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Arson: A Student Lab Musical
With a focus on classical music, Trinity Theater Department sets the stage aflame.
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Men’s Hoops Dominate in Final Home Games
On Senior Night, men push winning streak to six games with a 52-48 win over Colorado College.
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A Foray into the Abyss of Online Dating
The Dating Game: A Four Part series by A&E columnist Maddie Smith
theTrinitonian Volume 111, Issue 17
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www.trinitonian.com
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Serving Trinity University Since 1902
• February 07, 2014
Student frustration expressed at Sexual Assault Town Hall
Students demand answers regarding the appeals process, trust in the university and overall policy by Faith Ozer
NEWS REPORTER Following a surge of student and community attention around sexual assault, Trinity’s Student Government Association (SGA) held a town hall meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in the Fiesta Room to create a campus dialogue about the university’s sexual assault policies and procedures. The panel included six community members: Stephen Bachrach, distinguished professor, chair of the chemistry department and Title IX coordinator; David Tuttle, dean of students and vice president for student affairs; Rick Giprich, member support & advocacy program director for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault; Melissa Flowers, assistant director for residential education; Barbara Berkova and Sarah Miller, co-chairs of the student conduct board and Peter Perez, assistant chief of the Trinity University Police Department (TUPD). “It seems to me that this year has kind of been at this low-level simmer all year ‘round about
why and how some [assaults are reported], and then, finally, as we came into this semester, it kind of sparked,” said Evan Lewis, SGA president. “I don’t know what did it, exactly, but the time was just right to have a conversation, so Dean Tuttle and myself put it together.” In light of national news coverage as well as recent Trinity attention, the topic of sexual assaults on campus has raised many questions. According to Lewis and Tuttle, the town hall sought to open a dialogue within the Trinity community and serve as an educational setting for discussion of campus policies and procedures in dealing with reports of sexual assault. The Process Extensions of the Title IX legislation made in 2011 mandate that when a sexual assault is reported to the university, Trinity has an obligation to investigate it. This process is continued by the University Conduct Board (UCB), composed of three faculty, two staff and two students who rotate to hear each case. Tuttle acts as a facilitator during the UCB process, but is non-voting and absent during decision making. This process and its sanction is separate from the judicial system. According to Perez, if a student wishes to pursue an assault legally, TUPD corresponds with the university, then forwards any information to the San Antonio
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh Senior Abby Peak (left) looks out from behind seniors Graham Bates (middle) and Caroline Cramer (middle right) during statements and questions made throughout the town hall in the Fiesta Room.
District Attorney’s office. This process is estimated to take three to four days, and at that point the district attorney can choose whether to further investigate the case or not. If legally pursued, both sides of the report will be investigated within the criminal justice system. During the town hall students asked questions regarding details of the UCB appeal process, particularly the ability and circumstances under which
an accused student can file for an appeal. According to Flowers, who facilitates the Conduct Review Board as a non-voting member, both the accuser and the accused have the option to appeal a decision to the board. As stated on the university webpage, written appeals must be made within five class days of the date of the decision. Flowers said that if procedural errors are significant enough as to suggest an unfair hearing, the sanction may be
reviewed. Methods of restorative justice are not procedural during sexual assault cases. When concerns from students were voiced about the sexual history of the accused or the survivor being exposed during the hearing, administrators reassured that this was prohibited. Tuttle agreed that this should be added to the language of the current sexual assault policies.
Road closures and freezing precipitation causes Trinity to delay the start of classes
In light of the situation, the university, along with other local school districts and universities, pushed back class times for students to ensure that conditions were safe and good for travel. Thursday night, Jan. 23, the university sent out an email informing students and faculty that there was “anticipation of another wave of freezing temperatures and the potential for freezing precipitation.” Following the continued weather conditions, the school closed classes early in the day, urging “faculty, staff and students traveling to campus...to use their best judgment about road conditions and report to campus when it is safe to do so.” To many students, the prospect of missing class was certainly appealing, although many were unsure if the weather justified such action. To sophomore Zach Wilson the prospect of a day off was more than enough.
“‘I’m from outside of Texas, so I don’t really sympathize with the whole “It’s 35 degrees and slightly icy outside, it’s practically the apocalypse,” perspective,” Wilson said. “Still, I found it frustrating to be teased with the possibility that classes would be canceled only to have them be delayed. Once I knew that cancellation was a possibility, I didn’t have it in me to do any homework. I spent the evening bundled up in warm clothes watching Netflix.” To other students as well, the aim for canceled classes remained strong. However, to many, especially those living off campus, the dangers of the conditions had to be noted. To senior Jim Stryker, Texas is quite different from other places further north, including his home state Nebraska, so he has to handle these situations differently.
see STUDENTS Page 3
Winter weather causes university to postpone class for safety
by Luke Wise NEWS REPORTER
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh Icecicles drip from the hood of a student’s car in addition to a frozen windshield.
Last week, following low temperatures and freezing rain, the university delayed classes for students on the 24th, pushing back start times to 9:30 am. The winter storm, rolling in on Thursday night, included freezing rain, sleet and ice. By Friday morning, many major roads were closed down, including the Interstate 10 and Loop 410 interchange and the U.S. 281 connection to Loop 1604. San Antonio police reported that 173 accidents, along with 414 minor accidents, occcurred during the freeze.
see WEATHER Page 4
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News
theTrinitonian FEB. 07. 2014
compiled by Carlos Anchondo
LOCAL
NATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
Over 6,000 volunteers have been laboring since Jan. 14 to prepare the AT&T Center for the upcoming San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, which drew over 1.6 million visitors in 2013. The event is expected to stimulate the local economy with an approximated $150 million in revenue. Along with rodeo shows daily in the arena, there will also be livestock competitions and auctions, a carnival, family-friendly exhibits and an outdoor food court. The event lasts from Feb. 6 to Feb. 23.
Jennifer Jones of Honolulu, Hawaii, had her car stolen after she pulled over to assist another driver who had crashed into the median. While she was helping the injured person, a man climbed into her Mazda Miata and drove away. Jones contacted area police, and together they were able to locate Jones’ car via her cell phone. Hawaii News Now reports, that police are still looking for the man who ditched the injured woman and used the Miata as a getaway car.
In an effort to yield a greater role in international peacekeeping, a Japanese government panel, led by prime minister Shinzo Abe, wants to increase the country’s defensive capabilities. Japan cites potential military threats from neighbors China and North Korea. Japan looks to grow its defense alliance outside of Washington, particularly as China continues to expand. Abe seeks to remove restrictions placed on Japan after World War II in preparation for future national security threats.
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abcnews.go.com
theguardian.com
graphic by Caroline Jakubowski
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TUPD Briefs: Jan. 30 — Feb. 06 Location: Laurie Auditorium Date: 02-02-14 Time Occurred: 5:50 a.m. Classification: Fire Alarm Location: Witt Center Date: 02-01-14 Time Occurred: 3:25 a.m. Classification: Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
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Location: Calvert Hall Date: 01-31-14 Time Occurred: 3:39 a.m. Classification: Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor
Location: Facilities Services Date: 01-30-14 Time Occurred: 1:34 a.m. Classification: Fire Alarm
Information for these briefs is provided by the Trinity University Police Department.
compiled by Carlos Anchondo
Index
1 News 7 Opinion
10 Campus Pulse 16 Arts&Entertainment 20 Sports
Staff
editor-in-chief: Rachel Puckett managing editor: Lydia Duncombe business manager: Sydney Coleman ad director: Paige Lanford creative director: Katherine Kroll news editor: Carlos Anchondo campus pulse editor: Kenneth Caruthers arts & entertainment editor: Megan Hageney
sports editor: Aly Mithani photo editor: Anh-Viet Dinh web editor: John Mendiola graphic editor: Caroline Jakubowski reporters: Cassandra Watson, Luke Wise,
James Godfrey, Subrat Mahapatra, Kailiegh Phillips, Maddie Smith, Mason Walker, John
Mendiola, Julie Robinson, Elif Yucel, Davis Mathis, Claire Hoobler-Curtis columnists: Allison Smith, Lauren Schroeter, Abby Miracle copy editors: Alessa Hutter, Alicia Guerrero, Evan Snow photographers: Megan McLoughlin, Jennie Ran, Matthew Brink, Nayeli Perez distribution manager: Laura Prentice advertising executives: Krista Campolo, Ali Campion, Allison O’Hanlon, Rodrigo Gallegos Anda, Hayley Malone creative staff: Kristy Hamilton, Kristin Erin Ashley business assistants: Olivier Dardant, Elly Yeo
social media manager: Sara Hartmann adviser: Katharine Martin
ACROSS
DOWN
3 Site of 2014 Winter Games 4 U.S. network broadcasting the Olympics 6 Ohno, a former Olympic speed skater 7 These Winter Games start Mar. 7 9 Home of speed skater Eddy Alvarez 11 Timed runs down banked ice tracks 12 An Olympic sport; not just bones
1 2 5 6 7 8 10
U.S. flag-bearer in Sochi P.E. teacher on U.S. curling team Sliding stones on ice sheets Home of figure skater Jeremy Abbott U.S. biathlon head coach President of Russia Davis, of U.S. figure skating
compiled by Carlos Anchondo, made using puzzle-maker.com
Identification The Trinitonian [USPS 640460] [issn 1067-7291] is published weekly during the academic year, except holidays and final exams, by Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212-7200. Subscription price is $35 per year. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Antonio, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Trinitonian, One Trinity Place, #62, San Antonio, TX 78212-7200.
News
theTrinitonian FEB. 07. 2014
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International Programs office bolsters ranks with Herzog Stephanie Herzog begins second full month as advisor in International Programs office by Cassandra Watson NEWS REPORTER
photo by Nayeli Perez Stephanie Herzog has been with the International Programs office since Dec.
Last week, the International Programs office held a reception in Chapman to recognize the newly hired international student and scholar services advisor, Stephanie Herzog, who joined the department in December. The position of an international student and scholar services advisor is primarily focused on aiding international students in keeping up with immigration paperwork and requirements. Herzog’s hiring comes at a time when the number of international students attending Trinity is increasing. “The number of international students
studying at Trinity has been growing. I’d say in some ways the International Programs are expanding because they need to support the international students,” Herzog said.
“We like to check in with our students to make sure that they’re feeling at home here at Trinity.”
Stephanie Herzog International Student and Scholar Services Advisor The department is also concerned with offering support in other areas where international students may need help. “We like to check in with our students to make sure that they’re feeling at home here at Trinity. If they’re having any issues we want to make sure we’re there to
reach out to them and give them the resources that they need,” Herzog said. International students face a number of challenges when they arrive at Trinity that extend past the adjustments that all firstyear students they must go through. Not only do they deal with adjusting to life as a college student, but they must also deal with issues such as culture shock, homesickness, banking issues due to currency exchanges and language barriers. Difficulties communicating with family back home due to living in different timezones and not being able to visit home on breaks and holidays are also issues that many domestic students don’t have to think about. “I know some people that don’t have their country right next door and they get really nostalgic. The first semester is especially hard,” said international student Julian Burgos.
see HERZOG Page 5
Students voice passionate concerns about university policy • continued from Page 1 Sanctions Many students voiced concern about the varying degrees of punishment as a result of sexual assault hearings, comparing levels of sanction for assaults to those of “victimless crimes,” such as marijuana use or plagiarism, and calling for a more stringent standard of punishment for all sexual assault cases. However, faculty and student members of the UCB shared protest for “rubberstamping” punishments. According to Flowers, the sanctions process has evolved from a policy of mandatory expulsion in the case of sexual assault. The range of sanctions recommended by the consultants who helped write university policy ranges from suspension to expulsion. “Even with the [campus conduct] drug policy, we have specific standards outlined. However, even though that is outlined, that isn’t something that we necessarily stick to. We always like to have a little bit of flexibility depending on if you’re smoking a joint or if there’s a little bit of a smell of marijuana in your room, that doesn’t necessarily warrant suspension,” Berkova said. “All cases of sexual assault are important, it’s just difficult to give an automatic sanction for everything. We need that flexibility sometimes.” Tuttle and Bachrach agreed that a standard punishment for all reports of sexual assault would delegitimize the UCB process, not fulfilling the university’s obligation to protect both parties during the hearing and consider all circumstances of the incident.
