11.10.2017

The latest

SPECIAL ISSUE

Trinitonian Serving Trinity University Since 1902

Volume 115 Issue 12

PAGE 11

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November 10, 2017

SGA election results released Students voted for president, vice president, senators

Controversy over workstudy funds

Unclear allocation of reimbursed wages raises questions

KAYLIE KING | NEWS REPORTER kking1@trinity.edu Student Government Association (SGA) president, vice president and 14 senators were elected on Monday, Nov 6., with a runoff election for a fifth senator for the class of 2019 held this week. Amulya Deva was elected president and Rachel Daniel was elected vice president. The class of 2021 senators are Noelle Barrera, Maddie D’Iorio, Nick Pereda, Mia Quintanilla and Isabella Schlag. The class of 2020 senators are Benjamin Gonzalez, Juan Luevanos, Angel Ramirez, Simone Washington and Ty Tinker.

The class of 2019 senators are Sam Afshari, Sarosha Hemani, Daniela Montufar Soria and Julia Schults, with the fifth position to be determined by a runoff election.

Three class of 2021 senators commented on why they decided to become involved with SGA during their first year and what they hope to accomplish as senators.

“I wanted to get involved in SGA because I saw it as a great opportunity to enact change in our university and help make Trinity a better place,” wrote class of 2021 senator Maddie D’Iorio in an email interview. “I am most looking forward to learning more about how our campus works internally and encouraging and sponsoring programs which bring about campus unity.”

Nick Pereda, class of 2021 senator, also wants to have a positive influence around campus.

“I am happy with the election results, and I believe that we will be able to work together to make material changes that have a positive impact on the general health and well-being of other students,” Pereda wrote in an email interview. “I’m excited for this upcoming year and will do everything in my power to express the interests of my peers.”

Check it out o

DANIEL CONRAD KATHLEEN CREEDON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITOR dconrad@trinity.edu kcreedon@trinity.edu

AMULYA DEVA, left, and RACHEL DANIEL, right, were elected president and vice president for the upcoming term, respectively. photo provided by RACHEL DANIEL

Mia Quintanilla, class of 2021 senator, was involved with student government at her high school and became involved at Trinity because she aspires to someday work in the U.S. government.

“I have always been surrounded by politics whether it be from my mother, who has held her position as District Clerk of Hidalgo County for 10 years, or from my grandfather, who recently retired his 20-year position as congressman,” Quintanilla wrote in an email interview. “I would like to carry on the legacy of my family to help others through the government. I am very pleased with the overall outcome of the elections. I am most looking forward to meeting my new constituents and being a voice for my class.”

Ty Tinker, class of 2020 senator, served as a senator during his first year and decided to run again after enjoying the experience.

“I’ve had family who came to Trinity, and I’ve always been really interested in how I can

contribute to Trinity,” Tinker said. “My family did really cool stuff here, and I want to as well. As a naïve freshman, I got pretty lucky stumbling upon SGA because we do a lot. I had no idea, I just wanted to do something.

SGA is a fluid process. Nothing big, or even small, can really get done in a year or with a single senate. There’s things that we’ve been doing that just started this year, and there’s things that we’re really excited to carry on from previous senates. There’s definitely some initiatives there.”

Angel Ramirez, class of 2020 senator, served as a first-year senator starting at the end of last semester.

“I didn’t get a lot of time to actually see SGA in action my first year, but in the time I was there, I was very interested to see that you can pass a couple of legislations that actually benefit the student body do as SGA,” Ramirez said. continued on PAGE 5

Wanda Olson, associate director of Residential Life, reported that of the 118 residents in South, only 44 came to Residential Life to be relocated and that some of those students have now returned to their rooms.

She also reports that the situation is under control and that a similar problem arising again in the near future is unlikely.

“Members of Facilities Services and independent contractors have assured us that this issue has been resolved. That being said, should additional situations arise, we have a crisis management plan that ensures preparedness for situations such as this — including relocation of students, as necessary,” Olson wrote in an email.

Shannon Grover is a junior resident of the first floor of South, which was hit the hardest.

“The hall had started smelling worse and worse in the couple weeks leading up to Facilities Services’ discovery of the broken

pipe,” Grover said. “The stairwell closest to Thomas third was the worst and we pretty much had to hold our breath to walk through.

The day we got the notice from Facilities Services, the smell had reached almost unbearable levels, and most of us relocated to either our friends’ rooms or temporary rooms.

Now that the leak is fixed, the smell is slowly fading, but not nearly fast enough.”

Grover believes that the situation was completely mishandled by Facilities Services, employees of which were unavailable to comment.

“The complaints of the odor were ignored for weeks beforehand and not enough is being done now to remedy the leftover odor,” Grover said.

Houston Holmes, a junior communication major, is a resident of the third floor of South.

Students eligible for Federal WorkStudy (FWS) jobs who work for Campus Publications, Recreational Sports and TUVAC are being paid with money collected via the student activity fee, but those organizations aren’t seeing the windfall from federal reimbursements on those payments.

Neither is Student Government Association (SGA), which distributes the student activity fee to campus organizations.

Instead, the university is retaining savings on these reimbursements. Some advisers and members of the affected organizations have expressed frustration at this arrangement.

Recreational Sports, TUVAC and Campus Publications, which comprises the Trinitonian and the Mirage, present proposals for their annual operating budgets to the SGA senate every spring. The senate distributes funds to these and other student organizations from an SGA-managed pool of money collected each semester from the student activity fee.

“The student activity fee is collected from all undergraduate students at Trinity. It’s $150 per semester; $300 over the total academic year,” said Joseph Khalaf, vice president of SGA. (Khalaf is a member of the Board of Campus Publications, which publishes and supervises the Trinitonian and Mirage.)

“96 percent is given to SGA; four percent is retained by the [business] office, and it’s put into the university’s general budget.” continued on PAGE 6

Down South, residents are in deep shit Reports of foul odors ignored for weeks KENDRA DERRIG | NEWS REPORTER kderrig@trinity.edu For weeks, a foul smell interrupted the lives of South Hall residents. On Oct. 31, Facilities Services had identified the source of the strong odor. A pipe had broken, and sewage had been leaking beneath the building.

Residents were given the option to relocate as the problem was dealt with over the next few days. Water to the building was turned off twice in the days following the announcement of the problem. An email from Residential Life on Nov. 3 told students living in South that their rooms were now safe and inhabitable, though the persistent odor has kept students from moving back in.

continued on PAGE 5

Many South Hall residents found their living spaces to be uninhabitable due to the smell of the leak and, in some instances, the sewage that came through the pipes. photo provided by DINDA LEHRMANN

Photo gallery: Remembering the life of Cayley Mandadi

Diwali delights with dance, song and more

Trinity athletes sprint to the SCAC playoffs

The campus community came together to celebrate the student with Sunday vigil, shared memories.

