How Many Lives?

A reminder that our first event is happening today at 2PM. We will be joined by Dr. Suzanne Wood and Prof. Joseph Wong in the Munk School of Global Affairs, Room 208N. Looking forward to seeing you all!

Introducing Prof. Joseph Wong, one of the speakers at our event! Professor Joseph Wong is the Vice Provost and Associate Vice-President, International, at the University of Toronto, where he is also the Ralph and Roz Halbert Professor of Innovation at the Munk School and Professor of Political Science. Wong is the author of many articles and books, including forthcoming books with Princeton University Press and Cambridge University Press. Professor Wong is the Principal Investigator for the Reach Project, an innovative student-led / faculty-mentored research initiative examining poverty reduction in the global south. In addition to supervising PhD students, Professor Wong teaches in the Munk One program.

Introducing Dr. Suzanne Wood, one of the speakers at our event! Professor Wood is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Psychology. She teaches courses focused on the brain, psychopharmacology, and learning. She works with undergraduate researchers on projects ranging from study drug use to resiliency and anxiety at university. She had a circuitous career path leading to academia, with a healthy mix of success and failure, and would like to think those skills and experiences picked up along the way continue to inform her teaching today.

Last semester, I tried to do everything. Driven by grief and rage and a drive for justice as a means to find some sort of peace, I threw myself into the deep of this university, participating in everything from mental health and climate justice advocacy to music and photography, without dropping any of the commitments I already had. At many times, I did this while sacrificing my studies and generally calm demeanor I tend to take for granted. I missed deadlines and had to get ...numerous extensions. Spent long days working, even on weekends and during reading week. Skipped meals, most times without realizing it until long afterwards. By mid-October, I realized that I managed to lose weightbecoming even skinnier than I usually am already. And for the first time ever, I failed a course. This story isn’t over yet. I’m still struggling to find that balance between spending time with family, friends, school, work, and self-care. Even if that balance is found, it will be equally if not more challenging to maintain it. Last semester was difficult, but through it all I learned more about myself and about the world than I have at any other at UofT. And regardless of where this all goes, remember the words of Yoda from Star Wars VIII: The greatest teacher, failure is. See more

Here is an event that you should check out during reading week! Ever want to experience more relaxation? To release stress and slow down? To re-energize? To feel more grounded and balanced emotionally? To experience greater mental well being? To reduce chronic pain? Want to depressurize from the effects of life? Next week, come experience the free special event ‘Tao Wisdom for Feeling Good’ happening on Tuesday, February 18th at 6:30 PM, at 246 Bloor St. W, near St. George station, Bedford exit. Check it out here: