This weekend on March 5th and 6th, the students of the University of Toronto International Health Program (UTIHP) hosted the Health and Human Rights Conference at the J.J.R. MacLeod Auditorium. Gathering a smorgasbord of scholars, professionals, thought-leaders, and concerned and socially-conscious youth, the HHRights Conference was a two day affair that sought to tackle the crucial but highly problematic issue of international aid and development. Asking hard questions about the current impact of aid, its current flaws, and potential solutions, the event generated truly thought-provoking and insightful discussions and conversations. Some highlights include:

1. Opening performance of “Broken Land – A Song for Haiti” by JC and Karim.

I have no idea who these guys are (fellow U of T students, I presume) but what a way to start the conference! A soulful performance with equally riveting lyrics that set the mood for the rest of the evening. Have a listen to the song here…

2. Opening Keynote presented by George Roter

Engineers without Borders Co-founder and Co-CEO George Roter kick started the event by sharing his experiences during his time in various African countries, drawing the link between the rather abstract theme of aid and development to its human connection. After all, as he said, the conference is “about these human beings living in extraordinarily challenging conditions who want to see change for the better”. With a brief history of the development of aid and highlighting specific thought starters, George set the context for the conference reminding the audience that “we need to go beyond the idea of charity and start thinking about [aid] as opportunity, as partnership”.

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A quick scan through Ulife’s list of campus organizations show that student-run groups at U of T run the gamut from ethnic-based associations to academic networks, from student government unions to politically motivated affiliations, and from environmental and advocacy groups to faith communities. With all of these organizations trying to capture the student population’s attention, it’s pretty easy to get lost and blend into the background but there are a few out there that really deserve some recognition. One such organization is that of Peace by Peace, a student-run organization with chapters at York, Glendon, and of course, U of T. With the aim of empowering kids with the ability to prevent, manage, and resolve conflict in their everyday lives, students at the three aforementioned university chapters deliver an eleven week conflict resolution curriculum to Grade 5 students all across the Greater Toronto Area. By using interactive games and stimulating group discussions, youth members of Peace by Peace guide children through daily problems that will help them to develop valuable conflict resolution skills.

Every year the organization hosts what they like to call the Peace Bowl, a bowling tournament with funds going directly to PxP initiatives. Last year, they raised $10,000 and they’re hoping to up that amount to $12,000 this year on Sunday, February 29th. The students working behind this organization are so committed to their vision and goals, so much so in fact that,  Liisa Hyyrylainen, U of T Chapter President, vows to get a tattoo of their logo, the puzzle piece, if they hit that $12,000 mark (no turning back now, Liisa!). Proceeds from the Peace Bowl will go not just to the schools that cannot afford to fund PxP programs but also to the Peace Festival, a whole day’s worth of fun and games celebrating the culmination of the nearly three month program. Grade 5 students all over the GTA will get together this year on April 6th at Rexall Centre to enjoy a day especially for them, a day meant to commend and reward them for their hard work and effort. But PxP needs your help to ensure that the day goes smoothly so if you would like to volunteer for the event, contact them at pbyptoronto@gmail.com or drop by their office at 21 Sussex Clubhouse, Rm. 531.

Peace by Peace, in its 10th year of operation now, is undoubtedly an organization worthy of praise and encouragement. Run by university students for elementary students, it’s a sign that our generation is headed towards the right direction. Just their name says it all…

I just thought that something like this would be amusing to write considering that I’ve been going through several weeks of non-stop total exhaustion all thanks to my courseload of 6 courses. Without further ado, here are 10 things that all or at least most of you should relate to if you are, in fact, a student at university. (more…)

Image from x3nomic in the blogUT Flickr pool

Take our nose out of your textbook for a minute to find out what’s going on outside of the exam craze.

It seems that everyone is pissed off at the UTSU. A lot went down at their Annual General Meeting on November 19th. For one, the college councils have a few issues, which you can read the details of here. Furthermore, the meeting started 45 minutes late and ended 3 hours late, because students from UTM were delayed by traffic, meaning that people who planned to leave on time were left out. The Varsity has the rest of the details along with a giant list of comments.