South Asian Student Association welcomed campus to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights.

Soccer teams score the championship, volleyball continues despite loss.

PAGES 19-20 PULSE

PAGE 22 A&E

PAGE 25 SPORTS

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

NEWS

Previously, on SGA: Breaking the Fourth Wall This issue covers the SGA meeting held on Nov. 06 GUEST COMMENTS Kathleen Creedon, Trinitonian news editor, asked the Senate for their thoughts about the university’s retaining Department of Education reimbursements on payments made to Federal Work-Study-eligible students who are paid with student activity fee money. (Creedon is the author of this segment.) Trinitonian editor-in-chief Daniel Conrad made the case for the university giving those savings back to SGA. Senators Ty Tinker and Callie Struby wondered whether SGA should be allocating money for the purposes of paying student wages in the first place.

President Nick Santulli asked for a volunteer to contact administrator about the matter; senator John Croxton said he would write a resolution to express SGA’s desire to start a dialogue with the administration.

HEALTH SERVICES HOURS Tuttle discussed a potential change in Health Services hours. One of the nurses who works on Sundays is retiring, so the Health Services department is thinking of getting rid of their Sunday hours. The money saved from not staffing for Sunday hours will go to having more staff for weekday hours.

CAMPUS CLIMATE CHECK • Senator Amulya Deva asked about the sewage problem in South Hall.

David Tuttle, dean of students, explained that a pipe broke under the building and that Facilities Services has since fixed the problem.

• Croxton raised the issue of glass in the City Vista pool.

Santulli encouraged the Senate to go to Facilities Services with maintenance requests.

• Santulli brought up the memorial service for Cayley Mandadi. Tuttle mentioned the requests of Mandadi’s friends for privacy. Struby expressed her wish for more SGA members to have attended the memorial service to show their support for the community.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVISIONS Article 6 Section 1, which introduces the position of the Judicial Chair, was approved.

RESOLUTIONS Croxton re-presented his resolution, which discusses the importance of the involvement of SGA in university decisions, such as the tobacco and hard liquor bans. Croxton wants to send a message that SGA wants to be a part of the decision-making process. The resolution was not approved.

BYLAW REVIEW • Article 3 Sections 2-5, which deal with agendas, resolutions, minutes and the demerit system, respectively, were approved.

• The introduction to Article 4 and Sections 1 and 2 of the article were approved.

Tune in each week for Kathleen Creedon’s SGA summaries . SGA meets at 6 p.m. on Mondays in the Waxahachie Room in Coates University Center.

Corrections

CLASSIFIEDS •

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REPORTERS Kendra Derrig, Elise Hester, Kara Killinger, Kaylie King, Saul Malek, Cathy Terrace, Dominic Walsh, Hailey Wilson CONTRIBUTERS Austin Davidson, Georgie Riggs, Abigail Wharton COLUMNISTS Soleil Gaffner, Benjamin Gonzalez, Theresa Ho, Micaela Hoffman, Gabriel Levine, Manfred Wendt COPY EDITORS Evan Chambless, Cristina Kodadek, Nathaniel Pigott ILLUSTRATORS Yessenia Lopez, Andrea Nebhut PHOTOGRAPHERS Chloe Sonnier, Allison Wolff, Stephen Sumrall-Orsak BUSINESS STAFF Sarah McIntyre, Tam Nguyen ADVERTISING STAFF Jenna Flexner, Benjamin Milliet, Jonah Nance, Regis Noubiab, Isla Stewart

In the Nov. 03 issue, the illustraion on Page 11 for the article “Student jobs take to the street” was misattributed. It was created by Yessenia Lopez.

• In the Nov. 03, the photo on Page 6 for the article “Ted Koppel emphasizes” was misattributed. It was taken by Amani Canada.

Spot a mistake? Let us know at trinitonian@trinity.edu.

READERSHIP DATA PRINT

WEB

Oct. 28–Nov. 03: 1,688 Oct. 13–27: 1,710 Sept. 15–22: 1,598

Oct. 31–Nov. 08: 7,170

Copies picked up out of the 2,200 delivered to campus each week.

Total page views.

Distribution data is collected by NICHOLAS SMETZER each week.

COMMUNITY CRIME ALERT NOV. 6, 2017 TUPD issued a Criminal Tresspass Warning against Eric Kasmir.

He is a white male, 38 years old, approx. 6’ tall, 150 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Should one see Kasmir on campus, contact TUPD at (210) 999-7070.

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NEWS • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

3

Enrollment increases in comp sci department

With chair to go on leave, short-staffed department makes last-minute schedule KENDRA DERRIG | NEWS REPORTER kderrig@trinity.edu

Just five days before registration for the spring semester, the schedule for computer science courses was finalized. Prior to the near last-minute update, a series of emails to majors and faculty members announced the necessity to restructure the course schedule, leaving students on edge as enrollment quickly approached.

Paul Myers, chair of the computer science department, cites increased interest in computer science as a reason for the scheduling problems.

“Our enrollments have typically been like a sine wave. Right now, we are very much at a peak, and I think this peak is higher than previous peaks,” Myers said. “We have a colloquium that usually has around 40 or 50 students, but now there seems to be about 80.”

Along with adapting the course schedule, the department also announced that Myers will go on leave in spring, and associate professor Yu Zhang will take up the position of acting chair during his absence. Myers commented on his leave as long overdue.

“The way academia works is that faculty are encouraged to take a leave every five or six years. It’s a chance to rejuvenate — it’s a chance to get research going without being distracted by teaching and other things. In that context, I’ve been here 32 years, and this is my first leave, so it’s way overdue,” Myers said.

However, Myers’ leave has not come at the best time, as the department has seen a large increase in enrollment. Myers explained his decision to go one leave now, saying that the classes he teaches in spring are all elective courses.

“I don’t teach any required classes in the spring; whereas in the fall, I do. So, it would be easier for me to not be here in the spring as opposed to the fall in terms our schedule,” Myers said. “That would’ve been fine, except there has been a surge in enrollment — both interested minors and majors — and enrollments from other departments where our courses are required.”

Sam Ortiz, junior computer science major and secretary of Trinity Women in Computing (TUWIC) also commented on the increased enrollment.

“I’ve noticed a big increase in freshmen and sophomore kids in general. I’ve also noticed that our TUWIC meetings have been a lot more full of girls, which is really good,” Ortiz said.

As for the delayed schedule, Ortiz did not think it was that big of an issue.

“The scheduling delay was more of a drama thing because we were all just waiting to see what classes were going to be available,” Ortiz said.

Emily Herbert, senior computer science major and president of TUWIC, also noted that increased enrollment seems to hit those in the middle of the major the hardest.

