Sarah Khan

13 reasons to celebrate 189 years of the University of Toronto

sgupta — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 13:57:00 +0000

13 reasons to celebrate 189 years of the University of Toronto sgupta Sun, 03/13/2016 - 09:57

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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.

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What you may not know about Canada's top university

The University of Toronto celebrates its 189th birthday on March 15 – and across its three campuses and around the world, students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to participate.

You can test your knowledge of �Թϱ�� through a quiz posted on the University of Toronto Magazine’s website or just quietly dress in blue and white and let others wonder if you're making more than a fashion statement.

Go on, take the quiz

We can't tell you what's in store for birthday #190 but for this year, photo contests are everywhere.

On the downtown Toronto campus, Student Life is hosting a photo contest open to staff and students and the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education are encouraging students to enter photo contests. The Division of University Advancement is also hosting a photo contest for �Թϱ��’s alumni.

At �Թϱ��, there is no contest. But we hate arriving at a party empty-handed. So we asked social media expert Sarah Khan to compile 13 random facts about �Թϱ�� for your enjoyment. Please scroll down:

1. We have a hard time keeping track of this thing

(Above: the original royal charter for King’s College Circle, drafted in 1827/photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)

(Yes, we lost the royal charter. Twice.)

Although John Strachan obtained the royal charter for the establishment of King’s College in 1826, the College did not open until 1843. Political turmoil dissolved King’s College in 1849 but the University of Toronto replaced it the very next day, retaining the faculty and staff of King’s College.

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.

Sir Daniel Wilson, who became president of �Թϱ�� in 1880, was an expert on antiquities and saw 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 had to ask for the Premier’s help to bring the charter back to �Թϱ��.

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.

In 1976, nine years later, �Թϱ�� officials realized that the charter was missing and launched a search, appealing for the charter’s return in the Bulletin through a story titled “The case of the missing charter: an Archives mystery.” The former student employee promptly returned it to the University, and it has been in the possession of the University of Toronto Archives since.

2. The Leafs borrowed �Թϱ��’s blue and white

(Photo above of recent Varsity Blues graduate Christian Finch/ photo credit: Martin Bazyk)

(It was Conn Smythe's styling shout-out to �Թϱ��)

Conn Smythe, 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.

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.

Learn more about Toronto's greatest athletes

3. �Թϱ�� was home to Canada’s first electronic computer

(Above: FERUT computer at �Թϱ�� Computation Centre, 1952/ photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)

(We also had Canada's first female computer scientist – but that's not her)

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) on the downtown Toronto campus.

Trixie Worsely, Canada's first computer scientist, worked on Ferut. 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.

You're welcome, commuters.

Read about �Թϱ��'s Trixie Worsley

4. A �Թϱ�� Prof created the Iron Ring Ceremony

(Above: Engineering students with their new iron rings at Convocation/ photo credit: Greg Fisher)

(Because Engineers were seen as shy & bashful)

In 1922, �Թϱ��’s Professor Herbert Haultain 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 the need for an official oath or a creed to bind engineers together.

It wasn't just talk. Haultain 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.

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.

5. �Թϱ�� has been to space – more than once

(Above: Alumna Roberta Bondar at the Canadian Space Agency/ photo credit: Canadian Space Agency)

(Don't forget Julie Payette!)

When David Onley, UTSC alumnus and Ontario’s 28th Lieutenant Governor, wrote his space novel Shuttle: A Shattering Novel of Disaster, 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.

A decade after Onley’s book went to space, Roberta Bondar 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: the crest of Erindale College, as UTM used to be known.

Download David Onley's book from Audible

6. A time capsule is buried outside Robarts Library

(Above: Members of Pollution Probe with the time capsule outside Robarts Library/ photo credit: �Թϱ�� Archives)

(You really don't want to dig up this one)

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.

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.”

7. �Թϱ�� alumni make the shows you watch on Netflix

(Above: �Թϱ�� Law alumnus David Shore created the popular television show House/ photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

(They also make the shows your parents watch on TV)

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.

