University of Trinity College
Encyclopedia
The University of Trinity College, informally referred to as Trin, is a college
of the University of Toronto
, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan
. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican
alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of England
. In 1904, Trinity joined the university as a member of its collegiate federation.
Trinity College presently consists of a secular undergraduate section and a postgraduate divinity school that is part of the Toronto School of Theology
. Reflecting its English
heritage, the college maintains such traditions as the wearing of gowns at dinner, a chapel choir that includes choral scholar
s, and college scarves and blazers. The Munk School of Global Affairs
is based in Devonshire House, the college's historic residence hall.
Bishop John Strachan
, an Anglican priest and Archdeacon of York, received a royal charter
from King George IV
in 1827 to establish King's College in Upper Canada
. The colonial college was effectively controlled by the Church of England
and members of the elite Family Compact
. In 1849, over strong opposition from Strachan, Reformists took control of the college and secularized it to become the University of Toronto
. Incensed by this decision, Strachan immediately began raising funds for the creation Trinity College, a private institution based on strong Anglican lines.
Working with Darling and Pearson, Charles Barry Cleveland superintended many of their important architectural works in eastern Canada including the Trinity College campus at the University of Toronto. The cornerstone was laid on April 30, 1851. Trinity was incorporated as an independent university on 2 August 1851, and a charter was granted by Queen Victoria
the following year. The Cameron property on Queen Street in western Toronto was purchased for £2,000, and the college opened to students at the site on January 15, 1852.
Beginning in 1837, representatives of the United Church of England and Ireland in Upper Canada met with the Society for Propagation of the Gospel to solicit support for fellowships to enable the education of local clergy. With a guarantee of support, in 1841 Bishop Strachan requested his chaplains, the Rev. Henry James Grasett and the Rev. Henry Scadding of St. James' Cathedral, and the Rev. Alexander Neil Bethune, then Rector of Cobourg, to prepare a plan for a systematic course in theology for those to be admitted to Holy Orders. On January 10, 1842 the first lecture was given at the Diocesan Theological Institute
in Cobourg
. In 1852, teaching was transferred to Toronto in the new Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College. Trinity College absorbed the Diocesan Theological Institute
in Cobourg
in 1852.
Trinity gradually expanded its teaching beyond arts and divinity, and by the end of the 19th century its scope had included medicine, law, music, pharmacy and dentistry. The college admitted its first female students in 1884, and St. Hilda's College was created in 1888 as the women's college of Trinity. With Strachan's death in 1867, efforts could begin to unite Trinity College with the University of Toronto.
Eden Smith
(architect) built St. Hilda's College (1899), on the grounds of Trinity College, now University of Trinity College.
After taking office in 1900, provost Thomas C. S. Macklem supported joining the college with the University of Toronto. The matter became hotly contested when Trinity's medical faculty merged with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
in 1903. After what Macklem described as a "long-drawn and bitter" series of debates, the college voted 121 to 73 in favour of federation with the University of Toronto. The university made a concession to allow Trinity to administer its own examination in religious subjects, which required the university to remove the restriction from its governing charter.
On October 1, 1904, Trinity became part of the University of Toronto and relinquished to the university its authority to grant degrees in subjects other than theology. It became clear that the relocation of Trinity closer to the university was necessary, and the college abandoned plans for a northward expansion at its Queen Street site. The college acquired its present property near Queen's Park
at the university grounds in 1913, but construction of the new college buildings, modeled after the original buildings by Kivas Tully
, was not completed until 1925 due to World War I
. The former site of the college became Trinity Bellwoods Park
.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the place of longstanding institutions and traditions within the college community underwent changes initiated by internal and external parties. Episkopon
, a society based in the college since 1858, was officially dissociated from Trinity in 1992. In 2004, the college board of trustees voted narrowly in favour of ending Trinity's long practice of same-sex residency, and beginning in 2005 large portions of Trinity's residences became home to both men and women, although still separated by houses or wings.
Trinity College is centrally located on Hoskin Avenue within the University of Toronto, directly north of Wycliffe College
and to the west of Queen's Park
. The southern wing of main building, with its cornerstone laid by Bishop James Fielding Sweeny
, was completed in 1925 by Darling and Pearson, the architectural firm that also designed the university's Convocation Hall
and Varsity Arena
. The predominant Jacobethan
architectual style is particularly apparent in the roofline and the stone towers, while Tudor Revival is featured in the Angel's Roost tower. Architects George and Moorhouse oversaw a major expansion of the college in 1941, immediately prior to war-time restrictions on building materials. The expansion comprises the west academic wing, containing many of the college's public rooms, and the east residence wing. The college's north wing was built in 1961 by architects Somerville, McMurrich and Oxley, thereby completely enclosing the college quadrangle.
Strachan Hall is the largest component of the western wing, serving as the central dining hall for students residing in the main building, and the venue of all regular formal High Table
dinners,now regularly held on friday evenings. Adorning the walls of the Strachan Hall are portraits of important figures in the history of the college. The largest portraits, which hang from the north wall, are of Bishop Strachan and George Whitaker
, the college's first provost from 1852 to 1880. Hanging on the front wall prominently behind the High Table is a large mediaeval tapestry, believed to have been woven in Flanders in the fourteenth century to depict the coming of the Queen of Sheba to the court of King Solomon.
Near Strachan Hall in the western wing, the Junior Common Room is used by student organisations including the Trinity College Literary Institute whose coat of arms adorns the mantle, and the Trinity College James Bond Society. It is a place of socializing by undergraduate, meetings and informal studying. A large portrait of C. Allan Ashley, a professor of the college, hangs to the left of the entrance.
The Trinity quadrangle
has long been a focal point of student life at the college. The site was once home to the largest outdoor Shakespeare festival in the country. In the summer of 2007, the quadrangle was renovated with funds from an anonymous donor. The quadrangle design features footpaths and patterns based on the Greek letter Chi
, representing Christ, writ large in intricate flagstones.
