At some universities it could be said that, as an undergraduate student, some of your professors and other university authorities just might not have time for you. This weekend, when I attended the inaugural YourTrent Symposium, I learned that Trent was definitely not one of those universities.

The YourTrent Symposium was a student organized event held on January 30 and 31 featuring Trent students from a variety of disciplines presenting their thoughts on what Trent means to them and how it can move forward and become a better institution overall. Truly, a great idea. But to me what made this event a truly special one was the audience. We all talked amongst ourselves about what we love about Trent, and also what things we would like to see changed.

Among the crowd were some pretty well-known members of the Trent and Peterborough community.  Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett was in attendance stressing the importance of Trent to the City of Peterborough and vice versa. Trent University president and vice-chancellor Dr. Leo Groarke sat front row, taking notes, asking critical questions to the speakers and also speaking to the symposium audience about what action he is taking, and planning to take to make Trent as great a university as he possibly can. He also stated just how impressed and pleased he was with this symposium and the student opinions he was getting to hear first-hand.

“Trent education is all about interaction,” he said in his opening greeting.

But by far the most memorable moment of the symposium was the haunting silence that fell over Bagnani Hall Friday night, when Professor Thomas H.B Symons, Trent University’s founding president slowly made his way to the front and delivered the keynote address in his own handwriting.

An entire hall of eyes locked onto him, hypnotized by this living legend of Trent speaking about his dream becoming the reality of Trent we all enjoy today. The values of respect and a strong student to professor relationship, these initial aspirations of creating a university unique from any other still ring true around every corner of “the house that Tom built.” It was a deeply moving and inspiring speech.

“A symposium is always timely, and always welcome.” These words were some of Professor Symons final words of the evening, and were exactly the words you would expect to come from the man who played such a key role in making Trent the university it is today.

The whole event was a demonstration of the type of university we have here at Trent. That such iconic guests would attend a symposium run by students and focused on what can be changed to make us better really drives home the fact that, at Trent, students have a voice, a serious voice and one that is listened to. Whether you are a grad student or a first-year student like me, this place is ours, our opinion matters and there are great ways in which we can voice that opinion. The YourTrent Student Symposium is just one example.