Karine White lives in residence at Wycliffe College, and blogs below on her experience of community here. She is a graduate of the Diploma in Operatic Performance Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, where she is currently on faculty as a movement instructor. Karine can be seen and heard performing in various events and productions in the city, as well as in other parts of the world. For more on Karine, see: www.karinewhite.com
What does community mean to you?
Is it a word associated with a popular TV show? A geographical area? A group of people with whom you share common interests?
I thought so too. But for me, community has come to mean so much more. I’ve learned the word's true meaning while living at Wycliffe College.
Moving to a big city is always challenging. With new classes, new profs and new people everywhere you go it’s easy to get lost, feel overwhelmed and even intimidated. But the thing I love most about living at Wycliffe is the friendly faces that greet me when I come into the building. Whether it’s sharing a laugh in the hallway, shouting over a sports game in the common room, catching up over family-style meals, or having fellow residents drop by during a study break, the built-in community here has become family, picking me up on a difficult day, delivering care packages when I’m sick, and cheering for me all the way. Some of what I know will be life-long friendships have been cultivated here!
Since there are many different fields of study represented in Wycliffe residence at the graduate level (where else would you have a neighbor on one side in medieval studies and another in engineering?) we have the opportunity to learn so much from each other. I have personally felt so much support for my endeavors - both as a graduate student at the Faulty of Music and at the professional level - with Wycliffe residents frequently taking up an entire row in the theatre at my performances!
Located right beside Queen’s Park, there is always the chance to get a group together and head out to one of the many restaurants, stores, parks and museums within walking distance, as well as the opportunity to get in some studying, sleep, and downtime in the quiet environment of our single occupancy dorm rooms. Top it all off with the famous Wycliffe pub nights and At-Home dances! An excellent balance for a thriving grad student.
So what does community mean to me? I would best describe it as the laugh-until-you-cry, never-far-away, help-when-you-need-it, sharing-is-caring, ‘masterfully’-talented-family at Wycliffe College residence. What a place to call "home" away from home!
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Wycliffe College welcomes applications for summer residence from university students (including those working as interns full-time for the summer), visiting scholars, clergy/missionaries, and on occasion, short-term visitors to Toronto. In our 120-year old historical building, we have 75 single-occupancy rooms on two floors (one for men, one for women). The summer residence period runs from the beginning of May until end of August. Applications for summer residence are for a minimum stay of two weeks, but exceptions have been made in the past (please inquire further).Visit our residence page to find out more details.