The Trinity College Chapel was built with funds donated by Gerald Larkin, who headed the Salada Tea Company from 1922 to 1957. It was designed in the modified perpendicular Gothic style by renowned English architect Giles Gilbert Scott
, who was responsible for the Liverpool Cathedral
and the ubiquitous red telephone box
es seen throughout Britain. The chapel extends 100 feet (30.5 m) to the reredos and is 47 feet (14.3 m) high at the vault bosses. Using only stone, brick and cement, Italian stonemasons employed ancient building methods; the only steel in the construction is in the hidden girders supporting the slate roof, with the exterior walls being sandstone.
St. Hilda's College was built in 1938 at its present site west of the main building and the chapel.It used to be a women-only residence until 2005,and has since been turned into a mixed residence. George and Moorhouse built St. Hilda's College in the Georgian
style that was heavily favoured at the time, albeit with some embellishments, particularly the rounding of pediments.
, and a postgraduate Faculty of Divinity that is part of the Toronto School of Theology
. Undergraduates are admitted to Trinity in line with a common framework established by the University of Toronto, which sets the general principles and procedures for admission observed by its colleges. The college has about 1700 undergraduate students, with a first-year enrollment limited to about 400 students. From 2005-06 to 2009-10, Trinity's first-year class had an Ontario secondary school academic average of 90.9 percent. The student body is diverse with nearly 25 percent of undergraduates coming from 60 countries outside Canada.
The Faculty of Arts offers undergraduate major programs in immunology
, international relations
, and ethics, society, and law to students at the university. Associated with the latter two is an academic program called Trinity One. Admission to the Trinity One program is separate from that of the college itself, with enrollment limited to 25 students per stream. At least one prominent professor teaches in each stream; for example, Robert Bothwell
in the International Relations stream Mark Kingwell
in Ethics, Society, and Law. Noted author Margaret MacMillan
taught in the International Relations stream for the first two years of the program, prior to her departure for Oxford
. The International Relations program benefits from the presence of the Munk Centre for International Studies
, which is the centre of much post-graduate research, with a specialization in issues pertaining to the G8
. Janice Stein
, a prominent Canadian academic, is the current Director of the centre.
The John W. Graham Library traces its origins to 1828, when John Strachan secured a collection of some four hundred books from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge to stock the library of the fledgling King's College. The modern Graham Library is located in Devonshire House, which also contains the Munk Centre for International Studies, occupying a heritage building renewed for the 21st-century, with 200,000 volumes, convenient technological resources, and fine study spaces. The Library serves primarily Trinity's undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science, the graduate Divinity students and faculty of Trinity and Wycliffe Colleges, and the greater University of Toronto and Anglican Church communities who seek our resources. Subject strengths reflect the academic programs and interests of the two colleges: international relations, ethics, literature in English, philosophy, theology, Anglican church history, biblical studies.
. At the basic degree level, Trinity offers several Master of Divinity
programs - a basic program, a "collaborative learning" model with self-directed study components, and an honours programme, which includes a thesis. For students not seeking Holy Orders
, a Master of Theological Studies
is offered. At the advanced degree level, students may pursue the Master of Arts
in Theology, the Master of Theology
, the Doctor of Theology
and the Doctor of Ministry
. A PhD
in Theology can be earned through the University of St. Michael's College
. Applicants to the ThM must hold an MDiv. Students can also enroll jointly in the MDiv and MA. Non-degree programmes are also offered. The Diploma in Ministry is intended for aspirants to Holy Orders who hold an academic degree in theology rather than an MDiv. The Diploma or Certificate in Ministry for Church Musicians explores the intersection of sacred music and theology. The Licentiate of Theology (LTh) allows non-degree students to complete the equivalent of two years' full time theological study, with or without a previous undergraduate degree. The Faculty of Divinity of the University of Trinity College's Arms and Badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Trinity College enjoys a rich student life, with multiple college events held on a weekly basis. Trinity students hold two black tie balls annually, and continue to celebrate British holidays including Guy Fawkes day and Robbie Burns day.
The Trinity College Literary Institute ("the Lit") is an arts and debating society that holds weekly meetings. The Lit actually pre-dates Trinity College itself, having been moved there from the Diocesan Theological Institute in 1852. A typical meeting usually includes a satirical
debates on a humorous topic, updates on college news, and satirical poetry from the Poet Laureate. While the meetings are typically crass student affairs, sitting provosts, distinguished alumni and sitting chaplains have been known to attend and even debate on occasion. Beyond weekly meetings, the Lit organises other events including the annual Gay Fawkes bonfire, Oktoberfest, Chess in the Quad, Robbie Burns and Bubbly. A "serious debate" is held annually, and convenes a competitive debating committee that sends teams to tournaments of the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate
.
Formal dances are held twice annually at Trinity. The Saints Ball is held annually in the fall semester around november at St. Hilda's College, and the Conversat ball is held at Trinity College in the Winter semester. Traditionally, the Saint's ball was hosted by Women of College in their residence, while Conversat was hosted by Men of College in theirs. While the residences have been desegregated since 2005, the tradition remains that the Women of College ask the men (or other women) to Saints, and the men ask the women (or other men) to Conversat. At Saints, the Women of College are responsible for buying their date's ticket and drinks for the night, and at Conversat, the same is expected of the Men of College. When someone has been asked to either Saints or Conversat, it is considered in poor taste to refuse them without a prior engagement.
Trinity students publish a newspaper called Salterrae (Latin
, meaning The Salt of the Earth) which was founded as Trinlight in 1981. The annual yearbook
is Stephanos (Greek
, meaning Crown). There is also a bi-annual journal of students' short stories, photographs and poetry, called the Trinity University Review; it was first published in 1880 as Rouge et Noir (French
, meaning Red and Black).
