Trinity College, Toronto - Student Life

Student Life

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.