Photo Credit: University of St. Michael’s College
Reasons why our beloved college is the best at the University of Toronto
Tommy Gillespie, Contributor
St. Michael’s College undoubtedly holds a special place in my heart as the best college at the University of Toronto. This is a belief that I hold very dearly — so much so that to me it’s not just an opinion for The Mike’s opinion section, but a fact. St. Mike’s is simply the best and here’s why.
Principally, it is because when I am at St. Mike’s, I feel at home. Here I feel welcome and included, unlike some of my friends in other colleges who feel distinctly out of place in their environments. While “feeling at home” at a college might seem cliché, I wish to delve into the three ways that St. Mike’s builds this sense of community.
First, St. Mike’s is a Catholic college. The Catholic intellectual tradition significantly affects the direction in which the college is oriented. In fact, the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC) website states, “Our graduates are leaders in their communities, effecting positive change that respects and honours the dignity of all.” A focus on respecting fundamental human dignity ensures that all college community members feel welcomed and included in campus life, and that is regardless of their personal faith.
Second, St. Mike’s benefits from its location within U of T’s larger campus. The immense flood of people in the centre of campus can be overwhelming even for the most extroverted individuals. Students can feel small in the grand scheme of things, like just another student in a massive lecture hall, or another pedestrian in the crowd along St. George Street. Being “deep in the heart of the St. Mike’s jungle” is a much more peaceful place to be than in the heart of U of T. After feeling lost and alone near St. George Street in my first year, I noticed that at St. Mike’s I would always see someone that I recognized. On a young university student’s darkest and loneliest day, a friendly face can be — and is — a great help.
Last, St. Mike’s gives its students many opportunities to get to know the faculty around them. This helps avoid one of the biggest culture shocks of university: not connecting with your professors. In high school, students typically have some rapport with their teachers, but the sheer size of U of T makes it hard to do this here. Fortunately, St. Mike’s acknowledges this disconnect and addresses it with a few different programs. Two notable ones are the Kelly Library Personal Librarian program, which pairs first-year students with librarians, and the First-Term Check-In program, which pairs first-year students with professors. This allows students a chance to connect with a professor, which helps remind them that their professors and librarians are individuals who stand ready to support them on their academic journey.
These three examples are just some of the reasons why I love this college. My fondness extends to the fantastic people I have encountered here and my experiences with them, whether it be course-related events, the St. Mike’s Christmas Market, or the SMCSU Formal. I encourage you, dear reader, to do the same! Please go out and engage with the college, talk to new people, and enjoy what St. Mike’s and its programs have to offer. There’s so much to love about USMC. If you spend some time here, you will firmly believe St. Mike’s is the best.