“The people who are accused, they want a fair process. The truth is, we cannot have a rubberstamp process if it’s going to have legitimacy and credibility,” Tuttle said. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t support our students who are survivors of sexual assault.” Many students at the town hall pointed out the challenges the survivor faces if the individual reponsible returned to campus after suspension. However, aside from calling for a mandatoryexpulsion, recommendations on preventing or handling this occurrence were not made by the participants. “I have seen situations of sexual misconduct where I do believe the proper outcome would be a suspension and not an expulsion. And when that person arrives. It would be horrible, absolutely,” Bachrach said. “We have to balance the rights of everybody that’s involved here. The returning student has some rights, too. We do expect the criminal justice system - and you’ve paid your time, you’ve done your time in prison - they release you back into society. I would love to hear some solution too, but it needs people thinking on both sides. We would love to make everybody’s life easier, particularly the survivor.” Campus Culture While on the panel, Gipprich offered many pieces of advice encouraging student education of what sexual assault actually looks like and needing to change campus culture so that reporting sexual assaults becomes normalized. “If doubt and lack of trust and no patience is the norm, then there needs to be a shift. And the shift needs to be that you
report it, that you, as students, hold perpetrators accountable,” Giprich said. “This is a shift from victim responsibility to perpetrator accountability. It’s not about what a victim did, it’s about what message was sent and what message was taken by the perpetrator that allowed him to do what he did.” According to Giprich, Trinity is at an advantage due to its level of student involvement and communication with administration. He assured that these concerns are not uncommon on college campuses but advocated for a higher level of student accountability. Similarly, Bachrach advocated for student accountability as a means of preventing sexual assault. “What I’m interested in talking about is student accountability to each other. In every case that I’ve seen there have been multiple opportunities for a friend to step in and say, ‘Hey, you’ve had too much, let’s go home,’ and it didn’t happen, over and over and over again,” Bachrach said. “That’s what I’d like to see students do-and that’s what that Step Up program we have is.” Toward the conclusion of the town hall, more survivors spoke about their personal experiences with the system and concerns arose of trust within the university. However, many of the survivors encouraged others to speak out and report sexual assaults, assuring that, despite personal hardship and policy flaws, they trusted the university and its administration. In The Future Concluding the town hall, members of the community discussed current and future ways to prevent and deal with
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh Senior Savannah McDonough reads a statement on her phone from a sexual assault survivor.
sexual assaults within the campus community. “I think one of the most important things is that survivors should have the option of speaking to a female advocate. Secondly, I think [the university] should have a more comprehensive sexual assault awareness training for NSO (New Student Orientation),” said Anna Van Buskirk, junior resident mentor and member of the academic honor council. “Thirdly, I think it’s very important that disciplinary procedures are consistently enforced. It’s very easy for people to have misconceptions about what’s going on until they know the details, so I think it’s very important to be clear about what [the university] expects and the standards to which they expect us to adhere.”
It was also announced that the Zeta Chi sorority and Iota Chi Rho fraternity will be working on sexual assault awareness training. According to Tuttle, tentative future plans include scheduling a panel of policy consultants with the SGA to meet with students and setting up a campus assault resource network to meet regularly and discuss procedures and campus climate. “I think the important thing to take away from this, as a student leader on campus, things like this aren’t really enough,” Lewis said. “Getting involved when something has already happened obviously won’t prevent it. We need people involved the entire time, and we need this conversation, because you can’t put the bullet back in the gun.”
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theTrinitonian FEB.07. 2014
News
Southwest Airlines expands to international hubs
First international locations include Caribbean; Trinity students weigh in on the news by Luke Wise
NEWS REPORTER With over 3,800 flights each day, Southwest Airlines is a major competitor in the field of transportation. Promoting low prices and easy flights, the successful domestic airline is looking to go international. Starting with flights to the Caribbean, the airline is looking to expand further, offering more non-stop flights across the country as well. The change comes as the company looks to gain more business and compete with other new and cheap domestic airlines such as Spirit Airlines. According to the company website, the change reflects the ideas the company strives for. “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth,
friendliness, individual pride and Company Spirit.” To many, this change comes as an exciting new prospect for future travels, especially for those who are already fans of the company and what it offers. To first year Cameron Piper, Southwest is on easy and cheap airline that makes it simple for students to travel. “I chose [Southwest] because I could get a direct flight,” Piper said. “Because it’s Southwest, I can fly in direct and I don’t have time for a layover.”
“International travel can be pretty expensive, so if they can keep prices low, they will be successful, at least among us students.” Matthew Favaro Sophomore Likewise, to sophomore Matt Favaro, the addition of more domestic and international flights can only help the successful company.
“Flying home for short breaks is often difficult for those of us out of state,” Favaro said. “However, with cheap prices and bag checking, it makes it possible to get a flight home relatively easy.” Even to those who are less familiar with the airline, the new ventures by the company are attracting their attention. To sophomore Paxton Deuel, if the company maintains its cheap prices and same business plan, their international venture may pay off. “The more options the better. With a competitive market the prices will only get better”, Deuel said. “If they keep the cheap business model for international flights, it would really give them a competitive advantage and I would be inclined to try it.” The prospect of cheap international flights is a hope for many, including Trinity students looking for future travels abroad. “While they may not be offering international flights to my destinations by next year, the option will hopefully be there for future students,” Favaro said. “International travel can be pretty expensive, so if they
can keep prices low, they will be successful, at least among us students”.
“If they keep the cheap business model for international flights, it would really give them a competitive advantage and I would be inclined to try it.” Paxton Deuel Sophomore
If they keep with their current model and adapt it similarly for international travel, many see further success for the airline. “If they already give twoto-three checked bags, it will
be interesting to see how they handle it internationally,” Piper said. With new low price domestic competitors such as Spirit Airlines along with their 2011 acquisition of AirTran, the new ideas by the airline were no surprise. To many, these new changes will only help the airline, but it remains to be seen exactly how they will implement the plans. To chief executive and president of Southwest Airlines. Gary Kelly, the move is just another step in maintaining their reputation and success. Southwest Airlines democratized the sky from our first flights more than four decades ago”, Kelly said. “Today’s milestone enables us to reach new territory, new customers and build upon a four-decade foundation of doing right by the travelers who trust our value and our people.”
A how-to: Submissions to LeeRoy newsletter by James Godfrey NEWS REPORTER For students and organizations that would like to submit posts for the LeeRoy daily newsletter, submissions can be entered through the website under Communication Services’ “LeeRoy Daily News” page. The LeeRoy team highly encourages all submissions that follow regulation. Many of the rules are listed on the page. Submissions are accepted through, but in addition to these rules, the LeeRoy
team would like to remind those submitting to allow 10 working days for submissions to be proofed and added to the newsletter. Submissions should include full organization names and contain no abbreviations. When submitting, please include contact information in the instance that the submission is not entirely clear, as well as a graphic or picture that will be used to represent your submission. Finally, when creating your submission, please keep it as brief as possible while including the most vital information about your event or news.
Weather affects classes • continued from Page 1 “I was lucky that, by the time I left, the ice had melted to get to school,” Stryker said. “However, I’m surprised they didn’t cancel classes, considering ice is fairly uncommon down here. If you cancel 8:30 classes, why not 9:30 and so on?” To the university, the main concern is safety. With regard to their weather policy on winter storms, Trinity states, “The university will be closed before travel conditions become dangerous and will not reopen until the environment is safe. Resident students should remain indoors when weather conditions are dangerous.” This idea rings true to students and faculty alike, who recognize the importance of staying safe and using their
best judgment. To sophomore Zach Solcher while a day off is always fun, the important thing is to stay safe. “I realize why the school wanted to and decided to continue to hold classes, as the conditions were much better as the day went on,” Solcher said. “However, if you think it’s too dangerous outside, or you had better stay in, missing a day of class is the right call – just use your best judgment.” On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Sharon Schweitzer, assistant vice president for external relations, said in an email that the university is continuing to monitor weather conditions in “anticipation of another wave of freezing temperatures and the potential for freezing precipitation on Thursday and Friday mornings.”
theTrinitonian FEB. 07. 2014
News Student Government Association Updates by James Godfrey NEWS REPORTER At the Student Government Association meeting this past Tuesday, the association first heard from representatives from Aramark as well as David Tuttle, dean of students and vice president for student affairs, who discussed various suggestions for changes to food services on campus. Continuing with their five-year improvement plan that now incorporates the Center for Science and Innovations’ space, Aramark and the university are considering a number of options for what they intend to do with this newly created space as well as
potentially changing what is offered in the Commons and Java City. Their suggested changes on providing quick service and food that does not result in too heavy a tax on the environment. The options currently in consideration include Freshies, Steak n’ Shake, Jamba Juice, and a sushi bar. Aramark also wants to inform students about recycling efforts on campus and involve them in Earth Week activities. Additionally, the SGA considered several funding requests this session: Mocha Life requested funding for t-shirts in the interest of encouraging students to participate in and better understand Black History Month better. Their request was approved for a total of $100. The Society of Women’s Engineers requested funding in order to bring a
speaker to campus who would address issues relatable to all who attended. Their funding was approved for $300. The women’s lacrosse team requested funding for equipment and gas for this semester. Their request was approved in part for $633. The Bee Alliance requested funding in order to buy equipment and set up their enclosures on campus. Their request was approved for $900. The Stand Band requested funding in order to buy new instruments and were approved for $1,848.68. Finally, the SGA chose a pair of potential logos for their association that were created by students. The student body will be asked to vote on these in the near future.
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Herzog transitions to TU • continued from Page 3 The presence of international students on campus campus gives everyone the opportunity to engage with people from numerous cultural backgrounds. International students bring their distinct worldviews to the dialogue among the Trinity community. “It benefits us a lot to have students from all over the world. We have students from every continent here.That really enriches and diversifies the community here and in San Antonio. There’s a lot that we can learn from them... it’s a really unique opportunity to get outside your comfort zone and see what life is like for people around the world and share those different
types of experience,” Herzog said. Many of the activities the International Programs office holds aim to bring international and domestic students together. International students also benefit from all the opportunities that the United States offers. Studying here at Trinity gives international students a foot in the door to seek employment here after graduation. “If you want to work in the United States, it’s easier if you’ve already studied here so you can just go straight to working here. It’s really hard to get your degree somewhere else and come to the U.S., especially for those wanting to go into the medical field,” Burgos said.
Making a Funding Request to the
Student Government Association by James Godfrey NEWS REPORTER In order for student groups and organizations to submit funding requests to the Student Government Association, students must first fill out a Funding Request Form, which can be found on the university website on the SGA page. They are encouraged to save the document to their desktop in order to modify it as it makes the file easier to read when presented. Students must then e-mail the completed form to sga@trinity.
edu, and when it is read they will be contacted by the SGA if there are any mistakes in the form to revise. The request is then presented by the requesters to the Student Activity Fee Allocations committee, who decides whether it will continue on to the senate. Funding Requests are considered by the association at SGA meetings and the spirit of the event and funding are decided upon. During these meetings, funding can be adjusted depending on the decisions of the SGA. The requesters will then be contacted by the association and continue from there.
6 News Study Abroad awards prizes to photo contest winners theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Advisor Andre Martinez hosts contest with help of judges Simonite and Liu
by Cassandra Watson NEWS REPORTER The study abroad staff held a reception this past Thursday, Jan. 30 for photography contest winners featuring pictures taken by students while abroad. Students were given the opportunity to discuss their photos and give peers a glimpse into their study abroad experience. “We all shared the story behind our pictures, which was really cool because sometimes you just see them and don’t really know what’s going on,” said senior contestant Katelyn Campbell. Through photos, students were able to share their journeys and the impacts that their study abroad experiences had on them. Leah Wesselman, who received best in show, was excited to participate. “I was abroad in South Africa and it was such a beautiful country. I also got to do some traveling around South Africa,
and I got to capture some really cool moments. I was really proud of some of the pictures and thought the contest would be a cool way to share with other people who had gone abroad,” Wesselman said. Up to 47 percent of Trinity students study abroad at some point during their time here. Unlike most other schools, many students here take advantage of the opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture before graduating and starting their careers. “We encourage a lot of our students to think about doing an internship while abroad, because the world is much more global now, and many companies work internationally. Having an understanding of another culture is important to them,” advisor Andre Martinez said. Going abroad also has the potential to help students expand and alter their worldview in a way that goes beyond the learning that happens in the classroom. “It helps you see a different world perspective. People here at Trinity are very academically focused and going abroad opens your eyes to how much bigger it is outside of the Trinity bubble, outside of Texas, outside of the United States,” Wesselman said. The photo contest is held every semester and is
photo courtesy of Leah Wesselman The best-in-show photo, called “A Look into Capetown,” was taken by Wesselman during a match in Capetown Stadium.
open to students who have just come home from being overseas. Students were able to submit up to four photos that are categorized into five categories: people, cityscapes, landscapes,people, and animals. Newly hired study abroad advisor Andre Martinez organized the event and implemented changes to the contest this semester. “We have it set up now to where all photos are submitted digitally so students don’t have to worry about the cost of printing and having them mounted,” Martinez said. The potential financial burden and logistical trouble students may have in printing and framing their own photos
were important reasons to modernize the submission process. Thanks to sponsors like Walgreens and Fast Frame, all photo submissions were printed and matted free of charge for students. Photo submissions in this semester’s contest more than doubled from past contests. “I probably would not have entered if I would have had to print off my pictures and matt them myself,” Campbell said. For each category, first, second and third along with four honorable mentions were awarded. First-place winners received a camera cleaning cloth from Camera Exchange and a $30 Amazon gift card. Second place received a $15 iTunes gift card. Third place was awarded a $10
Cici’s Pizza voucher.Honorable mentions were given a $5 HEB gift card. The best in show is on display in the Coates University Center near the Skyline Room. Wesselman received a $100 HEB gift card and a certificate to Camera Exchange for a free photography course. Everyone who placed or received an honorable mention were given certificates in recognition of their participation in the competition. Students who didn’t attend the event will have the chance to view their peers’ photos this semester. All submitted photos will be on display in Chapman during spring family weekend for students to show their friends and family.
order your
mirage yearbook before time runs out LAST CHANCE TO BUY IS FEBRUARY 13TH Seniors can buy a yearbook at Countdown to Commencement on the 12th and 13th.
