the right time. It was 1981, space travel was on everyone’s minds and his book instantly launched onto the bestseller lists. This book was so popular that American astronauts even took an autographed copy on a space shuttle mission with them.</p> <p>A decade after Onley’s book went to space, <strong>Roberta Bondar</strong> also took a piece of Թϱ into space. In 1992, Dr. Bondar, UTM alumnus and the first Canadian woman in space, went on her first flight into space on the space shuttle Discovery. Among the personal items she took on her voyage:&nbsp;the crest of Erindale College, as UTM used to be known.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/biobondar.asp">Read more abour Roberta Bondar</a></h3> <h3><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/astronaut-julie-payette-toronto-science-festival">Read more about Julie Payette</a></h3> <h3><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Shuttle-Audiobook/B002V57PTQ/ref=a_search_c4_1_6_srTtl?qid=1457734963&amp;sr=1-6">Download David Onley's book from Audible</a></h3> <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <h1>6.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;A time capsule is buried outside Robarts Library</h1> <h1><br> <img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_timecapsule.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><em>(Above:</em>&nbsp;<em>Members of Pollution Probe with the time capsule outside Robarts Library/ photo credit: Թϱ Archives</em>)</p> <center><strong>(You really don't want to dig up this one)</strong></center> <p>In 1970, an environmental group called Pollution Probe organized a week of events in Toronto. This included lectures, tours of conservation areas and theatre performances. On the last day, they buried a time capsule at Թϱ, on the south side of Robarts Library.</p> <p>The capsule contains vials of pollutants which have since been banned in Canada, water from the Don River, an audio recording of noise pollution in Toronto, newspaper clippings and a bronze plaque that says “In the hope that this time capsule will be found by a civilization wiser than our own, we have buried here a record of man’s folly on the planet he has outgrown.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>7.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Թϱ alumni make the shows you watch on Netflix&nbsp;</h1> <h1><br> <img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_davidshore.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><em><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">(Above:&nbsp;</span></em><em style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Թϱ Law alumnus David Shore created the popular television show House/ photo credit: Wikimedia Commons</em><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">)</span></p> <center><strong>(They also make the shows your parents watch on TV)</strong></center> <p>Any Թϱ student can rattle off a list of films and shows that were shot a Թϱ. But not many people know that Թϱ alumni have gone on to create several well-known television shows.</p> <p>One of the longest running shows, <em>Saturday Night Live</em>, is the brainchild of Թϱ grad <strong>Lorne Michaels</strong> and national institution <em>Degrassi</em> was created by alumna <strong>Linda Schuyler</strong>. (Թϱ students have also acted on <em>Degrassi </em>over the years – although the show's most famous alum isn't technically a Թϱ guy... <strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/uoftdrizzy/?hl=en"><em>or is he?</em></a></strong>)&nbsp;</p> <p>Alumnus <strong>Hart Hanson</strong> created<em> Bones</em>,&nbsp;and the late, lamented&nbsp;<em>House </em>was created by alumnus <strong>David Shore. </strong>Alumna <strong>Tassie Cameron</strong> created <em>Rookie Blue</em>&nbsp;(and also&nbsp;wrote the late, lamented&nbsp;<em>Eleventh Hour</em>)&nbsp;and <strong>Stephanie Savage</strong>, a Թϱ grad, co-created <em>Gossip Girl</em>.</p> <p><em>Orphan Black</em> was not created by Թϱ grads. We just wish it was.</p> <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <h1>8. &nbsp; &nbsp;A Թϱ prof chased butterflies all the way to&nbsp;Mexico</h1> <h1><br> &nbsp;<img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_butterfly.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 334px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><br> <em>(Above: Monarch butterflies were the focus of Professor Urquhart’s career/ photo credit: UTSC)</em></p> <center><strong>(He cared about those monarchs&nbsp;long before it was a thing)</strong></center> <p>After researching butterflies for 38 years, UTSC professor <strong>Fred Urquhart </strong>finally solved the mystery of the monarch butterfly’s winter home in 1975. Urquhart had been tracking monarch butterflies across North America. Eventually, he crowd-sourced his work and enlisted butterfly enthusiasts from Canada, the US and Mexico to help. They were able to track the butterflies flying south from Canada all the way to Mexico and discovered that these delicate creatures spend winter in the Sierra Madre mountains. Urquhart’s discovery made news headlines around the world.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aboutus/fred-urquhart-memorial-garden">Find out more about the Fred Urquhart memorial garden at UTSC</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1><br> 9.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<em>In the Name of the Rose</em>&nbsp;was inspired by Robarts</h1> <p><br> &nbsp;<img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_library.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"><br> <em>(Photo credit: Ken Jones)</em></p> <center><strong>(You know what else Robarts inspired? <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/ninja-n-video-game-takes-n-whole-new-level-make-2360-levels">This video game</a>)</strong> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Italian novelist and semiotician&nbsp;<strong>Umberto Eco</strong>&nbsp;was a long-time friend of Թϱ. He spent many months wandering through Robarts Library, giving lectures on the St. George and Mississauga campuses, and having philosophical debates with faculty members.</p> <p>In fact, he enjoyed Robarts Library so much, he based the monastery library in his well-known novel, <em>In the Name of the Rose</em>, on Թϱ’s Robarts Library and Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library.</p> <p>You'd probably like to know how many other novelists Թϱ has inspired. We'll start compiling the list now. Maybe&nbsp;we can finish&nbsp;in time for birthday #190.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>10.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Թϱ faculty members are helping solve crime cases</h1> <h1><br> &nbsp;<img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_tracyrogers.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><em>(Above:&nbsp;Dr. Tracy Rogers, Forensic Anthropologist at UTM/ photo credit: Department of Anthropology)</em></p> <center><strong>(Our forensic science program predates CSI by five years)</strong></center> <p>When UTM’s forensic science program launched in 1995, it was the first of its kind in Canada. Forensic science was a new field of study at the time and only 15 other universities around the world offered degrees in this program.</p> <p>Since its launch, many faculty members and students from this program have assisted local authorities on forensic cases, including the Robert Picton trial and the recent Tim Bosma trial.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>11.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;World’s first G-Suit was born at Թϱ</h1> <h1><br> <img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_wilburfranks.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><em>(Above: Wilbur Franks with the Franks Flying Suit, the world’s first G-suit, in 1962/ photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)</em></p> <center><strong>(<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/u-t-engineering-grads-make-aeronautical-history">Թϱ&nbsp;students make&nbsp;aeronautical history too</a>)</strong></center> <p>The suits worn by test pilots and astronauts are based on an “anti-gravity suit” invented at Թϱ. Wilbur Franks graduated from Թϱ’s medicine program, and went on to work with Frederick Banting (yes, that Frederick Banting).