Get involved – Page 151

Where the Magic Happens.

Every year, the Faculty of Pharmacy puts on a talent show which showcases pharmacy students and their talents. The show is affectionately called “Phollies” and is one of the most-anticipated events among the student body in pharmacy! Whether it was playing an instrument, singing, spoken word or beat boxing – Phollies has it all!

Have No Fear: Peers are Here!

Hello, UofT St. George has some pretty fantastic student programming on campus, and opportunities to connect with resources. I think its particularly great that students who are seeking help are given autonomy and choice, and flexibility in health care options. This week, I had the chance to chat with Peers are Here program coordinator, Adam, about the peer groups he helps to run, what you can expect from a session, and why he is passionate about this project.

The Best Places to Sleep on Campus – Video

On campus and tired but can't find a good spot to sleep? Our video crew took matters onto their own hands to test out some of the best spots to sleep on campus!

First Years – Unplugging on Campus

The start of the ’gap’ between midterms and finals is definitely a good time to find more opportunities to de-stress where possible. As I’ve been emphasizing the importance I’ve placed on striking a balance between work and play, I’ve decided to find out where my fellow first-years have been going to relax on campus. Specifically, I’ve been looking for places to ‘unplug’ and unwind without keeping a constant eye on my phone.

Getting Paper: A UTFOLD Origami Experience

A large origami structure of Hello Kitty, with more colourful folded pieces in the shelves in the background. The Hello Kitty structure is made up of many many smaller folded pieces of paper stuck together to create the larger model. — An origami modular of Hello Kitty made by last year's UTFOLD team. Look how cute it is!! (please also note the Totoro model in the back). Photo source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/utfold/

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I’ve been meaning to check out UTFOLD for some time. I thought that it’d be cool to advance my paper-folding skills beyond paper airplanes (is that even considered origami???).

Why Would One Strive to Fail?

I didn’t know what to write about this week, but then I went to my Olympic lifting class and the “eureka” moment happened in the strength and conditioning centre (SCC) between sets of clean pulls (literally picking the barbell up two feet off the ground and putting it back down). The reason the SCC intimidates a lot of people is because of the Olympic weight lifters. The SCC even offers OWL-free hours (OWL= Olympic Weight Lifting)! Why be intimidated? Because Olympic lifting tends to come with a lot of noise. Primarily the sound 250 lbs makes when it falls from 5-6 feet up. It’s loud.

A visit to the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery / University of Toronto Art Centre

The other day I was rushing through the UC Quad, something I do on the regular, when I did something out of the regular, I stopped to read the sign that I usually side-step to avoid. This sign lives outside of The UTAC. The Justina M. Barnicke Gallery / University of Toronto Art Centre is one of those places that I've been promising myself I'd visit, but could never quite find the time to do so. The sign drew me in with its poster-board charm, and I decided to abandon my readings for an hour and finally make good on my promise.

photo of the UC tower taken from outside the art centre, facing the quad

Press Send and Prosper: E-mailing Profs

Cyberspace: the final frontier. These are the enterprises of the modern student. Her undergraduate mission: to explore strange new syllabi, to seek out help and resources, to boldly go where many students have gone before… …Her professor’s UTmail+ inbox. Okay okay, maybe e-mailing a professor isn’t quite as exciting or high stakes as hiking through Andoria, but it can feel like a monolithic task. I have heard all sorts of horror stories—everything from sending a prof the wrong e-mail to accidentally using a text abbreviation! Shudder.

Pictured: Spock from Star Trek staring at a computer — Spock is unimpressed by "lol jk" Picture courtesy of http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/

After three years of interacting with professors through various mediums, I think I am starting to get the hang of it.

Here is what I always keep in mind when I’m drafting an e-mail:

Life Unplugged

The beginning of November marks the start of “Unplugged” month at U of T, which is an initiative that encourages students to escape the tight grasp of their social media accounts. Who hasn’t felt that nagging feeling to check your phone at least twice during your one hour lecture or the all-consuming fear that your insta-hashtag is “too literal”?. Inspired by Madelin’s leap of faith into a notification-less world. I decided to embark on a challenge of my own: to delete all my social media apps off my phone for an entire week. Here is my story: "UNMISTAKEABLE LAW & ORDER ‘DUN DUN’ SOUND EFFECT"

#UofTRemembers: Remembrance Day events on and around campus

November 11 is Remembrance Day. This year marks the hundredth anniversary of the writing of “In Flanders Fields” by U of T alumnus John McCrae. There are lots of ways for you to learn about the history of U of T’s involvement in the world wars and pay your respects to Canadian veterans this week on and around campus. Visit Soldier’s Tower and see artifacts, photos, and the memorial room. The Soldier’s Tower in Hart House is a stunning memorial to U of T’s veterans. They’re holding open hours for the U of T community to drop in and explore. Tuesday, 12pm-3pm Wednesday, 11am-4pm (anticipate line-ups) Attend U of T’s annual Service of Remembrance. Each year, this service takes place outside by the Soldier’s Tower war memorial between University College and Hart House, and is followed by a free public reception in the Great Hall of Hart House. There will be lots of interesting, insightful speakers from the U of T community. For more information about the service, check out U of T’s alumni website. Wednesday, 10:20am-11:00am

The 2013 Service of Remembrance at Soldier's Tower. Courtesy of U of T Archives. — The 2013 Service of Remembrance at Soldier's Tower.

Category: Get involved (page 151)