2014 yearbooks can be purchased online at cpstore.trinity.edu.
Media With Medina Cynara Medina, Professor Let’s start with disclosure. I survived sexual abuse, so I know what it’s like to feel shame, guilt and helplessness. I wrote about that for the Trinitonian. If you are curious, you can search the archives. I’m not rehashing it now. I have a limited word count that I will probably exceed (sorry, boss!). First, I praise all of the survivors who shared their stories during the SGA Town Hall on the University Sexual Assault Policy. I praise the students who organized it, and the ones who asked all the poignant and necessary questions. You have shown incredible dignity, respect and empathy. Kudos! I was at the SGA Town Hall. I did try to educate myself on the issue beforehand, so I read the current Trinity policy and the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), a document by the Department of Education dated April 4, 2011. After the town hall, I thought about what I heard from the university in light of the DCL, as it is meant to clarify our Title IX obligations. The DCL states that cases of sexual misconduct must be adjudicated in ways that are “prompt, thorough and impartial.” That said, I have no doubts that the university’s policy is in line with Title IX. We have procedures and sanctions to deal with “Sexual Misconduct.” For example, the policy acknowledges survivors’ wishes, especially regarding confidentiality. In fact, a student who contacted me afterward commended
Trinity on this. Describing the experience, the student said, “I admitted to Sargent Lopez (sic) that I wished to end the process immediately, with the least amount of people hurt and informed. No parents, no friends, no SAPD and definitely no therapy. Lopez graciously informed me of all my options and directions I could take the case, essentially putting me in as much control as the policy allows. THIS is what I appreciated so deeply about the policy here at Trinity: It can be tailored to the victim’s comfort level and puts the victim in control of the extent to which her/his case is taken.” This student also praised Dean Tuttle for being “extremely invested in my well-being thereafter,” and “consistently [helping the student] to find outlets and support other than counseling on campus.” That said, nothing prevents us from improving. Even this student agrees because, “The Trinity policy is not bad, it is flawed. It has room for perfection, but doesn’t lack direction.” I concur wholeheartedly. We can do better. For example, the current policy states that a student found “responsible” of “non-consensual sexual intercourse” (any act that involves penetration) can expect “suspension or expulsion” What exactly mitigates the penalty for acts that involve penetration? From the town hall, I gathered that one factor was the survivor’s wishes. I beg to differ, and here is why. Even the DCL states that confidentiality requests should be weighed against the “school’s responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students.” Wouldn’t that responsibility be equally important even if the survivor feels they “just wanted to let the other
person know that they did something wrong,” as was said in the town hall? In other words, should mercy override the common good? I don’t know if I can answer that, but it is an important question. I have other questions as well. First, why should students take the lead in educating the campus on issues of sexual violence, as was suggested? Doesn’t the DCL state that it is the school’s responsibility to “take proactive measures to prevent sexual harassment and violence”? Second, is it appropriate to tell students that preventing sexual assault is up to them? That it’s a matter of “not drinking too much punch at the party”? Shouldn’t our message stress DON’T RAPE, rather than DON’T GET YOURSELF RAPED? Third, why do we only have two female police officers in TUPD? When will they receive training on handling sexual misconduct claims, since we were informed they had none? Fourth, why do we have enough resources to build an imposing new building, but don’t seem to have enough budget for staff that will counsel students through the complaint and appeals process? Fifth, since allegations have been made about undue pressure on sexual abuse survivors not to report to SAPD or pursue appeals, will the university look into that? If it has already happened, what did the university find? I know we are all responsible for the culture on campus, but with greater power comes greater responsibility. Trinity students and alumni came to us. They asked questions, and they asked for changes. Will we hear them out or shut them out? Cynara Medina is a professor in the communication department.
or not.
LET US KNOW. lduncomb@trinity.edu
What do single people do on Valentine’s Day?
sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk • sidewalk
Opinion The responsibilty of campus culture 7 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Facing your demons
Columnist Allison Smith discusses the issue of suicide Page 8
“Eat ice cream and hang out with friends.” Melody Sowder Sophomore
“Take my teddy bear our on a date.” Andrew Waters Sophomore
“Howl at the moon.” Eilise Evans Senior
“Watch The Notebook..alone.” Alex Greer Sophomore
“Eat Cupcakes and watch Rom-Coms.” Ashley Poston Junior
“My friend dresses as a man and takes all the single ladies of our group out, flowers and all. We can lie to ourselves for 2 hours.” Blake Keeling Junior
“Take a girl I don’t know out on a spontaneous date.” Teddy Croft Sophomore
“Weep into their chocolate. Ain’t Nobody.” Nikkin Rader Senior
compiled by Miguel Webber
8 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
A sense of belonging Staff Column
Allison Smith , Columnist On Thursday, Jan. 23 of 2014, famed Internet celebrity Justin ‘JewWario’ Carmical tragically ended his life, scarcely two days after posting a seemingly normal video on his YouTube channel. For fans, the reaction was that of immense shock and grief. Although I had never watched his videos, Justin had apparently been a very goodhearted, rather happy sort of guy, often making jokes and smiling. And while I had only a passing sense of familiarity of Justin’s work, it still came as a big surprise to hear what had become of him. No, I didn’t know Justin well. But he seemed like a wonderful human being and I still cannot believe he is no longer here on this earth. I want to level with you here, reader. Suicide is not something to ever laugh at. It is a serious matter. I bring up Justin because he never let on that he may have been feeling depressed. He always seemed really happygo-lucky and enthused about everything he did. That’s the thing; we can’t begin to know who may be thinking about killing themselves. People hide their true emotions all the time, and sometimes after it’s all over we’re left wondering just what went wrong. Maybe there was something from their past that had been tormenting them. Maybe they were upset about financial woes or school or rejection from their fellow peers.
Maybe it was just something they felt they could never escape from. Whatever the reason, suicide happens. It happens everywhere all over the world at every minute or every hour. And when it happens, it leaves a wake of sadness and pain. In life, we all have our problems. Some of us grow stronger from our experiences. Others are scarred from them. We all have our demons to face. Sometimes, we even get depressed to the point where we feel that our overall lives are meaningless. I want to tell you that they’re not. YOU have worth. YOU have a place here. Do not for one minute think that you would be better off dead. Each and every one of us was born for a reason. We sometimes just don’t notice. But don’t ever think that you’re worthless. You will find a way. The road might seem long and discouraging but you will get to where you need to be if you just keep striving for the future. We have to look out for each other, provide each other with a little bit of comfort and support. We must watch closely for suicidal warning signs, both within ourselves and others. We have to learn to spread a little concern and kindness around, try to understand ourselves a bit better. Because behind every smile there may be tears, behind every dapple of light a grim, looming shadow. We have to give ourselves a sense of hope, a sense of encouragement and belonging. Don’t ever feel like you need to give up. Life might seem harsh and unfair, but it is still precious all the same. You are strong and you will make it. You have to believe that. Allison Smith is a junior majoring in English.
Make sure to check out the
Housing Guide in the th February 14 issue!
Opinion EDITORIAL
The Burden of Truth The Trinitonian’s editorial is supposed to reflect the thoughts and feelings of the newspaper’s editorial board. Most weeks, we accomplish this task with relative ease. How many differing opinions can we have on student involvement, racial diversity or Nelson Mandela’s death? Not many, as it would seem. However, sometimes in the Trinity community, events arise that are difficult to deal with. These events cause such opposing responses that it is difficult to combine them into one coherent column. Events that have occurred in the past week--and, in truth, much earlier than that--have caused a range of responses among the Trintonian staff and among the campus at large. We are, of course, referring the circumstances surrounding Wednesday night’s Student Government Association Town Hall on the University Sexual Assault Policy. The town hall took place in the Fiesta Room, and for most of its two-hour duration, was standing room only. It featured a panel comprised of representatives from the Trinity University Police Department, Residential Life, Campus and Community Involvement, the University Conduct Board and the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. The panel spent two hours explaining university procedures and attempting to defend themselves against the mountain of unpleasant evidence dumped at their feet by frustrated students. The Trinitonian spent these two hours sinking deeper and deeper into a well of confusion and conflicting emotions. We will now attempt to climb out of that well. One of the hardest factors to anticipate and respond to properly in the discussion about Trinity’s sexual assault policy involves the emotion this debate inspires. On all sides of this issue, emotion continually gets the better of people, and that is to be expected. Sexual assault is emotional. It’s traumatic, ugly and we would all be better off if it did not exist, but it does. Because it exists, we have to find a way to combat it without letting emotion cloud our judgement. When we become overly emotional about this topic, the discussion veers off track. It becomes unproductive. Arguments and points become less clear, and it’s hard to process all the different factors that influence sexual assault and sexual assault policy. On the topic of influencing factors, it is important to remember that such things exist. There are a number of factors that directly influence the way Trinity, and every other college, can combat rape culture and address sexual assault in healthy, productive ways. The most important factor to keep in mind is the fact that Trinity is not a court of law. The University Conduct Board is not a courthouse. The students, faculty and staff present in these hearings are not judges, and they are not jurors. The standards that apply in a court of law are not identical to the standards that apply in a University Conduct Board hearing. They cannot convict attackers. They cannot sentence attackers. Even in a court of law, prosecuting sexual assault cases is incredibly difficult. The statistics surrounding rape--who reports rape, who prosecutes rapes and who is held responsible for rape--are dismal on a good day and are downright depressing the rest of the time. An informational packet compiled by the University of Kentucky for a team of rape crisis and sexual violence advocates states that only 37% of reported rapes are prosecuted, and, of this 37%, only 18% result in a conviction. These statistics are the sad results of a multitude of factors and the primary factor is the lack of evidence available and the burden of proof faced by both prosecuting attorneys and jurors. Despite its truth, emotional evidence still does not carry the same weight that physical evidence carries. An article on Jezebel, the Internet home of consumable modern feminism, written by Anna North titled “Why A Rape Doesn’t Get Prosecuted” details, as you might suspect, the myriad reasons why district attorneys decline rape cases, be the cases from college campuses or communities at large. The article addresses the repulsive reality that, often times, “questionable” aspects of the defendant’s character will be yanked into the harsh courtroom light. Nothing is untouchable. Mental illness, past relationships, alcohol usage--all of it is fair game, and, unfortunately, it is a successful tactic in defending people accused of rape. Because of this continued failure of outside courts to convict rapists, it becomes even more vital for universities to provide an alternative option for justice seekers. Trinity will never be able to take every assailant off the streets. In fact, they will never be able to take any assailants off the streets. However, they are capable, and, per the sexual assault policy webpage, determined to discipline students who violate other students. Trinity is capable of sending a message to attackers that sexual violence is not tolerable, and will result in immediate action. All sides of this issue desire the same resolution: a change in a rape culture and victim blaming. We all want to change the way people think about rape, and we want people to be held accountable for their actions. In the coming weeks and months, as this discussion continues, it will be vitally important to remember that we are all on the same team, and we fight the same enemy.
theTrinitonian
Opinion
FEB.07.2014
9
Standing together against sexual assault Guest Column Avantika Krishna Wednesday’s town hall on sexual assault was highly anticipated to say the least. After alumna Kendra Doshier sparked a conversation on the university’s policies and procedures regarding sexual assault cases, a large number of students took to social media to express their own dissatisfaction, creating a conversation that inevitably led to necessary dialogue with the university administration. After arriving at the forum, I was elated to see that only standing room remained. Mere presence alone is important. Showing up in droves proves to administration that we care about progress, that we want them to listen, that we are here to expedite those changes. I would like to reiterate my thanks to those who chose to speak and voice their opinions. I am so very proud of and grateful to everyone
who took a first step by sharing their concerns and showing up. An active and engaged citizenry in every setting is crucial to a functioning and healthy democracy. I would specifically like to commend the men of Iota Chi Rho and laud their presence at the forum. As one of the speakers rightly pointed out, sexual assault is not a woman’s issue but a campus issue. Men, too, are affected by the pervasive problem of sexual assault. Whether men are the victims or act as a support system for sisters, mothers, daughters, girlfriends, or friends who have been victims, men have a large stake in this issue. Men also have an equal responsibility to stop sexual assault before it happens, be advocates of survivors if it does, and withstand the insidiousness of rape culture because when men fail to step up, society as whole fails to progress. I was also grateful to see a large presence from the ladies of the Zeta Chi, Chi Beta Epsilon, and SPURS sororities. It is essential for the Greek community to help dispel the stigma and false notions surrounding Greek life as the sole perpetuators of sexual assault or supporters of rapists. Though there are problems with
All three TigerTV shows are live on channel 14 (14.1 HD) !