The French Club (EFUT) is disappointed that they won’t find out whether or not they will receive funding from the UTSU until January because they didn’t submit a list of their members with their funding application. This list need to include the names, students numbers, and enrolment statuses of each member, which the EFUT says violates the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The executives have already spent $1,000 paying for events out of their own pockets. Sounds similar to something that happened to us at blogUT >_>

Some interdisciplinary programs may be on the chopping block unless colleges provide sufficiently convincing reviews to the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The Admissions and Awards building has moved to 172 St. George Street, a building U of T bought in 2008.

To end on a happy note (unless you are graduating this year, in which case this does not apply to you), the TTC has extended the Metropass discount to all post-secondary students. This means that you can buy the pass for $99, which is $12 less than it would be.

This past Friday I bore witness to this year’s iteration of Victoria College’s long running sketch comedy revue: The All Knowing Bob. It was a night of laughter, jeers, death panels, and hanging rednecks (read: basically my childhood) and well worth the $5 admission price.

Having seen last year’s Bob, A Bob Divided (based on the theme of two directors at war), I can’t help but draw comparisons between the two. While this year’s show was strong, its central theme was only really present in the introduction and conclusion sketches of the show, whereas the theme of the two warring camps of Bob actors reappeared throughout last year’s, which gave the show more of a sense of structure. In any case, The All Knowing Bob was very strong with some very well-written and well-acted sketches. There was not one sketch that didn’t elicit at least one laugh from me, which was a welcome break with the past tradition of some headache inducing acts that I have seen (please see my reviews of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival).

Timing is an elusive thing to master in sketch comedy, and when designing a sketch one always runs the risk of thinking that (lots of good jokes) + (even more jokes) = funnier. Unless every single one of those jokes is about land-stealing Prussian nobles, then there is such a thing as reaching the tipping point in a sketch where additional length serves to make funny jokes less funny. As always, less is more: some of the longer sketches in The Bob would have been 100% funnier if they had been 50% longer. Also, some sketches didn’t build towards a central punch line or narrative conclusion, which made a few of them seem static.  But those small critiques aside (and they are very minor, compared to the wealth of great sketches in this two-hour long revue), it was a very well made piece of comedy. The Mad Hatter sketches made me laugh till I peed (just a little bit), and the songs were catchy and original.

The acting was strong, and hopefully many of this year’s newcomers to The Bob –and those still involved that aren’t geriatric fourth years like me that have to hobble across campus to catch the Early Bird™ special at Denny’s – will stick around to crack jokes about death panels for years to come. A hearty round of applause should be given to long-time Bob actors/writers/co-directors Brandon Hackett and Chris Berube, along with their very talented cast.

Image from x3nomik in the blogUT Flickr Pool

Here’s what’s been going on at U of T in the last few weeks, in case you’re too lazy to read the papers:

Four St. Mike’s College students paint their faces black as part of a Jamaican Bobsled Team Halloween costume. The Black Students’ Association and UTSU are not amused.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall come to Varsity Stadium.

The Day of Action for a Poverty Free Ontario protest sees a smaller turnout than in previous years.

A New College student accidentally causes sprinklers to go off in the middle of the night, apparently flooding the entire 5th floor in one of the resident buildings. Hundreds of sleepy students are evacuated from their beds and probably pissed off.

Hart House has been getting, and is going to continue getting a makeover, in case you haven’t noticed.

People’s parents come to U of T for Bring Your Family to School Day, with apparently positive results. I wonder how many of these were surprise visits.

A sexy new student lounge has been built at Woodsworth College. Maybe you will be lucky and have an exam there.

Skule Music Concert is a student-organized concert featuring the engineering music ensembles Skule Orchestra, Stage Band, Stage Band Blue, Brass Ring and Jazz Combo. This one-of-a-kind concert showcases the vast musical talents of over 100 U of T engineering students with an extensive selection of music ranging from classical to jazz.

When: Friday, November 27th 2009 frm 7PM – 9PM
Where: Knox College Chapel, 59 St George St. (Chapel also has its own entrance on King’s College Circle but no specific address.)
Price: Free, but there is a suggested $5 donation for non-students.