Please join us for a walking tour of our current and aspiring growing spaces on campus! Hosted by Professor Nicole Spiegelaar, Associate Director of Trinity’s Sustainability Initiative, she will share how students are reconnecting to the land through the various urban agriculture initiatives at the College. Students from Trinity’s Food Systems Lab will share their learning, including coursework, independent research, hands-on experiences, citizen science observations and more.
The tour will end with refreshments and more opportunity for discussion with the students leading urban agriculture and sustainability initiatives at U of T today.
Limited space available for this event.
Note: This is an outdoor walking tour, comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended.
DAMMAM — There are a total of 11,623 open spaces for cultural activities in Saudi Arabia, according to a recent report.
These include urban centers, festival grounds, children’s playgrounds, public parks, and municipal squares, in addition to 48 popular and heritage markets. These markets are an example of the public squares available for holding local cultural festivals, and these represent an urban environment with which members of the community of all segments can interact, Al-Watan newspaper reported.
The report showed that the number of tourist trips for domestic tourists, which include cultural activities, reached unprecedented levels, with a total of 10.5 million trips in the first 10 months of 2021. This figure recorded a growth rate of 24 percent compared to 2019.
There has been a growing tendency on the part of domestic tourists to participate in cultural activities, with an increase of 18-20 percent. In another sense, one among each five tourist trips includes participation in one or more cultural activities. This is a general positive indicator of the growing interest in cultural activities, which means an increase in demand for the cultural show mainly related to tourism, such as attendance and participation in festivals and cultural events, and visiting heritage and archaeological sites. The cultural presence in open spaces is not limited to cultural events, but takes diverse forms, including mobile libraries, literature platforms, and display of murals and various forms of arts.
The report also highlighted the diversity of the cultural shows, and its availability and ease of access for the unaffluent members of the society. This shows that the cultural practices are no longer an elite affair, and that the cultural field is not limited to certain age groups with a prominence for elders and far from catering to the interests of the younger generation.
There was discrepancy in the frequency of cultural activities between various segments of society. This was evident from the fact that the participation of individuals belonging to higher economic levels frequently increases in cultural activities compared to their counterparts from the lower economic strata.
According to the data of the Cultural Participation Survey for 2021, the vast majority of the survey participants stated that they participate in the nearest cultural event being held in a public space no more than 40 minutes away from a car drive, and that only a quarter of the participants can reach these events in open public places in less than 20 minutes.
Calling all singers, rappers, beatboxers, poets, instrumentalists, mimics and comedians to come and take to the stage — Delhi University’s young performers couldn’t wait to hear announcements like these, after two long years of being in the virtual space due to the pandemic. As open mic events, where one can display their talent in front of an audience, return to DU’s campus, budding performers share how much they love the freedom it gives them!
Aayush Goel, a third-year student of Business Economics at Shivaji College, recently gave voice to his poems at an open mic organised by the college’s Enactus team. Elated to find a platform, he says: “When the Covid-19 situation got normal, I was determined to perform. I never realised before my first [physical] performance how good it felt when audience praises you for your work. That feeling, when someone cries after listening to you because they relate to your story or the thought moved them, is spellbinding.” Goel adds that open mics are “really a safe and easy space where one can just present what one thinks”.
For Anushka Raj Sonkar, a second-year student of Bachelor of Business Administration at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, performing at an open mic came as a chance to dust off her singing skills. She shares, “I’m a trained singer. Even though I’m out of practice now, I’m excited to perform and entertain everyone. It’s going to be just Bollywood songs.”
Feeling lucky to be back in time for the last leg of fest season, before he graduates and enters a different world, is Pratham Naman. A talented singer, who is pursuing BCom (Hons) at Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, he shares his excitement to be a part of the event, aptly named Mic Drop 4.0! “It used to be a prolific experience back when I was in my first year. It’s a platform where artists can express their art in its true form. The crowd motivates us to give our best,” says Naman.
Sororities, fraternities and gender-inclusive houses have hosted pre-rush events at which prospective members can get to know the various Greek houses on campus.
Spring term marks the informal start of rush, in which sororities, fraternities and gender-inclusive houses host events for potential new members. The events aim to give prospective members the opportunity to get to know the houses.
Sorority events
According to an email sent by the Inter-Sorority Council to campus on April 24, all eight ISC sororities on campus — Alpha Phi sorority, Alpha Xi Delta sorority, Chi Delta sorority, Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, Kappa Delta sorority, Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and Sigma Delta sorority — are hosting various pre-rush events from May 1 to May 21.
Sigma Delt rush chair Emily Hester ’23 said that her sorority has hosted three pre-rush events this term, including an equity and inclusion discussion panel, a backyard event where potential new members could talk to sisters and small-group “sister dates,” where three potential new members could meet with a sister in person.
Though Hester said she does not know the exact number of attendees at each event, she said the level of interest has been “comparable” to events hosted in previous years.
“For our backyard event, it seems like there were definitely over 80 PNMs, so that was a good, high turnout,” Hester said.
Beatriz Falcao ’25 said that she has attended pre-rush events at four sororities, adding that her experience has improved her view of Greek life.
“Coming into Dartmouth, I was a little scared [of Greek life] — as an international student, we have very limited contact with Greek life in general,” Falcao said. “But after having a few conversations about diversity and inclusion, I really heard stories that made me much more confident about Greek life as an inclusive space.”
She noted that she has participated in “sister dates” at two houses, which she said have been “really good” experiences.
“Before we dive into rush, it’s really important that we are aware of the values of each house, and that’s what I’ve been learning at these events,” Falcao said.