Groupthink and the mentality of a group, these problems are not limited only to social fraternities and sororities. Anyone can be a victim of sexual assault or its perpetrator.
“We all have a responsibility to avoid complacency with the issues that plague our campus or communities, and we should not expect the involvement of others to solve the problems for us.”
Though I took issue with many of the claims and statements made by the administration during the panel, I did appreciate their rapid response in organizing this discussion forum. I strongly believe that the university administration cares deeply for the students on this campus. Though the town hall seemed at
times to pit the university and its students against each other as adversaries, everyone needs to remember that we must not the ones fight each other. Together, we must fight the real enemy: sexual assault and its frequency on college campuses. Unless both sides commit to working together, solutions will not be found and progress will not be made. The university really needs to listen to its students—not merely appease our anger—and understand that we have a very personal stake in the outcome. Apathy is endemic to our campus, and the university should be proud of its students’ passionate reaction. I did not appreciate the way the administration kept trying to push the blame onto students and to put the on us on us to change. The focus of the town hall, from a student’s perspective, was to provide a pathway to address the flaws in the university’s position on sexual assault and in the lack of sorely needed education about the issue. Over the years, students have repeatedly proposed changes that have continually been dismissed or discarded by the administration. No longer will we allow that to be the norm, because our voices matter and
must be heard. Though students certainly share the responsibility to eliminate rape culture, we also have a responsibility to hold the administration accountable for its failings. Again, we are united on this front. Solidarity is important; community is essential. Let’s work to create and maintain a safe space for all students on campus. We all have a responsibility to avoid complacency with the issues that plague our campus or communities, and we should not expect the involvement of others to solve the problems for us. We must take those burdens upon ourselves, advocate for the mental and physical welfare of others, and hold those who fail to do so accountable. Students have already accepted the challenge the panel gave us, mobilizing to continue the dialogue on an issue about which so many are clearly passionate. We are working on revisions to the policies and practices and creating new support groups. We are acting. “We’ve accepted our challenge, but will the members of the administration accept theirs? Avantika Krishna is a junior majoring in political science and human communication.
Crimes of the Heart Opening next week!
Studio 21
on Tuesdays at 5:00pm
the Not So Late Show on Thursdays at 5:00pm and
Newswave
on Fridays at 3:00pm! For more information about the shows, station and how to join, visit us at trinity.edu/tigertv.
February 14-16 & 19-22 Friday/Saturday: 8pm Sunday: 2:30pm Wednesday/Thursday: 7pm
Tickets
$10 Adults $8 Faculty/Staff/Senior Citizens $6 Students
Reservations: 210-999-8515, tutheater@trinity.edu, or come by the box office.
the perfect valentine’s date!
10 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Professor Awarded for Developing Undergraduate Research Program Mark Brodl receives Fellows award for Council of Undergraduate Research
Page 15
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Pulse
“Arson” focuses on death of classical music Student lab musical opens at 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10, in the Attic Theater by Julie Robinson
CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER
At 8 p.m. from Monday, Feb. 10 through Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the Attic Theater, the theatre department will be putting on a new musical entitled “Arson” written by senior theatre major Joshua Palmer, directed by graduate student Alyssa Renee Sedillo. “‘Arson’ is about not taking ‘classical’ music so seriously. We are trying to take the gloves off of the treatment and attitudes toward classical music and making it raw, relatable, tragic, humorous, fun – anything to get people excited about it and to take it off of its perceived pedestal,” said graduate Valerie Jeannin. “There are no preconceived notions of how the pieces in
‘Arson’ should be performed because it is new, so setting the standard is quite exciting.” “Arson” is setting out to do just what its name suggests: set ablaze not just classical music, but the performing arts as a whole. The play examines the interaction between the actors and the audience. One of the best parts of the performance is that it has been written, directed and performed by students. “The show started as an idea I had for a senior music recital about a semester ago. We then developed the recital into a short play. Thankfully, we were approved by TUPs (Trinity University Players) to produce the show ourselves with Alyssa directing and me writing the script and music in addition to performing,” Palmer said. “It’s been quite a rush since we only started writing it in January and we go up on February 10, but it is come together really well thanks to all our fantastic musicians and actors.”
Senior Kate Cuellar is the stage manager of this production. “I have several favorite things about this show. First, I am really pleased that Josh is doing it despite the music department declining his proposal. I am proud of him for pursuing it in the theatre department,” Cuellar said. “I really just like how brave and unapologetic ‘Arson’ is, and I cannot wait for people to see it.” Aside from a wonderful cast of actors, many talented student musicians help make this production what it is. Graduate student Ashley Rader is the violinist of this talented ensemble. “‘Arson’ will ache your soul and touch your body, engage your horrors and eat your expectations, whisper to you at night sweet nothings and scream blasphemy at thee in the day. Oh, my friends, these artists and musicians will engulf your orifices and lick your brains,” Rader said.
photo by Miguel Webber Senior Valerie Jeannin rehearses a scene from the lab show “Arson,”which opens on Monday and explores a different way of appreciating classical music.
Modern civil rights leader speaks at Trinity for opening of Claude and ZerNona Black Archives Shirley Franklin shares her own experiences of Civil Rights Movement in U.S. South by Davis Mathis
CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER
Shirley Franklin may not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of advancements in racial or sexual equality, but she is important to both and spoke at Trinity University this past Tuesday. Shirley Franklin was Atlanta’s first female mayor and the first African-American mayor of a major city in the southern United States. Franklin came to Trinity in order to speak at the “Faith, Civil Rights, and a Call to Action: The Legacy of Claude W. Black Jr.” event that Trinity hosted. The event was put on by the university because of its recent acquisition of the Claude and ZerNona Black papers. These are a collection of papers that document the Civil Rights Movement and the couple who gives them their names’ role in San Antonio and much of the South. Franklin spoke on her experiences as a pioneer for civil rights and what she saw and experienced in the Civil Rights Movement as well as her
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh Shirley Franklin, a former mayor of Atlanta, sits second-from-right among a panel discussing the significance of the Claude and ZerNona Black Archives.
knowledge on the authors of the Black Papers. Franklin also touched on what she knew of Claude and ZerNona Black in her lecture. “He (Claude) and his wife (ZerNona) are figures that are often overlooked and not talked about as much as they should be when it comes to the Civil Rights Movement,” Franklin said. “They organized countless marches in what was a segregated San Antonio and endured many threats to their family and selves. A drive-by shooting occurred at
their home and their church was burned. Despite these hardships, they persevered and strove to make a difference in their community, which I think should always be the goal of a leader.” The crowd was sizable and was engaged in the presentation. “I had no prior knowledge of who Shirley Franklin or the Black family were, but now I have a profound respect for both,” said audience member Andre Wilson. “Franklin was an enlightening speaker, and the
entire presentation was very interesting and informative.” Franklin also spoke about her time as mayor of Atlanta, which lasted from 2002-2010, during which she made Atlanta one of the greenest cities in America and helped take the city out of a massive deficit. She faced the struggles that many African Americans face when entering into politics, as well as the difficulties that women face. “Her time as mayor was highly successful, and she was voted one of the five best mayors in the country. This is
incredibly inspirational since she had the weight of two kinds of stereotypes on her shoulders in a part of the country where stereotypes sometimes can seem like the norm,” said audience member Anne Spears. “Her work is truly wonderful to see, and you have to admire her.” Franklin is now Chairman of the Board and CEO of Purpose Built Communities. She is also on the board of Delta Airlines and Mueller Water Products, Inc. and a host of other civic organizations.
11 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
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Pulse
Thomas Jenkins awarded grant for his work on Trinity’s first year “Reflections” seminar by Subrat Mahapatra Lisa Jasinski, Special Projects Coordinator, and Thomas Jenkins, associate professor and chair of classical studies, embarked on an ambitious project two years ago to bring change to Trinity. After visiting several universities across the country, they found a group of people in some universities who were regularly active in weekly discussions about thought-provoking concepts such as “What is life?” and “What makes you happy?” These concepts were brought together by a facilitator (usually a trained faculty member or senior student), and discussions were free-flowing. Stanford University had a program called “Stanford 101” or “Reflections,” which was made up of many volunteer students. Harvard University also had its own group that was labeled “Reflecting on your Life.”
“Trinity students are really similar to Stanford students, as both are really involved within their campus and aware of the external world,” Jasinski said. Since it was assimilated so well at Stanford, Jasinski and Jenkins wanted to try it out with a similar audience. According to student surveys, this project was an immediate and major success with last year’s students here at Trinity. Trinity’s version of the project received a $4,000 grant from the Associated Colleges of the South. They also received a $50,000 grant from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) that flew in someone from Stanford to help train Trinity faculty and students. Jasinski noted that professors and staff want to build a foundational relationship with the students, and the “Reflections” program helped encourage this environment. Jasinski was mulling over an idea about making another program called “Transitions,” which would incorporate
photo courtesy of Lisa Jasinski First-year students participate in an activity during a “Reflections” seminar this past Saturday in Mabee Dining Hall.
more of the upperclassmen that suffer from personal issues and adjusting to campus life after study abroad. First year Chloe Phea is currently a member of this semester’s “Reflections” seminar. She expressed an interest in the proposed “Transitions program.”
“It was really wonderful to associate myself with the members of the ‘Reflections’ group and do all the activities that we do. I really liked the spatial activity that we do about where we stand and how content we are with ourselves. People stand
nerdy and wasn’t sure it was for me. After the first tournament, though, I was hooked. I loved the competition. I loved verbally sparring with others. I loved proving I was smart. I continued debating through high school and even received a scholarship to debate in college,” Topp said.
of Houston. Rothenbaum described the tournaments and how the team fared in them. “There is a pair of tournaments held in Dallas and Denton at UTD and UNT, respectively,” Rothenbaum said. “It is called the ‘Texas Two Step.’ In both tournaments, we went 6-1 in prelims, and were seeded third in the second half and fourth in the first. We lost at the UTD tournament, the first half, in octos, but at the UNT tournament, the second half, we got to finals before losing on a 2-1 decision to the University of Houston. Maggie was the eighth-best speaker at the UTD tournament, and I was fourth at UTD and the secondbest speaker at UNT.” The team has two more tournaments coming up with the possibility of Nationals. First, they will compete in the University of Texas tournament Feb. 8-10. Then the District qualifiers, if they do well enough, will qualify them for Nationals at Indiana University. The Trinity debate team hopes to carry on their momentum into those tournaments and continue their strong performances.
Trinity debate team eyes Nationals Students to compete in University of Texas tournament this weekend by Davis Mathis CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER The competition of debate has hooked many people over the years, and the Trinity University debate team is no different. Debate is now in full swing, and the team is full of people passionate about debate who are working hard for upcoming competitions. People are drawn to what they do for many different reasons, and the team members all have different incentives as to why they became debaters. “I joined the debate team in high school because I really enjoyed talking, but quickly found it was so much more than just arguing with people. Since I joined, I have been enthralled with the activity because it is so intellectually stimulating,” said sophomore Maggie Solice. Junior Nathan Rothenbaum does not have a memorable story about why he joined
debate, but he knows what has kept him there.
“Since I joined, I have been enthralled with the activity because it is so intellectually stimulating.” Maggie Solice Sophomore
“Tearing apart people’s arguments is my favorite part of debate,” Rothenbaum said. “When someone is super cocky about being right about something and you just rip it to shreds, it is great. I savor the taste of those tears.” At the helm of the Trinity debate team is Sarah Topp, assistant professor of human communication and theatre, who began coaching debate to pay for graduate school. She also wanted to give back to the culture she experienced as a debater. “I started debating in junior high. I almost quit the first week because I thought it was too
“When someone is super cocky about being right about something and you just rip it to shreds, it is great.” Nathan Rothenbaum Junior
Trinity recently competed in tournaments at University of Texas at Dallas and University of North Texas, where they were extremely successful. Solice and Rothenbaum finished in second place at the North Texas tournament, where they fell in the finals on a 2-1 decision to the University
around a relevant distance based on the degree of contentedness,” Phea said. “I really want to do the ‘Transitions’ group if it ever gets hatched. I know my friend who goes with me is really happy that I forced him into going.”
We at the Trinitonian don’t want you to become a cat lady (or guy) anymore than you do. ........................................................................................................ Check out the Valentine’s Day Guide starting on page 25 for our tips and tricks for the fast-approaching holiday of love.
