Street Fest!

Hopefully a bunch of you reading this checked out Street Fest on Wednesday... but if not, let me tell you about one of my absolute favourite days on campus. I love Street Fest because it is one of the few days where you can really see the community that is alive and well on our beautiful campus. St. George Street was (and always is) closed off from Harbord to College, and was JAM PACKED with university students checking out the booths offering the chance for new friends and even more amazing experiences. There’s music, sunshine (usually), and a student’s favorite thing, FREE STUFF. That’s right, free pencils, RAMEN, and more! This obviously isn’t the main purpose, but free freezies are definitely a good way to get me interested in that Quidditch team I’ve been meaning to try out. In all seriousness, U of T Street Fest is amazing. U of T has over 100 different clubs of all different shapes and sizes: sports teams, non-profits clubs, sustainability groups, academic groups, volunteer clubs... the list goes on and on. Without Street Fest I never would have heard about all the study abroad opportunities available or the workout classes that are offered at Hart House. It’s a day to look around and see where you want to be spending your time at U of T. In my first year, I joined a Dragon boating team and if it wasn’t for Street Fest I never would have found a community that I could belong to. Being able to make that first leap to try something new allowed me to be confident to try other things like working for Academic Success and writing blogs for you! University is a time to try new things, so go out and try that Spanish club you’ve always wanted to be a part of, or the community running group that runs at the AC once a week (one of the friendliest groups I’ve ever broken a sweat with). Finding your own space on campus is the exact mentality that Street Fest facilitates. Our campus can be daunting but making that leap and trying out a club is an amazing chance to feel more comfortable on campus. And if a club that you want doesn’t exist, go and make one! Being part of a group can help you stay focused but make friends along the way. All these amazing groups WANT you to come and join them. Undergrad is short but the experiences, friendships, and mentalities we take away can last a lot longer. Push your boundaries and check out some clubs! Don’t forget about the free stuff too!