One of the longest running shows, Saturday Night Live, is the brainchild of �Թϱ�� grad Lorne Michaels and national institution Degrassi was created by alumna Linda Schuyler. (�Թϱ�� students have also acted on Degrassi over the years – although the show's most famous alum isn't technically a �Թϱ�� guy... or is he?)

Alumnus Hart Hanson created Bones, and the late, lamented House was created by alumnus David Shore. Alumna Tassie Cameron created Rookie Blue (and also wrote the late, lamented Eleventh Hour) and Stephanie Savage, a �Թϱ�� grad, co-created Gossip Girl.

Orphan Black was not created by �Թϱ�� grads. We just wish it was.

8. A �Թϱ�� prof chased butterflies all the way to Mexico

(Above: Monarch butterflies were the focus of Professor Urquhart’s career/ photo credit: UTSC)

(He cared about those monarchs long before it was a thing)

After researching butterflies for 38 years, UTSC professor Fred Urquhart 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.

Find out more about the Fred Urquhart memorial garden at UTSC

9. In the Name of the Rose was inspired by Robarts

(Photo credit: Ken Jones)

(You know what else Robarts inspired? This video game)

Italian novelist and semiotician Umberto Eco 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.

In fact, he enjoyed Robarts Library so much, he based the monastery library in his well-known novel, In the Name of the Rose, on �Թϱ��’s Robarts Library and Yale University’s Sterling Memorial Library.

You'd probably like to know how many other novelists �Թϱ�� has inspired. We'll start compiling the list now. Maybe we can finish in time for birthday #190.

10. �Թϱ�� faculty members are helping solve crime cases

(Above: Dr. Tracy Rogers, Forensic Anthropologist at UTM/ photo credit: Department of Anthropology)

(Our forensic science program predates CSI by five years)

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.

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.

11. World’s first G-Suit was born at �Թϱ��

(Above: Wilbur Franks with the Franks Flying Suit, the world’s first G-suit, in 1962/ photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)

(�Թϱ�� students make aeronautical history too)

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).

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.

It wasn't the first great scientific discovery made by �Թϱ�� scientists looking for something else and it won't be the last.

12. World’s rarest Shakespeare volumes live at �Թϱ��

(Above: Bust of William Shakespeare inside the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library)

(So do a lot of other books. And we do mean a LOT)

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.

Shakespeare’s First Folio (also known as Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & 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 Scott Schofield, lead curator.

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.

Take an audio tour of the exhibit

13. Football started at �Թϱ��

(Above: Captains J.R. Pampe and B.R. Taylor outside University College, 1965/Photo credit: University of Toronto Archives)

(No, really. Right here.)

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.

We were also the first Grey Cup champions

(#�Թϱ�� Birthday 190 is just 12 months away. Email your suggestions for how we should honour it here at �Թϱ�� to uoftnews@utoronto.ca)

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Epic snowball fight at �Թϱ��

sgupta — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:01:20 +0000

Epic snowball fight at �Թϱ�� sgupta Mon, 03/07/2016 - 08:01

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Madina Siddique on Instagram)

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Students from three campuses, plus visitors, battle to a good-natured draw

What do you get when you mix a thousand students, an open field and tons of snow with a little school spirit? The annual �Թϱ�� Snow Battle, which took place on March 3 on the front campus with King’s College Circle as the informal boundary.

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.

Organizers Madina Siddique and Frishta Bastan started the event last year as a means of helping students blow off some midterm steam.

“The first snowball fight was a great time and we really wanted to do it again,” Siddiqui told the Toronto Star. “As soon as the snow finally started to fall, we knew immediately that we had to organize it.”

See a photo gallery

Many students also found time to document the clash through photos and videos on social media. Below are a few highlights.

Read the story in the Toronto Star and watch the report on CTV.

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How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at �Թϱ��

sgupta — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:00:29 +0000

How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at �Թϱ�� sgupta Fri, 12/04/2015 - 12:00

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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)

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Across the University of Toronto's three campuses, students, faculty and staff are working on ways to support the refugee effort.

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.

At �Թϱ��, people are coming together to sponsor refugee families, host fundraising events and volunteer.

Over the coming weeks, �Թϱ�� will feature more ways you can support the refugee effort. But, in the meantime, here are three simple ways you can start helping to bring refugees to Canada or supporting efforts to welcome and help resettle them once they arrive:

1. Donate to the University of Toronto Scholars-at-Risk program

The goal of the Scholars at Risk 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.