</p> <p>As a cancer researcher, Franks noticed that his glass test tubes broke under centrifugal force. He came up with the solution to insert the test tubes into larger tubes filled with water. He took his idea further and applied it to pilots - if pilots wear water-filled outer suits, they will not feel the G-forces in the air, he theorized. The team tested his concept called “Franks Flying Suit” and thus, the first G-Suit was invented at Թϱ in 1942.</p> <p>It wasn't the first great scientific discovery <a href="http://oicr.on.ca/news/portal-news/lifetime-achievement-drs-james-till-and-ernest-mcculloch">made by Թϱ scientists looking for something else</a> and it won't be the last.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>12.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;World’s rarest Shakespeare volumes live at Թϱ</h1> <h1><br> &nbsp;<img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_shakespeare.jpg" style="width: 432px; height: 288px; margin: 10px 60px;"></h1> <p><br> <em>(Above: Bust of William Shakespeare inside the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library)</em></p> <center><strong>(So do a lot of other books. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXTmYEW5RFs">And we do mean a LOT</a>) </strong></center> <p>This year marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. To celebrate this anniversary, the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is hosting an exhibit which includes some of the rarest books in its collection - Shakespeare’s First Four Folios.</p> <p>Shakespeare’s First Folio (also known as Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, &amp; tragedies: published according to the true original copies), is one of the rarest and most valuable printed books in the world, and Թϱ has the only copy in Canada. “The fact that the First Folio that we have here in the Fisher Library is the only copy in Canada is a fact to celebrate,” says <strong>Scott Schofield</strong>, lead curator.</p> <p>Published seven years after his death, the First Folio is the first time Shakespeare’s plays were printed in one volume. Shakespeare’s Third Folio, which is also on display, is even rarer, as most copies of this volume burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The exhibit, 'So long lives this' : A Celebration of Shakespeare's Life and Works will be open to the public from March 19, 2016 to April 23, 2016.</p> <h3><a href="https://soundcloud.com/fisher-rare-book-library/sets/so-long-lives-this-audio-tour">Take an audio tour of the exhibit</a>&nbsp;</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h1>13.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Football started at Թϱ</h1> <h1><br> <img alt src="/sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday_football.jpg" style="width: 600px; height: 400px; margin: 10px 60px;">&nbsp;</h1> <p><br> <em>(Above: Captains J.R. Pampe and B.R. Taylor outside University College, 1965/Photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)</em></p> <center><strong>(No, really. Right here.)</strong></center> <p>North American football, or “gridiron” football, has deep roots in front campus. The first documented game was played on front campus in front of University College on November 9, 1861.</p> <h3><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/content/100-years-grey-cup">We were also the first&nbsp;Grey Cup&nbsp;champions</a></h3> <p>(#Թϱ Birthday&nbsp;190 is just 12 months away. Email your suggestions for how we should honour it here at <em>Թϱ</em>&nbsp;to <a href="mailto:uoftnews@utoronto.ca">uoftnews@utoronto.ca</a>)&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </center> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2016-03-11-uoftbirthday.jpg</div> </div> Sun, 13 Mar 2016 13:57:00 +0000 sgupta 7723 at Epic snowball fight at Թϱ /news/epic-snowball-fight-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Epic snowball fight at Թϱ</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2016-03-07T08:01:20-05:00" title="Monday, March 7, 2016 - 08:01" class="datetime">Mon, 03/07/2016 - 08:01</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"> Madina Siddique on Instagram)</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/arthur-kaptainis" hreflang="en">Arthur Kaptainis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Arthur Kaptainis and Sarah Khan</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/features" hreflang="en">Features</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">Students from three campuses, plus visitors, battle to a good-natured draw</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>What do you get when you mix a thousand students, an open field and&nbsp;tons of snow with a little school spirit? The annual <strong>Թϱ Snow Battle</strong>, which took place on March 3 on the front campus with King’s College Circle as the informal boundary.</p> <p>After waiting for snow all winter, Թϱ students took advantage of last week’s storm. Warriors from all three Թϱ campuses as well as visitors from Ryerson University and OCAD University joined in the good-natured melee.&nbsp;</p> <p>Organizers&nbsp;<strong>Madina Siddique</strong> and <strong>Frishta Bastan&nbsp;</strong>started the event last year as a means of helping students blow off some midterm&nbsp;steam.</p> <p>“The first snowball fight was a great time and we really wanted to do it again,” &nbsp;Siddiqui told the <em>Toronto Star</em>. “As soon as the snow finally started to fall, we knew immediately that we had to organize it.”</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/photo_gallery?photoset_id=72157665289219651">See a photo gallery</a></h2> <p>Many students also found time&nbsp;to document the clash through photos&nbsp;and videos on social media. Below are a few highlights.&nbsp;</p> <h1>Read the <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/03/03/u-of-t-students-revel-in-winter-with-epic-snowball-fight.html">story </a>in the <em>Toronto Star </em>and watch the <a href="http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=544131">report </a>on CTV.</h1> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/u/embed?header=false&amp;border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/u.js?header=false&amp;border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/u" target="_blank">View the story "Թϱ Snow Battle 2016" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/Snowbattle.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:01:20 +0000 sgupta 7706 at How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at Թϱ /news/how-can-you-help-support-refugees-three-simple-ways-get-involved-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at Թϱ</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-12-04T12:00:29-05:00" title="Friday, December 4, 2015 - 12:00" class="datetime">Fri, 12/04/2015 - 12:00</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">Above, three-year-old Narasius Nardus from Iraq receives medical assistance from Red Cross worker Mustafa Jebr (in the background) in Macedonia (photo by John Engedal Nissen / Danish Red Cross via flickr)</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Sarah Khan</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/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</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/more-news" hreflang="en">More News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/syria" hreflang="en">Syria</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/refugees" hreflang="en">Refugees</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international" hreflang="en">International</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Across the&nbsp;University of Toronto's three campuses, students, faculty and staff are working on ways to support the refugee effort.&nbsp;</p> <p>Torontonians have been organizing clothing and food drives, collecting furniture to set up Syrian families, and even organizing a welcoming party at Pearson International Airport to welcome the refugees with open arms, gifts, and winter clothing.</p> <p>At &nbsp;Թϱ, people are&nbsp;coming&nbsp;together to sponsor refugee families, host fundraising events and volunteer.