Tonight was my first High Table at Victoria College, part of the University of Toronto. I was an invited guest of the College’s Humanities Don, a fellow student over at OISE. Interesting facts learned:

• High Table really is about as close to Hogwarts as you can get – academic gowns, raised platform, enforced dress code, enforced behaviour, etc. Really fun, actually.
• College food tastes about as bad as it always has, though Yale’s food was a cut above UofT’s Marriott/Sodhexo crud. At least the dons sprang for cheese, wine and dessert!
• Folks invited to these things really do enjoy talking about anything, any way, any time. And they’re glad to meet new faces.
• Exactly what I needed was to meet new people in a non-confrontational setting, to explore new thoughts and ideas, and to exchange hopes for the future.
• I’m more of an academic than I realized…but not as out of touch as many (tonight’s High Table company excluded!)