Fraternity events
So far, Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity, Beta Alpha Omega fraternity, Bones Gate fraternity, Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity, Phi Delta Alpha fraternity, Psi Upsilon fraternity, Scarlett Hall fraternity, Sigma Nu fraternity, Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity and Zeta Psi fraternity have hosted events for pre-rush, according to emails sent to prospective brothers. Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity has also reached out to potential new members, inviting them to meet with executives.
Alpha Chi rush chair Ethan Litmans ’24 said around 180 potential new members showed up to the fraternity’s first pre-rush event, while approximately 140 attended the second.
Litmans said that Alpha Chi’s pool of prospective members comes from two sources. First, the Interfraternity Council sent a poll to members of the Class of 2025 in March to gauge their interest in rushing. Those who indicated that they were interested were compiled into a list, which was then sent to each fraternity.
According to Litmans, Alpha Chi also keeps a separate list of prospective members, composed of people who are “friends with brothers in the house or that brothers know are interested in the house,” who also receive invitations to pre-rush events.
At pre-rush events, the fraternities aim to give prospective brothers a fun experience while helping them get to know the house, Litmans said.
“It was also pretty fun for us,” Litmans said. “We did a lot of activities at the house [including] various games in each of the rooms.”
Ben Kesselman ’25, who attended pre-rush events at Alpha Chi and Bones Gate, said the events gave him a “sense of which ones [he] definitely wouldn’t rush.” He added that he has not checked out all of the houses yet, so he is not sure which he prefers.
“If there’s a frat that works well for me, I’ll rush it,” Kesselman said. “If not, then I won’t. I feel like right now at all the events the guys are supposed to be nice and talkative, so it’s really hard to get an actual vibe of what they’re like.”
Each IFC fraternity, with the exception of non-IFC fraternity Scarlett Hall, also participated in the IFC barbecue on May 8. During this time, students who plan to rush could move between houses to get to know the different brothers.
Gender-inclusive Greek house events
The three gender-inclusive houses on campus — Alpha Theta gender-inclusive Greek house, Phi Tau coed fraternity and The Tabard coed fraternity — have also hosted events for potential new members this spring.
Former Alpha Theta president Mara Kotz ’22 said that Alpha Theta has hosted “casual” events such as s’mores nights, movie nights and meet-and-greets this term.
“These are just cute, small events where you can hang out and are definitely not mandatory for rush,” Kotz said. She added that students can be considered for a bid even if they do not attend pre-rush events by contacting Alpha Theta’s recruitment chair.
Phi Tau rush chair Calvin George ’24 said the house holds two rush-oriented events per term, but he clarified that the events are not “set aside for 25s or for rush specifically” — anyone on campus can attend. This term, the house planned a “candy pong” game and an upcoming s’mores night.
Kotz also noted that gender-inclusive houses conduct rush on “slightly different” timelines than fraternities and sororities. Whereas fraternities and sororities conduct rush in the fall and winter, Alpha Theta conducts rush once every term, while The Tabard and Phi Tau conduct a “rolling” rush process where students can rush at any time, Kotz said.
Anell Paulino ’25 said that she has attended several events at Alpha Theta, which she described as “super chill.”
“I’m just getting to know the members there, which is very fun, and everyone’s super sweet,” she said.
Paulino said she is interested in rushing a gender-inclusive house because it provides a space on campus where she feels “accepted and welcomed.”
“I feel like there’s a good space for everybody now, which is a complete contrast to what I initially thought,” she said. “Because I’ve found the space that I feel like I’m going to rush, I’m excited to see where the journey is headed, but I’m also curious to see if there are other spaces that I feel like I belong to.”
The B.C. government is looking for feedback on potentially permitting “cannabis consumption spaces” in the province, which would allow businesses or special events to offer the on-site sale and use of marijuana.
Examples of what a cannabis consumption space might look like include cafes and lounges – or special ticketed events, such as festivals, spas or cooking classes.
If B.C. does move forward with permitted cannabis consumption spaces, the province says other health regulations would still be in effect, such as no indoor smoking or vaping.
Local governments and First Nations would also have a say in where and whether consumption spaces would be allowed in their jurisdictions, similar to the process already in place for cannabis retail shops.
“We have heard from cannabis businesses that consumption spaces could provide an opportunity for the sector to become more economically viable and could better meet the interests of people who use cannabis,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
“At the same time, others have raised public health and safety concerns, which will need to be carefully weighed,” he said.
The province has set up an online survey to collect feedback on potential consumption spaces, which is open from April 6 to May 8.
RISING SALES
Cannabis was first legalized in Canada in October 2018. In B.C., cannabis stores saw roughly $554 million in sales in 2021, up from $370 million in 2020.
In terms of popularity, the province says nearly one-in-three British Columbians aged 19 and older reported using cannabis within the past year.
The B.C. government adds that it is “continually monitoring the impact of cannabis legalization on the health and safety of British Columbians.”
Travis Scott has announced a new organization to “make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be.”
In the aftermath of the Astroworld tragedy in 2021 which killed 10 people as a crowd crush occurred, the rapper reflected on taking “actionable change.”
“Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community. Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family,” Scott wrote on Instagram.
Scott said he wants to be a “leader in my community” as it is “easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows.”
“My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honour the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever,” he wrote.
Scott added, “Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance. This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can’t wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we’ve been working on.”
The official description of Project HEAL is a “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities.”
Project HEAL and the Cactus Jack Foundation will provide free mental health resources, scholarships and the “first-ever, tech-driven solution for event safety.”
According to TMZ, Scott is donating $5 million to the causes.