</p> <p>Over the coming weeks, <em>Թϱ</em> will feature more ways you can support the refugee effort. But, in the meantime, here are three simple ways you can start&nbsp;helping to bring refugees&nbsp;to Canada or supporting efforts to welcome and help&nbsp;resettle them once they arrive:</p> <h3>1.&nbsp;Donate to the University of Toronto Scholars-at-Risk program</h3> <p>The goal of the <a href="http://boundless.utoronto.ca/campaign-updates/responding-refugee-crisis-u-t-ocad-york-university-partner-ryerson/" target="_blank">Scholars at Risk</a>&nbsp;program is to set up a new bursary program for students at risk, specifically, students with refugee status in Canada. This $1 million fund will support one hundred bursaries worth $10,000 each. Թϱ will match all donations valued up to $500,000.&nbsp;</p> <h3>2.&nbsp;Support the University of Toronto Lifeline Syria Challenge</h3> <p>Lifeline Syria is a Toronto group that seeks to sponsor and settle1,000 Syrian&nbsp;refugees through private sponsorship, says Թϱ alumna <strong>Leen Al Zaibak</strong>, a member of the board of Lifeline Syria. Թϱ is supporting Ryerson Lifeline Syria in partnership with Ryerson, York and OCAD universities and several Թϱ faculty members, staff, students and friends are working in six teams to pool together their resources and funds to sponsor Syrian families. Visit <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-NacBLu7rJYXn5aYokvjHuDSQ0uPTS9vQycm8wgi6h8/viewform?c=0&amp;w=1" target="_blank">Lifeline Syria Թϱ</a>&nbsp;to find out more about the teams and see how you can help.</p> <h3>3. &nbsp;Attend an information event or fundraising event&nbsp;</h3> <p>Music group Choir! Choir! Choir! is hosting a <a href="http://Music group Choir! Choir! Choir! is hosting a fundraiser to raise funds to sponsor a family. December 8, 2015, 7:30pm, Lee’s Palace Event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/486044511567015/" target="_blank">fundraiser </a>to raise funds to sponsor a family on&nbsp;Dec.&nbsp;8 at Lee’s Palace,<br> 529 Bloor St. W.</p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/940568636011663/" target="_blank">T</a><a href="http://https://www.facebook.com/events/940568636011663/" target="_blank">rinity College is hosting a community meeting</a>&nbsp;on Dec. 9 at St. Hilda’s College, 44 Devonshire Pl.,where <strong>Leen Al Zaibak</strong> will speak about the Lifeline Syria challenge, and the Trinity College team will share how the community can help.</p> <p>Թϱ’s Lifeline Syria group is hosting an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/468038786654687/" target="_blank">information and volunteer meeting </a>that is open to the general public on&nbsp;Dec.&nbsp;10&nbsp;at &nbsp;Sidney Smith Hall, SS2098.</p> <p>&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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-12-04-refugees-three-ways-you-can-help.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:00:29 +0000 sgupta 7505 at Open Robarts: Թϱ Libraries’ alternate reality game /news/open-robarts-u-t-libraries-alternate-reality-game <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Open Robarts: Թϱ Libraries’ alternate reality game</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-10-27T23:52:22-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 27, 2015 - 23:52" class="datetime">Tue, 10/27/2015 - 23:52</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">It's hard to resist Robarts' iconic architecture, legendary stacks or cosy carrels but you don't have to enter to play the game – so far, Թϱ Libraries reports, Open Robarts has attracted views from 35 countries around the world</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/krisha-ravikantharaja" hreflang="en">Krisha Ravikantharaja</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Krisha Ravikantharaja and Sarah Khan</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/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/robarts" hreflang="en">Robarts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/libraries" hreflang="en">Libraries</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/game" hreflang="en">Game</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</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">Թϱ hosts its first alternate reality game for Open Access Week 2015</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>If you missed <em>Open Robarts</em>, the alternate reality game hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries last week, there’s still time to try it.</p> <p>The game – a collaboration between the Libraries, local writer Mark Foo and artist David Oxley designed to celebrate <a href="http://www.openaccessweek.org/">Open Access Week</a> – has been extended by popular demand.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The coolest feature of it is that we collaborated with artists in the city,” said <strong>Nelly Cancilla</strong>, copyright outreach librarian for the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office at Թϱ.</p> <p>“They’re both comic book artists and that was a large part in why it was so successful. They were able to create a believable world as well as some artifacts that we were able to use.”</p> <p>Robarts hosted <a href="https://openrobarts.wordpress.com/"><em>Open Robarts</em>&nbsp;</a>last week as part of Open Access Week 2015, Cancilla says. The global event is part of an effort to make information freely and immediately accessible, particularly in the contexts of research and scholarship.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="photo of Open Robarts poster" src="/sites/default/files/2015-10-27-OpenPoster3-embed.jpg" style="width: 325px; height: 502px; margin: 10px; float: right;">“We wanted to get involvement from students for Open Access Week without having it be a traditional library event. We wanted to do something that was also very different from previous years.”</p> <p>In the game, a group of concerned citizens must uncover a conspiracy that the Robarts librarians are hiding. However, the group has been banned from the library and takes on the role of an agent for the player.</p> <p>“The theme of Open Access Week this year was ‘Open for Collaboration’ so we were hoping that players would collaborate together and we were happy to see that they did,” says Cancilla. “There were a number of different ways in which people could enter into the game as well as different ways that people could hear about it and communicate with each other.”</p> <p>Librarians love seeing students in the stacks and reading rooms across the three campuses (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/back-school-u-t-library-system-ranked-top-three-harvard-and-yale">Թϱ has the third-largest library system in North America</a>) but Cancilla says they deliberately designed the game to ensure&nbsp;“people wouldn’t have to be coming into Robarts in order to play the game” in the spirit of Open Access.</p> <p>Between&nbsp;Oct.&nbsp;19-Oct.&nbsp;23, the <em>Open Robarts</em> webpage received 10,552 page views from 2,677 visitors&nbsp;–&nbsp;many of whom worked together on Facebook, Twitter and even dedicated Reddit forums to win the game. It was exactly the type of collaboration for which they had hoped, she said.</p> <p>Although the majority of online views came from within Canada, almost 2,000 came from the United States and the game attracted views from 34 other countries around the world.&nbsp;Winners of the game total just 47 so far, Cancilla says, with 12 people joining Vayika online and 17 in person while another 18 people have joined Kambre.</p> <p>Cancilla attributes a large part of the game’s success to comic book creators Foo and Oxley, and their ability to incorporate the university’s real-life artifacts.</p> <p><img alt="image of a symbol" src="/sites/default/files/2015-10-28-vsymbol-embedopenrobarts.jpg" style="width: 325px; height: 163px; margin: 10px; float: right;">“In different locations in the library, such as the Media Commons, there are beautiful handmade pieces for the game like a DVD case which looks like Robarts when you stand it on its edge. There’s also a ledger that you can write your name in at the end of the game to join the secret society.”