Trinity College Background

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Armorial Bearings
- Background
Trinity College’s armorial bearings were granted by H.M. The Queen in 1988. They are based on the arms used by the Honorable and Right Reverend John Strachan, founder of the college.

- Description
The arms itself bears a unicorn on the left, and a moose on the right of a crest. The crest is topped by a knight’s helmet, and on top of that a book and Pope’s mitre. Beneath the crest are the white trilliums, and a heraldic message that reads: “I represent an Anglican education institution in Ontario, the foundation of John Strachan, Bishop of Toronto.”
http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/About_Trinity/History/

Trinity College Anthem
Hormaometh', adelphoi,
eis agona deinon,
pantelos dunamenoi,
nikan panta echthron.

Chorus:
Met' agona stephanos
Melos kai semeion
Airometh es to telos,
Hemin kudos phaidron.

Nimium cervisii
ebriat tirones:
Non oportet fieri
Vappas nebulones.

Sanctam Hildam canimus
in voce puellae
unde mox exibimus,
doctae atque bellae. Comrades, let us hasten
to the fierce contest,
For we are perfectly capable
of conquering every foe.

Chorus:
After the contest comes the crown,
the song and the prize.
Let us win for ourselves
shining glory at the last.

Too much beer
intoxicates the freshemen.
It is not seemly,
to become good-for-nothing wretches.

In treble voice
we sing the praise of St. Hilda's
whence we shall presently go forth
learned and beautiful.

- Motto
In English, “After the contest, the crown.” In Greek, “Met’agona stephanos.”

Trinity Chapel
- Background
The chapel was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) through the local architectural firm George and Moorhouse, and was a gift from Gerald Larkin (1885-1961). Among Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s most famous work is the gothic Liverpool Cathedral, and the British red telephone boxes; the Trinity Chapel was his last work. Scott visited the Chapel only once, after its completion, and proclaimed himself happy with the result.

- Design
Its design is original, not modeled after any other building. Its style is simplified perpendicular gothic, built with load-bearing walls and a self-supporting vault rib system, with intervals of acoustic spaces. It was constructed by European craftsmen, using Roman travertine for the floor, both Indiana limestone support and stuccowork for the interior, and sandstone for the exterior.

- Services
There are liturgies available to all members of the community throughout the term. Most of which are organized by the Faculty of Divinity. Member of the community are especially encouraged to attend (and participate in) Wednesday Choral Evensong and Sunday service (see schedule for details). Services during the summer are mostly private. Funerals and memorial services are available to the public, pending contact with the chaplain. The current Humphrys Chaplain is the Reverend Andrea Budgey, who can be contacted at 416-978-3288, chaplain@trinity.utoronto.ca, or at her office in Larkin 310.

Schedule: September – April
Sunday 4:00 pm Eucharist (1st & 3rd Sundays contemporary language; 2nd & 4th Sundays traditional language)
Monday 5:15 pm Community Eucharist (BAS)
Tuesday 8:15 am Mattins / Morning Prayer
12:00 noon Peace Prayers (an interfaith meditation period)
5:15 pm Eucharist (BAS)
6:30 pm Taizé Prayer
Wednesday 8:15 am Eucharist (BCP)
5:15 pm Choral Evensong (BCP)
Thursday 8:15 am Eucharist (BAS)
5:15 pm Evensong / Evening Prayer
Friday 8.15 am Eucharist (BAS)
http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/About_Trinity/Chapel/default.htm

John Strachan
- Life
John Strachan (April 12, 1778 – November 1, 1867) founded Trinity College in 1851. Is currently curried in a vault at St. James’ Cathedral. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and was the youngest of six children. His father was a quarry worker in Scotland, who died in an accident in 1749. After his father’s death Strachan supported himself and paid for his own education, by tutoring other students and teaching school. In 1799 he emigrated from Scotland to Kingston, Upper Canada to tutor the children of other Loyalist immigrants. While tutoring, he studied to be ordained as a priest, which he achieved this in 1803. He was officially made a priest of the Church of England. He moved to Cornwall in 1807 to teach grammar school. In the same year he married Ann Wood. Became a headmaster of the Home District Grammar School and rector of St. James’ Church, after moving to York just before the war of 1812. He is credited with saving the city during the Battle of York in 1813, after negotiating the surrender of the city with American general Henry Dearborn. It is said that the American troops wanted to loot and burn the city.