2. Support the University of Toronto Lifeline Syria Challenge

Lifeline Syria is a Toronto group that seeks to sponsor and settle1,000 Syrian refugees through private sponsorship, says �Թϱ�� alumna Leen Al Zaibak, 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 Lifeline Syria �Թϱ�� to find out more about the teams and see how you can help.

3. Attend an information event or fundraising event

Music group Choir! Choir! Choir! is hosting a fundraiser to raise funds to sponsor a family on Dec. 8 at Lee’s Palace,
529 Bloor St. W.

T rinity College is hosting a community meeting on Dec. 9 at St. Hilda’s College, 44 Devonshire Pl.,where Leen Al Zaibak will speak about the Lifeline Syria challenge, and the Trinity College team will share how the community can help.

�Թϱ��’s Lifeline Syria group is hosting an information and volunteer meeting that is open to the general public on Dec. 10 at Sidney Smith Hall, SS2098.

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Open Robarts: �Թϱ�� Libraries’ alternate reality game

sgupta — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 03:52:22 +0000

Open Robarts: �Թϱ�� Libraries’ alternate reality game sgupta Tue, 10/27/2015 - 23:52

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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

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�Թϱ�� hosts its first alternate reality game for Open Access Week 2015

If you missed Open Robarts, the alternate reality game hosted by the University of Toronto Libraries last week, there’s still time to try it.

The game – a collaboration between the Libraries, local writer Mark Foo and artist David Oxley designed to celebrate Open Access Week – has been extended by popular demand.

“The coolest feature of it is that we collaborated with artists in the city,” said Nelly Cancilla, copyright outreach librarian for the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office at �Թϱ��.

“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.”

Robarts hosted Open Robarts 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.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

Librarians love seeing students in the stacks and reading rooms across the three campuses (�Թϱ�� has the third-largest library system in North America) but Cancilla says they deliberately designed the game to ensure “people wouldn’t have to be coming into Robarts in order to play the game” in the spirit of Open Access.

Between Oct. 19-Oct. 23, the Open Robarts webpage received 10,552 page views from 2,677 visitors – 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.

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. 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.

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.

“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.”

You still have time to win the game and collect your prize, Cancilla says. Open Robarts continues until Oct. 30th. And the prize? A 3D printer file of the sigil of the faction that winning players choose to join, of course.

Below are some highlights of the game so far as shared on social media:

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Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign

sgupta — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 15:22:46 +0000

Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign sgupta Tue, 10/20/2015 - 11:22

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One of the images shared widely via social media on election night featured Justin Trudeau's head superimposed on Jose Bautista's body

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During its 78-day campaign, the 42nd federal election in Canada dominated conversations at the University of Toronto –along with the Blue Jays and exams.

�Թϱ�� experts weighed in with their analysis of the election campaign strategies, tactics and issues while students took to video and social media to urge each other to vote and to share their opinions on election priorities and party platforms.

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ��

sgupta — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 15:17:14 +0000

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ�� sgupta Fri, 09/11/2015 - 11:17

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(photo by Ken Jones)

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Find the hidden gems and free services to help you succeed in the first few weeks

Students at the University of Toronto arrive hungry to learn – but returning students want everyone new to campus to absorb one lesson right away:

At �Թϱ��, learning means more than just diving into a textbook.

One of the greatest things about studying at a university with three campuses that anchor a thriving global city? Ogunbiyi says it's all about the opportunities to explore.

10. You are here: use these interactive maps for all �Թϱ�� campuses

The first step to finding your way at �Թϱ�� is to, well, actually find your way at �Թϱ��. Use these interactive maps – or download their app versions – to find buildings, green spaces, food, bike racks, accessibility spaces, libraries and more.

Find map for UTM

Find map for UTSC

Find map for St. George

Want to see a throwback to what the corner you’re standing on looked like years ago?

Follow University of Toronto Archives on Instagram (image, left) to find great photos that place your journey in context of the long history of �Թϱ��.

And while you're at it, why not follow �Թϱ��'s main Instagram account, Twitter and Facebook to join our ongoing conversation with students, alumni and friends of the University of Toronto?