“A lot of the competition for classes hits the mid-tier students, like sophomores and juniors, because they always want to make sure that everyone that wants to take the intro classes are able to, and then there’s a lot of overflow in the electives and mid-tier classes,” Herbert said.

graphic by TYLER HERRON

continued on PAGE 4

Enjoy a FREE night at the McNay Art Museum

Chuck Ramirez, 1964-2010. Scott from Piñata, 2002. Digital print. © Estate of Chuck Ramirez, Courtesy Ruiz-Healy Art, San Antonio, Texas.

Friday, November 17 | 8:00–11:00 pm College students only

Fall semester got you feeling beat?

Take a break with free food, live music, and art-making fun at the McNay! INCLUDES FREE ADMISSION TO Chuck Ramirez: All This and Heaven Too mcnayart.org

4

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

NEWS

Enrollment increases in comp sci department continued from PAGE 3

To adjust to the predicted size of enrollment this coming semester, the department restructured the schedule to offer more upper-division electives, which in turn altered the times that lower division classes will be offered due to instructor and space availability. The department will also receive some help next semester from an additional faculty member, but Myers is hesitant to hire another full-time professor.

“The only way to handle this is additional faculty. I’ve been really reluctant to do that, as I don’t regard myself as an empire builder,” Myers said. “Since we are aware of this sine wave phenomenon, it’s very stressful on us right now, but if it tails off again, then we are good at our current staffing. We can sustain one or two semesters at this peak, but we can’t sustain it if it persists. The normal way that academic departments deal with increased need is to ask for more faculty, so it’s quite possible that we’ll be doing that.”

Myers also seemed to think expansion is in the department’s future.

“I’ve been chair for almost 10 years, and we have never had any faculty member on leave, so we can maintain our course load at the cost of none of our faculty going to do intensive research, which is what the leaves are mostly for,” Myers said. “I think the administration is becoming aware of our department’s staffing

NOTEBOOK

SALE The Anthropology Society will be doing a fundraiser for the Women's Story Book Project of Texas. We will be selling notebooks made out of recyclable materials throughout November; specifically on Nov 8-9, 15-16, and 29-10, from 10 am to 3 pm in Coates.

Contact info for the event: Lorene Sugars (lsugars@trinity.edu) or Cathy Terrace (cterrace@trinity.edu)

problem, not just covering our courses, but giving faculty the freedom to expand their research and their interests.”

Herbert pointed out that the department is not only limited by number of faculty but by number of classrooms, too.

“I definitely think that the CS department would benefit from an additional faculty member, but a big obstacle is the actual lab space. There are three labs on campus where CS classes can be taught, so if we had more spaces, then classes could be taught in more than just those three labs,” Herbert said. “So it’s a combination of more applicable and accessible technology across campus, but also I could see how an additional faculty member could help alleviate the workload of senior professors teaching lower-level classes.”

Ortiz agreed that the physical size of the department hinders studying.

“There are only so many places to study as a comp sci major, and those spaces are typically smaller due to the history of how many students have been in the major, so it’s become overcrowded at times, and that seems overwhelming. I’m at a point where I can do my comp sci work from home, but that’s not the case for everyone. Some people need to do work in the labs, and the labs can get really loud,” Ortiz said.

More information about the computer science department can be found at cs.trinity.edu/old-index.cgi.

NEWS • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

National Chess Master comes to Trinity

5

Jesse Lozano played against 11 students simultaneously

photo by AMANI CANADA

GABBY GARRIGA | NEWS INTERN ggarriga@trinity.edu One chess master. Eleven games. All at once. A circle of tables and chess boards was arranged in the Fiesta Room last Saturday for a simultaneous chess match. The Trinity Chess Club hosted Jesse Lozano, a National Chess Master and San Antonio local, who talked about he became one of the best players in the nation and spoke of the game’s importance.

Lozano began with a lesson on chess strategy and tactics to help improve the skills of the participants. Once Lozano finished his lesson, the tournament began: a simultaneous chess match where one player competes against 11 chess players, moving from one chessboard to the next, at the same time. Once Lozano completed his move against one player, he moved on to the next game.

Eleanor Gilbert, junior international affairs major, participated in the match even though

she is not a member of Trinity’s Chess Club.

Gilbert gave her thoughts on the event.

“It’s interesting for it to be a simultaneous match because we have time to lament our losses,” Gilbert said.

The whole match took about 20 minutes to complete, and Lozano emerged as the winner of each game. Attending events like this is not unusual for Lozano. He is used to giving chess lessons because he is a full-time chess coach through his company, Complete Chess. Complete Chess provides after-school programs, private chess lessons and chess tournaments to the local community.

“Our mission is to better the communities we serve by providing a complete chess education in a positive and nourishing environment,” the company’s mission statement reads.

Lozano believes that chess provides players with portable skills that can improve other areas of their lives.

“I love to go around and spread chess.

It teaches skills — looking ahead, critical thinking, problem solving,” Lozano said.

Lozano hopes to expand his programs throughout the San Antonio area and the surrounding communities.

“One of my main reasons for teaching chess is to give students something to do after school. We have football, basketball, but it’s important to have mental education,” Lozano said.

Lozano has even hired students from Trinity to work for Complete Chess, including Bob Le, a senior computer science major and the president and founder of the Trinity Chess Club. Le and the other officers organized the event with Lozano to help promote the club to the student body.

Camden Lemond, sophomore English major and vice president of the club, helped organize the event.

“We had a pretty good turnout. It started

as noncitizens we oftentimes feel we don’t have a voice in the American democratic system, but here in Trinity the opportunity to be a senator and a representative as part of SGA is open to everyone. I believe that if given the opportunity, international students and minorities will be able to see that they have a voice that deserves to be heard and that their concerns are as important as everyone else’s.”

Sarosha Hemani, class of 2019 senator, is also getting involved with SGA for the first time this year.

“I wanted to get involved in this position because I want to attend to issues that are brought up on campus,” Hemani wrote in an email interview. “I was involved in student government in high school, and one thing I learned from that experience is just because someone’s opinion is the loudest, does not mean it is the only opinion that exists. I am interested in making sure smaller organizations on campus have an equal opportunity to boost their events on campus and gain membership.”

Hemani also mentioned initiatives that she is interested in furthering as a senator and her happiness with the outcome of the SGA elections.

“I wish to extend resources already offered

by SGA such as B-Cycle and the menstrual

product initiative by implementing better follow-up protocols, advertisements and student feedback,” Hemani wrote.

“President-elect Amulya Deva and vice president-elect Rachel Daniel are some of the most qualified people for the job. I know they’ll do the student body good because they’re kind, generous and brilliant women.

I don’t know all of the senators that ran but I am excited to get to work with them. I think together we will resolve campus issues brought forth by the students.”

Julia Shults, class of 2019 senator, believes that serving as an SGA senator is one of the best ways to create a valuable impact on the Trinity community.