- Views
Strachan was conservative, and loyal to the British monarchy. A rigid Tory and establishment Anglican. He openly criticized slavery, republicanism, and reformism. Otherwise known as the “Family Compact.” Supported the Constitutional Act of 1791, which stated that clergy reserves, parts of land in Upper Canada reserved for the Church, should be given back to the Church instead of the general public. Strachan was forced to abandon the act in 1826 by Egerton Ryerson, a Methodist minister who argued that clergy reserves should be sold for the good of provincial education.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Compact

- Political and Educational Involvement
After the war of 1812, Strachan became a member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada (from 1815 to 1835) and the Family Compact, a conservative group of men who exercised power in Upper Canada. Attempted to introduce Andrew Bell’s education system from Britain, the Madras System of Education, but was rejected by the Legislative Assembly. Chartered King’s College in 1827, although the Anglican University was not created until 1843. He was forced to withdraw from the Executive Council in 1835, but soon after became principal of Upper Canada College in 1839. In the same year he also became the first Anglican bishop of Toronto. He resigned from politics in 1841, but founded Trinity College in 1851 ten years later. In 1835 was forced to withdraw from the Executive Council.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Bell_(educationalist)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Strachan

Episkopon (Trinity College Secret Society)
- History
Originally founded as an all male society in 1858, the society was split into male and female branches in 1899. Although the society was officially separated from Trinity College in 1992 due to controversy, undergraduates are still rumored to be involved. Episkopon began as a student newspaper, but eventually only one copy of the paper was made, and was read aloud by a scribe. The first scribe was Pakenham Edward Stewart, who later became an Anglican priest. The society meets three times a year for a “reading,” which the scribe reads aloud to the members. The readings involve inside jokes and anecdotes about members of the college. Some critics claim that the readings are abusive and are a form of public ridicule. There have been several newspaper articles written, and even a CBC Radio broadcast in 1993, debating the subject. Some notable past members include former minister of foreign affairs and national defence Bill Graham, Canadian poet Archibald Lampman, former governor general Adrienne Clarkson, and Atom Egoyan.

- Controversy
An Episkopon reading was connected to an attempted student suicide in 1985. And after reports of racism, sexism, and homophobia in a 1991 reading, a task force was drawn up to investigate the organization and college. The catalyzing event was in 1992 when the Scribe refused to assimilate the task force’s recommendations with the society. As a result, the Trinity College Council voted (unanimously) to disassociate itself from the organization. Nevertheless, Episkopon is self-perpetuating, and continues outside of the college to this day. In 2008, a student being hazed by the society sustained a head injury and claimed subsequent brain damage, stirring up critics of the organization.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/639748
http://www.experiencefestival.com/university_of_trinity_college_-_episkopon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episkopon

John W. Graham Library
- General Background
The Graham Library is located in the Munk School of Global Affairs, formerly Devonshire House (the former male residence of Trinity College). Founded in roughly 1828 by John Strachan. He obtained around four hundred books on a range of subjects from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and donated them to the library. At that time, the library was located in King’s College. Currently contains many different archive collections, including the Trinity College Archives, under the direction of the Rolph-Bell Archivist. The library specializes in international relations, ethics, English literature, philosophy, theology, Anglican Church history, and biblical studies.
http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/Library_Archives/

Trinity College Literary Institute
- Background
The oldest university debating society in Canada, otherwise known as the LIT. Held weekly in the Junior Common Room (JCR) at Trinity College, it is open to all Trin students. The society pre-dates Trinity College itself, as in 1852 it moved from the Diocesan Theological Institute to the college. The meetings are satirical debates, and usually include announcements from different organizations of the college.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Trinity_College
http://www.trinity.utoronto.ca/About_Trinity/History/


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