9. Eat well: where to find the best food on campus... and nearby

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. Seek out gems such as the family-run Innis Café, which offers home-made smoothies, and The Coffee Shed at New College, a headline-grabbing social enterprise managed by people with developmental disabilities.

Each campus maintains an online hub detailing their food services.

Tip: you can load meal plans onto your TCard

St. George Food Services and meal plans (TCard+)

UTSC Food Services and meal plans (TCard+)

UTM Food Services and meal plans

There’s an especially bustling culinary culture around UTSC campus, as explained in this �Թϱ�� News article on Why foodies, bloggers and scholars are turning to Scarborough. And for food at the downtown St. George campus, the Food Services web site is dedicated to sharing news of food happenings on campus.

Join the conversation about new and exciting food spots as you discover them by sharing photos and reviews with us on Twitter or Instagram @UofT. 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.

Tip: ask restaurants near campus whether they offer a student discount.

8. New friends, fun clubs, free music and more – embrace “frosh” week: it’s called orientation for a reason

Taking an active part in clubs and the social life of the city is important for undergrads, says recent alumna and Onyx Motion CEO, Marissa Wu. (Read her advice for undergrad entrepreneurs)

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.

Meet new friends and explore the city with the �Թϱ�� tri-campus parade 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, so make sure you get that sorted out before Sept. 11.

All events presented by University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU). Details on their website.

7. Get the best information, fast, with �Թϱ��’s libraries

Forty-four libraries across three campuses and 12 million volumes spread out over the GTA make �Թϱ��’s library system the third largest in North America. (The collections are so vast they had to build a storage facility that looks like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark or the room of requirement in the Harry Potter books.)

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.

• Ask a Librarian online chat is available during the school year
• Follow @uoftlibraries on Twitter and Instagram
• New students can follow this libraries guide to help them get oriented with the library system
• Larger libraries offer tours

• Tip: attend one of many 30-minute workshops called 10 things you need to know about the �Թϱ�� libraries
• If you want an item from a particular library, you can order it to the library closest to you
• All our libraries have study spaces – and some study spaces remain open 24 hours.
• It’s not all textbooks – �Թϱ�� libraries offers free videos, magazines and more

6. Let �Թϱ�� support your health and safety

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.

Need a doctor? Visit your campus clinic for help from a medical professional trained to support student needs .

St. George Health Services

UTM Medical Care

UTSC Health Services

All three campuses also offer counselling, therapy and other mental health services such as breathing and sleep-health workshops.

UTSC Mental Health Services
UTM Mental Health Services
St. George Mental Health Services

In addition, ThoughtSpot is a live map designed by students for students. It identifies mental health and wellbeing resources relevant to students in the GTA.

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.

Learn more about campus safety on the university's Safety website and in this Q&A with Vice-President and Provost Cheryl Regehr.

5. Go to your prof’s office hours. It’s an easy way to improve your grades – and your university experience

First-year classes can feel intimidating. The best way to move past the fear? Get to know your professor.

Dropping by your prof’s office hours means you’ll get personal feedback and tips, plus you can ask questions.

It’s part of a professor’s job to set aside a specific time to meet with students one-on-one, but few students take them up on it.

Office hours are an opportunity to make a personal connection that will set you up to succeed.

4. Discover Hart House

Hart House is a bustling hub of student social activity at �Թϱ��. Home to a staggering array of clubs, courses, musical bands, choirs – 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 shuttle to the UTM campus.

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. And you are welcome to visit.

Students from all three campuses are invited to drop in for the Explore Hart House: Welcome BBQ event on September 17, 2015.

3. De-stress with on-campus activities and healthy routines

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 taking part in the community at �Թϱ�� here or follow up on these tips.

• Working out: Athletic Centre, Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, intramural sports, RAWC, MoveU
• Group activity: join one of the hundreds of clubs at �Թϱ�� or visit the multifaith centre, which offers a variety of non-denominational programs including discussion groups, yoga and more.
• Eat well: Prepare healthy meals at home or join one of the community kitchens to make meals together. Find some student-friendly recipes and techniques here.
• Catch up on sleep. Find healthy sleep tips and more on ways to refuel.
• Reconnect with nature on �Թϱ��'s green spaces and across the GTA

• Learn stress coping techniques.

