The History of UTSC Project
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The Spaces & Places guided walking tour explores the history of locations on and around the UTSC campus by sharing the personal recollections of members of our campus community — reflecting a variety of perspectives, positions, and points in time.
Upon first sight, this hallway in the Science Wing might feel like any ordinary hallway at UTSC. With the below stories, however, we wish to highlight the ways in which the ordinary is made extraordinary in and through the memories of our project’s interview participants. Indeed, this corridor, like so many others on campus, is a constant hub of lively activity as the campus community bustles to and from classes, labs, and meetings. The bare concrete walls, lined with classrooms and faculty offices, are almost always adorned with colourful posters, highlighting upcoming events, student achievements, and research opportunities, adding a vibrant touch to the otherwise utilitarian space. In this way, this space is much more than just a passageway; it is a bustling artery of campus life, a dynamic space where the intellectual and social lives of UTSC converge.
Chris Ambidge, a Scarborough College alum and current faculty member at the St. George campus, speaks about his experience at the College in the institution’s early years, including the original layout of the campus and the 1970s course enrolment process.
Credits: Conceived by Inyoung Choi and produced by Amena Ahmed. All images courtesy of Stephanie Hinds and David Harford.
Hilda Seedanee, who works as the Team Lead of the Co-op Curriculum and Learning & Student Experience in the Arts & Science Co-op Office at UTSC, recalls her first impression of the brutalist Science Wing, and some of the creative ways that she and her coworkers tried to make the imposing space feel more homely.
Coming on campus [in 2004], my first office was originally in the S Wing building...My first office was in S412B, which was the interior office above the Meeting Place, which had no windows and concrete walls. And it had been a bigger office that they divided into two...I shared an office with Katherine, and both of us were in our twenties at the time. And our office was so dark, but we didn’t like the overhead lighting. So we used to have our own lamps, and we brought in string lights, and we liked to listen to music while we worked. So we actually called it Club 412B. ‘Cause she had the subwoofer under her desk, and I had the lights in my office on my side of the desk. And then we shared a wall with Tony Rupnaraine, who was in Financial Services at the time. And he used to say, 'Oh, the girls are having a club day again'.
Katie Larson, a Professor in UTSC’s Department of English, looks back on some of her favourite memories in the Andrews Building, including a student production held in the Science Wing.
Credits: Conceived and produced by Amena Ahmed. All images courtesy of University of Toronto Scarborough News, Wikimedia Commons, Jeff Hitchcock, Ken Jones, and the University of Toronto Government Relations Office.
The November 27, 1984 issue of The Underground, UTSC’s official student publication, published a curious article on an incident in the adjoining Humanities Wing that moved students — literally.
Credits: Stephen Kennedy, “The Day the Earth Moved – Tiles Give Way Outside H-Wing Caf.”, The Underground, November 27 1984. Accessed via Memory Collection, UTSC Library Digital Collections.