The Trinity College Dramatic Society (TCDS) was established in 1892, and since 1927 has put on at least one full-length production each year. In some years, an additional two or three short plays have also been produced. The TCDS used Hart House as a performance venue from 1921 until 1979, when the George Ignatieff
Theatre (GIT) was constructed at Trinity. While most productions are now in the GIT, plays have also been staged in other rooms at Trinity and outside in the quadrangle.
The Trinity College James Bond Society was founded in 1997 to promote the appreciation of James Bond
. Each year, the Society holds several pre-dinner receptions where martinis
are served Bond-style: shaken, not stirred
; after dinner, a Bond movie is shown. Black tie
is the required dress at all James Bond Society events.
authority is the Trinity College Meeting (TCM), a direct democracy
body in which all students have equal standing (conditional on the wearing of gowns
at meetings). The TCM directly governs major policy questions and the allocation of student funds, but also convenes committees responsible for specific topics. As well, the TCM delegates responsibility for daily affairs to eight student Heads, following annual elections. There are two Heads of College, two Heads of Arts (social), two Heads of Non-Residents and two Heads of Divinity; in each case, one Head is female and one male.
ships to roughly one third of the choir, tenable for private voice coaching, from an endowment of $125,000. Since the construction of the Chapel in 1955, the Chapel Choir has sung an Evensong
service every Wednesday night during term, in the tradition of Oxford and Cambridge choral foundations. The Chapel Choir sings from the loft at the rear of the chapel, approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) above the main chapel floor, where the Casavant
pipe organ
is also located. Accompaniment is provided by the Bevan Organ Scholar
, typically an undergraduate music student, who is appointed for three years and paid from a $100,000 endowment. A Director of Music conducts the choir, mentors the organ scholar, and occasionally plays the organ during services. Since 2006, the Director of Music has been John Tuttle, who is also Professor of Organ at the Faculty of Music, Choirmaster and Organist at St. Thomas's Anglican Church, and conducted the Exultate Chamber Singers until his retirement in 2010.
dinners from Monday to Thursday during the academic year. Before the meal, one of the Student Heads or another positioned member of college (in order of precedence determined by seniority) is responsible for saying the Latin grace
: Quae hodie sumpturi sumus, benedicat Deus, per Iesum Christum Dominum Nostrum. Amen. (May God bless what we are about to receive this day, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.) Formal hall is marked by the enforcement of a number of regulations known as “Strachan Hall etiquette”. The most evident of these is the dress code, of which Trinity’s distinctive academic gowns are the essential element for all men and women of college. In addition to the wearing of the gown, men are required to wear a jacket, collared shirt, long pants and a tie, as well as close-toed shoes. If a man of college has had the honour of being "poored out", he is then permitted to wear his tie tied on the remains of his gown. For women of college, the dress code consists of a similar prohibition on open-toed shoes as well as a prohibition on short skirts and track pants. Although the dress code may look like an unnecessary burden to the casual observer, many students feel that it and other formalities lend a special atmosphere to the dinners that is not found in the rest of the university.
This dress code and other points of etiquette are enforced by the second-year students, led by the heads of second year. The second year students act as “deputies of the hall” and are in charge of enforcing the dress code as well as maintaining discipline during the meal. Any student in violation of the dress code will not be allowed to enter the hall until they are dressed appropriately; this regulation is relaxed for non-resident students. The second year students also have the authority to physically eject any student who causes a ruckus during the meal.
In parody of the college’s Oxbridge
traditions, the first year students will occasionally disrupt the formality of the meal by hurling buns at their fellow undergraduates. When this occurs, it is the job of the second years to eject all offending first years, or occasionally fellow upper years, from the hall. This is generally done with much struggle, however with little injury to any of the parties concerned. As the artillery is traditionally limited to simple bread rolls, no significant damage results from these incidents.
Until 1993, weekday dinners at Trinity College were punctuated by the tradition of "Poorings Out". This tradition was a tongue-in-cheek way of imposing "discipline" on errant male members of college. The name "Pooring out" relates to the "poor" behaviour of the targeted student. Often spurious or humorous reasons would be given for a pooring out. Under this tradition, members of second year would attempt to expel an "errant" student from the dining hall during the first 15 minutes of dinner. The targeted student would lie across the dinner table, and was usually defended by three fellow students who linked together to form a strong a defensive shell over the table and on top of the targeted student. Upon a publicly announced "call" as to the alleged transgression, the assembled members of second year would stampede from their seats to the defenders, where they were given one minute to pull the targeted student off the table. On the rare occasion that a defence did prevail for more than one minute, the defendant was permitted to leave the dining hall on his own feet. Otherwise, the head of second year (or delegate) would drag the defendant out of the hall.
In 1992 a campaign was organised against poorings out by a vocal minority of students who claimed victimisation. College authorities banned poorings out on the basis of legal liability in 1993. Rather than simply disappearing, the tradition of the pooring out has merely evolved to suit the contemporary climate. Today, pooring out is an honour generally reserved for students elected to prominent positions in the college, particularly the Student Heads. Both men and women may now be poored out; however the actual practice is most often gender segregated. For example, a man of college is defended by men and poored out by men, while a woman of college is defended by women and poored out by women. On account of the administration’s aforementioned hostility to the practice, they are no longer supposed to take place on college grounds and are absolutely forbidden in Strachan hall. However, their actual form has changed little. The student selected to be poored out lays across a table while three of his fellow students lay across him to defend him. The assemblage is then rushed by the upper year students, who shred the gown of the person, while removing his or her defenders. Once a student has been poored out, they wear the remains of their gown bound as a sash.
Trinity College is believed by many to be the setting of Robertson Davies
’ novel The Rebel Angels
. Evidence includes the similarities between Trinity and the fictional College described in the text; the fact that Davies taught at Trinity for 20 years while living across the street at Massey College
; and that a picture of Trinity's central tower is prominently featured on the cover of the novel's first edition.