"My personal experience at the University of Toronto was about community," said Natalie Panek, an alumna from Aerospace Science & Engineering. Check out this video where she describes the community-building and extracurricular activities that made her years at �Թϱ�� so memorable.

2. Get equipped for class and life in the GTA

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.

• Camera – Whether it’s a cell phone camera or a full-frame DSLR, the vibrancy of city life 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.

• Headphones – 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 The Cities Podcast produced by the University of Toronto. City-building and research on urban issues are a real strength at �Թϱ��. This series explores little-known stories of Toronto and other global cities through interviews with experts, authors and citizens.

1. You tell us!

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 Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Look forward to hearing from you!

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Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ��

dp_mel — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:23:45 +0000

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ��

dp_mel Mon, 08/24/2015 - 14:23

Sarah Khan

Brianna Goldberg

Author legacy

Sarah Khan & Brianna Goldberg

Current Students

Subheadline

Find the hidden gems and free services to help you succeed in the first few weeks

Students at the University of Toronto arrive hungry to learn – but returning students want everyone new to campus to absorb one lesson right away. At �Թϱ��, learning means more than just diving into a textbook.

“Welcome to �Թϱ��! You made it!” says Oloruntobi Ogunbiyi, a recent computer science graduate. “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 a thriving global city? Ogunbiyi says it's all about the opportunities to explore. Read more about Back to School at �Թϱ��.

Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

sgupta — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 11:37:47 +0000

Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games sgupta Mon, 08/17/2015 - 07:37

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�Թϱ��'s Shelley Gautier with silver medal (photo courtesy Canadian Paralympic Association)

Sarah Khan

Author legacy

Sarah Khan

Topic

As the Parapan Am closing ceremony took place at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday, the field of 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.

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.

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.

The Games are also leaving behind an important legacy for the University of Toronto and its surrounding communities in the form of accessible sport facilities which will be open for training and participating in various sports as well as in affordable housing and improved public spaces.

“The infrastructure is really good for the community” �Թϱ��'s Zack Chetrat said in an interview with Hart House before breaking the Canadian record in men's 200m butterfly at the Games. “Everything 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.”

Celebrating the latest silver medal win by �Թϱ�� alumna and para-cyclist Shelley Gautier, we look back one last time at the many ways the University of Toronto embraced the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

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Maker Festival – brought to you by the University of Toronto

sgupta — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 09:35:58 +0000

Maker Festival – brought to you by the University of Toronto sgupta Mon, 08/10/2015 - 05:35

Cutline

Connie Tsang Photography)

Sarah Khan

Brianna Goldberg

Author legacy

Sarah Khan & Brianna Goldberg

Topic

Creative displays, innovative projects and interactive workshops from people like Professor David Johns ignited the imaginations of children and adults alike recently at Maker Festival, the largest maker event in Canadian history – sponsored by the University of Toronto.

“We wanted to be involved as a presenting sponsor because we think it’s a unique event in the city,” said Erin Lemon, �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.”

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 extreme printing and weaving to wearable drum kits, robots and more.

“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."

The engineers, hackers, entrepreneurs, artists, experimenters and others at �Թϱ�� who love to create have long been involved in the Maker movement and helped transform last November’s two-day Mini Maker Faire into the recent festival.

(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.)

And �Թϱ��’s Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship continues to add new maker-friendly accelerators and success stories to its roster. (Interested in startups and entrepreneurship? Visit the Banting & Best Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.)

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 OTI Lumionics and Nanoleaf.

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Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: highlights of the first weeks

sgupta — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 12:37:33 +0000

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: highlights of the first weeks sgupta Wed, 07/29/2015 - 08:37

Cutline

Sasha Gollish, bronze medallist and PhD candidate at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (photo by Winston Chow/COC)

Krisha Ravikantharaja

Sarah Khan with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja

Sarah Khan

Author legacy

Sarah Khan with files from Krisha Ravikantharaja

Topic

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.

