In this story from the Spring 2021 President’s Report, St. Michael’s prof Dr. J.O. Richard discusses the role the Christianity and Culture Club has had in enriching community for students in the St. Michael’s-sponsored program.

The Christianity and Culture Club is an informal, student-run weekly gathering during the Fall and Winter semesters. What prompted Dr. Tardif and me to set it up in 2018 was the realization that our students lacked a comfortable space dedicated to unwinding and engaging in deep (or not-so-deep) conversation over food and coffee.

From early on, it also turned into an opportunity for the program’s faculty to get to know their students better. Theology graduate students, alumni, and administrative staff sometimes attend too. This all coincided with the reopening of the Basilian Fathers Common Room, a lounge officially reserved for faculty and special events, but not used to full capacity. With the support of the President’s Office, we were granted access, on the condition we did not make a mess; with the support of the Principal’s Office, students were granted funds to purchase snacks, on condition we did not invite mice. We’ve been tidy and I’m happy to report no complaints so far!

Since COVID, the group has transitioned online. Parlour games have replaced the chessboards, breakout room, and the little couch-islands of the lounge. While we are eager to resume our meetings in person (no chessboard on Zoom, sadly), our dynamic student leaders have kept the C&CC alive and kicking. It brings me joy and great satisfaction to see our initiative take on a life of its own, becoming a site of recruitment. Indeed, for students who chance upon Christianity and Culture courses, our weekly meetings become gateways into our tightly knit and supportive community. I look forward to the day when we can look back and call it a tradition.

Celebrating Clubs at St. Mike’s

The Christianity and Culture Club is just one of many clubs and associations St. Mike’s offers, with a clubs fair held every fall for students to become acquainted with ways they can become involved. (Some events have been delayed or moved online during the pandemic.) Here are some examples.

• The Book and Media Studies Student Association represents students in the two streams of the program, hosting workshops, social events, and lectures.
• Build SMC is a student-run club that hosts Minecraft events and provides an online space to come together in creativity.
• The Celtic Studies Student Union offers lectures, workshops, Irish cultural events, and an annual Academic Journal, the Garm Lu.
• Clean SMC promotes clean initiatives to support sustainable development across the college, focusing on three main goals: building awareness, increasing community involvement in sustainable activities, and developing environmentally friendly projects.
• The Italian Undergraduate Student Cultural Association (IUSCA) works to establish, maintain and further ties with Italian culture among undergraduate students via academic, cultural and social events.
• The Medieval Studies Undergraduate Society offers lectures, workshops, an annual Medieval Studies Undergraduate conference, and other events.
• Pair-A-Dice is a board game club designed to help students meet their peers and create friendships.
• Rosa Sanctissimi is a weekly ecumenical prayer group that uses scripture and Divine Liturgy to guide discussion and community prayer.
• SMC Inclusive’s primary purpose is to represent people who identify as queer or transgender (LGBTQ+), encouraging the queer and trans community and playing an active role in fighting discrimination through both education and social means.
• The St. Michael’s College Troubadours, St. Mike’s drama society, has a goal of putting on a full season of productions (about four shows throughout academic year), showcasing voices and stories of U of T.
• University of Toronto Students for Life offers workshops, talks, and events that discuss Catholic Social Teaching and especially the dignity of the human person.
• USMC Wellness hosts de-stressing, community-driven and community-building events, providing spaces, resources, and a community for students to take care of their wellness in all forms, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.

From University of St. Michael’s College President’s Report, Spring 2021

As vaccination rates go up and the possibility of in-campus classes increases, students, staff and faculty are thinking about what a transition back to campus may entail – including the mental health challenges that may accompany finding new routines for in-person learning and events.

It’s with this transition in mind that Joshua De Jesus, President of St. Mike’s Wellness Council, has worked with the club to introduce a new annual convention focused on mental health and wellness. “Dignity of the Student: Reimagining Student Leadership” begins today and will run through Sunday, July 11, with each day dedicated to a tenet of dialogue: listening, discussing, and action. The central theme of the convention is the integration of wellness into student leadership.

“Students have always had the challenge of balancing academics with their extracurriculars, but with all of this year’s extra concerns – international students concerned about flying over, students in residence thinking about how to approach living on campus, and so forth – I think we might find student leaders struggling with their own wellness,” De Jesus says. “That’s why we’re making an effort with this convention to empower student leadership and figure out how student leaders can both advocate for wellness while taking care of their own wellness.”

The convention will begin with a Day One program dedicated to “listening,” with remarks from six speakers, including St. Michael’s President David Sylvester; UofT Vice Dean, Undergraduate and former St. Michael’s Principal Randy Boyagoda; and St. Mike’s Wellness Counsellor Nicole LeBlanc. “We deliberately chose speakers representing a range of experiences and styles of leadership and engagement,” De Jesus says, in order to create a diverse context for discussion.

That discussion is the central focus for Day Two, when club members will have opportunities to reflect on the presentations while bringing forward wellness initiatives they would like to pursue in the coming academic year. Five-minute presentations will lead into conversations in which all members will be able to offer feedback and potentially their own help in carrying out the initiatives during the year.

The student-driven approach to both programming and roles within St. Mike’s Wellness Council is the product of a recent “remodeling” of the three-year-old club. Formal titles and roles were reduced to bare essentials, and students are now able to join and define their own roles and initiatives, which De Jesus sees as a means of encouraging students to bring forward their own passions and interests into their work.

“There are no ‘sitting duck’ roles,” De Jesus says. “No club member is there for a title, but each one is associated with an initiative or wellness option.” After the remodel, the club was reduced to three roles. There are now 15 students involved.

On the third day of the convention, those students will bring forward the full agreed-upon slate of initiatives for the club, announcing the actions resulting from the dialogue of the preceding days and setting a plan for the unique year ahead. De Jesus hopes that the event will become an annual occurrence, and a regular check-in on how mental health and wellness are being incorporated into the life of the college.

“Dignity of the Student: Reimagining Student Leadership” will take place from July 9 to 11.

Clubs are an essential part of the larger St. Michael’s community, and bring students together from across the university. USMC alumnus Modele Kuforiji found community while a student at the University of Toronto through his involvement in clubs such as the Black Students Association:

Current students have an opportunity to learn about clubs on campus through the annual USMC Clubs Fair. This year’s event will be divided into Day One and Day Two. Both events will take place online; contact SMCSU for Zoom information in advance.