</p> <p>You still have time to win the game and collect your prize, Cancilla says. <em>Open Robarts</em> continues until&nbsp;Oct. 30th.&nbsp;And the prize? A 3D printer file of the sigil of the faction that winning players choose to join, of course.</p> <p>Below are some highlights of the game so far as shared on social media:</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/open-robarts/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/open-robarts.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/open-robarts" target="_blank">View the story "Open Robarts" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-10-28-open-robarts-lead-image.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 28 Oct 2015 03:52:22 +0000 sgupta 7390 at Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign /news/election-2015-social-media-highlights-78-day-campaign <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-10-20T11:22:46-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 20, 2015 - 11:22" class="datetime">Tue, 10/20/2015 - 11:22</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">One of the images shared widely via social media on election night featured Justin Trudeau's head superimposed on Jose Bautista's body</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Sarah Khan</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/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/students" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/social-media" hreflang="en">Social Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/politics" hreflang="en">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/government" hreflang="en">Government</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/election-2015" hreflang="en">Election 2015</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/election" hreflang="en">Election</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>During its 78-day campaign, the 42nd federal election in Canada dominated conversations at the University of Toronto&nbsp;–along with <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/blue-jays">the Blue Jays</a> and exams.&nbsp;</p> <p>Թϱ experts weighed in with their <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/undergrads-come-together-federal-election-uoftvotes-and-voteposal">analysis of the election campaign strategies,&nbsp;tactics and issues</a>&nbsp;while students&nbsp;took to <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/undergrad-video-series-shares-voices-uoftvotes">video</a> and <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/undergrads-come-together-federal-election-uoftvotes-and-voteposal">social media</a> to urge each other to vote and to&nbsp;share their opinions on election priorities and party platforms.</p> <h2><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/election-2015">Read more Election 2015 coverage</a></h2> <p>Թϱ students were especially engaged in Election 2015, and held <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/election-2015-u-t-students-vote">strong opinions on election priorities</a> that will affect them the most. During advance polls and on Election Day, thousands of students, staff, faculty members and alumni headed to the polls to cast their ballot, and later gathered to watch the results.</p> <p>Below is a snapshot of the last 78 days at Թϱ, as seen on social media:</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/u-of-t-votes/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/u-of-t-votes.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/u-of-t-votes" target="_blank">View the story "Թϱ Votes" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-10-20-Election2015_socialmediahighlights.jpg</div> </div> Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:22:46 +0000 sgupta 7368 at Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at Թϱ /news/back-school-lifehacks-must-have-tips-life-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at Թϱ</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-09-11T11:17:14-04:00" title="Friday, September 11, 2015 - 11:17" class="datetime">Fri, 09/11/2015 - 11:17</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">(photo by Ken Jones)</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</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">Sarah Khan and Brianna Goldberg</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/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utm" hreflang="en">UTM</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/libraries" hreflang="en">Libraries</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/back-school" hreflang="en">Back to School</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/utsc" hreflang="en">UTSC</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">Find the hidden gems and free services to help you succeed in the first few weeks</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Students at the University of Toronto arrive hungry to learn&nbsp;– but&nbsp;returning students want everyone&nbsp;new to campus to absorb one lesson&nbsp;right away:</p> <p>At Թϱ, learning means more than just diving into a textbook.</p> <div>“Welcome to Թϱ! You made it!” says&nbsp;<strong>Oloruntobi Ogunbiyi</strong>, a recent computer science graduate.&nbsp;“Feeling excited and overwhelmed is inevitable as there are so many students with lots to do. But settling in shouldn't take too long.”</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>One of the greatest things about studying at a university with three campuses that anchor&nbsp;a thriving global city? Ogunbiyi says it's&nbsp;all about the opportunities to explore.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2 style="font-size: 19.9990005493164px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/tags/back-school-0">Read more about Back to School at Թϱ.</a></h2> </div> <div> <div>We wanted&nbsp;to help new students get started with the best Թϱ and Toronto has to offer. The following are 10 back-to-school hacks for navigating the first few weeks of fall semester at the University of Toronto.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <hr> <div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="map of st. george campus" src="/sites/default/files/map.JPG" style="width: 200px; height: 189px; margin: 10px; float: right;"></strong></div> <h2><strong>10. You are here: use these interactive maps for all Թϱ campuses</strong></h2> </div> </div> <div>The first step to finding your way at Թϱ is to, well, actually find your way at Թϱ.&nbsp;Use these <a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/">interactive maps</a> – or download their app versions&nbsp;– to find buildings, green spaces, food, bike racks, accessibility spaces, libraries and more.</div> <div> <div><strong style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><img alt src="/sites/default/files/Front%20of%20UC.JPG" style="width: 220px; height: 222px; margin: 10px; float: left;"></strong><strong><a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/utm">Find map for&nbsp;UTM</a></strong></div> <div><a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/utsc"><strong>Find map for&nbsp;</strong></a><strong><a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/utsc">UTSC</a></strong></div> <div><a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/"><strong>Find map for&nbsp;</strong></a><strong><a href="http://map.utoronto.ca/">St. George</a></strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div> <div>Want to see a&nbsp;throwback to&nbsp;what the corner you’re standing on looked like years ago?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Follow <a href="https://instagram.com/utarchives/">University of Toronto Archives on Instagram</a>&nbsp;(image, left) to find great photos that place your journey in context of the long history of Թϱ.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>And while you're at it, why not <a href="https://instagram.com/uoft/">follow Թϱ's main Instagram account</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/uoft">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/universitytoronto?_rdr=p">Facebook </a>to join our ongoing conversation with students, alumni and friends of the University of Toronto?