THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TO UOFT 2014 - 2015
WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO Assalamualaikum / Peace be upon you, So you’ve done it! After several years of schooling, classes, homework and the struggle for exceptional grades, you’ve finally entered the university years. It wasn’t easy and it took a lot of work, but rest assured you have earned your right to several more years of schooling, classess, homework, and the struggle for exceptional grades. But worry not, university life is in many ways very different than the school life that you are used to. As a university student, you have a lot of freedom to choose what you want to study: everything from your major, to electives that pique your interest. You also get a lot of freedom as attendance to every class is not mandatory, and most of your marks are based on only a handful of assignments. Most importantly, you are now part of a society in which everyone is striving to push the boundaries of human existence. UofT is one of the top universities in the world, and during your stay here you will get to have one-on-one interactions with some of the most skilled and capable leaders in any given field from around the world. This is an opportune chance for you to develop yourself as an individual, find your place in the world, and excel in whatever field you choose to pursue, nurtured by its founders and leaders. However, this is also an incredibly challenging and trying experience. In order to extract the most benefit from your years here, you must be willing to strive and focus on the right things that matter most. It is very easy to fall short and exit simply with a piece of paper to show for it. University life is about much more than just your grades, it is about you as a person, and your role in the larger community. Remember that there will be times where you will fail to achieve your goal, but you mustn’t let it hinder your focus. Walk away from it with a lesson learned, and you’ll end up successful. With that in mind, we encourage you to strive hard in determining where you will contribute to society and use this time as an invaluable resource to help you achieve that goal. Strive to do well in school - but don’t forget that university is not complete without community. Join clubs that you are interested in, and get involved with extra-curriculars. The friends you make on this campus will likely last a lifetime - so choose them wisely and give your relationships their due right. On a concluding note, we would like to remid you that this opportunity is something that has been entrusted to you by Allah. It is something you will be asked about on the Last Day, and will determine your fate. Indeed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has enjoined excellence in everything that we do, and university is no exception. Congratulations, and welcome to U of T! We are sure you will enjoy your time here. Jazakallahu khairan / May Allah reward you with that which is good. The Muslim Students’ Association Executive Team 2 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2014
TABLEOFCONTENTS ABOUT THE MSA 4 THE MUSLIM CHAPLAINCY 6 ACADEMIC INFORMATION 7 HALAL FOOD OPTIONS 8 THE ANTI RACISM & CULTURAL 10 DIVERSITY OFFICE PRAYER SPACES ON CAMPUS 11 JUMMAH PRAYERS ON CAMPUS 12 PRAYER SPACES NEAR CAMPUS 13
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ABOUT THE U OF T MSA
F
ounded in 1965, the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) at UofT was the first MSA to be established in Canada, and has since grown to be one of U of T’s largest student clubs with a membership of over 1,500 students, faculty, and staff. The purpose of the MSA is to serve and represent the needs of Muslims on and off campus. What started as a club to facilitate prayer for some 20 students has now grown to a club that is at the forefront of social justice, community service, faith practices, and academics support and campus social life. Throughout this period, the Muslim Students’ Association has been part of many historic initiatives, such as the inclusion of women in Hart House, the hosting of the Bosnian president during the midst of the Bosnian War, and the establishment of national Muslim organizations that now serve as a representative for Muslims in the western hemisphere. The MSA strives to be a vibrant, integrated and contributing member of the campus and the Toronto community.
