Harvard Men See Toronto

After a late start, 18 Harvard students spent an excellent weekend exchange program at the University of Toronto, from Nov. 17-19. The weekend was well balanced between a social and intellectual exchange. A lecture, a panel, and discussion groups fulfilled the latter function. The main issues of the weekend centered around Canada's relation to the U.S., amidst present world crisis conditions.

The Torontonians remarked, "Where are the Harvard liberals we've been hearing about?" A neutral Canada between two almost equally immoral powers met shocked Harvard ears and silent mouths which opened only after they had become acquainted with the Canadian hatred of U.S. economic control, and the lack of military service in Canada.

Many of us felt that some Canadians were living in a suspended paradise, where criticism neglects to cope with responsibility. However we recognized that the balance of our discussion pointed to national interests, which needed to be understood, in order to be reconciled.

On the social side, we were shown around the university, and had meals in two of the colleges. There are four colleges divided according to religion: St. Michael's (Catholic), Victoria (United Church--Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist are combined in Canada), Trinity (Anglican), and University College (Jewish).

The university is modelled after British universities, and each college has a number of houses to accommodate on-campus residents. If you live within a 15-mile radius of the university, you cannot reside on campus. However, each of the colleges is large, and has a dining room and cafeteria. The colleges are known for certain attributes. Trinity reveres its academic tradition, and academic robes distinguish the daily garb of its members. The University, in contrast, is known for its cafeteria political debates.

The difference in Harvard-Toronto political activity is spelied out by the Model Parliament. This organization, fashioned after the national parliament, puts student political activity on a university-wide level.

The Model Parliament effectively overcomes the segmented interest in political activity, which characterizes both Harvard and Toronto. Non-residents, and participants from the other three colleges, tend to balance the political activity and discussion by University College participants in the Model Parliament.

The Torontonians on the exchange were, for the most part, both interested and active in student politics; many were running for office in the Model Parliament.

On Saturday afternoon, a talk by the mayor of Toronto provided a refreshing change from serious disussion and campus touring. The highlight of his talk was a bit of Canadian-American history: "In the War of 1812, the Scotch- Canadian soldiers marched down to Washington with their kilts, skirts, and other implements of war. They ate lunch at the President's Restaurant, and then, burnt it down. It was rebuilt and painted white, so Canada deserves credit for the White House."

The Canadian desire to break away from U.S. economic, political, and cultural control was summarized by the Dean of Trinity College when he said, "The American thanks God he is an American; the Canadian thanks God he isn't."