The Trinity College campus has served as the filming set for scenes in many movies and television series, including Searching for Bobby Fischer
, The Skulls, Tommy Boy
, Moonlight and Valentino
, Class of '96
, TekWar
, and Ararat
.
at Trinity, with a male branch founded in 1858 and a female branch founded in 1899.
and former Trinity provost Margaret MacMillan
, numerous politicians including the aforementioned Michael Ignatieff, his father George Ignatieff
, former leader of the opposition and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
, now Trinity Chancellor Bill Graham
, former leader of the New Democratic Party
Ed Broadbent
, and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson
as well as numerous notable diplomats including former Trinity Chancellor and Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson
. To the field of business, Trinity has contributed Ted Rogers, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, and Jim Balsillie
, co-CEO of Research In Motion
. To the arts, Trinity has contributed poets Archibald Lampman
and Dorothy Livesay
, architect Frank Darling
, and filmmaker Atom Egoyan
. Numerous high ranking officials in the Anglican Church are also former Trinity students, including Andrew Hutchison
, retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada
. Thirty-five graduates of Trinity having been awarded Rhodes Scholarships.
Collegiate university
A collegiate university is a university in which governing authority and functions are divided between a central administration and a number of constituent colleges...
of the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, founded in 1851 by Bishop John Strachan
John Strachan
John Strachan was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto.-Early life:Strachan was the youngest of six children born to a quarry worker in Aberdeen, Scotland. He graduated from King's College, Aberdeen in 1797...
. Trinity was intended by Strachan as a college of strong Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
alignment, after the University of Toronto severed its ties with the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. In 1904, Trinity joined the university as a member of its collegiate federation.
Trinity College presently consists of a secular undergraduate section and a postgraduate divinity school that is part of the Toronto School of Theology
Toronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
. Reflecting its English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
heritage, the college maintains such traditions as the wearing of gowns at dinner, a chapel choir that includes choral scholar
Choral scholar
A choral scholar is a student either at a university or private school who receives a scholarship in exchange for singing in the school or university's choir...
s, and college scarves and blazers. The Munk School of Global Affairs
Munk School of Global Affairs
The Munk School for Global Affairs at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre on global issues that integrates research with teaching and public education...
is based in Devonshire House, the college's historic residence hall.
History
John Strachan
John Strachan was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto.-Early life:Strachan was the youngest of six children born to a quarry worker in Aberdeen, Scotland. He graduated from King's College, Aberdeen in 1797...
, an Anglican priest and Archdeacon of York, received a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
from King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
in 1827 to establish King's College in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The colonial college was effectively controlled by the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and members of the elite Family Compact
Family Compact
Fully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
. In 1849, over strong opposition from Strachan, Reformists took control of the college and secularized it to become the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. Incensed by this decision, Strachan immediately began raising funds for the creation Trinity College, a private institution based on strong Anglican lines.
Working with Darling and Pearson, Charles Barry Cleveland superintended many of their important architectural works in eastern Canada including the Trinity College campus at the University of Toronto. The cornerstone was laid on April 30, 1851. Trinity was incorporated as an independent university on 2 August 1851, and a charter was granted by Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
the following year. The Cameron property on Queen Street in western Toronto was purchased for £2,000, and the college opened to students at the site on January 15, 1852.
Diocesan Theological Institute
The Diocesan Theological Institute was an Anglican seminary founded by John Strachan in Cobourg, Canada West, on 10 January 1842. In 1852 the Institute was succeeded by the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Trinity College, Toronto...
in Cobourg
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
. In 1852, teaching was transferred to Toronto in the new Faculty of Divinity at Trinity College. Trinity College absorbed the Diocesan Theological Institute
Diocesan Theological Institute
The Diocesan Theological Institute was an Anglican seminary founded by John Strachan in Cobourg, Canada West, on 10 January 1842. In 1852 the Institute was succeeded by the Faculty of Divinity of the University of Trinity College, Toronto...
in Cobourg
Cobourg, Ontario
Cobourg is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario 95 km east of Toronto. It is the largest town in Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It is located along Highway 401 and the former Highway 2...
in 1852.
Trinity gradually expanded its teaching beyond arts and divinity, and by the end of the 19th century its scope had included medicine, law, music, pharmacy and dentistry. The college admitted its first female students in 1884, and St. Hilda's College was created in 1888 as the women's college of Trinity. With Strachan's death in 1867, efforts could begin to unite Trinity College with the University of Toronto.
Eden Smith
Eden Smith
Eden Smith was born in Birmingham, England but achieved fame as a Toronto, Ontario architect belonging to the Arts and Crafts movement...
(architect) built St. Hilda's College (1899), on the grounds of Trinity College, now University of Trinity College.
After taking office in 1900, provost Thomas C. S. Macklem supported joining the college with the University of Toronto. The matter became hotly contested when Trinity's medical faculty merged with the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
The Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto is the medical school of the University of Toronto. The faculty is based in the Discovery District of Downtown Toronto along with most of its teaching hospitals and research institutes. Founded in 1843, it is one of Canada's oldest institutions of...
in 1903. After what Macklem described as a "long-drawn and bitter" series of debates, the college voted 121 to 73 in favour of federation with the University of Toronto. The university made a concession to allow Trinity to administer its own examination in religious subjects, which required the university to remove the restriction from its governing charter.
On October 1, 1904, Trinity became part of the University of Toronto and relinquished to the university its authority to grant degrees in subjects other than theology. It became clear that the relocation of Trinity closer to the university was necessary, and the college abandoned plans for a northward expansion at its Queen Street site. The college acquired its present property near Queen's Park
Queen's Park, Toronto
Queen's Park is an urban park in the Downtown area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales, it was named in honour of Queen Victoria...
at the university grounds in 1913, but construction of the new college buildings, modeled after the original buildings by Kivas Tully
Kivas Tully
Kivas Tully was an Irish-Canadian architect.Born in Garryvacum in County Laois, Ireland, Kivas Tully was the son of John P. Tully, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and Alicia Willington...
