On September 16, the University of Toronto Graduate Student Union’s (UTGSU) graduate orientation, GradFest, was impossible to miss on Front Campus lawn, featuring a 25-foot inflatable volcano rock climb, a lineup stretching from Gerstein to Convocation hall, and over 2,250 registered participants. On June 23, the UTGSU doubled GradFest’s budget to $85,650 in anticipation of high attendance, with Vice-President (VP) Graduate Life Eliz Shimshek calling it the UTGSU’s “biggest event” ever.

“This event really shows that [graduate students] do want to engage with the university. They do want to engage with our union. They want to participate if they’re given the opportunity,” said Shimshek in an interview with The Varsity. 

GradFest’s Instagram post promised an afternoon of “free food, live music, fun games & prizes, exclusive swag, and a chance to connect with your new grad family.” The festival included a services fair with community partners and student services, as well as activities like a photobooth, three inflatable games, and vendors like Nestlé, KitKat, and Sally Hansen. 

There were 2,250 registered spots and a waiting list of almost 1,000 students. 

Registered students were encouraged to arrive by 6:15 pm before tickets were released to the waitlist to prevent food waste. At times, the registration table reportedly had a wait of over half an hour.

While no official turnout numbers have been released, all of the catered food for 2,500 people was eaten. BBQ Gourmet provided hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream, using half of the event’s budget.

“I’m very proud of what my team did and what we accomplished with the four and a half months of planning. Everybody put in the work, and it showed on the day.” Shimshek said, thanking the UTGSU and the 50 graduate student volunteers. “I think it really gave us a good start for the year. We set a high bar that we’re going to be maintaining.”

Amareena Saleh-Singh, a first-year master of public policy student, shared her GradFest experience with The Varsity: “I think [the UTGSU] was confused about what it was supposed to be, because it was supposed to be an orientation… Advertising, clubs, and services felt like not the main thing. It was like an after party. We got climbing and mini golf and stuff.”

She added, “I think it should happen earlier on, because there was a section with community partners, Accessibility Services, and Financial Aid, but I’ve already been introduced to those, because Orientation Week was two weeks ago.”

The U of T School of Graduate Studies’ annual orientation took place on August 28.