Hart House – Page 5 – Life @ U of T

Finding Fitness at U of T (Without Joining a Single Organized Sport)

When I entered university, I was determined to take advantage of all the physical fitness resources available and undo the drastic drop in athleticism that had occurred during my teenage years. In grade six, I had found joy in doing laps at the U of T Athletic Centre pool every weekend. However, when puberty hit, and sports teams became increasingly 'exclusive', I grew self-conscious and made every effort to skip out on gym. Throughout high school, I only voluntarily participated in two sports: fencing (a one week long U of T summer camp) and archery.

Getting Some Good Reminders at Mindfest 2016

Taking care of your mental health can be a bit of a chore if that's not something you're already mindful (ha ha) of. To be honest, taking care of your health in general can sometimes be a chore. I think it's hard to self-discipline yourself when you don't feel the immediate consequences of your actions. It just doesn't feel like not sleeping well or not eating healthy is going to affect you right. now. and so it's easier to just give in sometimes. So it's nice to have reminders every once in a while to keep yourself on track, especially during times when things are going relatively well and you think you don't actually need those reminders. This past Wednesday was Mindfest, a "festival to create awareness and gain appreciation for mental health." I had missed out on Mindfest last year (check out Madelin's blog from last year if you missed out as well), and so I was glad I had a chance to go this year.

Hart House, U of T — Most of the day events and presentations were hosted at Hart House.

The Rocky Road to Healthy Eating

This summer, I was enrolled in full-time classes. I would be on campus several days a week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.. As a commuter, unwilling to burden myself with more heavy things to carry, I bought pasta every day for lunch. By September, I had twelve dollars left in my bank account. It hadn't taken me long into first-year to realize that I often had to choose between healthy eating and cheap eating. Loaded with extracurriculars, my days spanned twelve hours; I would subsist off snacks, water, or cave in and buy a sandwich or pasta. When I first discovered food trucks, I had been delighted -- finally, a filling meal for under five dollars! But I soon realized that each poutine -- however cheap, hearty, and delicious -- made my body feel bloated and uncomfortable for hours afterwards.

Reconnecting at the Hart House $5 Lunch

Between classes, Orientation week, and illness, I hadn't gotten a chance to hang out with my best friend Julie for weeks. Our lunch dates kept getting postponed, so I was pleasantly surprised when I mentioned going to the $5 Hart House lunch yesterday and her schedule lined up. We met outside the Great Hall just after 1 p.m., and although the lunch was set to end at 2 p.m., there was still a large line-up of students and plenty of food. Both of us took the vegetarian option -- Greek salad, pita, rice, and a wonderful main of baked eggplant and lentils -- although the lemon-oregano chicken sounded delicious as well. The three-course meal felt so refreshing, particularly since healthy inexpensive food is so difficult to find on campus. It left me full, but not at all bloated or uncomfortable as food truck lunches usually do.

Art is my Salvation: Hart House Art Tour

photograph of jellyfish suspended in a tank glowing a fluorescent pink against a purplish blue backdrop — This week has been like swimming through a tank full of jellyfish 🙁

This week has been a tough week for me. A lot has happened and a lot still remains to be going on. The majority of it has simply been personal, but sometimes personal obstacles are the ones that seem the most difficult. And in my opinion, rightly so, because to me personal battles are actually opportunities to grow in disguise. In times of personal struggles, I have found that creativity and art are two things that ground me. Writing in a journal for instance, or even doodling in sketch pad. But sometimes inspiration to be creative doesn’t come easily when faced with a mountain that needs to be overcome. In these times, I enjoy finding inspiration in the more traditional way: that is surrounding myself with art. And what better way to do this than by taking advantage of Hart House’s free monthly Art Tour?

Beating School Stress this Week…Kapow!

For those of you taking Summer courses, you know ALL TOO WELL how quickly the course materials go by and before you know it finals are here (…then again, it feels like that during the Fall/Winter courses but y’all know what I mean!). One of my favourite things to do on-campus is to hit the gym, stressed or not.

The Start of a Great Journey!

Picture of yours truly with my archaeological finding! — Oh, the excitement of our first discovery at the Drawsko site in Poland! Credit: Danielle Donnelly

Hey there! My name is Meimei and I’m excited to join this AWESOME group of Life @ U of T bloggers for the upcoming school year. I am SUPER EXCITED to blog about our awesome university and events that take place on-campus! And of course share my experiences at U of T with you! Yay! As this is my first blog post of the year, a brief introduction is in order! You can learn more about me and my fellow bloggers if you click on the Crew tab – go ahead, you won’t regret it!

U of T: Then and Now

As a longtime history enthusiast, I’m always curious about what used to be. And every so often, while I’m walking across the tiled corridors of University College or peering up at the latest whimsical pattern on the ever-changing UTSU dome,…

Thinking About My Future (Briefcase)

This week I stepped out of my comfort zone. After receiving an invitation to an Arts & Science Backpack to Briefcase (b2B) event, I found myself shimmying into business casual work attire after a seven-hour school day. Having plans on a Thursday night is pretty unusual for me, considering my average Thursday night routine consists of pajamas, a couple hours of reading, tea and probably frozen pizza. The Backpacks to Briefcase event I attended was for students interested in fields relating to the Health Sciences. If you have been following the blog for a while, you may know that I am constantly waiting to have that *Eureka!* moment where I suddenly know what I want to do with my life. I figured that maybe the b2B might show me some job opportunities I could create for myself using my degree.

A photo of Soldier's Tower near Hart House at dusk. — The event took place at Hart House, and as I was walking I couldn't help but notice and appreciate the beauty of Soldier's Tower. #JoyAtUofT

The event itself was extremely educational, and it was really nice to have a reason to connect with students who, like me, were also concerned that they wouldn’t find a “dream” job with the degree they had chosen. Being a second year student, I was one of the youngest attendees — however, I think my youth might have improved the event for me because I wasn’t just learning from the alumni but also my fellow upper years.

Get Down to Boogie

My Thursday night started out like any other. I was studying at my favourite spot on campus: the Hart House reading room, pouring over a week worth of lecture notes. I was feeling a little drowsy which was most likely a consequence of the warm and cozy atmosphere of the library combined with what was admittedly the driest psychological theory I have been subjected to since starting my degree. Suddenly, as if the U of T gods had answered my prayers for a distraction worth ditching 150+ pages of reading, I heard the thum thum of an electric bass from where I was sitting. I had been studying for over three hours (as one does on a Thursday night) and so I decided to give myself a break from my reading and explore. Following the music, I was led into the basement of Hart House into the Arbour Room where I was greeted with the sweet sounds of the 50’s. This my friends, is where I meet The Dreamboats.

A photo of the Dreamboats (4 young men) in suits posing for a picture. — Hello Dreamboats!

I was delighted to find out that the concert was a free event organized by the student run Hart House group called Stages. So delighted in fact, that I sat my butt down and decided to treat myself to an evening of great music. The Dreamboats had attracted a fairly large crowd at their pre Valentine’s Day show, with most tables in the Arbour Room full. The genre of music seemed to entice music lovers of all ages; I saw first years and couples that must've been in their fifty-first year of marriage. It was nice to dance alongside people who loved to get down and boogie.

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