When: April 15th, 2009, 9:00-19:00
Where: Bahen Centre, 40 St. George St., University of Toronto
What: Check out the Engineering Science student projects on how to improve the TTC: making the “better way” better.
Contact: For questions about the event: 416-978-8634

From the Event website:

The Division of Engineering Science in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering would like to invite you to the 2009 Praxis II Design Showcase.  The Praxis courses in Engineering Science provide our students with the opportunity to apply their engineering and design skills to challenges ranging in scope from the personal to the global.  Praxis II targets local challenges, and the 2009 version of the course focuses on the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) system.

Last year’s showcase produced fascinating designs for solving issues with the accessibility of automated entrances, the safety of passengers boarding and disembarking streetcars, and subway surface access points, among others.  The showcase was well attended by other University of Toronto students and faculty, representatives from Metrolinx, CBC Radio, as well as Councillor Adam Giambrone, pictured at right.  A Praxis student was also interviewed on CBC Radio’s Here and Now.  More pictures of posters, prototypes and the event from last year are available here. (more…)

This is a guest blog by JP, blogUT founder and former editor, who has gone on to do bigger and better things, like uh… open an online store to sell condoms.

So, by now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the general uproar over the pope’s comments regarding condoms during his visit to Africa. Here’s a recap of what he said, according to The Times Online:

In his first public comments on condom use, the pontiff told reporters en route to Cameroon that Aids “is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems”

As it turns out, the issue is always more complicated than it appears at surface level. What if I were to tell you that: the pope didn’t exactly say what you thought he said; condoms aren’t exactly “safe”; and I’m writing about all this as a subject matter expert on condoms after having done a whole bunch of research in the process of opening an online condoms store?

Well, I’m about to tell you exactly that. So please read on. (more…)

The Trinity Dramatic Society’s spring play is an original production written by student Michael Clarke and directed by Tom Davis. Based on a true story, it is about a family who is torn apart by mental illness. The show runs just under an hour, so take some time off studying and come out to experience some creative and intense theatre!

Date: Wednesday 18th – Saturday 21st
Time: 8pm
Place: George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Rd
Tickets: Student $8/Adult $12

Tickets can be bought at the door, or reserved in advance by emailing trinity [dot] dramatic [dot] society [at] gmail.com

I spent much of yesterday at Sid Smith trying (and I really want to emphasize that word, trying) to study for a mid-term. Unfortunately, the forces of nature were working against me not only because my mind seemed to wander off endlessly, but also because of all the commotion that was going on around me. Apparently, it’s election season at U of T. All day I was bombarded with pamphlets and strangers encouraging me to vote. Vote for Change! Demand Access! Rah, rah, rah! I couldn’t help but be swept up by all the excitement so off to the poll I went to cast my ever so valuable vote.

And staring into those little colourful pieces of paper with various names of people that I couldn’t even attach a face to…I couldn’t help but wonder (yes, my inner Carrie Bradshaw is coming out!), is this really the democratic process that we all so ardently and passionately advocate (okay…maybe not so juicy as Sex and the City…)? There I was standing at a booth deciding who I should vote for for this position and that position and I didn’t even have a single clue who some of those people were. Let me tell you the various considerations that went into my decision-making process: (more…)