12 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Pulse First year working to start Trinity Libertarian group by Subrat Mahapatra First year Abigail Russell has begun her Trinity University student career with a movement to add the Libertarian Party as one of the government groups represented on campus. Russell’s mom, a steady Republican conservative, and her dad, a steadfast Libertarian, gave her a very apolitical environment growing up. Her parents wanted to put her in an environment where she wouldn’t be forced into one party or the other. Russell went to high school in Brownsville, a city right on the border of Mexico and Texas. Russell said she was a minority there, being one of the only white children on a largely Hispanic campus.
campus
When Russell came to Trinity, she saw a libertarian environment and was surprised that not many people knew about this party. “As college students, we seem to think we can either be Democrats or Republicans. I am here to say that the Libertarian Party is an amazing option,” Russell said. Libertarianism is economically conservative but has a socially liberal philosophy. It integrates a freemarket economy with a focus on education. Libertarianism is a very “color-blind” party when compared to the Democratic and Republican Parties. Russell doesn’t see it being a major force, but she is hopeful that if more people know about it, there could be a stronger presence nationally. There is a Libertarian group locally that Russell would
like to get involved with to encourage participation in her projected group and to help get the group out of the Trinity bubble.
“As college students, we seem to think we can either be Democrats or Republicans...the Libertarian Party is an amazing option.” Abigail Russell First year
Russell and first year Kaci Lambeth are interested in spreading the word as a means
of gauging the interest of Trinity University as whole. They believe the club will be an integral way to discuss bipartisan ideas and policies with each other without a party boundary. Russell and Lambeth’s thesis is “To raise awareness of Libertarianism as a third party option through discussion, service and community.” Members of the Libertarian Club should look forward to an open and vibrant exchange of intellectual discussion. “These discussions, as well as practical, impactful activities, are designed to link people together with common passions while solidifying your own personal convictions,” Russell said. “They seek to discuss topics ranging from Bitcoins (a blackmarket currency), to the role of government in economic or
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social affairs, tolerance and feminism.” Russell also wants to coordinate with the different clubs that already exist at Trinity University. She has mentioned SGA and the Sexual Diversity Alliance. Russell is currently trying to go through CCI and is interviewing with Becka Bovio, coordinator for student programs. Russell plans to go to a Students for Liberty conference, an organization that encouraged students to become leaders, particularly on college campuses, so she can gain knowledge on leadership. As soon as the paperwork is finalized, Russell wants to create a Facebook group, Twitter group and post on Overheard at Trinity.
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14 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
campus
Pulse
Greek organizations enter orientation period Sigma Theta Tau sorority and Iota Chi Rho fraternity win Greek Week 2014 by Julie Robinson CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER Anyone walking past Miller Fountain on Friday afternoon, Jan. 31, likely saw ongoing Greek festivities. However, Bid Day was only one event in a weeklong Greek celebration. Greek organizations participated in many Greek Week festivities that culminated in the so-called Greek Christmas. While recruitment kick-off began on Sept. 15, things began to get serious in January as second-round and third-round recruitment parties began to take place. By the third round, potential new members should have had their lists down to one or two organizations. “A week and a half before bid day, RSVP happens where rushees put their name down on a list of students interested in certain Greek organizations. From there, organizations made cuts before their third-round rush parties,” said John Pederson, Greek Council member. After third-round rush parties, while all of the potential new
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh (Left): Men of Omega Phi await new members by Miller Fountain. (Right): The women of Gamma Chi Delta celebrate Bid Day with their new members.
members nervously awaited the events to come, active members participated in the Greek Olympics on Jan. 26. “Greek Olympics is my favorite part of Greek Week because all of the organizations come together to compete in a friendly manner,” said Xavier Vargas-Hall, junior Greek Council member. On Jan. 28, after three rounds of rush parties and rush events, interested students went to Pref Day, where they ranked their top three choices for Greek organizations in hopes of receiving a bid from their top choice.
After three whole days of waiting, on Jan. 31, students who received and accepted their bids attended Bid Day at Miller fountain. In total, there were 128 bids offered to the women and 125 accepted. For the men, there were 91 bids offered and 79 accepted. “Bid Day was a very exciting time. Accepting my bid from the Phi Sigs was a great feeling and a moment I had been waiting for for a long time,” said junior Connor Kloepfer. After Bid Day, most organizations went straight into orientation.
“Orientation is about acquainting the new members with the old and informing the new actives about the values and mission of the organization. There is a lot of emphasis on teambuilding and academics. All organizations are required to hold study hours during orientation, and while each organization does their orientation somewhat differently it is essentially a time to get acquainted with your fellow members,” Pederson said. While orientation varies by group, all organizations officially end the day before spring break, although some end earlier.
Afterward, the day-to-day activities of Greek organizations become more normal. These include regular philanthropy work and social aspects such as formal parties through CCI and informal lunches or dinners with group members. Other events during Greek Week included a community service fair, research symposium, trivia bowl and photo scavenger hunt. The winning sorority was Sigma Theta Tau with 254 total points, and the winning fraternity was Iota Chi Rho with 128 points.
Members of the Vietnamese Student Association, Korean Student Association and the Chinese Cultural Club have collaborated with Trinity Diversity Connection to organize Lunar New Year. It is the most celebrated event all over China, Vietnam, Korea and Thailand.
“The celebration is just like Christmas where all the families get together and celebrate the New Year,” said junior Nga N. Do. The families in Asia pass out a red envelope. Adults usually put “lucky money” into the red envelopes and pass it to children and other friends. The children
are supposed to respond with wishing parents good health and prosperity. The holiday can vary depending on what culture the people come from. Some cultures have a gold inlay because it stands for wealth. “Dr. Chia Wei Lee, associate professor of music, and Dr.
Stephen Field, professor of Chinese Civilization, have also helped the organizations a lot,” said junior Ngoc-Tam T. Ngo. This year at Trinity University, Lunar New Year will once again be funded by SGA for around $2,000 and held in Laurie Auditorium at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7. The year will kick off with several performances and follow up with free international cuisine for all the attendees. “SGA doesn’t give us enough, so we have to organize our own club money for the t-shirts and prizes we will give out,” said first year Dzung Vu. The organizations will be giving out lucky red envelopes with prizes to those who are lucky enough to be there first.
Trinity community celebrates Lunar New Year VSA, KSA and CCC collaborate with Trinity Diversity Connection for event by Subrat Mahapatra CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER
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Trinity professor receives national honor Mark Brodl earns Fellows award for Council of Undergraduate Research
by Davis Mathis CAMPUS PULSE REPORTER In the history of the Fellows award for the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) no school has had two professors win the award. This year, Mark Brodl, associate vice president for academic affairs and George W. Brackenridge Distinguished Professor of biology, changed that when he became the second professor from Trinity University to receive the honor. The honor is given to the two professors every year who have built the most nationally recognized and respected research programs involving undergraduate students. Each professor is also awarded a Student Research Fellowship that they can give to one worthy undergraduate student. This award is won by showing an ability to obtain funding for research and by publishing papers with undergraduates as co-authors. Brodl was incredibly pleased with his selection and is looking forward to the opportunities that this will bring him. “This is such an honor, and I’m truly humbled to receive this Fellows award. It is something that I had seen others get, and a part of me definitely wanted to one day get it too,” Brodl said. “Now that it has happened, I’m elated. I’ve worked so hard for my research and invested so much time and effort that to see it be recognized like this is so amazing. I have to thank the students that I have worked with because I really wouldn’t have gotten here without them.” Brodl’s reputation is built on his support of studentfaculty research with a focus interdisciplinary research. He has been able to get $5 million from the National Science Foundation in funding for his research, and over the past 25 years has been a research mentor for over 200 students, 37 of whom wrote honors theses. Brodl has also had 17 students co-author research papers he has written, and more than 45 percent of his students have ended up enrolling in PhD, PhD/ MD or MD programs around the nation. Brodl’s students have high praise for him, regardless of the capacity in which they worked with him. One former student, Jonathan David, is currently attending medical school. When he was an undergraduate student, he did research with Brodl. “Dr. Brodl was the most helpful professor I have ever worked with,” David said. “Anytime we had trouble with a scientific paper, he would help us work through it
in a way where we learned the material ourselves instead of him just telling us the answers. He was committed to our learning and truly comprehending the material that we were working on. His dedication to research and his students was unmatched and really incredible.” Brodl also still taught a lab class last semester despite the move that he made into administration, and the students in that lab saw many of the same attributes that his research students saw. “Dr. Brodl was very knowledgeable due to his previous experiences. When it came to writing scientific papers he was very helpful in explaining the best ways to do things because he has reviewed papers in the past,” said first year Amy Grice. Brodl will receive the honor in June at the 2014 CUR Conference in Washington, D.C.
photo by Jennie Ran Mark Brodl, George W. Brackenridge Distinguished Professor of biology, received the Fellows award for the Council of Undergraduate Research in recognition of his work in building a nationally recognized undergraduate research program.
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Arigato, Mr. Google
Turn the page to find out John Mendiola’s conjectures for the future.
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theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
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The master is gone: Philip Seymour Hoffman
To look back on Philip Seymour Hoffman’s highly variegated, tragically short career is to see before you a gallery of characters who could’ve easily been camerahugging caricatures. A technician working on a pornstar flick, a flamboyantly gay, world-famous writer, the leader of a creepy religious cult—these are roles that practically beg the performer to go unthinkingly for the big moments, to turn every scene into a de facto audition that takes them one step closer to delivering a memorable acceptance speech. But Hoffman never took the bait. His greatest skill as an actor was his seriously impressive ability to take big, buoyant and often bullying personas and show you the small, wounded core that made them who they really were. He never played a similar part twice, yet all the people he inhabited, from Phil Parma to Plutarch Heavensbee, had both a booming, surging, memorably
specific kind of selfconfidence and a singularly haunting mixture of loneliness and mania. Hoffman’s great skill was to give us moments where characters disclosed the latter while intending to convey the former. One memorable example of this occurs in the final moments of “The Master.” As he says goodbye to his old friend and favorite protégé Freddie Quell, cult leader Lancaster Dodd serenades the young man with an old jazz tune. At first, this seems like a quirky gesture of benevolence, but as Hoffman’s delivery gets more clipped and his facial muscles grow tense, we, along with Freddie, watch this initially sweet goodbye devolve into a bitter, pathetic final plea. But no film conveyed Hoffman’s singular talent for showing us the smallness of seemingly great men quite like “Synedoche, New York.” Indeed, the entire movie is centered on this paradox. As theatre director Caden Cotard attempts to turn a massive abandoned warehouse into a city-sized performance space, his attempt to project an aura of visionary authority only reveals more and more about his own insecurities. This was a project tailor-made for Hoffman’s
capabilities, and in it he gave his best performance, perhaps the most gutsy, exposed work done by any actor on the stage or screen in this young and promising century. I do not know a single person who has seen it without being bowled over by Hoffman’s emotional nakedness, without feeling that he has tapped into their own secret affections and fears. How did Hoffman acquire these uncanny abilities? For one thing, he shaped them with director Paul Thomas Anderson, his most frequent collaborator. Over the course of five films and three decades, these men served as one another’s muses, each pushing the other to new levels of technical expertise and imaginative risk-taking. It also did not hurt that Hoffman was, like Daniel Day-Lewis, a highly methodical actor who lived in and with his character during a movie shoot. But most of all, what made Hoffman one of the greatest actors of his generation was talent, that irreducibly complex, eternally mysterious, continually astonishing gift that flows through human beings but comes from somewhere else. If only that boundless yalent had brought him the same joy and solace it brought us.
photo © 2014 Wolf Gang, Flickr Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2005 for his portrayal of the late author Truman Capote in “Capote.” He also received three Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and received three Tony nominations.
What to look forward to at the Winter Olympics
photo © 2008 Veronica Belmont, Flickr As a sedentary tomato, I wish this flying the best of luck on his Olympic endeavor. And hopefully he does not drop out of anymore events for the sake of U.S.A.
2014 marked the year that every American learned that there’s a city in Russia called “Sochi” and that it is apparently important enough to hold the Olympics. I am personally very excited because, if there’s one person in this whole world who knows how to put on a rocking party, it’s Vladimir Putin. I mean, have you seen that guy smile? It’s like a sunrise (in the sense that I never see sunrises, but when I do, they’re quite painful to stare at for too long). However, after sneaker sales, the primary objective of the Olympics is “sports.” This means that there will probably be some long, dreary moments while that torch is lit that we’ll all have to churn through for the sake of “seeming interested in culture.” Therefore, to prepare all readers ahead of time, I have come up with the parts of the Olympics I look forward to the most and the least. Looking forward to:
Opening/ Closing Ceremony Everybody knows that these are the best parts of the entire shindig and the only parts that anybody really cares about. In the last years, we watched Beijing perform amazing musical numbers that displayed the grace and precision of its people. After that, we witnessed London essentially recite Sherlock fanfiction to millions of people. With the joviality and spunk commonly associated with Russia, I can’t wait to see what they’ve got prepared for us. Apolo Ohno’s Outfits Oh no! It’s Apolo and his skintight neon suits that significantly increase both aerodynamics and attention. I’m hoping to be entertained on a very shallow level while this brilliant little man performs feats that I could never dream of accomplishing. I’m betting on at least thirty cases of red bandana and fifty of bright blue suspender.