, was not completed until 1925 due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The former site of the college became Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park
Trinity Bellwoods Park is located on the west side of downtown Toronto, Ontario Canada, bordered by Queen Street West on the south and Dundas Street on the north. The western boundary of the park is Crawford Street, running north to within a short block of Dundas, where the park extends further...
.
Towards the end of the 20th century, the place of longstanding institutions and traditions within the college community underwent changes initiated by internal and external parties. Episkopon
Episkopon
Episkopon is a controversial secret society at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, which has been active since 1858 when its male branch was founded. The 225th reading was held in 2011. A female branch of Episkopon has been active since 1899, holding their 150th Reading in 2009...
, a society based in the college since 1858, was officially dissociated from Trinity in 1992. In 2004, the college board of trustees voted narrowly in favour of ending Trinity's long practice of same-sex residency, and beginning in 2005 large portions of Trinity's residences became home to both men and women, although still separated by houses or wings.
Buildings and environs
Wycliffe College
Wycliffe College is an Anglican Church of Canada seminary federated with the University of Toronto. It is evangelical and Low church in orientation. On the other hand, the University of Toronto's other Anglican college, the University of Trinity College is Anglo-Catholic in outlook. While being an...
and to the west of Queen's Park
Queen's Park, Toronto
Queen's Park is an urban park in the Downtown area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales, it was named in honour of Queen Victoria...
. The southern wing of main building, with its cornerstone laid by Bishop James Fielding Sweeny
James Fielding Sweeny
James Fielding Sweeny was an Anglican bishop. He was the 4th Bishop of Toronto and Archbishop of Ontario, He was born in London, England on November 15, 1857, the son of Lt. Col...
, was completed in 1925 by Darling and Pearson, the architectural firm that also designed the university's Convocation Hall
Convocation Hall (University of Toronto)
Convocation Hall is a domed rotunda on the grounds of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Designed by Pearson and Darling and completed in 1907, it was inspired by the grand theatre of the Sorbonne and the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford...
and Varsity Arena
Varsity Arena
Varsity Arena is an arena in Toronto, Ontario. It is located at 299 Bloor Street West and is primarily home to the ice hockey teams of the University of Toronto, the Varsity Blues, though it also hosted the Toronto Toros of the WHA from 1973–74 and the Toronto Planets of the RHI in 1993...
. The predominant Jacobethan
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
architectual style is particularly apparent in the roofline and the stone towers, while Tudor Revival is featured in the Angel's Roost tower. Architects George and Moorhouse oversaw a major expansion of the college in 1941, immediately prior to war-time restrictions on building materials. The expansion comprises the west academic wing, containing many of the college's public rooms, and the east residence wing. The college's north wing was built in 1961 by architects Somerville, McMurrich and Oxley, thereby completely enclosing the college quadrangle.
Strachan Hall is the largest component of the western wing, serving as the central dining hall for students residing in the main building, and the venue of all regular formal High Table
High Table
At Oxford, Cambridge and Durham colleges — and other, similarly traditional and prestigious UK academic institutions At Oxford, Cambridge and Durham colleges — and other, similarly traditional and prestigious UK academic institutions At Oxford, Cambridge and Durham colleges — and other, similarly...
dinners,now regularly held on friday evenings. Adorning the walls of the Strachan Hall are portraits of important figures in the history of the college. The largest portraits, which hang from the north wall, are of Bishop Strachan and George Whitaker
George Whitaker (educator)
George Whitaker was an English-Canadian clergyman and educator.-Early life:Born into a Baptist farming family in Bratton, Wiltshire, England, he received his early education at Frome Grammar School and Charterhouse School. He matriculated at Queens' College, Cambridge, in 1829 and graduated BA in...
, the college's first provost from 1852 to 1880. Hanging on the front wall prominently behind the High Table is a large mediaeval tapestry, believed to have been woven in Flanders in the fourteenth century to depict the coming of the Queen of Sheba to the court of King Solomon.
Near Strachan Hall in the western wing, the Junior Common Room is used by student organisations including the Trinity College Literary Institute whose coat of arms adorns the mantle, and the Trinity College James Bond Society. It is a place of socializing by undergraduate, meetings and informal studying. A large portrait of C. Allan Ashley, a professor of the college, hangs to the left of the entrance.
The Trinity quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
has long been a focal point of student life at the college. The site was once home to the largest outdoor Shakespeare festival in the country. In the summer of 2007, the quadrangle was renovated with funds from an anonymous donor. The quadrangle design features footpaths and patterns based on the Greek letter Chi
Chi (letter)
Chi is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet, pronounced as in English.-Greek:-Ancient Greek:Its value in Ancient Greek was an aspirated velar stop .-Koine Greek:...
, representing Christ, writ large in intricate flagstones.
The Trinity College Chapel was built with funds donated by Gerald Larkin, who headed the Salada Tea Company from 1922 to 1957. It was designed in the modified perpendicular Gothic style by renowned English architect Giles Gilbert Scott
Giles Gilbert Scott
Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, OM, FRIBA was an English architect known for his work on such buildings as Liverpool Cathedral and Battersea Power Station and designing the iconic red telephone box....
, who was responsible for the Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool but it is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
and the ubiquitous red telephone box
Red telephone box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar, and despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, red boxes can still be seen in many places and in current or former...
es seen throughout Britain. The chapel extends 100 feet (30.5 m) to the reredos and is 47 feet (14.3 m) high at the vault bosses. Using only stone, brick and cement, Italian stonemasons employed ancient building methods; the only steel in the construction is in the hidden girders supporting the slate roof, with the exterior walls being sandstone.