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><strong>9. Eat well: where to find the best food on campus... and nearby</strong></h2> <div>Explore on-campus eateries by clicking “food” on the maps listed above. It can filter all options by dietary preference, opening hours, seating availability and more.&nbsp;Seek out gems such as&nbsp;the family-run <a href="http://innis.utoronto.ca/about/space/innis-cafe/">Innis Café</a>, which offers home-made smoothies, and <a href="http://commongroundco-op.ca/about-the-coffee-shed/">The Coffee Shed at New College</a>, a headline-grabbing social enterprise managed by people with developmental disabilities.</div> <div><img alt="tweet advertising tcard plus" src="/sites/default/files/TCard%2B.jpg" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; width: 250px; height: 333px; margin: 10px; float: right;"> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>Each campus maintains an online hub detailing their food services.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Tip: you can load meal plans onto your TCard</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong><a href="http://ueat.utoronto.ca/">St. George Food Services and meal plans (TCard+)</a></strong></div> <div><strong><a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~facilities/foodbevservices/">UTSC Food Services and meal plans (TCard+)</a></strong></div> <div><strong><a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/hospitality/food">UTM Food Services and meal plans</a></strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There’s an especially bustling culinary culture around UTSC campus, as explained in <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/why-foodies-bloggers-and-scholars-are-turning-scarborough">this <em>Թϱ New</em>s article on Why foodies, bloggers and scholars are turning to Scarborough</a>.&nbsp;And for food at the downtown St. George campus, the&nbsp;<a href="http://ueat.utoronto.ca/">Food Services web site</a>&nbsp;is dedicated to sharing news of food happenings on campus.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Join the conversation about new and exciting food spots as you discover them by sharing photos and reviews with us on <a href="https://twitter.com/uoft">Twitter</a>&nbsp;or <a href="https://instagram.com/uoft/">Instagram @UofT</a>. There’s a whole world of food to explore in the GTA, search online to find the city’s best food blogs, hashtags, festivals and events.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Tip: ask restaurants near campus whether they offer a student discount.</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><strong>8. New friends, fun clubs, free music and more – embrace “frosh” week: it’s called orientation for a reason</strong></h2> <div><img alt src="/sites/default/files/2015-09-01-B2School_Onyx.jpg" style="width: 250px; height: 167px; margin: 10px; float: left;">Taking an active part in clubs and the social life of the city is important for undergrads, says&nbsp;recent alumna and Onyx Motion CEO, <strong>Marissa Wu</strong>.<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/how-be-undergrad-entrepreneur-u-t-advice-alumna-and-onyx-motion-ceo-marissa-wu"> (Read her advice for undergrad entrepreneurs)</a></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There’s truly something for everyone in the diverse events offered during “frosh week,” the first week of September when back to school events take over Թϱ campuses.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Meet new friends and explore the city with the <a href="http://utsu.ca/utsu-fest/">Թϱ tri-campus parade</a> on Sept. 11 that will travel across downtown Toronto with music and cheers. There’s also a concert, a movie-mixer and an after-party... all requiring a TCard,&nbsp;so <a href="http://sites.utoronto.ca/tcard/">make sure you get that sorted out before Sept. 11</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><a href="http://utsu.ca/"><strong>All events presented by University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU). Details on their website.</strong></a></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><strong>7. Get the best information, fast, with Թϱ’s libraries</strong></h2> <div>Forty-four libraries across three campuses and 12 million volumes spread out over the GTA make <a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/">Թϱ’s library system</a> the third largest in North America. (The collections are so vast they had to build <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXTmYEW5RFs">a storage facility that looks like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark</a> or the room of requirement in the <em>Harry Potter </em>books.)&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>They’re an amazing resource – and a way to maximize the University of Toronto experience once you know how to use it best. Here are our top pieces of advice for learning to love Թϱ’s amazing libraries.</div> <div><img alt="instagram of library" src="/sites/default/files/instagram%20library.JPG" style="width: 650px; height: 330px; margin: 10px; float: left;"></div> <div>•<a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/ask-librarian">&nbsp;Ask a Librarian online chat </a>is available during the school year<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/uoftlibraries?lang=en">@uoftlibraries</a> on Twitter and&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/uoftlibraries">Instagram</a><br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>New students can follow <a href="http://answers.library.utoronto.ca/a.php?qid=498371">this libraries&nbsp;guide</a> to help them get oriented with the library system<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Larger libraries <a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/tours">offer tours</a></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">• Tip: attend one of many 30-minute workshops called <a href="http://libcal.library.utoronto.ca/">10 things you need to know about the Թϱ libraries</a></span></strong><br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>If you want an item from a particular library, you can order it to the library closest to you<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>All our libraries have study spaces – and some study spaces remain open 24 hours.<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>It’s not all textbooks – Թϱ libraries offers free videos, magazines and more</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UfTEr2mLD8g" width="640"></iframe> <div> <h2><strong>6. Let Թϱ support your health and safety</strong></h2> <div>You're not on your own when it comes to staying healthy and happy. Թϱ provides a variety of services to help students balance their studies with overall health and wellness.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Need a doctor? </strong>Visit your campus clinic&nbsp;for help from a medical professional trained to support student needs&nbsp;.</div> <div><strong><a href="http://healthservice.utoronto.ca/main.htm">St. George Health Services</a></strong></div> <div><strong><a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/health/our-services/medical-care">UTM &nbsp;Medical Care</a></strong></div> <div><strong><a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~wellness/health_services.html">UTSC Health Services</a></strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>All three campuses also offer&nbsp;<strong>c</strong><strong>ounselling, therapy and other mental health services such as breathing and sleep-health&nbsp;workshops</strong>.</div> <div><a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~wellness/counselling_services.html"><strong>UTSC Mental Health Services</strong></a><br> <strong><a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/health/crisis-after-hours/utm-gta-mental-health-resources">UTM Mental Health Services</a></strong><br> <a href="https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc/services-offered#node-2039"><strong>St. George Mental Health Services</strong></a></div> <p>In addition, <strong><a href="http://mythoughtspot.ca/">ThoughtSpot</a></strong> is a live map designed by students for students. It identifies mental health and wellbeing resources relevant to students in the GTA.