The Ryerson Student Centre has quite a bit to offer to Ryerson students, faculty, alumni, and outside community members. It offers students many opportunities to be enjoy something outside of their academic work. The Student Centre is built to keep Ryerson’s community strong and active. It is also there to provide students with opportunities to eat, socialize, and party at more affordable costs. As a Ryerson student, you should definitely check out these cool things the Student Centre has to offer!
1. Oakham Cafe
The Oakham Cafe is an affordable on-campus cafe serving food and drinks. It provides a standard menu serving breakfast, mains, sandwiches, snacks, salads, and all types of beverages. It also provides its own brunch and take-out menu. Oakham considers students’ food restrictions, providing vegan, vegetarian, halal and gluten-free options on the menu. It also serves delicious fair-trade and organic coffee, which is perfect for that cozy study session on campus during the fall semester.
I have personally found myself checking out this cafe as a soon-to-be fourth-year student at Ryerson. I remember being super hungry one night before class and saw one of my classmates eating a delicious looking pasta dish. As soon as I found out she took it out from Oakham, I went there myself and got to enjoy the same dish. Check out this friendly and calm environment great for laying back and enjoying a meal with friends!
2. Ram In The Rye
Ram In The Rye is an on-campus pub every Ryerson student should check out before they graduate. This pub provides an exciting campus experience by featuring tons of LED TV’s, a giant projector and a separate den. Students can come together to watch sports, indulge in fun karaoke nights, or take part in some dancing during sponsored pub nights. The menu at Ram In The Rye caters to students on a budget by offering an affordable menu. Just like Oakham Cafe, it also provides vegan, vegetarian, halal, and gluten-free options. It features a diverse food menu, offering burgers and sandwiches, snacks and shareables, and some unique choices for mains. Their drink menu features a variety of beers available on tap, in cans, or bottles, a few wines, and a popular assortment of cocktails. And lastly, Ram In The Rye holds various events at the pub, providing students with event listings to check out and join!
3. Oakham House Societies
The Oakham House is home to multiple community-based organizations that allow students to participate and promote non-academic and cultural activities. These societies target different events and activities towards Ryerson students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and other members of Ryerson’s community. These societies include:
4. Oakham Community Theatre
This society inspires students who are interested in theatre to participate in amateur productions. There is also an annual festival style production that includes aspiring directors, actors, tech and stage crew members, and playwrights. The best part is that you do not need any experience to join the Oakham Community Theatre!
5. Oakham Feminist Publishing Society
This society produces a magazine called New Wave Zine. This is a Ryerson feminist magazine that publishes a hard copy version twice a year and publishes online regularly. It features a diverse selection of content, such as creative writing, poetry, reporting, photography, visual arts, etc. All the content focuses on feminist ideals so check out the magazine and feel free to pitch your related ideas as well!
6. Oakham House Choir
This is one of the longest-running choirs in Toronto. The Oakham House Choir has 65-80 members of amateur singers performing with a professional orchestra. The members include Ryerson students, alumni, current and retired faculty members, and outside community members. The choir performs in at least two concerts annually, and they always welcome new members to join!
7. Conference Services
Another cool thing to consider is that you can host anything from small business meetings to conferences to big celebrations at the Oakham House. There are multiple rooms available for rent for a variety of occassions and for groups ranging from 8 to 170 persons. The rooms are fully equipped and contain staff that help you organize everything smoothly and efficiently. It also provides a conference menu with various options to choose from. There are options for a breakfast menu, a la carte, reception trays, a sandwich buffet menu, a holiday menu, etc.
I have personally had the pleasure of experiencing events at the Oakham house that were connected to my program. The venue was spacious, accomodating, and the food options were quite enjoyable. I had the opportunity of attending a panel in one of the rooms, which turned out to be one of my first successful networking experiences. The Oakham House atmosphere allows for a fun opportunity to interact with your peers and overall attend a wholesome event.
Whether you are in the mood to hang out with friends at a friendly campus location, grab a bite of quality food at an affordable cost, host or attend an event bringing people together, or participate in a non-academic activity, the Ryerson Student Centre is there to fulfill your needs. It is conveniently located right on campus and welcomes Ryerson and outside community members to come in.
Next time you are on campus and looking to try something new, check out the Oakham Cafe with your friends, look for an upcoming event at Ram In The Rye, or consider joining one of the Oakham House Societies. Also, do not forget to look for some cool conferences or events to attend in the Oakham House venues. The experiences are well worth it!