St. Hilda's College was built in 1938 at its present site west of the main building and the chapel.It used to be a women-only residence until 2005,and has since been turned into a mixed residence. George and Moorhouse built St. Hilda's College in the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style that was heavily favoured at the time, albeit with some embellishments, particularly the rounding of pediments.
Academics
Trinity consists of an undergraduate Faculty of Arts that is part of the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and ScienceUniversity of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Science
The Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto is one of Canada's largest and most prestigious arts and science teaching and research institutions. With almost 22,000 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate students, Arts and Science represents over half the student population on the...
, and a postgraduate Faculty of Divinity that is part of the Toronto School of Theology
Toronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
. Undergraduates are admitted to Trinity in line with a common framework established by the University of Toronto, which sets the general principles and procedures for admission observed by its colleges. The college has about 1700 undergraduate students, with a first-year enrollment limited to about 400 students. From 2005-06 to 2009-10, Trinity's first-year class had an Ontario secondary school academic average of 90.9 percent. The student body is diverse with nearly 25 percent of undergraduates coming from 60 countries outside Canada.
The Faculty of Arts offers undergraduate major programs in immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
, international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, and ethics, society, and law to students at the university. Associated with the latter two is an academic program called Trinity One. Admission to the Trinity One program is separate from that of the college itself, with enrollment limited to 25 students per stream. At least one prominent professor teaches in each stream; for example, Robert Bothwell
Robert Bothwell
Robert Bothwell is a professor of Canadian history, and the foremost scholar on Canadian Cold War participation, as well as a frequently published author.-Career:...
in the International Relations stream Mark Kingwell
Mark Kingwell
Mark Gerald Kingwell, M.Litt, M.Phil, PhD, D.F.A. is a Canadian professor of philosophy and associate chair at the University of Toronto's Department of Philosophy. Kingwell is a fellow of Trinity College...
in Ethics, Society, and Law. Noted author Margaret MacMillan
Margaret MacMillan
Margaret Olwen MacMillan, OC is a historian and professor at the University of Oxford, where she is Warden of St. Antony's College. She is former provost of Trinity College and professor of history at the University of Toronto and previously, at Ryerson University...
taught in the International Relations stream for the first two years of the program, prior to her departure for Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. The International Relations program benefits from the presence of the Munk Centre for International Studies
Munk Centre for International Studies
The Munk School for Global Affairs at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre on global issues that integrates research with teaching and public education...
, which is the centre of much post-graduate research, with a specialization in issues pertaining to the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
. Janice Stein
Janice Stein
Janice Gross Stein, O.Ont, CM, FRSC is a Canadian political scientist and international relations expert.-Career:Stein holds degrees from McGill University , and Yale University...
, a prominent Canadian academic, is the current Director of the centre.
Graham Library
Divinity school
The Anglican seminary remains active in college life, with worship services held twelve times weekly in the chapel. The 140 graduate students enrolled in Trinity's Faculty of Divinity may take courses at other colleges of the Toronto School of TheologyToronto School of Theology
The Toronto School of Theology is an ecumenical centre for graduate theological education and the largest of its kind in Canada. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the TST comprises seven member colleges in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Reformed traditions, as well as four affiliated...
. At the basic degree level, Trinity offers several Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
programs - a basic program, a "collaborative learning" model with self-directed study components, and an honours programme, which includes a thesis. For students not seeking Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, a Master of Theological Studies
Master of Theological Studies
A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...
is offered. At the advanced degree level, students may pursue the Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Theology, the Master of Theology
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
, the Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
and the Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
. A PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Theology can be earned through the University of St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
. Applicants to the ThM must hold an MDiv. Students can also enroll jointly in the MDiv and MA. Non-degree programmes are also offered. The Diploma in Ministry is intended for aspirants to Holy Orders who hold an academic degree in theology rather than an MDiv. The Diploma or Certificate in Ministry for Church Musicians explores the intersection of sacred music and theology. The Licentiate of Theology (LTh) allows non-degree students to complete the equivalent of two years' full time theological study, with or without a previous undergraduate degree. The Faculty of Divinity of the University of Trinity College's Arms and Badge were registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Student life
The Trinity College Literary Institute ("the Lit") is an arts and debating society that holds weekly meetings. The Lit actually pre-dates Trinity College itself, having been moved there from the Diocesan Theological Institute in 1852. A typical meeting usually includes a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
debates on a humorous topic, updates on college news, and satirical poetry from the Poet Laureate. While the meetings are typically crass student affairs, sitting provosts, distinguished alumni and sitting chaplains have been known to attend and even debate on occasion. Beyond weekly meetings, the Lit organises other events including the annual Gay Fawkes bonfire, Oktoberfest, Chess in the Quad, Robbie Burns and Bubbly. A "serious debate" is held annually, and convenes a competitive debating committee that sends teams to tournaments of the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate
Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate
The Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate is the national organization which governs all competitive university debating and public speaking in Canada. It sanctions several official annual tournaments and represents Canadian debating domestically and abroad...
.
Formal dances are held twice annually at Trinity. The Saints Ball is held annually in the fall semester around november at St. Hilda's College, and the Conversat ball is held at Trinity College in the Winter semester. Traditionally, the Saint's ball was hosted by Women of College in their residence, while Conversat was hosted by Men of College in theirs. While the residences have been desegregated since 2005, the tradition remains that the Women of College ask the men (or other women) to Saints, and the men ask the women (or other men) to Conversat. At Saints, the Women of College are responsible for buying their date's ticket and drinks for the night, and at Conversat, the same is expected of the Men of College. When someone has been asked to either Saints or Conversat, it is considered in poor taste to refuse them without a prior engagement.
