First Year Package

finding moments of
BAL
V
FEATURE 15
NCE
Sharine Taylor,
Editor-in-Chief
As I sat in my very first lecture of university,
I recall being in complete
disbelief that I was actually a University
of Toronto student. Truth be told, I didn’t
know what lay ahead. There have been
some incredible moments and some less
than triumphant moments during my time
here. Through both times, there has been
one thing that has saved me multiple times
over: finding moments of balance.
There’s no singular university experience.
In fact, if you ask some students
or recent graduate students what they think
of their time in post-secondary, there will
probably be pretty polarizing opinions. Most
students become relatively disappointed
after their post-Orientation high wears off.
Though I’m not sure what each of you has
in mind for what your first-year experience
may shape up to be, I can assure you that
each narrative will be different. The eagerness
that comes with being in a new space
will compel some of you to sign up for multiple
campus clubs and groups and some of
you may be so overwhelmed that you may
just find yourself shying away from getting
involved. Regardless of what path you
choose, remember to look for moments of
balance.
This doesn’t mean getting superinvolved
-- though involvement is not discouraged
-- it just means that you should
give yourself the opportunity to not be
strictly tied down to academic obligations or
ensuring that your extracurricular resume is
packed with various activities. Finding balance
also means knowing when you should
reach out for help or assistance where you
may need it. Giving yourself these small
pockets of time will allow you to re-center
yourself and regain the momentum you will
need in the years to come.
One of UTSC’s best features is the
plethora of opportunities available to finding
balance. At times you will find that coupling
academic, social, and personal obligations
will prove to be too much to handle. Luckily,
there are resources that will lead you to
a place of equilibrium if you find that you’re
deviating away from whatever centers you.
This guide will act as a primer to show you
what lies ahead of your upcoming year on
the Scarborough campus and where you
could receive help should you need it.
FOR MOMENTS OF CELEBRATION
Lively events dot the calendar
year in the form of parties that will keep
your Snapchat filled with highly comedic or
highly embarrassing moments. Either way,
UTSC promises a good time with memorable
events that happen almost monthly.
First semester celebrations include September’s
boat cruise, October’s Halloween Pub
Night, and December’s UTSC on Ice skating
party. Second semester includes the January
Rainbow Tie Gala, the Montreal Reading
Trip and, March’s Spring Formal. Many of
the aforementioned celebrations are backed
by the SCSU but campus groups also host
parties throughout the school year too. If
you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see the Student
Centre transform into a stage welcoming
students to dance and engage with performers
as well!
FOR MOMENTS DEDICATED TO ART
Our campus is lucky to have two
galleries on location: The Doris McCarthy
Gallery (DMG) as well as Gallery 1265. The
Doris McCarthy Gallery is a contemporary
art gallery committed to showcasing the
works of Canadian and international artists.
The DMG generally curates three to four
exhibitions throughout the school year and
admission is totally free. Should you want
to be more involved, the gallery also offers
work-study placement and internship opportunities
for students year-round.
In 2004, three frustrated students
petitioned and gathered their resources together
to create what is now Gallery 1265.
Gallery 1265 was birthed from the lack of
opportunities students had showcase their
own artwork outside of the classroom. The
space, tucked within a small corner inside
the Meeting Place, is entirely student-run.
www. the-underground.ca AUGUST 22 - OCTOBER 5, 2016
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 01