Episkopon (Greek: ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩΝ, "bishop") was a secret society at Trinity College in the University of Toronto. Its male branch formed in 1858, followed by the female branch in 1899. It was the oldest collegiate secret society in Canada.
In 1992, Episkopon was censured and disassociated from the Trinity College Council following allegations of racism and homophobia. The female branch announced its closure in June 2020. The male branch is presumed to also be defunct.
History
Episkopon was founded in 1858 at Trinity College in the University of Toronto as a satirical student newspaper. The group secret society selected a leader or Scribe who would read the newspaper out loud.
In 1992, Episkopon was censured and disassociated from the Trinity College Council following allegations of racism, homophobia, hazing, and harassment of students. In 2010, Trinity College started requiring students to sign its Episkopon Policy, agreeing to not organize, participate, or publicize Episkopon events in association with the college. In 2020, Black students called attention to Episkopon's history of anti-Black racism. Although the male branch is rumoured to have dissolved as well, there has been no public acknowledgment of this.
The Episkopon archives include materials dating to 1879.
Members wore a key around their neck, with the Scribe wearing a bigger key.
Investigative journalist Declan Hill, a Trinity alumnus, in a 1993 documentary broadcast on the CBC Radio program Ideas, claimed that Episkopon's Readings tended to ridicule certain groups and actions as a form of social control. The article cited student objections to the singling out of individuals for public shaming. In 2008, a prospective male member of Episkopon sustained head injuries when he tripped and fell down a hill during an initiation ritual.
Notable members
Prominent alumni of the Episkopon include:
- Adrienne Clarkson, former Canadian Governor General