“One of my favorite things about Trinity is how involved the student body is, in and around campus,” Shults wrote in an email interview. “As senator, I am excited to improve student involvement by better systemizing the allocation of the student activity fund to provide more diverse options that also maximize student participation.

I would also like to build on the first-year academic success initiative by creating more mentoring opportunities and better publicizing student resources on campus.

I think our class, as the first group to experience Pathways, is in a unique position to help improve the first-years’ experience.”

SGA election results revealed continued from FRONT

“Even if it’s not something that you think is significant, at the end of the day, if it’s just a small change that could help students in any way I think it would be worth it,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez also explained some of the goals that he has for the upcoming year.

“This past semester we’ve been changing the constitutional outline, just to get our guidelines really set to see what we’re able to do as SGA,” Ramirez said. “A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a couple of friends from the University of Texas, and their SGA passed legislation that allowed for students to see the syllabus on the course selections when they have their registration. That’s something that we don’t have. I would like to keep working on that. Hopefully there will be something that students will see in the near future.”

Daniela Montufar Soria, class of 2019 senator, is getting involved with SGA for the first time this year because she wants to bring awareness to the struggles of international students on campus.

“I look forward having an opportunity to voice my concerns for the international and minority student body,” Soria wrote in an email interview. “I think it is crucial because

off kinda slow, but it all came together, and we’re pretty happy about that,” Lemond said.

Lemond hopes that through these events, the chess club will grow. The club hopes to expand into the San Antonio area and play in local tournaments.

Overall, the chess club is happy with the event and hopes to continue hosting more events and tournaments. The public relations director, Devon Patel, first-year and intended neuroscience major, hopes the event inspires both potential and current club members.

“For them to play with someone of that caliber is not something you can do every single time. ... We’re hoping [people are] going to be able to come to the meetings, hopefully improve on their chess skills and who knows, maybe they’ll be the next national chess master,” Patel said.

To find out more about the chess club, like them on Facebook or attend meetings in Marrs McLean 130 every Friday at 4:30 p.m.

South continued from FRONT

“I was lucky enough to not have sewage coming out of the bathroom faucets like some people on lower floors did,” Holmes said.

He disagreed with Grover’s assertion that Facilities Services did a poor job.

“While the water being out for a few hours was inconvenient, I think facilities services were really on top of it. Considering there were rumors that we might not have water for a week, things turned out alright,” Holmes said.

But for Grover, this situation was symptomatic of Facilities Services’ past inadequacies.

“There seem to be a lot of complaints lately about Facilities Services. The broken locks on the entry doors in Myrtle and Susannah not getting fixed for over a week, the elevators in Thomas left broken for days with students having to walk to the eighth floor and the many dorm issues students have called in about since the beginning of the year with no reply,” Grover said.

Despite these complaints, Olson wanted to thank students for their patience as the problem was dealt with.

“We are thankful for the continued understanding of our South residents. They have exemplified immense patience and flexibility throughout this time,” Olson said.

6

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

NEWS

Trinity faculty discusses how to fail well Professors share stories of personal setbacks to help students deal with similar problems KENDRA DERRIG | NEWS REPORTER kderrig@trinity.edu

A panel of five members of Trinity’s faculty from various departments shared their stories of failure in their lives to a group of approximately 30 students. The panel was organized by the Student Success Center with the hopes of helping students learn how to deal with failure.

The panel consisted of Paula Hertel, professor of psychology, Katsuo Nishikawa, professor of political science, Brian Miceli, associate professor of mathematics, Diane Persellin, professor of music, and Alex GallinParisi, liaison librarian, and was facilitated

by Stacey Davidson, director of the Student Success Center.

Programming concerning how to “fail well” began last year at Smith College. Over the summer, Hertel spoke with Davidson about bringing similar programming to Trinity. They gathered a group of faculty who agreed that Trinity students would benefit by starting a conversation similar to the one at Smith College.

“Smith College started the conversation because they were noticing that there were students who are high-performing, high-

A panel of faculty gathered to help students feel more comfortable with failing and to help them see it as a stepping stone rather than as a setback. photo by STEPHEN SUMRALL-ORSAK

achieving, all-A’s, AP credit, who got to their college and fail something — and maybe their version of failure is a B,” Davidson said. “But, students don’t always have the resources to figure out how to get past that C on a paper, so Smith has been doing all this programming around ‘failing well,’ like giving certificates of failure, so that students can have permission to fail, but then learn from those mistakes and how to pick themselves up and keep going.”

Hertel explained her motivation in opening the conversation on failure at Trinity.

“We think that students are very much afraid of failing and don’t realize that many successful people have significant minor to

major failures in their lives, so we want to encourage students to take chances when they work here, because if you’re always playing it safe, then you’re not giving yourself the opportunity to do interesting and important things,” Hertel said.

Hertel also explained some of the psychology behind why high-performing high schoolers might stall in college.

“If you constantly reward people, and then suddenly you stop doing that — like if a student got As and then a B — what happens is that the people who have been rewarded consistently will just stop, whereas the ones who have only been occasionally rewarded

will persist in the face of no or little reward, and become what we call in psychology ‘resilient,’ ” Hertel said.

Through their stories of failure in both academia and personal relationships, the faculty encouraged students to be open with their failures by talking to their professors when they are struggling. They also urged students to use their failures as a learning opportunity.

“After you fail, you should still go for it.

And you shouldn’t let anyone stand in your way. And I think my failure has made me more understanding of students, especially first years, because I basically failed out of grad school the first time, but now I have a Ph.D.,” said Brian Miceli, associate professor of mathematics.

Michelle Narciso, first-year communication major, was present at the panel.

“I thought it was inspirational that they all went through twists and turns in their road to success, and became things that they didn’t expect to become, and that they all agreed that their failures made them better,” Narciso said.

Davidson also spoke about the way students define failure.

“Is a B a fail, or is it an opportunity to learn how you can get better? Do you take failures as a personal affront to your character, or are you seeing it as an opportunity to grow?” Davidson asked. “Sometimes we look at faculty and think that they’re experts in their field with the highest level of education, and clearly it was just an easy walk, so to see that people can be extraordinarily successful in the face of failure, and to hear these stories, so you can say, ‘you know what, maybe failure isn’t so bad.’ ”

Allocation of work-study wages causes confusion continued from FRONT Because the university participates in the FWS program, it receives end-of-year reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Education for payments made to FWS-eligible student workers. Nearly 1,500 Trinity students qualify for FWS positions.

“As long as we’re not spending more than we get, we’re good, and we report that back to the government,” said Diana Heeren, who was hired this April as the associate vice president for finance. “They judge how much they give based on how much we spend.”

Many university departments and offices hire FWS-eligible students with university money, which is mostly raised through donations and student tuition.

