Month: July 2007

Image from Grad Escapes website

If you’re anything like me you didn’t realise that Grad Escapes were still going on during the summer. However a quick check of their website reveals otherwise. Indeed, several programs have already sold out. (Although the Music in the Garden program is free. You can just as well make your way to the Garden yourself and catch any of the many free concerts. The Grads Escapes one is occurring on the 12th of July).

Before summer’s end there is still canoeing down on the waterfront the 17th of July (which includes a lesson), a Jays-Yankees game on the 8th of August, and most interestingly (at least to me) a ceramics painting lesson on the 16th of August. For twenty dollars you get one ceramic piece to paint and studio time for up to three. As I understand it this means that you’d have to buy the other two pieces yourself. Still, it seems like a really nice way to be introduced to ceramics painting, as you’d be with a whole bunch of beginning grad students. As always, only U of T grad students are eligible for grad escapes events. So, if you’re not a grad student, you’ll have to ask one of your grad student friends to get you a ticket.

If you are like me, you probably don’t know much about the history of U of T. Again if you are like me, you are thinking to yourself “B-O-R-I-N-G.” I went on a historical walking tour of the campus today and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that our school is more interesting than you would think.

The most fascinating thing that I learned was the story of two men who were building University College (a really long time ago, as you would imagine). They got into a fight because one was having an affair with the other’s girlfriend. During the dispute, an axe was swung but it missed its target and hit a door. You can still see the mark that the axe made on the door!

Stretch your legs and take a free historical walking tour. You may just learn something interesting about that crusty old building you always walk by but never enter. Historical tours are offered during June, July and August daily Monday through Friday at 10:30am, 1:00pm and 2:30pm – holiday weekdays excluded. On the St. George campus the tours depart from the Nona Macdonald Visitors Centre, located at 25 King’s College Circle, M5S 1A1. Click here for more information.