</p> <p>It is the goal of the University of Toronto to do everything possible to create an environment where students, staff and faculty can feel safe to learn, work and live.</p> <p>Learn more about campus safety on the university's <a href="http://safety.utoronto.ca/"><strong>Safety website </strong></a>and in this<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/campus-safety-sexual-violence-and-university"> Q&amp;A with&nbsp;Vice-President and Provost&nbsp;<strong>Cheryl Regehr</strong></a>.</p> <div><img alt="Tweet reading: have questions for your prof, or want to meet them? Then hit up your course's office hours!" src="/sites/default/files/office%20hours.png" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; width: 290px; height: 270px; margin: 10px; float: right;"> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><strong>5. Go to your prof’s office hours. It’s an easy way to improve your grades – and your university experience</strong></h2> </div> <div>First-year classes can feel intimidating. The best way to move past the fear? Get to know your professor.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Dropping by your prof’s office hours means you’ll get personal feedback and tips, plus you can ask questions.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>It’s part of a professor’s job to set aside a specific&nbsp;time to meet with students one-on-one, but few students take them up on it.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Office hours are an opportunity to make a personal connection that will set you up to succeed.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/576TsBiJpm4?rel=0" width="560"></iframe> <div>&nbsp;</div> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <div> <h2><strong>4. Discover Hart House</strong></h2> <div>Hart House is a bustling hub of student social activity at Թϱ. Home to a staggering array of clubs, courses, musical bands, choirs&nbsp;–&nbsp;plus a fully equipped gym, radio station and the famous Hart House Theatre, this is where students from all three campuses gather to bond over shared interests. It's also where you can hop on a&nbsp;shuttle to the UTM campus.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>A few of the stand-out Hart House offerings include photography classes, cooking classes, Massage Mondays (free massages!), lectures and documentary screenings. Need a sugar fix near the end of winter? Check out the sugaring off at the 150-acre Hart House Farm. Yes, there's a farm. <a href="http://harthouse.ca/learn-discover/hart-house-farm/">And you are welcome to visit</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Students from all three campuses are invited to drop in for the Explore Hart House: Welcome BBQ event on September 17, 2015.</div> <div><img alt="banner advertising hart house bbq" src="/sites/default/files/hart%20house%20bbq.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 241px; margin: 10px; float: left;"></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h2><strong>3. De-stress with on-campus activities and healthy routines</strong></h2> <div>All work and no play will make your studies suffer, not to mention your well-being. Everyone needs time to recharge and at Թϱ there are countless ways to get involved in fabulously de-stressing activities in groups or on your own. Here are a few of our favourites. Learn more about <strong><a href="http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc/make-friends">taking part in the community at Թϱ</a></strong> here or follow up on these tips.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Working out:<a href="http://physical.utoronto.ca/FacilitiesAndMemberships/Athletic_Centre.aspx"> <strong>Athletic Centre</strong></a>, <strong><a href="http://physical.utoronto.ca/FacilitiesAndMemberships/goldring-centre-for-high-performance-sport.aspx" target="_blank">Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport</a></strong>,&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.tpasc.ca/view/tpasc">Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.uoftintramurals.ca/">intramural sports</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/athletics/home">RAWC</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://harthouse.ca/moveu/">MoveU</a></strong><br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Group activity: join one of the <strong><a href="https://ulife.utoronto.ca/">hundreds of clubs</a></strong> at Թϱ or&nbsp;visit the&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/mf">multifaith centre</a></strong>,&nbsp;which offers a variety of non-denominational programs&nbsp;including discussion groups, yoga and more.<strong>&nbsp;</strong><br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Eat well: Prepare healthy meals at home or join one of the community kitchens to make meals together. Find some <a href="http://ueat.utoronto.ca/the-student-kitchen/"><strong>student-friendly recipes and techniques here</strong></a>.<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Catch up on sleep. <a href="http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc/refuel"><strong>Find healthy sleep tips</strong></a> and more on ways to refuel.<br> <span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Reconnect with nature on Թϱ's green spaces and across the GTA</div> <div><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span>Learn <a href="http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc/stress-less"><strong>stress coping techniques</strong></a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>"My personal experience at the University of Toronto was about community," said&nbsp;<strong>Natalie Panek</strong>,<em>&nbsp;</em>an alumna from Aerospace Science &amp; Engineering. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ZPYYPQDn0">Check out this video&nbsp;where she describes the&nbsp;community-building and extracurricular activities</a> that made her years at Թϱ so memorable.</div> <h2>&nbsp;</h2> <h2><strong>2. Get equipped for class and life in the GTA</strong></h2> <div>A typical Թϱ student has a long list of school supplies to get before classes begin: books, laptops, scientific calculators, rulers, pens and backup batteries. But extraordinary Թϱ students need all the regular supplies plus two key items to ace the school year.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span><strong>Camera </strong>– Whether it’s a cell phone camera or a full-frame DSLR, the vibrancy of city life&nbsp;begs to be captured in photos. Share yours on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #UofT. A few ‘must have’ shots include UTM’s deer colony, UTSC’s nature trails and the Harry Potter-esque setting of St. George campus.</div> <div><img alt="instagram of university college" src="/sites/default/files/instagram%20starry%20night.JPG" style="width: 650px; height: 332px; margin: 10px;"></div> <div><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">•&nbsp;</span><strong>Headphones</strong> – Most Թϱ students commute to campus, so a good pair of headphones comes in handy on public transit. Once on campus, students can take advantage of the many different indoor and outdoor study spaces, pop on their headphones, and concentrate. And to learn more about the great city that integrates with our great university, use those headphones to listen to <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/podcasts">The Cities Podcast</a>&nbsp;produced by the University of Toronto. City-building and research on urban issues are a real strength at Թϱ. This series explores&nbsp;little-known stories of Toronto and other global cities through interviews with experts, authors and citizens.</div> <div><img alt="banner for The Cities Podcast" src="/sites/default/files/podcast-header.jpg" style="width: 688px; height: 145px; margin: 10px;"></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h2><strong>1. You tell us!</strong></h2> <div>The thing about life at the University Toronto is, there’s always something new. Get in touch and tell us your lifehacks and moments of happy on <a href="https://twitter.com/uoft">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/uoft/">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/universitytoronto?fref=ts">Facebook</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Look forward to hearing from you!