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Welcome to Ondatje Hall, Named in honour of Christopher Ondatje- brother of famous author Michael Ondatje (The English Patient). This is where the fellows of Massey College meet in community three times a day. Dinners are formal and all must wear academic gown in order to be served the three courses. Once a month the college holds a “High Table” meal. The college principal welcomes 22 distinguished guests sit at the head table that is set on the dias to the right of the pulpit. During the dinner each guest is introduced to the college community. High Tables are served under candlelight and post-dinner a reception is held downstairs where Port and Truffles cap off the night in style.
The tables and chairs in this room are all original Ron Thom designs. Much thought was put into the details such as the crown over the pulpit which mirrors the bell tower in the quad and the light fixtures built into the dining tables which can be found in many of the rooms around the college.
The George Santayana quote around the perimeter of the hall is hand-painted and is original to the building. It reads: Happiness is impossible, and even inconceivable, to a mind without scope and without pause, a mind driven by craving, pleasure, or fear. To be happy, you must be reasonable, or you must be tamed. You must have taken the measure of your powers, tasted the fruits of your passion, and learned your place in the world and what things in it can really serve you. To be happy, you must be wise.
This saying pairs well with the motto of the college Saper Aude- “Dare to be Wise”
Ondatje Hall is a sought after as a location for film and television production. It recently was the set for the council chambers of the federation of planets on Nivar. The producers of Star Trek Discovery did not have to change much to make this hall fit in other than cover up the George Santayana quote with Vulcan Text and replace our fireplace screen with the one you see here today which was a prop in the production of Season 4 Episode 4.
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