Figure Skating Ah, the gymnastics of the summer. This is, hands down, the best sport ever. I love the costumes and the movements and the hot guys. I’m pretty
sure that this is also the only sport that people actively watch and enjoy. I will definitely be rooting for a country; however, I doubt that country will be the United States. Sorry, but we’re just too gangly and confident.
The Quirky YouTube Videos Remember last time, when the USA Swimming Team made an ironic music video to “Call Me Maybe?” I want that times a million this year. It makes them human and relatable. Like, only a true friend would listen to that song and make fun of it. This year, I’m hoping for a parody of every One Direction Song, “American Hustle” and Russia’s social policies. So fun! The Inevitable “Sports Illustrated” Shirtless Spread Has anybody noticed that every single famous Olympian is attractive both in the body and face? How convenient for both magazine and Wheaties sales. Ryan Lochte Wait… What?
Not Looking Forward To: Everything Else I don’t care about.
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theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
arts and entertainment We’re going on a four-week adventure together: one in which I will put myself in the most dangerous, sexy situations possible. I’m going to create dating profiles for myself to discover the most effective and easy way to fall in love at our age. I’ve narrowed it down to the three greatest options possible. This week, I’ve prepared myself by setting up the profiles that will either lead to my ultimate happiness or demise. What I mean is, if you don’t see me for a couple of days, please contact the San Antonio Police Department.
OKCupid A new, fun dating website for us young ones that offers detailed personality tests to help us find our one and only. I filled out some very important facts about myself, including my favorite books, what I’m good at and my body type. Then, I was able to rate men based on a small picture and nothing else. Sounds like a real complex system, but we’ll see!
Graphic by Caroline Jakubowski
Christian Mingle This website terrifies me. Using it was tiring and cumbersome because the web designer was obviously a four-year-old. Putting that aside, I did get a great chance to express my love for “Creed” and to lie about how often I go to church. The body type question was, once again, included.
Craigslist Help, I’m in a ditch. Just kidding, I’m on Craigslist. After scrolling past the “Sub looking for Dom” category, I was able to make my own request for a relationship. I decided to go for the extreme approach to weed out the nobodies. Naturally, the body type question was brought up.
Domo arigato, Mr. Google, mata ah-oo hima de.
The title of this article came to me suddenly while a frigid breeze blasted my face and body as I walked to class. I knew instantly that this was the best idea I have ever had and ever will have. I had to write about Google’s blatant interest in robotics just so I could have this headline. Google X lab is where science fiction ideas come to life. Driverless cars, glasses that augment your vision with technology and using balloons to provide Internet access for everyone. Maybe it will be
successful, maybe not. That is for the the future to decide. For now, the avant-garde Google group that has taken hold of the imagination of the tech industry is not Google X, but an unnamed one. Android founder Andy Rubin has always had a love for robotics, and when he left the Android group, rumors swirled that he was finally getting a chance to work on his dreams. In the past two months, Google has made a string of purchases that have “robot” in the name of the purchased companies. Recently, Rubin granted The New York Times an interview where he was sparse on details, but he did confirm that he is leading a division inside Google that is working on robotics. Skynet’s awakening and the robot apocalypse is nearly upon us.
All of the companies that Google bought are interesting in their own right (i.e., integral to the upcoming robot massacre of humans), though the most interesting and popular one is Boston Dynamics. They are known for building an assortment of complex robots from walking ones to fourlegged abominations that can cross rough terrain. Two, they have YouTube videos. Even the military is incredibly interested in the technology being developed at Boston Dynamics, so it is a surprise that Google managed to nab them off the market before anyone else. They already have a contract with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which Google says will still be honored. Frankly, some of these robots are scary, both in the
technology they represent and their physical appearance. If you haven’t seen the aforementioned YouTube videos before, you may want to stay away. The unnatural yet natural (it is like a robot uncanny valley) movements of the various robots at their disposal is alternately amazing and terrifying. No one knows exactly what the purpose of this new Google division is. There are rumors it is for manning factories and warehouses to help with manufacturing– a sort of new industrial revolution that will bring more manufacturing jobs to the U.S. (replace Chinese kids you don’t pay with robots you don’t pay). Robots probably won’t be a household feature in the next five years, or maybe not even in the next 10 years. The time is coming,
though. Like Pandora’s Box, there is no turning back now. The question becomes what happens now. On a somewhat related note, Google has also purchased Nest Labs for $3.2 billion. For those who do not know, Nest is a technology company that is focused on home technology, like a thermostat that adapts to your preferences automatically or a smoke detector that is not incredibly annoying. Nest’s focus on home solutions is of interest to Google due to their vision of a smart home – a home where technology is integrated seamlessly at every step. I cannot wait to flush my toilet with a tap on my smartphone in my hand rather than having to move my elbows 180 degrees back then tilt my wrist to flush.
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arts and entertainment
How to enjoy the remaining winter days Last Sunday Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most famous groundhog, saw his shadow, which means that there will be six more weeks of winter. However, according to weather.com (an oh-soreliable source), the crummy weather we are experiencing will only last a couple more daysbefore San Antonio’s trademark beautiful weather reemerges. Here are suggestions on how to appreciate the remaining winter days. - Curl up in a thick blanket and get lost in a good book. Bonus points if you are under that blanket with a special someone. - Drink hot chocolate, a Hot Toddy, spiked apple cider or buttered rum.
- Wear all of your winter accessories, like scarves, wool caps and mittens.
- If you are from a place that has real winter, enjoy this time to make snarky remarks about how Texans cannot hang.
- Use the weather as the perfect “Get Out of Jail Free” card to bail on any event you are not really feeling. - Enjoy your Christmas decorations if they are still out. The cold weather prolongs the holiday season. - Watch the Winter Olympics!
- Enjoy being outside without the risk of dehydrating. Have fun in the crisp air while bike riding, taking a stroll or any other forms of playing. - Devour a cup of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. - Make paper snowflake cut-outs. -Go ice skating.
-Get pruney in a hot tub.
-Put the fire pit in front of Murch to good use and relish some s’mores with a couple of good buddies. -Revel in your flannel PJs.
Graphic by Caroline Jakubowski
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Indie Overnight Playlist Matthew Peebles, who was probably conceived in a really interesting way, provides another exclusive playlist. These hot songs will thaw you out. “Blackout Days” by Phantogram “Chained” by The xx “Archangel” by Burial “Dreamers” by Savoir Adore “Fineshrine” by Purity Ring
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theTrinitonian JAN.24.2014
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Interested in seeing your name in print? Want to get paid? Reporter positions available. Email lduncomb@trinity.edu for more information. The Staff of the Trinitonian would like to cordially invite you to read the Valentine’s Day Special Section in preparation for Valentine’s Day. We encourage you to feast your eyes upon our glorious housing guide next Friday, the 14th of February because nothing is more romantic than planning your living arrangements.
Basketball beatdown Trinity women’s basketball dominates Colorado College, 113-47 Page 22
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Tennis team starts spring Trinity wins two out of three road indoor matches Page 23
theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
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Trinity men’s basketball extends win streak to six games after sweeping final home weekend Tigers improve to 8-1 in SCAC and 13-7 overall by Elif Yucel
SPORTS REPORTER
The Trinity men’s basketball team is now on a six-game winning streak after hosting the University of Dallas and Colorado College for their last two home games of the season last weekend. The Tigers’ record has improved to 13-7 overall and 8-1 in conference games. They had previously beat Dallas 64-59 on Jan. 24, at Irving, Texas, and beat Colorado College 63-48 Jan. 25 at Colorado Springs. On Friday, Trinity beat University of Dallas 75-59, despite only leading 36-32 at the half. Overall the Tigers shot 39 percent and 80 percent from the free throw line. They had a season-high of 50 rebounds for the game. Senior guard Robert Kitzinger scored 22 points, shooting 7-9 from the field. He also had eight rebounds and shot 4-4 on threepointers. Senior forward Zach Lambert supplied 19 points and junior guard Craig Saltarelli put up 11 points for the game. Lambert also had seven rebounds and senior point-guard John LaVanway had eight rebounds in the game. “I think we made some strides as a team. We definitely picked up our rebounding, that was a weak area in the previous games, so we did a lot better this weekend. I thought our defense was also really stellar, that’s really what kept us in the games. We didn’t shoot that well, but the defense held us in there. Just going forward, it’s nice to have that momentum,” Lambert said. On Saturday, the team hosted a senior night for graduating seniors Kitzinger,
Baseball Home vs. UTTyler 7 p.m. Basketball Away at Centenary Men: 6 p.m. Women: 8 p.m. Women’s Tennis Away at ACU Indoors vs. UTPermian Basin 6 p.m.
photo by Nayeli Perez Senior guard Robert Kitzinger attempts to set a screen for junior guard Craig Saltarelli during the Tigers’ 52-48 victory over Colorado College on Saturday, Feb. 1. The win gave Trinity a two game lead in the SCAC standings.
Lambert, LaVanway, Joe Shotland, Jonathan Wilt and Matt Holmes. The Tigers beat Colorado College 52-48 on Saturday, with Lambert banking a three-pointer with less than ten seconds left on the clock to seal the game.
“I think we made some strides as a team. We definitely picked up our rebounding, that was a weak area.” Zach Lambert Senior forward
Trinity led 19-16 at the half, shooting 25.9 percent. The Tigers went on a 6-0 run
Baseball Home vs. Chapman 2 p.m. Basketball Away at Austin College Men: 4 p.m. Women: 6 p.m. Tennis Men: Home vs. Schreiner 9 a.m. Away at UTSA 2 p.m. Women: Away at ACU Indoors vs. ACU 12:30 p.m.
Baseball Home vs. Chapman Noon Softball Home doubleheader vs. Our Lady of the Lake Noon and 2 p.m. Men’s Tennis Away at Abilene Christian Indoor Invitational
for the first three-and-a-half minutes of the second half, until Colorado College’s Ryan Milne banked a three-pointer to make it 25-19. The game was always within seven points for the remainder of the second half, with Colorado College equalizing the score four times. The Tigers finished the game shooting 35.3 percent. Kitzinger led the Tigers with 14 points and Lambert followed with 13. Junior guard Matt Selling had nine points for the game. The Tigers completed the game with 31 rebounds, six assists and seven steals. “Defensively we were pretty good; it was a good weekend for us, and from an energy standpoint I thought the guys really made another step forwards, being able to play hard and come prepared every game. We did well in those aspects, they were two big
wins. When you play a team in back-to-back weeks, it’s easy to have a let-down when you beat them the first time around, so I was very proud of the guys to get those wins,” said assistant coach Ross Burt.
“I thought the guys really made another step forwards, being able to play hard and come prepared.” Ross Burt Assistant Coach
The Tigers will play Centenary College at 6:00 P.M. today in Louisiana and play at 4:00 P.M. tomorrow at Austin College.
After this weekend the Tigers will play three more away games against Texas Lutheran, Schreiner and Southwestern before concluding their regular season schedule. The SCAC Tournament will be held Feb. 28—March 2nd at Trinity. “I’m looking forward to this weekend. Road games are always tough. Centenary has Jonathan Blout, who can really score and was the conference MVP last year, and they’ve been playing well. I know they’ll be looking to pay us back for the game we played a couple of weeks ago,” said senior guard Joe Shotland. “Austin College gave us a real tight game at home and they can really get it going offensively, so there are certainly no easy games in conference. I think we’ll be fine, but there is no room to take either of these teams lightly.”
Swim and Dive SCAC Championships at Rockwall, TX
Swim and Dive SCAC Championships at Rockwall, TX Women’s Tennis Home vs. St. Mary’s 3 p.m.
