U of T Stories

There's something about a storytelling that really appeals to me.  My dad used to tell my brother and I stories every night, not from books but from his head. They were fun ones, with magic and adventure. As I grew older, I began to be more interested in people and their stories. I remember this one time I ended up talking to a lady in the airport when I was 11. I don't remember what we talked about, exactly, but the feeling of connecting and learning about another person was exhilarating. Part of it was probably because I was 11 and talking to a total stranger, but getting to know someone else and having good conversation felt good! Fast forward 10 years and here I am, at the biggest university in Canada. With more than 40,000 undergraduates alone, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that you probably walk past a hundred people a day. Yet I don't even know the stories of even 1% of that number. If it because of the "otherness" Sarah talked about? Everyone has a story. I want to know yours.

Starting today until the end of August, you will get an opportunity to share your story. U of T Stories is a project where anyone and everyone who has ever been to or been inspired by U of T can share their story. This includes students, alum, faculty, staff... Really, anyone who has ever had anything to say about U of T. What kind of submissions am I looking for?

• Pictures - There are pictures on the site that you can even photoshop and manipulate if you feel like something's missing! Of course, your own pictures are always welcome.
• Memories and reflections - Think about to the little moments spent on campus. Capture them.
• Videos - Because gifs only exist on computers.
• Creative pieces - C'mon, I know we say that U of T has killed our creativity (at least, Life Sci students like to say that) but all of us have a creative streak. You can't really say you've never wondered what happened in that chilly corner in the back of the lowest floor in Gerstein. They can be in picture, text or video format.

There's also no limit on how much you can submit, so feel free to share as much as you like! Also, all submissions are anonymous 😉 U of T Stories is about gathering all stories, not just the good ones. Life isn't just made up of the good times, there are also not-so-good times. I know what you're thinking. "My stories aren't all that interesting." But then again, life can't be spectacular all the time.  As it says on the site: Tell us about the highs and lows, ordinary and extraordinary.  I think the best part is that these stories are for everyone to read. The more people share, the more you get to see. I've already shared my first U of T story. I can't wait to read yours. - Crystal