For all of you (and that’s all of you!) getting ready for those late nights of studying for exams, this little refresher is just for you! Performed by GEAK, this music video pays tribute to our favourite hideaway at U of T…that cement block dungeon we like to call “Robarts Library”. Good luck on exams all!
As part of an ongoing video series, we here at blogUT partnered up with My City Lives to show you all the hot spots on the U of T campus. This month we bring you…(drum roll please)…the infamous St. George food trucks! Why? Because you know what? Restaurants are overrated. The trucks on St. George will change the way you eat…not necessarily for the better, but for cheap! And if you haven’t tried it yet, we promise you…you will soon!
My City Lives is an online platform that gives us the chance to capture and share our daily experiences around the city on video. Presented on an interactive map, these web stories show exactly where each video was filmed so you can learn more about the city based on the stories and experiences of your fellow citizens. To view the entire blogUT web series, click here.
Journalists for Human Rights is a Toronto-based organization that works to spread and raise awareness of human rights violations, and to make people in marginalized communities aware of their rights. They work in post-conflict African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mobilizing the local media and training local journalists in these countries to more effectively report on human rights issues. It also aims to educate people who may not know what their rights are, how to protect their rights and the rights of others.
The U of T chapter of jhr remains one of the smaller campus groups, but despite this, the organization works hard to raise human rights awareness in the U of T community. Last year, jhr’s U of T Chapter held a documentary festival (known as the Human Rights DocFest) to showcase local talent while educating community members about rights violations that occur both domestically and internationally.
This year, they will continue to spread human rights awareness be creating and distributing monthly newsletters and podcasts within U of T while working with other Toronto-based school chapters to create a documentary. Anybody is welcome to contribute to any of those projects, and in fact, the student group is looking for submissions of photography, writing, or any form of media.
This Thursday, November the 25th, from 5 to 7pm in the North Dining Room at Hart House, the U of T jhr Chapter will be hosting a movie night. War/Dance will be featured, a film which tells the story of three Ugandan refugee children as they compete in a music competition and talk about the atrocities they witnessed. The screening is free and is a great way to educate yourself about human rights violations while learning more about the organization!
To learn how you can get involved, please visit www.jhr.ca or check out their Facebook fanpage.
Fo’Real is an urban dance collective based within the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto, seeking to keep hip hop and street dance alive within the academic world of one of Canada’s top universities. Since its establishment in 2004, Fo’Real has grown to become a recognized name in and around the campus, performing annually at U of T’s Festival of Dance and UTSU’s Orientation Day, for example. Fo’Real has also been given the privilege of sharing the stage with notable performers such as Bag-o-Trix, Soul Power Crew, Rukus, DoDat Entertainment, and Tommy the Clown. The group also had the honour of performing as opening acts for Melissa Reyes (Search for the Next Pussycat Doll) in 2008, SoReal Cru (America’s Best Dance Crew) in 2009, and for YouTube star, David Choi in Kollaboration Toronto in March 2010 (where Fo’Real was a finalist and awarded Best Artist).
This month, Fo’Real is representing U of T (St. George campus) at the Ontario Universities Competition for Hip Hop (O.U.C.H) 2010 – the main dance competition that Fo’ Real participates in every year. O.U.C.H is an annual non-profit hip hop dance competition established in the name of friendly competition amongst universities/colleges in Ontario. Tradition holds that the winning team will have the privilege of hosting next year’s competition. In 2008, Fo’Real came in third place at O.U.C.H. In 2009, Fo’Real was only four points away from taking home first place (click here to watch last year’s performance)! This year, the crew is hoping to take the prestigious O.U.C.H title and being able to bring the competition to Toronto for the first time!
Fo’Real hopes to gain support from the U of T community at O.U.C.H. Cheer them on and see which school will ultimately reign O.U.C.H 2010! It will be taking place at 7pm on Saturday, November 27th at the Great Hall in Hamilton Place. Guest judges include Tatiana Parker (SYTYCD Canada), Derek Rice (Blueprint -ABDC), and Brian Puspos (SoReal Cru-ABDC). Tickets are $18 and proceeds from O.U.C.H will go towards FREE THE CHILDREN organization. Message Fo’Real for tickets and for more info, check out their Facebook page.