</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-09-04-back-to-school-hacks_0.jpg</div> </div> Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:17:14 +0000 sgupta 7256 at Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at Թϱ /news/back-school-lifehacks-must-have-tips-life-u-t-0 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at Թϱ</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/future-students-banner.jpg?h=8dd7ea19&amp;itok=-_zgsKlX 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/future-students-banner.jpg?h=8dd7ea19&amp;itok=j-3of2hN 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/future-students-banner.jpg?h=8dd7ea19&amp;itok=cSEH6DhP 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/future-students-banner.jpg?h=8dd7ea19&amp;itok=-_zgsKlX"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>dp_mel</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-24T14:23:45-04:00" title="Monday, August 24, 2015 - 14:23" class="datetime">Mon, 08/24/2015 - 14:23</time> </span> <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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</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">Sarah Khan &amp; Brianna Goldberg</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/current-students" hreflang="en">Current Students</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">Find the hidden gems and free services to help you succeed in the first few weeks</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div>Students at the University of Toronto arrive hungry to learn&nbsp;– but&nbsp;returning students want everyone&nbsp;new to campus to absorb one lesson&nbsp;right away. At Թϱ, learning means more than just diving into a textbook.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>“Welcome to Թϱ! You made it!” says&nbsp;<strong>Oloruntobi Ogunbiyi</strong>, a recent computer science graduate.&nbsp;“Feeling excited and overwhelmed is inevitable as there are so many students with lots to do. But settling in shouldn't take too long.” One of the greatest things about studying at a university with three campuses that anchor&nbsp;a thriving global city? Ogunbiyi says it's&nbsp;all about the opportunities to explore. Read more about Back to School at Թϱ.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt src="/sites/default/files/students-blue.jpg" style="width: 100%;"></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>We wanted&nbsp;to help new students get started with the best Թϱ and Toronto has to offer. The following are 10 back-to-school hacks for navigating the first few weeks of fall semester at the University of Toronto.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </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, 24 Aug 2015 18:23:45 +0000 dp_mel 8 at Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games /news/social-media-highlights-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-17T07:37:47-04:00" title="Monday, August 17, 2015 - 07:37" class="datetime">Mon, 08/17/2015 - 07:37</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"> Թϱ's Shelley Gautier with silver medal (photo courtesy Canadian Paralympic Association)</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Sarah Khan</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/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/city" hreflang="en">City</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>As the Parapan Am closing ceremony took place at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday, the field&nbsp;of&nbsp;play at the University of Toronto's downtown campus, also known as Pan Am Fields, was being disassembled and readied for the return of student athletes.&nbsp;</p> <p>By next week, there will be no physical signs left of the 1.7 kilometers of fence line or the 3.7 kilometers of accessible walkways which were laid on top of grass and turf on the St. George campus.</p> <p>But the Games will continue to be remembered by the 750 students, staff and faculty members who volunteered, the 22 Թϱ athletes who competed, and the thousands of guests who cheered on their teams from the stands at our St. George and Scarborough campuses.</p> <p>The Games are also <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/miltons-velodrome-torontos-west-don-lands-using-pan-amparapan-am-games-build-legacy">leaving behind an important legacy</a> for the University of Toronto and its surrounding communities&nbsp;in the form of <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/these-venues-are-where-you-can-catch-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-u-t">accessible sport facilities</a> which will be open for training and participating in various sports as well as&nbsp;in<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/how-persistence-and-pan-amparapan-am-games-paid-affordable-housing"> affordable housing</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/meet-artists-and-urban-studies-students-making-pan-am-path-beautiful">improved public spaces</a>.</p> <p>“The infrastructure is really good for the community” &nbsp;Թϱ's&nbsp;<strong>Zack&nbsp;Chetrat</strong>&nbsp;said in an interview with Hart House before breaking the Canadian record in men's 200m butterfly at the Games.&nbsp;“Everything&nbsp;that’s being built isn’t going anywhere after the Pan Ams. All that growth is going to go to the people of Toronto, which is very exciting for me.”</p> <p>Celebrating the latest silver medal win by <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/champion-sport-meet-alumna-and-paracyclist-shelley-gautier">Թϱ alumna and para-cyclist <strong>Shelley Gautier</strong></a>, we look back one last time at the many ways the University of Toronto embraced the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/to2015-at-u-of-t" target="_blank">View the story "TO2015 at Թϱ" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-18-parapan-medalists-gautier.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:37:47 +0000 sgupta 7221 at Maker Festival – brought to you by the University of Toronto /news/maker-festival-brought-you-university-toronto <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Maker Festival – brought to you by the University of Toronto</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-08-10T05:35:58-04:00" title="Monday, August 10, 2015 - 05:35" class="datetime">Mon, 08/10/2015 - 05:35</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"> Connie Tsang Photography)</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/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/brianna-goldberg" hreflang="en">Brianna Goldberg</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">Sarah Khan &amp; Brianna Goldberg</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/top-stories" hreflang="en">Top Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/entrepreneurship" hreflang="en">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/community" hreflang="en">Community</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Creative displays, innovative projects and <a href="http://makerfestival.ca/maker/icewire-makerspace-education/">interactive workshops</a> from people like<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/icewire-makerspace-helping-teens-and-adults-create-their-own-electronic-inventions"> Professor David Johns</a>&nbsp;ignited the imaginations of children and adults alike recently at Maker Festival, the largest maker event in Canadian history – <a href="http://makerfestival.ca/u-of-t-begins-building-new-centre-for-engineering-innovation-entrepreneurship/">sponsored by the University of Toronto</a>.</p> <p>“We wanted to be involved as a presenting sponsor because we think it’s a unique event in the city,” said <strong>Erin Lemon</strong>, Թϱ’s executive director, news and media. “It brings together entrepreneurs, tinkerers, researchers and dreamers – and it’s a chance for everyone to learn in some different ways.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Lemon was among the more than 10,000 festival-goers who explored the Toronto Reference Library during the two-day event, which featured more than 100 maker displays and showcased everything from <a href="http://makerfestival.ca/maker/textile-museum-of-canada-extreme-weaving-and-knitting/">extreme printing and weaving</a> to&nbsp;<a href="http://makerfestival.ca/maker/v-man-diy-wearable-drum-kit/">wearable drum kits</a>, robots and more.