FEB.07.2014 22 theTrinitonian
Women’s hoops dominate weekend Tigers beat Colorado College 113-47 on Trinity Senior Night by Kaileigh Phillips
SPORTS REPORTER
Trinity women’s basketball team concluded a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference weekend with two wins over University of Dallas and Colorado College. The team earned a 68-58 victory over the University of Dallas on Friday, Jan. 31 with a late surge. Trinity (15-4, 7-1 SCAC) also defeated the Dallas Crusaders 85-69 a week ago in Irving, Texas, earning the regular season series sweep. The Tigers remain in first place in SCAC standings, and Dallas drops to 11-8 and 3-5 in SCAC with the loss. “Our goals are to keep winning and to get better each time we step on the court,” said junior guard Hannah Coley. Dallas led by as many as three points during the first half, but the Tigers rallied late to take a 34-26 lead at the half. Trinity wouldn’t pull away until the latter part of the second half, using an 18-4 run over a sevenminute span to push the lead up to 16 points with just over two minutes to play. Coley lit up the scoreboard with a season-best 24 points. Coley became the 14th Trinity player to reach the 1,000-point plateau with her night. She shot 9-12 from the field, hit 5-7 in 3-point range, and shelled out a team high of six assists. “This season has been great. Last year we did some remarkable things, but I don’t
think we ever realized how good we could be. This year we returned almost everyone and added great freshmen, which has allowed us to play at a much higher level. Additionally, we expect more out of each other, which has made us all better basketball players,” Coley said. Coley was also named the SCAC Player of the Week for her performance this weekend. For the season, Coley is third on the team with 15.5 points per game, and is second with 69 total assists. Her 42 threepointers lead the Tigers, and she is shooting 33.3 percent (42126) from distance, while her 45.3 percent (121-267) shooting is second on the team. Sophomore center Anecia Richardson and senior forward Libby Kruse both posted a double-double in the game for the Tigers. Richardson finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Kruse scored 10 points to go with a game-high 13 boards. Kruse became just the fourth player in Trinity history to reach the 700-career-rebounds mark. Senior guard Murphy Burns scored five points in the game, and took over sole possession of second place on Trinity’s all-time scoring list with 1,428 points in her career. Burns also led the game with three steals. The Tigers finished their conference win sweep with a 113-47 win over Colorado College the following day. The Tigers shot over 60 percent from the field to jump out to a huge 64-19 lead in the first half. Trinity scored a season-best 113 points, which improved the team’s record to 16-4 overall and 8-1 in the SCAC.
10 photo by Nayeli Perez Junior guard Hannah Coley dribbles down the court during the Tigers’ 113-47 rout of Colorado College on Saturday, Feb. 1.
“I was very pleased with my team’s performance, I would give us a rating of 4.5 stars out 5 because of course there is always room for improvement,” Richardson said. Burns led all scorers with a season-best 33 points, hitting 1017 from the field and 4-8 threepointers. Kruse finished with four points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Both senior standouts were playing in their final regular season home games. First-year guard Allison Staley came off the bench with a stellar shooting night, hitting 7-8 from the field and 6-7 from long range to finish with 22 points. Junior center Taylor Hollins had 10 points and nine boards, while sophomore guard Natalie DeWitte and junior guard Lauren Splawn chipped in with nine and eight points, respectively.
“Winning conference is the first of all goals. We still have seven crucial games that we need to prepare for and play, but the added motivation of winning the regular season conference title has definitely become clear and present in our minds. We still like to take each day one at a time and focus on getting better with each practice. Progress is our goal each and every day,” said assistant women’s basketball coach Stephen Bourne. Trinity will be back in action this weekend with a pair of road games against Centenary College and Austin College, the only SCAC team to defeat the Tigers this season. The Tigers face Centenary on Friday, Feb. 7, followed by a rematch with Austin on Saturday.
Baseball and softball ready to start Baseball begins at home today with softball on Sunday by Claire Hoobler-Curtis SPORTS REPORTER Today, the men’s baseball team opens their season at home against University of Texas at Tyler at 7 p.m. The Tigers are excited about their first game and feel like they are ready to compete. “We have put a lot of hard work into the offseason and preseason, and are ready to finally start playing games,” said senior infielder Christian Muscarello. This game against University of Texas-Tyler marks the Tigers’ first game since they lost to Linfield last year in the national championship semifinals. “The loss was really disappointing but let us know that we are right on the doorstep. Long term, we want to win a national
championship, which is the goal every year. We have never done that before,” said assistant coach Zach Fregosi.
“We want to win a national championship, which is the goal every year. We have never done that before.”
Zach Fregosi Assistant baseball coach Muscarello agrees that winning a national championship is the goal. “I think our biggest strength is our depth. We have a lot of talented guys that will be competing for playing time, and we feel that whoever we put in the lineup will be able to get the job done.” The team will play again tomorrow at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at home. Likewise, the softball team
Sports
is eager for their season to start and feel ready to dive right in. “I am excited to see my team play. The energy of our team is at an all-time high, and it comes from all of the hard work and dedication they have put in this year. One of our greatest strengths this year is our leadership, we have 3 team captains—two of which are seniors. They did a great job in the offseason helping get our freshmen prepared,” said head coach Brandi Crnkovic. One of the goals of the team this season is to win the SCAC title, something which has eluded Trinity in recent years. “Our goal is to win conference. Since I’ve been here, we’ve been runnerup all three years. It is frustrating to not be able to get past that point. Then, we want to advance to regionals and do really well there. After that is World Series, and I definitely think we have the talent to go to World Series,” said senior shortstop Brooke Sanchez.
They feel that the team will get there with grit and a strong work ethic.
“The energy of our team is at an alltime high, and it comes from all of the hard work and dedication they have put in.” Brandi Crnkovic Head softball coach
“This season, our biggest strength is that we are so motivated to do well. We have a huge amount of drive and passion, which is definitely partly due to our six new first years. We want to win and we know what it will take to win,” said sophomore pitcher/ outfielder Kaci Wellik. Next up, after Hardin Simmons, the lady Tigers have a double header versus University of Texas at Tyler at home Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Trinity senior Maddie Murphy is ranked no. 10 in the nation in the 3,000-meter event for the track and field team.
0:11 Senior forward Zach Lambert hit a gamewinning three-pointer with 11 seconds left to defeat Colorado College on Trinity’s Senior Night.
2000 2000 was the last year the Trinity men’s tennis team won the Division III National Championship. The Tigers won two out of three matches to start off the spring season.
theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Sports
23
Off to the races Men’s tennis starts strong
Trinity opens season with Texas Tech indoor meet by Kaileigh Phillips
SPORTS REPORTER
Trinity’s track and field team performed well at the Texas Tech Masked Rider Open indoor meet in Lubbock, Texas, last weekend. The indoor track is a 233-meter circle, compared to the normal 400-meter oval-shaped outdoor track. Trinity competed against many scholarship schools, and it was one of only three Division III schools at the meet. Many Tigers recorded personal bests in various events. “We had a really good meet,” said head coach Marcus Whitehead. “It was our first meet; a lot of teams have already competed multiple times this season, so it was a good meet for us. We don’t put a huge emphasis on indoor, but we went out and competed, and we ran well.” Senior Maddie Murphy, who is now currently ranked 10th in the country in the 3,000-meter event, ran a personal-best 10:08.78 and was runner-up to an NCAA Division I competitor. Senior Vanessa Moreno placed sixth with a personal-best time of 10:28.91, and junior Michelle Oberndorf finished eighth with a personal best at 10:39.12. “The Tech meet provided a great opportunity to see where individual and team fitness levels are at and a chance to get some first-race kinks out of the way,” Murphy said. “I think we will only continue to get stronger and faster as the season goes, but this was the right kick-start we needed.” Many Trinity men also recorded personal-best times in the 3,000-meter event. Senior Mark Greene finished 10th at 9:04.18, sophomore Tristan Ashton finished 11th at 9:06.60 and sophomore Christian Soto finished 15th at 9:15.14. Junior Sarah Pickett tied for fifth place in the women’s high jump with a personal-best 1.58 meters. Sophomore Mariana Sigala placed 11th out of 30 runners in the 800-meter event at 2:26.82. Sophomore Bailey Drury placed 29th out of 52 in the 400-meter event (1:00.38) and senior Will Paulus placed 31st out of 61 in the men’s event (51.23). “The meet was very beneficial, but didn’t go without throwing us a few curve balls. We also had a few of our athletes running foreign races, but many of our other athletes fared very well in their races against very talented fields,” Paulus said. “Overall, the first meet was a welcomed shock to our bodies, which haven’t raced in eight months, that provided us with a unique experience to run indoor against fast competition.”
The Tiger men’s 4x400meter relay team of Paulus, junior Michael McIntosh, senior George Warren and sophomore Kirk Gulliver clocked in at 3:31.18. The women’s 4x400-meter relay team of Drury, Sigala, first year Abigail Sheppard and senior Jessie Dean recorded a time of 4:10.55. “We’re just now getting into the meat and potatoes of our training regiment,” Paulus said. “There are many improvements that we will make over the next month or so. The first few weeks back from Christmas break are usually used to get us back into sprinting shape, not necessarily for preparing us to run our respective racesthe same goes for the distance crew, as they have been logging a lot of miles.” The men and women will compete tomorrow in an Alumni Meet at 9:00 a.m. at Trinity.
Tigers win two out of three indoor matches on road by Claire Hoobler-Curtis
SPORTS REPORTER Last weekend, Jan. 31 through Feb. 1, the Trinity men’s tennis team opened up their spring season in Abilene, Texas, with three matches. The Tigers faced off against Abilene Christian University on Friday morning, McMurry University Friday afternoon and Tyler Junior College, who are the reigning Junior College Champions, Saturday morning. “We won both matches on Friday; we beat ACU for the first time ever. First time we have beaten a DI program in as far as I can remember and then beat McMurry. Then Saturday we lost 4-5 to Tyler Junior College, but we still played well.
It was an extremely positive weekend,” said head coach Russell McMindes. Players agree that, while the weekend was not full of wins, it was still very good and there were lots of positives to work off of. “The whole trip was a great start to the season and we have a lot to look forward to in the couple months coming up. We’re all really excited to prove that we can belong at the top. We just have to go about one match at a time,” said first year Chas Mayer. The Tigers came into the spring season ranked eighth in the nation based on last year’s results, and while this is a high standing, McMindes believes they are better than last year and will show that during this season. “I believe that we have the tools in this team to make a serious run at winning the whole thing, and that is something we have talked
about, and understand that it is going to take a lot of work and a little luck, but everything is going to fall into place along the way. We are just going to take it one week at a time and set many goals each week and go from there,” McMindes said. The last time Trinity won the DIII National Championship was in 2000, and many feel that this could be their year once again. “The long-term goal is definitely to get a national championship,” said sophomore Eliot Guin. Director of tennis, Butch Newman, adds to Guin’s comment. “It is the best team the men have had since they won (the national championship) in 2000. You need three things; the players and you’ve got that, you need the coach and you’ve got that and now all they need is a little luck,” Newman said.
Darwin Day Events
Happy 205th birthday, Charles Darwin! In honor of Charles Darwin’s birth, the Darwin Day Committee has organized several events on Trinity University’s campus. All are free and open to the public. February 10-14, Display highlighting the significance of Charles Darwin’s accomplishments Coates Library, Third Floor, Trinity University February 12, Darwin’s Birthday Party! Join us in the foyer of the Holt Center for birthday cake at 6:30 pm, prior to our featured speaker February 12, Professor Gil Rosenthal (Texas A&M University), “Mate Choice and Its Consequences” Holt Center, Trinity University, 7:00 pm Sponsored by the Lecturers and Visiting Scholars Committee, Coates Library, International Programs, Neuroscience Program, Parker Chapel, and the Departments of Art and Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering Science, English, Geosciences, History, Human Communication and Theater, Mathematics, Modern Languages and Literature, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, and Sociology and Anthropology
FEB.07.2013 24 theTrinitonian
Photos
photo by Nayeli Perez
photo by Anh-Viet Dinh
photo by Miguel Webber
photo by Nayeli Perez
Top Left: The Trinity crowd cheers on their Tigers during the men’s basketball team’s Senior Night 52-48 victory over Colorado College on Saturday, Feb. 1. Top Right: Junior Jessica Heppard (left), junior Ashley Tessnow (middle), and sophomore Alexa Magnon (right) of Phi Delta Kappa climb to get a better look at the Bid Day festivities at Miller Fountain on Friday, Jan. 31. Bottom Left: The Jim Cullum jazz band performed at a swing dance event sponsored by KRTU in the Skyline Room on Saturday, Feb. 1. Bottom Right: Sophomore guard Natalie DeWitte looks to pass during Trinity’s 68-58 victory over the University of Dallas on Friday, Jan. 31.
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theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
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Valentine’s Day I
The
ssue
(Tips for your aching, breaking heart)
San Antonio, Texas: The most romantic city in the U.S.? Top 10 Most Romantic Cities in order:
According to a recent Amazon.com survery published by TIME magazine on Feb. 3, 2014, San Antonio is the most romantic city in the U.S. Cities were determined “romantic” based on the units of “sexy” products purchased per capita. Sexy products include relationship books, romance novels, romantic movies and music and items that promote sexual wellness.
