UTM melodies
The sounds of music that ring across campus.
This week I decided I would take the name of my column literally and go around campus listening to the different sounds that fill this campus with life. While UTM is certainly quieter than before the pandemic broke out, there are some distinct sounds that have remained constant.
I started with the building I have the biggest love-hate relationship with: Davis. When you first walk into Davis you’ll hear the soft chatter that crackles across The Meeting Place, occasionally harmonized by the clatter of pots and pans in the kitchens. As you descend to the first level of Davis and walk the patchwork halls, you may notice the subtle buzz from flickering lights overhead or the whispers of student’s wayward souls.
Of course, UTM is full of other natural sounds. Along the path from the Student Centre to the Maanjiwe Nendamowinan building, you may hear the chanting of a whale or the click of a dolphin drifting through the trees thanks to the Living with Concepts exhibit by the Blackwood Gallery. Aquatic conversations that are just unsettling enough to prick up your ears and make you peer through the trees carefully. Among the trees, you might also catch the chirp of a squirrel or squawk of a bird as they dart through the foliage looking for food. They too seem to chatter amongst themselves, staring and gossiping at students when their backs are turned.
In the Student Centre, if you listen carefully next to the UTMSU’s office, you might catch the rumbling of a washing machine, laundering money. And if you take the flight of stairs to The Medium office, you might just overhear me groaning about how long my essay is or lamenting the existential dread that grips most of us during November and December.
So, take a moment away from the stresses of life and listen to the sounds around you. UTM’s subtle symphony awaits.
Until next time!
Aya Yafaoui