But Recreational Sports, TUVAC and Campus Publications pay students with money allocated from the student activity fee and, in the case of Campus Publications, with money generated by students for the Trinitonian and Mirage. In Khalaf ’s view, this isn’t the intended use for student activity fee.

“Most people associate [the student activity fee] with tuition, but it’s a separate fund. If the university needed that extra money, then they should consider altering their tuition because they already get the four percent from [the student activity fee],” Khalaf said.

The Trinitonian reached out to the advisers for Recreational Sports and TUVAC, who each directed us to Heeren. Katharine Martin, coordinator for student-edited publications, explained how the situation seems to her.

(Martin is the adviser to the Trinitonian and the Mirage.)

“To the university, all money collected from students is the university’s money.

Because I see students generating brand new revenue and carefully managing their budgets to sustain important campus publications, I recognize the student activity fee money as part of the university’s commitment to experiential learning,” Martin said. “It’s money collected from students to give them the opportunity to make significant decisions. Through this new process, student groups aren’t losing money;

neither are they benefiting. The university is benefiting. It is bringing more money to Trinity, and that is good.”

But Martin says that in her time working for Trinity, she’s never seen the university retain money on payments to FWS-qualified students paid via the student activity fee.

“I’ve been here 15 years, and Campus Publications employees have only ever signed an institutional work agreement,” Martin said. “Starting this year, they sign a Federal Employment Work Study Request/ Authorization [form].”

Heeren disagrees.

“It’s not a change at all. I think there was just an entry that had never happened to hit [Campus Publications] before,” Heeren said.

Martin says this doesn’t square with her experience.

“There is a chance [that this was happening internally]. There absolutely is,” Martin said.

“But why did the forms change? Why until this year were Seth [Asbury] and Kristen [Harrison] told, ‘Don’t hire Federal Work Study employees’? Scott Brown says it’s new to him.” Asbury and Harrison advise Recreational Sports; Brown is the adviser for TUVAC. Khalaf wonders whether these organizations should be offering FWS positions at all.

“I think the Trinitonian, RecSports and TUVAC should have the right to say that they’re not going to participate in this,” Khalaf said. “There’s no benefit for [them] to let the university have the extra funds, and it’s not a small amount.”

Heeren says that the university counts on the reimbursements for budgeting purposes.

“It’s not like we’re keeping [the money from the Department of Education] to do something non-student-related. It’s just that we’ve said, ‘This is part of our budget.’ We know we’re getting that money,” Heeren said.

The issue was brought up during SGA’s Nov. 6 meeting. Senator Ty Tinker, sophomore, expressed concern for using student activity fee funds to pay for student wages.

“I think we should really question why we pay student wages,” Tinker said. “This is my

first time hearing this, but it sounds like the money, because it came from the university, technically, should go back to the university.”

Heeren notes that because the student activity fee is collected and managed by the university, it’s within Trinity’s right to keep the savings made from any FWS-eligible students on payroll, whether or not their pay comes from the student activity fee.

“I want to get to the point where SGA, and you, and everyone, says this makes sense and see why it’s being done this way,” Heeren said.

“You may not like it, but you understand that’s how business works.”

Nick Santulli, president of SGA, said that he will present a report on the matter in SGA’s next meeting, which will be held on Monday, Nov. 13. John Croxton, senior and SGA senator, agreed to start a dialogue with the administration to see whether SGA can receive a portion of the reimbursements and author an SGA resolution on the matter.

“I think it’s really worth exploring getting the reimbursement back,” Santulli said.

graphic by TYLER HERRON

LET’S HEAR YOUR VOICE.

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FROM TH E EDITORS’ DESK

Frequently Asked Questions

Your money is being misused!

Trinity relies on a technicality in order to scrape money from the student activity fee, the $150-per-semester payment that every student pays on top of their tuition. What they’re doing is legal, but it flies in the face of the spirit of the student activity fee and experiential learning.

We each contribute $150 every semester to a common pool that the university collects.

The business office keeps four percent of this total for the university and gives the rest to the Student Government Association (SGA).

Each spring, the senate allocates annual budgets for university-sponsored organizations, including TUVAC, as well as Recreational Sports and Campus Publications, which comprises the Trinitonian and the Mirage.

TUVAC, Campus Publications and Recreational Sports each use student activity fee money to employ students, some of whom are eligible for Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions. 75 cents of every dollar paid to students in FWS positions is reimbursed to the university by the US Department of Education.

So when Trinity pays FWS students from TUVAC, Campus Publications and

Recreational Sports’ financial accounts, their wages are tallied along with the rest of the FWS payments toward the total amount that the university will be reimbursed.

There’s no problem when Trinity keeps the reimbursements on, say, payments made to students working in the library. They’re being paid with revenue generated by donations and tuition, so of course the university should count on receiving 75 percent of those payments back.

But there is a problem when Trinity collects money for the express purpose of funding student organizations and then recoups savings on that money for other operations.

It’s not like this is fraudulent behavior. It’s just sketchy.

It’s sketchy because when SGA approves the line items on TUVAC and RecSports’ budget proposals, the senate isn’t intending to make a tacit donation to the university. That’s not what the money is for.

It’s sketchy because the Trinitonian’s ad staff works long hours to generate revenue for the newspaper; we’re on track for our annual goal

of selling $70,000 worth of advertisements.

Student activity fee money composes only about a third of our annual revenue. Most of the money we use to pay our employees is generated by students.

Our business team carefully manages the budget in order to keep the paper afloat, but the university is holding the savings on that money instead of returning it to our account or to the student activity fee pool. Maybe naked exploitation counts as experiential learning.

The student activity fee is meant to promote campus life. It’s our common contribution to a shared pool of money that each of us can use for our benefit and that of our peers.

That semesterly $150 fee is every student’s contribution to student club events, Student Programming Board concerts, Trinity Diversity Connection panels and more. We task our SGA senators with the responsibility of being stewards of the fund, among other duties.

They promote students’ interests, one funding proposal at a time.

Will Trinity University demonstrate responsible stewardship, too?

Different utopian rationales

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illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

DAVID RANDO FACULTY COLUMNIST drando@trinity.edu

Let’s admit that just now our world could use a little sprucing up. I often think of the joke that dramatist Samuel Beckett has one of his characters tell about the world: A man hires a tailor to make a pair of pants. The tailor keeps botching parts of them, endeavors to make them perfect, and keeps putting off delivery.

The client finally becomes exasperated, loses his patience and complains, “In six days, do you hear me, six days, God made the world.

Yes Sir, no less Sir, the WORLD! And you are not bloody well capable of making me a pair of trousers in three months!” The tailor

replies, “But my dear Sir, my dear Sir, look — [disdainful gesture, disgustedly] — at the world — [pause] — and look — [loving gesture, proudly] — at my TROUSERS!” Yes, things are a bit shabby, to say the least, especially because we live at a moment of tremendous and historically unprecedented power to transform the world, and yet we do little with that power to make the world more equal. (I once heard capitalism defined as that state in which, finally having the power to abolish hunger forever, we choose not to do so.)