San Antonio, Texas Seattle, Wash. Knoxville, Tenn. Miami, Fl. Alexandria, Va. Orlando, Fla. Vancouver, Wash. Cincinnati, Ohio Spokane, Wash. Dayton, Ohio
Find a date that fits you this Valentine’s Day by Davis Mathis There are many different options for Valentine’s dates in San Antonio, but sometimes it helps to tailor the date to you and your valentine. Outings for your personality type, or your significant other’s, can help make the night extra special. For the music lovers, you could go to Broadway Valentine without even having to leave campus. The event takes place in Laurie Auditorium on
Valentine’s Day. There you can hear Broadway singers sing classic love songs. If you are both athletic types and want to bond through sweat and sore muscles, then perhaps the Valentine’s Day Massacre put on by Bexar’s Crossfit is for you. It will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, and is designed for the beginner and intermediate Crossfit athlete. It’s also a good double date option because each Crossfit team has two men and two women. For those of you looking
for more of a thrill and who want to force your valentine to cling to you, there are events for you as well. On Valentine’s Day, there is Valentine X at the 13th Floor Haunted House. What was supposed to be a romantic night out goes wrong and leaves you trembling in fear. If you are looking for a more classic Valentine’s Day date, the Villa Finale has you covered. Their event “Isn’t it Romantic?” includes refreshments before the show and during
Annual Love Poem contest celebrates personal creativity The annual Love Poem Contest and Open Mic Night presented by the Trinity Review Literary Magazine is on Wednesday, Feb. 12 in Laurie Auditorium. The contest costs $5 to enter and will be held from 8 to 11 p.m. Trinity professors will be judging entries and selecting the winners. After the poetry competition, the microphone will be open to anyone who chooses to share their work after having signed up for a time slot with the Review. Students are able to bring any written material they would like to share with those attending, which can be read or presented
after the first hour of the event during the open-microphone portion of the evening. The Review encourages material covering any subject, whether it be prose, poetry or a song. The open-mic event does not cost any money to enter, and will start at 9 p.m. In addition to food being provided at the event, there will be a cash bar where attendees who are 21 and older can buy wine and drinks. The money raised from entry fees will be given to the winning student at the end of the love poem contest. compiled by James Godfrey
the intermission while crooner Stan Wayne and his band perform many romantic songs for your listening pleasure. Another event that has the classic meal involved is the Antigua Grill. This is a good choice if you want to $40$50 on dinner. It provides you with an elegant threecourse meal and live music. Of course, creating your own date and finding your own ways to have fun are always options. San Antonio has many great choices that are
accessible for college students, including the River Walk, surrounding parks and a plethora of restaurants. If all else fails and you’d rather stay in to avoid the Valentine’s Day rush, consider trying a new recipe, having a new drink and sitting back to enjoy the numerous romantic comedies that will, undoubtably, be flooding the television channels. Davis Mathis is a first-year and is a reporter for the Pulse section.
Taylor Rubottom, senior, presents a love poem at last Spring’s poem contest.
photo by Sarah Cooper
26 theTrinitonian FEB.07.2014
Single? by Kaileigh Phillips
Who says Valentine’s Day is just for couples? Defy Cupid and turn your holiday into an opportunity to revel in your ability to have fun with these ideas; no significant other needed. For those looking to go out…
Love Sux Rather get a root canal than suffer through another Valentine’s Day? Well, bring your friends and celebrate Singles Awareness Day at Howl at the Moon with their 9th annual Love Sux party. Exchange bad-date stories with your friends, sip on Howl’s signature “ExBoyfriend” cocktail and forget about the couples and their sappy relationships for a fun singles evening. While this is
Special Section
Here are some ideas for those left alone on the day of love.
the night to be single, it’s by no means an “I’m single pity party”. Couples who aren’t up for a Hallmark Valentine’s Day are welcome to join the Love Sux Party as well! Specials for the night include $9.25 “Ex-boyfriends” and $7 “F-bombs”, as well as free admission with a mutilated picture of an ex-lover.
Habitat for Humanity Looking for something fun, meaningful and unique to do this Valentine’s Day? Tired of the no-date-on-Valentine’sDay blues or just want escape the tradition and try something new? Why not trade hearts and chocolates for hammers and nails by participating in the Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio’s special Valentine’s Day Singles build? The event will be held from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in
HFHSA’s Palo Alto Community. Volunteers will participate in the construction of eight homes that are under construction in the neighborhood. Participation is free, but donations will gladly be accepted. I can’t think of anything more meaningful (and yes, maybe even romantic) than helping a family in need achieve their dream of homeownership. If you just happen to meet a new friend and the romantic in you still wants candles and chocolate, the build day will be over early enough to take advantage of more traditional Valentine’s Day activities. But then again, who’s to say what is tradition? This just might be a way to start a new one.
Coyote Ugly’s 7th Annual Bitter Bash Meet your valentine at singles’ night, or bring your date and let
the party atmosphere break the ice while you enjoy the laughs. Who knows, Coyotes may even match you up with your valentine. Laugh it up with your date, or drink your sorrows away…the bar is also offering to shred your ex’s picture for free that night! Singles’ drink special is a love bite for $3. Couples’ drink special is a Kissing booth for $3, and achy-breaky heart shots will be served all night long. For those looking to stay in…
Have a Secret Admirer Organize a Secret Admirers gifting sesh, à la Secret Santa. You and a group of friends draw names and then deliver items like chocolates, flowers, and teddy bears to each other. That way, everyone can have a valentine and celebrate the day by displaying love for their family and friends.
Movie Night with Friends Whether it’s George Clooney or Johnny Depp, spend the night with your ultimate celeb crush. Rent a handful of movies starring your celebrity crush and treat yourself to an eye-candy marathon. But skip the sappy romance movies, dive straight into the comedy and horror films!
Party at Your Place! Invite friends over for wine, appetizers, gossiping and good times. To mix it up, make it a theme party, like suggesting that everyone wear all pink (or black, if you caught the “Singles Awareness Day” bug) and create an iPod playlist with songs like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Holding Out for a Hero.” Kaileigh Phillips is a junior and a reporter for the sports section.
Faux-pas to avoid Top 6 Romantic Comedies this Valentine’s Day Risky Lady The 80s
A classic John Hughes film, feauturing a loveable best friend, the suave crush and the relatable, naive and angstfilled Molly Ringwald, who we all wish we were at 16.
Proof that love can exist anywhere, strong Julia Roberts falls for the wealthy, older Richard Gere, changing her circumstance and his view on life.
Long-Distnance
Nicolas Sparks
are together.
Everyone’s favorite 90’s couple Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan prove their love through the distance, and we hold onto every second of the two scenes they
Indie
Pregnant Maya Rudolph and adorable husband John Krasinski go on a home-finding mission crosscountry. Facing doubt and complications along the way, they eventually find themselves. Honorable Mentions: “Dirty Dancing;” “Crazy, Stupid Love;” “13 Going on 30;” “You’ve Got Mail”
The chemistry is palpable between Gosling and McAdams as Nicolas Sparks brings you through a story of teenage lovers torn apart, only to reunite and somehow lose each other again.
Unsettled Ends Perfect couple Rachel McAdams and super-sexy Channing Tatum find themselves faced with tragedy when McAdams loses her memory, falling in and out of what they once had. Movie cover photos courtesy of IMDb.com
by Cassie Watson
It’s that time of the year again where people prepare to show their significant other or a special someone how much they really care. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we will all undoubtedly witness a myriad of romantic gestures from those we know and those we vaguely recognize on our Facebook news feed. Unfortunately, this day is saddled with romantic fauxpas, and we can see them from a mile away. Spontaneous and original date plans, genuine expressions of affection and love, thoughtful and creative gift ideas, an opportunity to be vulnerable with a significant other. All of them are old and tired traditions that only get done, redone and overdone every year on this love-centered day. It’s about time our society begins to tear down these longstanding practices and consider some fresh ideas. So, before you go off and plan a totally perfect night that is unique to what only your loved one would appreciate, consider these faux-pas as things to avoid. 1. Red, Pink, White: Stick to these colors. Before getting into gift and date ideas, it should be firmly noted that all gifts, outfits and accessories should only consist of these three colors. Think of how thoughtful it looks to plan everything down to the color scheme. Pastel colors of any
kind are also acceptable. 2. A Gift of Flowers: What better way to show how you really feel than by cutting off the reproductive organs of a plant and giving said organs to someone you care for? That definitely sends the right message. And, in keeping with rule one, stick with red, pink or white.
3. Candy: It’s both economical and communicates your confidence in your loved one’s health. Why not splurge a little on such a special day as Valentine’s? Your pancreas can handle it. Taking a break from a well-balanced and healthy diet and gorging on candy is a good way to boost morale.
4. Wine and Dine (without the wine if under 21): Nothing says “I’m original” more than getting all dressed up (while sticking to the agreed-upon color scheme) and going out to eat at a fancy restaurant. French or Italian cuisine is definitely the way to go. Because this is so rarely done on Valentine’s Day, there’s no need to worry about making reservations. It’s likely that most restaurants will be almost empty.
So while everyone else around the country is planning an extravegant wine-filled, pinky flowers sort of date, try to place yourself amongst the trendy in regard to this day of love and try something new. Cassie Watson is a sophomore and a reporter for the news section.
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theTrinitonian
Special Section
FEB.07.2014
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The Worst V-Day Date by Alessa Hutter I used to love Valentine’s Day. Really, I did. But then I had my first (and only) boyfriend and my “I Love Valentine’s Day” cards quickly turned into “I Hate Valentine’s Day” cards. Sure, I had high expectations for my first nonsingle-lady Valentine’s Day, but ANYTHING would have been better than what I got. My now-ex-boyfriend and I had been dating for about a month when heart-shaped candies and pink stuffed animals started filling up the stores. We were both in our first relationship, so we (mostly me) thought it would be nice to make it really special and sweet. He called me about three days before Valentine’s Day asking if there was anything special I wanted to do. I suggested that we just go to a nice restaurant and then maybe see a movie of my choice (for once) or something like that. I understood that we had only been dating a month, so I didn’t expect anything really expensive, just something thoughtful. I hung up the phone feeling pretty confident he would get right on it and we would have a great Valentine’s Day.
February 14 arrives and my boyfriend comes to pick me up. We get in the car and I ask where he made reservations. “I didn’t make reservations,” he said. I’m slightly taken aback. Surely he is just joking. I ask again. “No really, I didn’t make any. Was I supposed to?” I was speechless. There was no way we were going to find anywhere nice to eat at 7:00 on a Sunday night. Especially on Valentine’s Day. So where do we go? Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Now on any other day Five Guys is awesome, don’t get me wrong. But today was not a Five Guys day. So we eat our burgers and I’m looking forward to the movie I chose. At least the night could still be saved. We get to theater and I head for the express ticket line, assuming he has already paid for the tickets. When he doesn’t follow me I ask where he is going. “I haven’t bought the tickets yet,” he says. My jaw drops. I am livid. We get to the line and all of the tickets to my movie choice are sold out (who knew?!). So what do I get to watch on Valentine’s Day? Not
“Valentine’s Day.” Not “Dear John” or “When in Rome” or even “Tooth Fairy.” All of which would have been decent feel-good romantic comedies for the occasion. Instead, I get to see “The Book of Eli.” “The Book of Eli!!!” Probably the worst movie to watch on Valentine’s Day. Ever. To top everything off, I didn’t even get a gift, unless a cheezy and cheap stuffed animal counts. Needless to say, our relationship did not last long enough for us to celebrate another holiday together. Now, I’m not saying the terrible experience I had on Valentine’s Day was the number one reason I broke up with my ex-boyfriend, but it was definitely in the top ten. So here’s a word of advice to all the couples out there: Never assume your significant other has made big plans, or any plans, for Valentine’s Day. Just do it yourself. I’d hate to see you stuck eating Five Guys and watching “The Book of Eli.” I mean, unless that’s your idea of romantic. Alessa Hutter is a junior and a copy editor.
EVER
Some of our reccomended escape strategies include having a friend call for a “family emergency,” claiming illness due to the bad restaurant the two of you just dined at and, of course, the harsher option, telling the truth.
FEB.7.2014 28 theTrinitonian
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Miles <3 I love youuuu
To my beautiful Friendship knot family, you all are knottiest ladies I know ;)
Becs is the best suitemate and friend a girl could ask for!
Bailee Manzer, I think you are SO beautiful on the inside and out. Please be my valentine? -Your Big
Stephen Bovio, you rock my socks off. - Your lover
KCK is the hottest trio of women I've ever seen.
To the goodest woman and nicest lady on campus, you have my heart for all eternity. Let's elope soon.
Dear Meghan Varner, you are the Leslie to my Ann, the fluffy to my puppy, and the warmth to my sunshine. I love you forever!
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MK, you be lookin real nice after all of your workouts ;) can't wait to see you at GS!
Katherine Kroll, thanks for making the paper look amazing every week!
Leah from your Nacho
Evan & Chloe
Paige Lanford, you are a shining star in my life, and I love you lots!
Chloe and Meg I like you more than Pollock likes numbering his paintings.
Although I test your patience and love, I know that you are my soulmate. Here's to our life filled with adventure and books, good food and great sex, tattoos and late nights, always.
I love all of my purple ladies of Alpha Chi Lambda!
Kmart, Thanks for being the best! <3
To Tynan. I love you. -Chris Alexander
Aynav, You are the BEST and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Your heart makes mine happy.
The ladies of Beaver Creek make my heart melt like a bowl of cheese in the microwave. You are the bright yellow light in the kitchen of my chest. You are the warmth that the heater doesn't ever produce. You are the intelligent jokes commoners couldn't understand. You are the girls I call some of my closest friends.
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