SERVICES OFFERED • • • Get involved thorugh different committees by • heading to our website! • • • •
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Prayer Spaces Across Campus Jummah (Friday) Prayers Lectures, Workshops & Seminars Community Service Volunteering Social Events & Trips Orphan Sponsorship Program The Muslim Voice Magazine Mentorship & Academic Help
CONNECT WITH US Position
Name
Ahmad Diab Marzouk Secretary Marya Kayyal Vice- President, Communications Nilufer Hoque Vice-Presdient, Internal Azizah Arif Vice-President, External Dalia Hashim Vice-President, Finance Shafquat Arefeen Vice-President, Student Life Halla Ahmed Vice-President, Social Advancement Naveeda Hussain President
/uoftmsa
/uoftmsa
Email address (@uoftmsa.com) president secretary communications internal external finance studentlife socialadvancement /theuoftmsa
www.uoftmsa.com
VISIT US
The MSA office is located in room 505 at the Sussex Clubhouse, behind Robarts Library. During the school year there are weekly office hours in which everyone is encouraged to drop by to meet the executives. For more information on office hours visit our website at www.uoftmsa.com. 21 Sussex Ave. Suite 505
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The Muslim Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto engages Muslim youth by providing an inclusive space for them to foster a meaningful Muslim identity, enriched and supported by quality educational and counseling services. The MC offers counseling on a daily basis as well as a range of weekly unique programs. Be sure to come by our office for some tea and meet our chaplain, Amjad Tarsin. Anyone is welcome; we hope to see you soon! Amjad Tarsin is a graduate of the Islamic Chaplaicy program from Hartford Seminary, and was appointed as the full time Muslim chaplain on September 2012 at the University of Toronto. 75 Queen’s Park Crescent E Emmanuel College - Room 016 Toronto, ON, Canada M5S1K7 /mcuoft
/mcuoft
www.mcuoft.com
Emmanuel College
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ACADEMIC INFORMATION ARTS & SCIENCE
Dealing with administrative issues can be quite the challenge, but luckily we’re here to help! Every student attending a program within the Faculty of Arts and Science will be registered with a specific college. Your main point of contact throughout your university career will be at the office of your college registrar for help with courses, tuition fees, scholarship & bursaries and any other academic issues. Make a call and book a one-onone appointment with an Academic Advisor for mroe assistance. Contact your registrar at the email/number listed below: New College | newcollege.registrar@utoronto.ca | 416 978 2460 Innis College | registrar.innis@utoronto.ca | 416 978 2513 Victoria College | s.mcdonald@utoronto.ca | 416 585 4508 Woodsworth College | wdwregistrar@utoronto.ca | 416 978 4444 St. Michael’s College | ask.smc@utoronto.ca | 416 926 7117 Trinity College | registrar@trinity.utoronto.ca | 416 978 3687 University College | uc.registrar@utoronto.ca | 416 978 3170 For information onf OSAP or Financial Aid, contact osap.staff@utoronto.ca For information on tuition and student accounts visit http://www.fee.utoronto.ca/ For information on sessional dates, degree requirements, program and course descriptions and more visit http://www.artsandscience.utoronto.ca/ofr/calendar/ Any other questions? Contact askastudent @ http://askastudent.utoronto.ca/ for more information on courses, programs, student life and everything else.
ENGINEERING As an engineering udnergraduate, it is important to keep in mind that most policies your Arts & Science friends will tell you will not apply to Engineering. Fortunately, the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering has a website dedicated for undergraduate students where you can get help for academic and perosnal support, scholarship and financial support, tips for success, academic calendars and timetables, computer labs and facilities. Visit it at http://www.undergrad.engineering.utoronto.ca/ All administrative questions should go to the First Year Office, whose address is given below. 35 St. George Street (Galbrait Building), Room 170 firstyear@ecf.utoronto.ca 416 978 4625
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES For those in need of accomodations whil at U of T for varying reasons, contact accessibility services by phone (416 978 8060) or email accessibility.services@utoronto.ca MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2014 | 7
DADDYO’S PASTA & SALADS 673 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5S
THE BURGERNATOR 269 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M1
POPEYES 267 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R6
ROBARTS LIBRARY CAFÉ*** 130 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 1A5 & SULTAN’S AT SIDS CAFÉ *** Sidney Smith (basement) 100 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3
BIG AL’S FLYIN’ PHILYS 251 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L7
NANDO’S FLAME-GRILLED CHICKEN 832 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5S 1Z6
INNIS CAFÉ*** 2 Sussex Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1J5 HOWARD FERGUSON DINING HALL (FUNG)*** Main Floor, 75 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E5
BURRITO BANDIDOS*** 2 Walmer Rd, Toronto, ON M5R
SIZZLER KABAB 381 Spadina Avenue Toronto, ON M5T
*** These locations have halal options, but not all meat is halal. Always confirm before placing your order. 8 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2014
HALAL VEDA HEALTHY INDIAN TAKEOUT Sandford Fleming 10 King’s College Road, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4
FOOD
ON CAMPUS
Mutli-Faith Centre 569 Spadina Crescent, Toronto, ON M5S 2T4
SAMMY’S STUDENT EXCHANGE ***
Hart House (basement) 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
QUICK PITA 199 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P9
PITA Q 750 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 2J2
BURRITO PLANET 181 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E3
DARVISH RESTAURANT 508 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1X9
THE SAJ PIZZA & WRAP RESTAURANT 199 College Street, Toronto, ON M5T 1P9