In fact, these days seem less characterized by consciously resisting progressive change than by pointedly embracing regressive impulses, the desire, rooted in what literary critic Fredric Jameson has called “collective narcissism,” to move backwards into the atavistic swamps of xenophobia and racism. In fact, there seems to be tremendous social energy channeled

into these forms of barbarism just now, energy that one cannot help but think could be put to much better uses. Much has and should be said about the repulsive and destructive impulses of these groups, but not enough has been recognized about the incredible waste of social energy that goes along with them.

Poet William Butler Yeats, about a different period from our own, wrote, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.” Wouldn’t it be nice to bottle all that passionate intensity and use it for something better?

But let’s remember this: Racists and xenophobes make the world worse, but most of them probably do not conceive of their projects and intentions in this way. They rather believe that they are working to create a better world. continued on PAGE 8

Guest columns should range between 500–700 words in length and are due Sundays at noon. Email your opinions to the opinion editor, Julia Poage, at jpoage@trinity.edu.

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The opinion section editor and the copy editors review guest columns for clarity, libel and style, but will not alter your argument.

8

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

OPINION

Ideology & utopia TX House of Reps loses a moderate continued from PAGE 7

Jameson, following the philosopher Ernst Bloch, once controversially argued that ideology is not the opposite of utopia. That is, he argues that utopia and regressive ideologies often exist in the very same place, that there is an unconscious utopian dimension and even perhaps distorted traces of collective utopianism in even the most repugnant regressive practices.

In the propaganda film, “Triumph of the Will,” for instance, Leni Riefenstahl depicts the morning reveille at a Nazi rally in Nuremberg: There are hundreds of tents in tidy rows and all the men are bare-chested and smiling; they comb one another’s hair, shave each other’s faces, scrub each other’s backs, and playfully spray each other with water. It would all be a very pretty picture if this collective weren’t united by its monstrous desire to kill Jews.

Bloch thought that it was worth recognizing the utopian dimension in even the most regressive places, not at all to excuse regressive impulses, but, in Jameson’s words, on the “wager that their energies can be appropriated by the process of unmasking, and released by consciousness.” The idea, not without its dangers, is that utopian social energies might be redirected if only the destructive ideology could be exposed as hollow and fruitless and the unconscious impulse that propelled the destructive cause could be brought to consciousness as the truly collective utopian desire.

Unmasking and making conscious: These activities seem to me something like a central dimension of education, one of the very things that unites academic communities such as our own. We should begin to regard education, perhaps, not just as our collective attempt to expose through rigorous reason the deceptions

and inadequacies of regressive discourses, but also to make conscious and to actualize the tremendous potentiality of social energy, the unconscious impulse for the better world, that is currently wasted on making it worse.

Bloch has a good anecdote of unmasking and making conscious of the kind that I have associated with education: A white man arrives late at night at a hotel. He finds that all the rooms are taken except for the second bed in a room where a black man is already asleep. The man grudgingly takes the bed — he has an early train to catch. But he instructs the bellhop to be sure to wake the right man up in the morning.

The man and some friends then drink well into the night. He gets so drunk that his friends are able to paint him in blackface as a joke without his knowledge. The next morning, the bellhop wakes him up and he rushes half-asleep to the train. Once aboard, he goes to the restroom to wash his face. Bloch delivers the punch line this way: “Seeing himself in the mirror, he bellowed, ‘Now, that idiot woke the n[----] after all!’ ” For me, this story exemplifies a powerful moment of education and potential change.

Bloch says that though half-asleep, the man on the train was never more awake than at that moment, the moment in which “his habitual whiteness fell from him like taking off a suit.”

The story, remember, takes place on a train, a space of power, movement and transition. And after this moment of nakedness, the man will have the opportunity to put on an entirely new suit. Personally, I’d recommend Beckett’s tailor, who aims to make something better than the world, even if it takes a bit longer than it took to make the world.

David Rando is an associate professor in the English department.

illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

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Write into the Trinitonian. (more details in the Opinion section, page 7)

MANFRED WENDT COLUMNIST mwendt@trinity.edu

The political realm of Texas was shocked last week when Speaker of the House Joe Straus announced that he would not be running for reelection for House seat 121, a seat he has held since 2005.

He had faced a number of challengers from the right but was never seriously close to being upset.

He always managed to win over 60 percent of the vote in the primary. Due, in part, to a relationship with the Democratic Party of Texas that is healther than that of most other Republicans, he did not face a Democratic challenger while in office.

Straus came into the public eye and conservative notoriety in 2009 when he seized the gavel from hardline Texas conservative Tom Craddick due to his support from the entire Democratic Caucus and 11 Republicans.

While he was Speaker of the House, Joe Straus was known for not getting along with the conservative wing of the Republican caucus in the house. He prized bipartisanship and had a very cushy relationship with the Democrats.

However, from a conservative perspective, one could argue that there was no reason for this close relationship, as the Republicans in the House had almost a supermajority for most of his tenure.

Joe Straus’ retirement from a safe Republican seat will unleash a bloody primary in House District 121. The seat’s territory is so Republican that Joe Straus never faced a Democrat in the general election. Texas conservatives view this seat as an opportunity to prove that this is truly a red district. On the other hand, moderates view the upcoming primary as an opportunity to bring a new young member who shares their views to the Texas House. The moderate wing of the Republican Party in Texas has lost a number of members over the past few cycles and desperately

needs new faces in Austin in order to keep their wing of the party alive.

Possibly the most interesting part about Joe Straus’ decision not to run is that it means Texas will have a new speaker of the house.

Texas conservatives have been dreaming of this ever since Joe Straus was elected in 2009. Straus was the last escape valve on the pressure that conservatives had been creating across the state of Texas to implement a strong conservative agenda. For the moderates, the speaker of the house represents a penultimate opportunity as they need to stop a conservative from winning the race; moderates believe that the conservative agenda will push the Republican Party too far to the right, which will result in turning the state of Texas into a purple, or worse, blue state.

Joe Straus’ decision will have far-reaching consequences, especially when you add into the equation that Congressman Lamar Smith has retired from the 21st Congressional District.

Joe Straus is only 58 years old, and has plenty of political time left. There are rumors circulating that he is planning on running for the 21st Congressional District or even for governor. As a Texas moderate, he has the option of running for governor as either a Democrat or a Republican.

The Democratic party in Texas would gladly take Joe Straus as its gubernatorial candidate, as it still has no serious candidates for state’s highest office.

