The University of Toronto has a rich history dating all the way back to the year 1827. True to its motto, “Velut Arbor Aevo,” or in English, “As a Tree Through the Ages,” the university has grown and blossomed. Additionally, it is securely rooted in its position as the number one ranked university in all of Canada. Not only that, it is the biggest university in Canada with 12 colleges and the fourth largest library system in North America! So then, the metaphor of a tree may be a little odd to represent such a humongous university campus right smack in the middle of downtown Toronto. I mean, it’s more like a miniature city than anything else.
Just a few minutes’ walk, and students find themselves walking past the luxury designer boutiques that they will probably never set foot in, as long as their wallets are slowly being eaten away each year by tuition and the weight of invisible debt is always stronger than any shopping impulse (not that I’m bitter about it). Or maybe just after a few stops on the subway, students arrive at the bustling streets of Chinatown, where there are cheap eats galore. Neither of these places are what I would describe as natural and full of trees. But hey, if we wanted trees we would have chosen a university like UBC instead (no offence to them).
But surprisingly, our campus has several hidden places, in which students can find themselves surrounded by nature. I’ve already been here for three years, but I guess I’ve limited myself to Robarts Library, my own college, and busy food court areas. But sometimes you want to get away from all of the noise and the people. Even the library is crowded with students scribbling away furiously or whispering loudly over untouched textbooks. And really, who wants to be shushed every few minutes by the scary looking librarian? So imagine my joy and surprise when I discovered small places like Knox College and Victoria College Pond. On a warm fall day, they are the perfect places to enjoy a small lunch or just for a shady area for a read, especially with the sound of water rushing in the background. Places like these are perfect getaways from the usual school environment. And honestly, I would rather be surrounded by trees over books any day. So leave the library once in a while. After all, we are paying a lot to go here,
so get out there and enjoy all that our campus has to offer!