Trinity students publish a newspaper called Salterrae (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, meaning The Salt of the Earth) which was founded as Trinlight in 1981. The annual yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
is Stephanos (Greek
Modern Greek
Modern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
, meaning Crown). There is also a bi-annual journal of students' short stories, photographs and poetry, called the Trinity University Review; it was first published in 1880 as Rouge et Noir (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, meaning Red and Black).
The Trinity College Dramatic Society (TCDS) was established in 1892, and since 1927 has put on at least one full-length production each year. In some years, an additional two or three short plays have also been produced. The TCDS used Hart House as a performance venue from 1921 until 1979, when the George Ignatieff
George Ignatieff
George Pavlovich Ignatieff, CC was a noted Russian-Canadian diplomat. His career spanned nearly five decades in World War II and the postwar period.-Early life and education:...
Theatre (GIT) was constructed at Trinity. While most productions are now in the GIT, plays have also been staged in other rooms at Trinity and outside in the quadrangle.
The Trinity College James Bond Society was founded in 1997 to promote the appreciation of James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. Each year, the Society holds several pre-dinner receptions where martinis
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
are served Bond-style: shaken, not stirred
Shaken, not stirred
"Shaken, not stirred" is a catchphrase of Ian Fleming's fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, and his preference for how he wished his martini prepared. The phrase first appears in the novel Diamonds Are Forever , though Bond does not actually say the line until Dr...
; after dinner, a Bond movie is shown. Black tie
Black tie
Black tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions. For a man, the main component is a usually black jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo...
is the required dress at all James Bond Society events.
Student Government
At Trinity, the final student governmentStudents' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
authority is the Trinity College Meeting (TCM), a direct democracy
Direct democracy
Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"...
body in which all students have equal standing (conditional on the wearing of gowns
Academic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
at meetings). The TCM directly governs major policy questions and the allocation of student funds, but also convenes committees responsible for specific topics. As well, the TCM delegates responsibility for daily affairs to eight student Heads, following annual elections. There are two Heads of College, two Heads of Arts (social), two Heads of Non-Residents and two Heads of Divinity; in each case, one Head is female and one male.
Chapel choir
The Trinity College Chapel Choir, which grew out of the Trinity Choral Club established in the 1890s, consists of about 30 singers of mixed voice, selected by audition. Trinity College awards choral scholarChoral scholar
A choral scholar is a student either at a university or private school who receives a scholarship in exchange for singing in the school or university's choir...
ships to roughly one third of the choir, tenable for private voice coaching, from an endowment of $125,000. Since the construction of the Chapel in 1955, the Chapel Choir has sung an Evensong
Evening Prayer (Anglican)
Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening...
service every Wednesday night during term, in the tradition of Oxford and Cambridge choral foundations. The Chapel Choir sings from the loft at the rear of the chapel, approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) above the main chapel floor, where the Casavant
Casavant Frères
Casavant Frères is a prominent Canadian company in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, which has been building fine pipe organs since 1879. As of 2008, they have produced over 3800 organs.- Company history :...
pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
is also located. Accompaniment is provided by the Bevan Organ Scholar
Organ scholar
An organ scholar is a young musician employed as a part-time assistant organist at an institution where regular choral services are held. The idea of an organ scholarship is to provide the holder with playing, directing and administrative experience....
, typically an undergraduate music student, who is appointed for three years and paid from a $100,000 endowment. A Director of Music conducts the choir, mentors the organ scholar, and occasionally plays the organ during services. Since 2006, the Director of Music has been John Tuttle, who is also Professor of Organ at the Faculty of Music, Choirmaster and Organist at St. Thomas's Anglican Church, and conducted the Exultate Chamber Singers until his retirement in 2010.
Residential life
Trinity is one of few colleges that continues the tradition of formal HallFormal (university)
Formal Hall or Formal Meal is the meal held at some of the oldest , universities in the United Kingdom at which students dress in formal attire and often gowns to dine...
dinners from Monday to Thursday during the academic year. Before the meal, one of the Student Heads or another positioned member of college (in order of precedence determined by seniority) is responsible for saying the Latin grace
Grace (prayer)
Grace is a name for any of a number of short prayers said or an unvoiced intention held prior to or after eating, thanking God and/or the entities that have given of themselves to furnish nutrients to those partaking in the meal. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing...
: Quae hodie sumpturi sumus, benedicat Deus, per Iesum Christum Dominum Nostrum. Amen. (May God bless what we are about to receive this day, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.) Formal hall is marked by the enforcement of a number of regulations known as “Strachan Hall etiquette”. The most evident of these is the dress code, of which Trinity’s distinctive academic gowns are the essential element for all men and women of college. In addition to the wearing of the gown, men are required to wear a jacket, collared shirt, long pants and a tie, as well as close-toed shoes. If a man of college has had the honour of being "poored out", he is then permitted to wear his tie tied on the remains of his gown. For women of college, the dress code consists of a similar prohibition on open-toed shoes as well as a prohibition on short skirts and track pants. Although the dress code may look like an unnecessary burden to the casual observer, many students feel that it and other formalities lend a special atmosphere to the dinners that is not found in the rest of the university.
This dress code and other points of etiquette are enforced by the second-year students, led by the heads of second year. The second year students act as “deputies of the hall” and are in charge of enforcing the dress code as well as maintaining discipline during the meal. Any student in violation of the dress code will not be allowed to enter the hall until they are dressed appropriately; this regulation is relaxed for non-resident students. The second year students also have the authority to physically eject any student who causes a ruckus during the meal.
In parody of the college’s Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
traditions, the first year students will occasionally disrupt the formality of the meal by hurling buns at their fellow undergraduates. When this occurs, it is the job of the second years to eject all offending first years, or occasionally fellow upper years, from the hall. This is generally done with much struggle, however with little injury to any of the parties concerned. As the artillery is traditionally limited to simple bread rolls, no significant damage results from these incidents.
