Category: Daily updates

Generally musings of the day, usually accompanied by a photograph

Mid-February

The last couple of days in Toronto have been a reminder of winter in Ottawa.

That’s particularly true of the importance of going out in an extra-warm double-layered toque and wool scarf; merino wool top and bottom long underwear; a t-shirt, long-sleeve fleece, and down vest; a long jacket with extra insulating liner; fingerless inner gloves and heavy outer gloves; cargo trousers; cotton inner socks, wool outer socks, and hiking boots.

A walking home across one bridge spanning the Don Valley at 2:00am a few nights ago was, surprisingly, a lot less cold than walking around in the sun yesterday afternoon.

My hope is to take advantage of reading week to make progress on the fossil fuel divestment brief update; my PhD research proposal; the book chapter I am helping with; and the initiation of the Massey Halfway House project. If anybody knows about (or knows someone who knows about) real estate in the U of T area, I would like to be in touch.

Diminished coursework

For every term of my PhD so far, I have been enrolled in two classes, and sometimes auditing one or more additional classes.

This term, during which I need to complete my formal dissertation proposal, I am planning to take only one. I have completed essentially all of the coursework requirements for the PhD, though I expect to continue taking courses for the duration of the program. One of the nice things about U of T is that it is packed with star professors, and there is nothing to stop anyone who can pass as a student from attending any of their lectures.

Last true term at Massey

Judging by my email inboxes, term time has nearly resumed. Since junior fellows are only allowed to be residents for three years, this will be my last real term at Massey. Certainly, there’s a chance I will work for the summer residence program again, and there are many JFs who remain highly present and active after they move out. Nonetheless, it’s worth devoting some special attention to using this last term as well as possible.

I don’t think that calls for anything especially elaborate – just a special effort to take advantage of all the things that make Massey special. In particular, that means spontaneous opportunities for conversations, at meals and elsewhere.

I will also be wrapping up my multi-year project of documenting college life from the inside.

Few lit windows around the quad

Formal dinners at Massey College have already ended for the term, and the last cafeteria-style lunch, dinner, and breakfast are on Thursday and Friday.

After that, we will be on our own until January 5th.

My main plan is to continue to rely on the staple I developed at Morrison Hall the summer before last, where kitchen facilities were restricted to a fridge, sink, and microwave. Frozen vegetables microwaved, mixed with canned beans, microwaved again, and served with hot sauce provide an economical and reasonably nutritious form of sustenance.

I will need to be both sustained and kept on track, despite the absence of many commitments to help structure my schedule. Beyond the grading and term paper that still occupy me tonight, this break demands the completion of a much more detailed version of my PhD research proposal, ideally accompanied by the completion of the update to the divestment brief.

It seems the first Toronto350.org board meeting will be on January 15th, so we also need to sort out our formal bylaws by then.

Based on the last two years, I know how empty Massey will get right around Christmas time. I don’t mind the quiet and the solitude, for the most part, though there are friends here who I will certainly miss, along with the pleasure of spontaneous conversations at meals and in common spaces.

Tasks for the winter break

I am done with attended classes and teaching tutorials for this term, but I have some pretty major things to get through before things resume in January.

Major tasks:

  1. Produce a decent draft of my PhD research proposal, to be circulated for comment to committee members and potential supervisors
  2. Update the University of Toronto fossil fuel divestment brief
  3. Review and help finalize the corporate bylaws for Toronto350.org

In addition, there are some secondary projects:

  1. Finish the term paper for my environmental decision-making course
  2. Finish the term paper for my markets and justice course
  3. Grade midterms
  4. Work on the book chapter that I am writing in collaboration with a prof

I don’t think I will have much of a winter ‘break’ at all.