And time enough for one last look back at the first weeks of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

�Թϱ��’s Rosie MacLennan kicked off the torch relay, followed by students, staff, faculty and alumni who took turns carrying the flame through Toronto and farther afield. (Read more about �Թϱ��’s torchbearers.)

The Scarborough and downtown campuses welcomed thousands of people to competitions for archery, diving, field hockey and more – as well as to �Թϱ�� Houses. Members of the University community turned out by the hundreds to offer support and volunteer. (Read about the physicians and therapists keeping athletes in the Games. Listen to an episode of the Cities Podcast.)

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 running with a shoe half-off. There were gold medals for �Թϱ�� trampolinist MacLennan; rower Kate Sauks and badminton's Michelle Li (who also picked up a bronze in the women's doubles) and silver medals for equestrienne Belinda Trussell and hurdler Sarah Wells (Wells also won a bronze medal in 4X400m relay). Swimmer Zack Chetrat picked up a bronze when he smashed the Canadian record for 200m butterfly and there were two bronze medals for Lucinda Nowell in rhythmic gymnastics. Amanda Woodcroft and Alex Thicke picked up bronze medals in field hockey; and first-year student Anqi Luo won a bronze medal in table tennis. PhD student and runner Sasha Gollish won a bronze medal in the 1500m race, despite almost losing one shoe.

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:

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Sarah Khan

13 reasons to celebrate 189 years of the University of Toronto

1. We have a hard time keeping track of this thing

2. The Leafs borrowed �Թϱ���’s blue and white

3. �Թϱ��� was home to Canada’s first electronic computer

4. A �Թϱ��� Prof created the Iron Ring Ceremony

5. �Թϱ��� has been to space – more than once

6. A time capsule is buried outside Robarts Library

7. �Թϱ��� alumni make the shows you watch on Netflix

8. A �Թϱ��� prof chased butterflies all the way to Mexico

9. In the Name of the Rose was inspired by Robarts

10. �Թϱ��� faculty members are helping solve crime cases

11. World’s first G-Suit was born at �Թϱ���

12. World’s rarest Shakespeare volumes live at �Թϱ���

13. Football started at �Թϱ���

Epic snowball fight at �Թϱ���

Read the story in the Toronto Star and watch the report on CTV.

How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at �Թϱ���

1. Donate to the University of Toronto Scholars-at-Risk program

2. Support the University of Toronto Lifeline Syria Challenge

3. Attend an information event or fundraising event

Open Robarts: �Թϱ��� Libraries’ alternate reality game

Election 2015: social media highlights of a 78-day campaign

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ���

10. You are here: use these interactive maps for all �Թϱ��� campuses

9. Eat well: where to find the best food on campus... and nearby

8. New friends, fun clubs, free music and more – embrace “frosh” week: it’s called orientation for a reason

7. Get the best information, fast, with �Թϱ���’s libraries

6. Let �Թϱ��� support your health and safety

5. Go to your prof’s office hours. It’s an easy way to improve your grades – and your university experience

4. Discover Hart House

3. De-stress with on-campus activities and healthy routines

2. Get equipped for class and life in the GTA

1. You tell us!

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ���

Social media highlights of Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

Maker Festival – brought to you by the University of Toronto

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games: highlights of the first weeks

2. The Leafs borrowed �Թϱ��’s blue and white

3. �Թϱ�� was home to Canada’s first electronic computer

4. A �Թϱ�� Prof created the Iron Ring Ceremony

5. �Թϱ�� has been to space – more than once

7. �Թϱ�� alumni make the shows you watch on Netflix

8. A �Թϱ�� prof chased butterflies all the way to Mexico

10. �Թϱ�� faculty members are helping solve crime cases

11. World’s first G-Suit was born at �Թϱ��

12. World’s rarest Shakespeare volumes live at �Թϱ��

13. Football started at �Թϱ��

Epic snowball fight at �Թϱ��

How can you help support refugees? Three simple ways to get involved at �Թϱ��

Open Robarts: �Թϱ�� Libraries’ alternate reality game

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ��

10. You are here: use these interactive maps for all �Թϱ�� campuses

7. Get the best information, fast, with �Թϱ��’s libraries

6. Let �Թϱ�� support your health and safety

Back to School lifehacks: must-have tips for life at �Թϱ��