Traditions and lore
In 1992 a campaign was organised against poorings out by a vocal minority of students who claimed victimisation. College authorities banned poorings out on the basis of legal liability in 1993. Rather than simply disappearing, the tradition of the pooring out has merely evolved to suit the contemporary climate. Today, pooring out is an honour generally reserved for students elected to prominent positions in the college, particularly the Student Heads. Both men and women may now be poored out; however the actual practice is most often gender segregated. For example, a man of college is defended by men and poored out by men, while a woman of college is defended by women and poored out by women. On account of the administration’s aforementioned hostility to the practice, they are no longer supposed to take place on college grounds and are absolutely forbidden in Strachan hall. However, their actual form has changed little. The student selected to be poored out lays across a table while three of his fellow students lay across him to defend him. The assemblage is then rushed by the upper year students, who shred the gown of the person, while removing his or her defenders. Once a student has been poored out, they wear the remains of their gown bound as a sash.
Robertson Davies
William Robertson Davies, CC, OOnt, FRSC, FRSL was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is variously said to have gladly accepted for himself...
’ novel The Rebel Angels
The Rebel Angels
The Rebel Angels is Canadian author Robertson Davies's most noted novel, after those that form his Deptford Trilogy.First published by Macmillan of Canada in 1981, The Rebel Angels is the first of the three connected novels of Davies' Cornish Trilogy...
. Evidence includes the similarities between Trinity and the fictional College described in the text; the fact that Davies taught at Trinity for 20 years while living across the street at Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
; and that a picture of Trinity's central tower is prominently featured on the cover of the novel's first edition.
The Trinity College campus has served as the filming set for scenes in many movies and television series, including Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Bobby Fischer is a 1993 film based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin, played by Max Pomeranc. Adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father Fred, the film was written and directed by Steven Zaillian...
, The Skulls, Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy is a 1995 road comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Bonnie and Terry Turner, and Fred Wolf. It stars former Saturday Night Live colleagues Chris Farley and David Spade. The film tells the story of a socially and emotionally immature man who learns lessons about friendship and...
, Moonlight and Valentino
Moonlight and Valentino
Moonlight and Valentino is a 1995 American dramedy film directed by David Anspaugh. The screenplay by Ellen Simon is based on her semi-autobiographical play of the same title staged at Duke University six years earlier.-Plot:...
, Class of '96
Class of '96
Class of '96 is an American drama series that aired on Fox from January to May 1993. The series was created by John Romano and filmed mostly at the University of Toronto.-Synopsis:...
, TekWar
TekWar
Tekwar is a series of science fiction novels officially authored by William Shatner and co-written by uncredited science-fiction author Ron Goulart, published by Putnam...
, and Ararat
Ararat (film)
Ararat is a 2002 film directed, written, and co-produced by Atom Egoyan based loosely on the Siege of Van during the Armenian Genocide, an event that is disputed by the government of Turkey. In addition to exploring the human impact of that specific historical event, the film also examines the...
.
Episkopon
Episkopon is a controversial secret societySecret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
at Trinity, with a male branch founded in 1858 and a female branch founded in 1899.
Alumni
Trinity has graduated notable academics including Michael IgnatieffMichael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...
and former Trinity provost Margaret MacMillan
Margaret MacMillan
Margaret Olwen MacMillan, OC is a historian and professor at the University of Oxford, where she is Warden of St. Antony's College. She is former provost of Trinity College and professor of history at the University of Toronto and previously, at Ryerson University...
, numerous politicians including the aforementioned Michael Ignatieff, his father George Ignatieff
George Ignatieff
George Pavlovich Ignatieff, CC was a noted Russian-Canadian diplomat. His career spanned nearly five decades in World War II and the postwar period.-Early life and education:...
, former leader of the opposition and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, now Trinity Chancellor Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
, former leader of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
, and former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....
as well as numerous notable diplomats including former Trinity Chancellor and Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson (politician)
Michael Holcombe Wilson, PC, CC is a Canadian diplomat, politician and business leader.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Wilson attended Upper Canada College, Trinity College at the University of Toronto where he joined The Kappa Alpha Society...
. To the field of business, Trinity has contributed Ted Rogers, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, and Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
, co-CEO of Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
. To the arts, Trinity has contributed poets Archibald Lampman
Archibald Lampman
Archibald Lampman, was a Canadian poet. "He has been described as 'the Canadian Keats;' and he is perhaps the most outstanding exponent of the Canadian school of nature poets." The Canadian Encyclopedia says that he is "generally considered the finest of Canada's late 19th-century poets in...
and Dorothy Livesay
Dorothy Livesay
Dorothy Kathleen May Livesay, was a Canadian poet who twice won the Governor General`s Award in the 1940s, and was "senior woman writer in Canada" during the 1970s and 1980s.-Life:...
, architect Frank Darling
Frank Darling (architect)
Frank Darling was a Canadian architect and key player in buildings built in Toronto during the early 20th century and promoter of the Beaux-Arts style.-Life and career:...
, and filmmaker Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
. Numerous high ranking officials in the Anglican Church are also former Trinity students, including Andrew Hutchison
Andrew Hutchison
Andrew Sandford Hutchison is a retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Prior to his election at the General Synod of 2004, he was the bishop of Montreal and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Canada...
, retired Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada
Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada
The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada is elected by the General Synod of the Church from among a list of five bishops nominated by the House of Bishops...
. Thirty-five graduates of Trinity having been awarded Rhodes Scholarships.
Further reading
- Westfall, William. The Founding Moment: Church, Society, and the Construction of Trinity College. Montreal and Kingston, McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002.
- Reed, T.A. A History of the University of Trinity College Toronto: 1952.
- Melville, Henry. (1852). The Rise and Progress of Trinity College, Toronto; with a Sketch of the Life of the Lord Bishop of Toronto as Connected with Church Education in Canada. Toronto: Henry Roswell.