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THE ANTI RACISM AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OFFCE The Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office (ARCDO) has a tri-campus mandate to offer programs and services to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Toronto. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MUSLIM STUDENTS? The ARCDO is committed to honouring the University of Toronto’s institutional committment to equity and diversity by implementing anti-racist approaches to combat incidents of individual and systemic discrimination. We also work to provide a mechanism for dialogue, investigation and resolution of conflicts and/ or disputes relating to race, ethnicity, nationality, culture and/ or creed, so that they can be dealt with in an equitable and fair manner. WHAT WE OFFER The ARCDO engages in four distinct domains: 1. Confidential complaints management & conflict resoluiotn; If there are concerns regarding something discriminatory on campus we can support students through helping to handle complaints and concerns. 2. Training & education services; The ARCDO seeks to support on campus initiatives and student groups in a number of ways to hlep facilitate key dialogues, training and educational opportunities. 3. Programming; The ARCDO organizes annual tri-campus events like the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD) and our Dialogue Series but we are also partner with various students groups, departments, and other university divisions to offer culturally diverse programming to the university community that supports equity and diversity. 4. Advice & consultations. The ARCDO is open to all students, staff and faculty who have questions or are seeking guidance on an issue they feel might be related to race, ethnicity, nationality, culture and/ or creed. HOW YOU CAN ENGAGE We all have a role to play in the eliminatio of racism. Ask questions and explore those sometimes tough discussions with your peers and with us. As a part of the U of T community, we must all work together to uphold the policy that every individual on campus be treated with dignity and respect. We can be contacted in office, by phone (416 978 1259), online (www.antiracism.utoronto. ca), or by email (antiracism@utoronto.ca) for consultations. 10 | MSA SURVIVAL GUIDE | 2014
A) Emmanuel College 75 Queens Park Crescent East, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Muslim Prayer Room 1st Floor Basement, Room 006. Ablution facilities: Available on the same floor; Room 004 Estimated Capacity: 50 B) Bahen Centre for Information Technology 40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Room 1255, Opposite to Mega Bites Cafe Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 100 C) Leslie Dan Pharmacy Building 144 College Street, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: 2nd Basement Floor between student lounge and auditorium. Room B220 Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 10
PRAYER SPACES AT U OF T ST. GEORGE
Please note that most of these spaces are shared multi-faith spaces; as a result there may be a circumstance where a space is not available. Descriptions about the prayer spaces and a detailed map can be found on the MSA website. G) Robarts Library 130 St. George St., Toronto, ON Prayer Space: 8th Floor, Room 8045 (Multi-Faith Prayer Room) Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 40
D) Sussex Clubhouse 21 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, ON Prayer space: Room 508 Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 20 Note: Sussex Clubhouse MSA Office is in Suite 505 E) Multi-Faith Centre (Located in the Koffler House) 14 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Meditation Room on 2nd floor Ablution Facilities: Available on 2nd Floor Estimated Capacity: 20 F) Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Room 409, 4th Floor (Multi-Faith Prayer Room) Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 15
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JUMMAH (FRIDAY)
PRAYERS ON CAMPUS There are 3 Jumuah prayers offered on campus. Two are offered in Hart House back to back at the same location, while one is offered in the Multifaith Centre. The Jumuah prayer schedule is subject to change due to special holidays/other circumstances. Please check the website and Facebook page for updates on the schedule. HART HOUSE JUMUAH
MULTIFAITH CENTRE JUMUAH
7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Hart House Debates Room, 2nd Floor Ablution Facilities: N/A Estimated Capacity: 200
14 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ON Prayer Space: Main Activity Hall – 2nd Floor Ablution Facilities: Available on 2nd Floor (Separate Facilities for Brothers and Sisters) Estimated Capacity: 100
Prayer Times (During Daylight Savings): First Jumuah: 1:20 to 1:50 pm Second Jumuah: 2:20 to 2:50 pm
Prayer Time (During Daylight Savings): 1:20 to 1:50 pm
Prayer Times (Outside Daylight Savings): First Jumuah: 12:20 to 12:50 pm Second Jumuah: 1:20 to 1:50 pm
Prayer Time (Outside Daylight Savings): 12:20 to 12:50 pm
Note: It is recommended that brothers/sisters attend the Multifaith Jumuah prayer if they can due to space limitations at Hart House
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MAJOR MASJIDS IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO MASJID TORONTO Masjid Toronto has two locations to serve the community of downtown Toronto. The masjid hosts a number of community events and programs including study circles, community potlucks, open houses, hospital visitations, counselling, professional development, toastmasters club, new Muslim support, Quran and Islamic Studies classes and more. www.masjidtoronto.com 168 Dundas St. West 416 596 0507
84 Adelaide St. West 647 748 4756
TORONTO ISLAMIC CENTRE
647 350-4262 - 575 Yonge St. 2nd floor Toronto Islamic Centre is a mosque in the heart of downtown Toronto, serving a large and diverse Muslim community. It is located in probably the busiest commercial district, Yonge and Bloor. TIC was recognized and officially opened on April 1st 2010 and has been committed to reach out to people of all backgrounds and to pursue humanitarian activities through community based services on a weekly bases. www.torontoislamiccentre.com
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12 | HISTORY OF THE MSA | 2014