What do you get when you mix together a group of students looking to make a tangible difference in the community while at the same time forming real friendships? Eyes of Hope!
Eyes of Hope (EOH) is a club on campus that is aimed at alleviating poverty in both the local and international community, while developing leadership skills and having fun at the same time! The organization is currently involved in a number of different initiatives on the local level with a focus on homeless outreach. Taking part in sandwich runs to provide homeless individuals with food and nutrition, painting umbrellas with homeless youth as a means of therapy and self-expression, and volunteering at homeless shelters and food banks, EOH works to understand the issues and destigmatize homelessness.
Even more impressively, EOH has had a number of successes working and supporting large non-profit organizations. For instance, EOH has raised a whopping $8500 for Free the Children to build a school in Sierra Leone and also raises funds to provide school supplies and teacher training in developing nations. The club is also sponsoring two children through World Vision. Finally, EOH started the U of T Habitat for Humanity Campaign and soon other campus clubs joined in the effort to raise $80,000 to sponsor a U of T Habitat home, 30% of which has already been raised.
Eyes of Hope supporting Habit for Humanity
Success at EOH, however isn’t just defined by how much money is raised for these various organizations, it is also equally important that members can do what they enjoy by getting involved in whichever EOH initiatives they are interested in and develop their leadership and interpersonal skills at the same time. EOH provides a rich experience and friendships that our textbooks just can’t provide!
For a taste of EOH’s work, be sure to check out the following events:
So if doing good is something you’re interested in (and we hope it is!), consider getting involved with Eyes of Hope. Send an email to eyesofhope@utoronto.ca or visit their Facebook page or website for more information.
The Pakistan Students Federation is a platform whereby students with a common background and interest in Pakistani culture and heritage can meet and interact with each other. This year Pakistan made global headlines because of the devastating floods affecting about 20 million people in the country. PSF played its part by raising funds for the victims in collaboration with the Pakistan Development Fund (P.D.F.) and the South Asian Development Council (S.A.D.C), all of which are U of T student groups.
Together, approximately $14000 were raised (without the Canadian government matching them), a portion of which went UNICEF and the Red Cross.
PSF plans to add to the diversity at U of T by organizing events symbolizing the rich Pakistani Culture. Earlier this year PSF collaborated with Skule Cricket Club to successfully organize a cricket tournament. Our upcoming events include a Gig Night in November which would include performances by students on Pakistani Music which has continued to mesmerize audiences across the world with its unique sound. We welcome the entire U of T community to attend our events and learn more about Pakistan. Our future plans include organizing Political Talks, Biryaani sales, movie nights and much more
For more information on how you can get involved, email psf.at.george@utoronto.ca or join their Facebook page.
Are you a budding entrepreneur? An aspiring innovator? Or even just a regular student exploring the different potential avenues for the future? Well, we think we might have something you may be interested in so get your read on!
The Discovery Series is a monthly speaker and networking series hosted by the Nspire Innovation Network that focuses on the exchange of ideas on specific topics in innovation. Launching this month, the first theme of the Discovery Series is Building a Business with Social Media. Speakers include Erin Bury, Community Manager at Sprouter, Soniya Monga, Community Manager at Techvibes and Linkedin, and Terry Foster, PR expert at ConnectedN.
With the growth and dependence on the web giving birth to social media, it has never been easier to start a business and build a brand. Barriers of geography, capital and huge teams have melted away, giving rise to this new age of social media and opportunity. Only few have mastered it to been able to achieve great success, will you be one of them?
October 14, 2010
6:30pm – 9:00pm
Debates Room, Hart House
For free registration visit: http://NspireDSsocialmedia.eventbrite.com/
To learn more about Nspire…read after the jump!
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