We have not seen nor heard the last of Joe Straus as a political entity. Like most political situations, there are many moving gears, and attempting to describe all of them is the equivalent of trying to properly explain a game of eight-dimensional chess. What has just happened affects American politics at the local, state and national levels. As Texas politicians love to say, “So goes Texas, so goes the nation.” With every political situation, there will be winners who will go on to write their own version of history. Next November, the start of the 2019 session will reveal the new victors.

Manfred Wendt is a junior political science major.

OPINION • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

9

Why build more when TU could renovate?

THERESA HO COLUMNIST tho@trinity.edu

I finally started to read the Campus Master Plan this weekend. Fiftysix pages in, I am humbled by the obvious time and energy the Campus Master Plan Committee put into this document. As it is, Trinity University is a beautiful campus — green, lush and busy. Many of Trinity’s buildings are just as inviting.

Take, for example, the Center for Science and Innovation. Glass windows are everywhere, and while they provide an enormous amount of natural sunlight, they also make almost every lab and classroom visible to people in the halls.

With so much transparency — literally — learning feels open yet still organized, and the rooms seem clean and modern without feeling sterile like they would if the glass were replaced with white walls.

So I understand and agree with Danny Anderson and the Campus Master Plan Committee’s desire to make all of Trinity just as inviting and accessible for everyone visiting, learning or working on campus. But, at the same time, I am confused by the Master Plan’s approach to rectifying housing issues.

In the short time I have attended Trinity, I have heard about numerous problems with different dorms around campus.

Last year, I had friends living in Herndon who reported that a water pipe had burst, causing my friends’ floor to get wet and smell for several days afterwards. Half of Herndon had

KATHRYN MILLAR, junior, lives in the only off-campus living option for juniors: City VIsta. photo by AMANI CANADA

its water shut off for the whole day to fix the pipe, but my friends still had issues with their shower afterwards.

Even in Witt-Winn, a newly renovated dorm, I heard that some girls down the hall had part of their ceiling fall down and they needed to be relocated while it was fixed.

And just the other week, South had a sewage pipe burst and waste got into some of the rooms, forcing their inhabitants to be relocated while the rooms are being fixed and cleaned.

As it is, the Master Plan document says Master Plan Committee’s research indicates that 54 percent of juniors are dissatisfied by their housing, but that many students seem open to the idea of having a room to themselves. As a result, the Master

Plan Committee is considering making more single rooms.

However, this would be costly, both for Trinity to make the rooms and for the students who have to pay for the singles rooms. And trying to keep students on campus by considering building apartments when there are issues with current housing, from older dorms to the newly-renovated ones, feels like it could problematic in the future. It seems to me that the 54 percent of juniors unhappy with their living arrangement on campus want more independence and space, which might be more cheaply resolved if they were allowed to live off campus.

As of right now, the City Vista apartments are the only alternative housing option for juniors who want

to live off campus. To be clear, I think that the City Vista apartments are gorgeous. Kathryn Millar, a junior who currently lives in City Vista, feels the same way.

“The rooms are amazing! And they’re right next to campus, which is nice. If you live far away from campus, it would be a pain driving to class everyday. But, I’m still in walking distance. I think the only thing that would make it an unattractive option is if it cost a lot more than some of the options off campus,” Millar said.

Living in a beautiful apartment close to campus, having a pool and workout room available and being able to live independently and cook for herself, especially with a gluten allergy, are huge reasons why Millar

loves City Vista. According to Millar, “The last sign up slot for a room in City Vista required your suite to have a minimum average of 65 hours to apply. But they still had rooms at the end of the first day, so they lowered the average and we managed to get in with 58.” Prior to purchasing City Vista, Trinity’s policy was that “all unmarried undergraduate students are required to live on campus for three years.” But juniors are allowed to live in City Vista because the apartments are Trinity property, so juniors are technically living on campus — even though they’re really off campus.

As wonderful as City Vista is, rooms are limited, and there’s really no guarantee in getting a room. For the juniors that the Master Plan Committee surveyed who wanted more independence and space and are not living in City Vista, why not just let them live off campus so Trinity can focus on fixing electrical and plumbing issues in current housing?

I do think that it is important for Trinity students to live on campus for at least the first year of college.

Being forced to live on campus as a first-year made me go out, meet new people and check out the clubs and organizations around campus. But I think Trinity does such a wonderful job at encouraging students to create campus community that giving juniors the option to live off campus won’t hurt that. Most importantly, current housing should be improved for incoming first-years and sophomores so that when they are juniors, they might not be as unhappy with their housing arrangements.

Theresa Ho is a sophomore English and neuroscience double major.

Diane Graves, a passionate mentor NICHOLAS SHOCKEY GUEST COLUMNIST nicholas.shockey@gmail.com

What has been the most important part of your time at Trinity? For me, it is the faculty who care deeply for their students, whose passion is helping students find their own. The right mentor can cultivate enthusiasm for an idea or field of study into a calling.

So many aspects of Trinity are designed to facilitate this connection — faculty at the top of their field who bridge research and teaching, class sizes small enough to allow you to get to know your professors and a residential campus that creates a community of learning. During my time at Trinity, I found this transformative connection in the library through Diane Graves, Trinity’s University Librarian.

Diane’s passion ignited my own. While studying abroad after my first year, I learned of MIT’s OpenCourseWare platform which makes their faculty’s course materials available online free of charge to anyone in the world. In 2006, this idea of utilizing the Internet to advance research and education by making them accessible to all was just beginning to take off, but Diane was already at the forefront. Through

her, I learned both the basics of these issues and how to take action to advance them.

With Diane’s leadership, Trinity itself has become a leader in this area.

In 2009, Trinity was the first liberal arts college in the country to pass an institutional open access policy, making the faculty’s scholarship accessible to anyone online. This policy put Trinity among a handful of institutions at the forefront of the movement to open up research, joining others like MIT, Harvard and the University of Kansas.

These policies matter. Subscriptions to the academic journals that publish this research often cost thousands of dollars per year. Trinity alone spends more than a million dollars each year on subscriptions. These high prices keep the cutting edge of human knowledge locked away to all except those at the wealthiest institutions.

Don’t forget, your library card expires at graduation.

However, thanks in part to policies like Trinity’s, the default is moving toward open. Four years after Trinity’s policy passed, the White House established a policy requiring all federally funded research be made publicly accessible. As of Jan. 1, any research funded by the Gates Foundation must be made immediately accessible in an openaccess journal that anyone can read.

Diane Graves, former university librarian and early proponent of open-access, served Trinity for over 16 years. FILE PHOTO

I found my calling in working with Diane to help pass that policy. After graduation, I went to work for SPARC, an international advocacy organization that works to open up research and education, where I founded the Right to Research Coalition. The coalition is now comprised of student organizations from around the world — collectively representing millions of students in

over 100 countries — that advocate for open research practices. Diane’s enthusiasm kindled my own, and her positive, persistent approach to creating change is a model I still use today.