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The Maker Festival is all the things that Թϱ loves: people from all disciplines thinking through challenges, questioning received wisdom, and imagining interesting solutions to problems,” Lemon said. “And then everyone comes together to share their ideas with other curious people."</p> <p>The engineers, hackers, entrepreneurs, artists, experimenters &nbsp;and others at Թϱ who love to create have long been involved in the Maker movement and <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/diy-robots-3d-printed-chocolate-and-more-calling-u-t-entrepreneurs-students-join-toronto-maker-faire">helped transform last November’s two-day Mini Maker Faire </a>into the recent festival.<br> &nbsp;<br> (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/maker-faire-u-t-startups-share-tech-wonders-biggest-ever-event-torontos-maker-community">Read about visitors testing a car-bike hybrid from alumni startup Wheelspan, playing digital ‘tiny tennis’ built at Թϱ faculty-founded Icewire Makerspace and more</a>.)<br> &nbsp;<br> And Թϱ’s Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship continues to add new maker-friendly accelerators and success stories to its roster. (Interested in startups and entrepreneurship? <a href="http://entrepreneurs.utoronto.ca/">Visit the Banting &amp; Best Centre for Innovation &amp; Entrepreneurship</a>.)</p> <p>Below, you can find some of the exciting moments captured through social media at Maker Festival, including the ‘glowatorium’ of creative LED light displays sponsored by Թϱ, home of such innovative lighting startups as <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/organic-led-age-here-meet-u-t-engineers-behind-oti-lumionics">OTI Lumionics</a> and <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/alumni-startup-nanoleaf-creating-green-jobs-toronto-china">Nanoleaf</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/highlights-of-maker-festival/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/highlights-of-maker-festival.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/highlights-of-maker-festival" target="_blank">View the story "Highlights of Maker Festival" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> <p>&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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-08-10-maker-festival.jpg</div> </div> Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:35:58 +0000 sgupta 7198 at Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: highlights of the first weeks /news/toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-highlights-first-weeks <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: highlights of the first weeks</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>sgupta</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2015-07-29T08:37:33-04:00" title="Wednesday, July 29, 2015 - 08:37" class="datetime">Wed, 07/29/2015 - 08:37</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">Sasha Gollish, bronze medallist and PhD candidate at the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering (photo by Winston Chow/COC)</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/krisha-ravikantharaja" hreflang="en">Krisha Ravikantharaja</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sarah-khan-files-krisha-ravikantharaja" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sarah-khan" hreflang="en">Sarah Khan</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">Sarah Khan with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja</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/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</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/features" hreflang="en">Features</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sport" hreflang="en">Sport</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/pan-am" hreflang="en">Pan Am</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/campus" hreflang="en">Campus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The torch relay for the Parapan Am Games starts on August 3 and opening ceremonies are scheduled for August 7 – just enough time for the city to catch its breath and restart the countdown.</p> <p>And time enough for one last look back at the first weeks of the <a href="http://panam2015.utoronto.ca/">Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games</a>.</p> <p>Թϱ’s <strong>Rosie MacLennan</strong> kicked off the torch relay, followed by students, staff, faculty and alumni who took turns carrying the flame through Toronto and farther afield. (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/torchbearers-u-t-light-path-pan-am-games">Read more about Թϱ’s torchbearers</a>.)</p> <p>The Scarborough and downtown campuses <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/these-venues-are-where-you-can-catch-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games-u-t">welcomed thousands of people to competitions</a> for archery, diving, field hockey and more – as well as to&nbsp;<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/u-t-houses-welcoming-americas-university">Թϱ Houses</a>.&nbsp;Members of the University community turned out by the hundreds to offer support and volunteer. (<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/these-u-t-physicians-and-therapists-are-keeping-athletes-games">Read about the physicians and therapists keeping athletes in the Games</a>. <a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/podcasts/cities-podcast/how-love-city">Listen to an episode of the Cities Podcast</a>.)</p> <p>And then there were the 21 Թϱ athletes – students and alumni – who competed in the Games, smashing records and winning medals – even if it meant <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/with-the-pan-am-games-over-let-the-debate-begin/article25717078/">running with a shoe half-off</a>. There were gold medals for&nbsp;&nbsp;Թϱ trampolinist&nbsp;<a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/meet-latest-u-t-athlete-win-pan-am-gold">MacLennan</a>; rower&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/kate-sauks-earned-phd-and-won-pan-am-gold-and-thats-just-last-nine-months">Kate Sauks</a></strong> and badminton's&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://news.utoronto.ca/table-tennis-trampoline-track-and-more-u-t-athletes-toronto-2015-pan-amparapan-am-games">Michelle Li</a>&nbsp;</strong>(who also picked up a bronze in the women's doubles) and<strong>&nbsp;</strong>silver medals for equestrienne <strong>Belinda Trussell&nbsp;</strong>and&nbsp;hurdler <strong>Sarah Wells </strong>(Wells also won a bronze medal in 4X400m relay). Swimmer <strong>Zack Chetrat</strong>&nbsp;picked up a bronze when he smashed the Canadian record for 200m butterfly and there were two bronze medals for <strong>Lucinda Nowell</strong>&nbsp;in rhythmic gymnastics.&nbsp;<strong>Amanda Woodcroft</strong> and <strong>Alex Thicke</strong>&nbsp;picked up bronze medals in field hockey;&nbsp;and first-year student&nbsp;<strong>Anqi Luo</strong>&nbsp;won a bronze medal in table tennis. PhD student and runner&nbsp;<strong>Sasha Gollish&nbsp;</strong>won a bronze medal in the&nbsp;1500m race,&nbsp;despite almost losing one shoe.</p> <p>As we wait to see what the Parapan Am Games will bring, here are just a few of the highlights from the Games so far:&nbsp;</p> <div class="storify"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="no" height="750" src="//storify.com/UofT/highlights-from-the-pan-am-games/embed?border=false" width="100%"></iframe><script src="//storify.com/UofT/highlights-from-the-pan-am-games.js?border=false"></script><noscript>[<a href="https://storify.com/UofT/highlights-from-the-pan-am-games" target="_blank">View the story "Celebrating the Pan Am Games at Թϱ" on Storify</a>]</noscript></div> </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> <div class="field field--name-field-picpath field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">picpath</div> <div class="field__item">sites/default/files/2015-07-29-sasha-gollish.jpg</div> </div> Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:37:33 +0000 sgupta 7178 at