After 16 years at Trinity, Diane is retiring this week. While she will no longer be on campus every day, Diane’s impact on the institution and the students she served will continue for

a long time to come. For this former student, that impact will last a lifetime.

Nicholas Shockey graduated from Trinity in 2009 with a triple major in economics, philosophy and business administration. He is now the Director of Programs & Engagement at SPARC in Washington, DC.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

OPINION

The political problem of the mind ISAIAH MITCHELL GUEST COLUMNIST imitchel@trinity.edu

In the midst of one recent midnight dorm discussion, my friend Jonathan brought up the knotty topic of mental health: How much is outside encouragement to blame for things like suicide? More generally, to what extent is the mind controlled by influences beyond its reach?

I ended up conversing heatedly with my friend Rohan, an ambitious and passionate future neuroscientist, about a subject I knew very little about: the brain. Biological influence came into play after Rohan held that conditioning could influence the brain beyond one’s control.

Eventually, so the argument went, one develops an obligation, like Pavlov’s dogs, to simply respond. Suicide is only an extreme example, a result of perhaps years of such ‘conditioning’ that could assumedly cause other mental illnesses.

Although Rohan may not have known it, he made a great case for ‘safe spaces.’ The battle for free speech right now is being fought in academia, but it’s not being fought well.

Safe spaces have borne their fair share of ridicule over the course of their recent intrusion, but few people have gotten to the core of why they’re so fundamentally wrong.

It’s more than just pampered elitists getting easily offended; after all, the contemporary left brands itself as nonconformist, breaking socially constructed oppressive barriers with a karate chop of some kind that isn’t an appropriation of East Asian cultures.

The critical left is all about invading traditionally ‘safe’ spaces like the church or the academy or the Boy Scouts. The campus safe space issue goes deeper than just some liberal double standard.

“Repression of free speech in the academy springs from the idea that people are the result of things they can’t control.”

Repression of free speech in the academy springs from the idea that people are the result of things they can’t control. The onus of personal responsibility is shifted from the actor to some other source — a trigger.

Critical progressives causally link trauma, PTSD, anxiety and other mental disturbances to external factors, typically the great boogeyman of the oppressive society.

Safe spaces are supposed to address this by providing a therapeutic, equal oasis where such factors can be diminished.

It’s about more than just dangerous exposure to different ideas, it’s about first establishing the right to exist, about preventing psychological issues that lead to grade slippage, rage, obesity, death — you name it.

Rather than diminish the value of these issues, we should examine this faulty logic.

The state of modern academia leads us to leave the dubious link between white guy dreads and impending mental illness alone for right now. Additionally, no one could reasonably dispute that conditions like PTSD are indeed externally triggered.

However, taking an issue seriously doesn’t mandate the acceptance of progressive thought.

More fundamentally important is the thesis that the actions of another person can force one outside the realm of individual judgment.

Arguably, it may just be human nature to want to foist personal responsibility on something else, like fate or astrology. Our postmodern age is no different; maybe we’ve just traded the sidereal for the biological or societal.

I am, and thus I think — that sums up the progressive principle of personal decision.

Words have power — of that I am intimately aware. However, to claim that someone’s speech can render others unable to control themselves is to rob individuals of their agency.

If human thought is but driftwood buffeted by society and biology, the individual cannot steer himself.

I recall how just before Trinity’s New Student Orientation Diversity Lecture, all of the speakers were sitting in an empty Laurie Auditorium, giving their prepared speeches for practice. One student told the story of her Puerto Rican grandmother’s tenacity in the face of discrimination and heavy familial responsibilities. One professor said, “That’s great, that’s inspiring, but remember you don’t want to send the message that just anybody can lift themselves up by their bootstraps.”

Inspiring indeed. Yes we can! … But no, you can’t.

The implications of materialism are hollow and horrifying. Free will becomes a feeble myth compared to the ineluctable forces of one’s status or physiology. Although the concept in its purest form really only enjoys influence in university dissertations, it’s spread its tentacles into the public.

We see it on the news every time a terrorist strikes and it had to have been his parents, his hometown, his mental health, anything but his choice of belief. We see it in the courtroom when people are convicted for encouraging suicide — a despicable thing to do, to be sure, but it doesn’t rob someone of their own personal agency. Life itself to the modernist becomes nothing more than the result of chemical luck.

Je pense, donc je suis. “I think, therefore I am.” I won’t go so far as to embrace Descartes’ sentiment as down-the-line conservative thought, but as far as free will goes, we should embrace the idea that individuals control themselves, not that their state of being predicates their thoughts and actions.

We should reject the materialist idea that we think because of what we are. Otherwise, the societal enslaves the individual. A person who is at the mercy of their society thus loses all control. That is true oppression.

Interestingly enough, my friend Rohan has a devoted interest in Stoic philosophy, which is all about overcoming the forces that seek to conquer the will.

Just as a little prophecy of Isaiah, somewhere down the line that belief will clash with his selfprofessed materialism — but then again, he can choose to ignore that.

Isaiah Mitchell is a sophomore English major with minors in Latin and linguistics.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

FOOD, DRINK & NIGHTLIFE

Eat, drink and be merry

Eating, boozing and partying are all integral parts of the stereotypical American college experience, and for good reason. Trinity students are well-known for loyally patronizing Pizza Classics, attending cheap shows at the Paper Tiger and going out for ThursBay’s, but what else are they up to?

For this especially special section, our writers have investigated tried and true haunts, eaten their ways through social media and drunk their way up and down the North St. Mary’s

Strip. The strip, a local San Antonio hallmark, had fallen out of favor in the past few decades — maybe thanks to an unfortunate murder in the area — but has regained its flair in the past few years, and we’d like to think that it’s in no small part due to Trinikids. The Trinitonian was determined to delve into the intricacies of San Antonio’s food, drink and nightlife scene, both inside and outside of the Trinity Bubble. These pages contain the adventures of some staff members who, among other things,

got more than a little buzzed on a Tuesday night in a quest to find the best drinks on the infamous strip. Our foreign correspondent, Soleil Gaffner, keeps us cultured with the low down on Spanish food traditions. We also take a look into a Greek life-endorsed tradition on N. St. Mary’s, featuring a long-standing love affair between O-Phis and El Milagrito.

Of course, not every restaurant holds up; for every crusty, loveable dive, there’s an even crustier dumpster fire, culinarily speaking. Not

only will we celebrate Trinity’s classic foodand-fun traditions, but we’ll see how well they live up to the hype.

Our annual food, drink and nightlife issue reminds us of the creature comforts that San Antonio has to offer. If there’s one thing that you should take away, it’s that it will always be part of the Trinity spirit to eat, drink and be merry.

Cheers, The Editorial Staff

Worth It: North St. Mary’s edition GRACE FRYE | DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL PRESENCE The number one question I’ve asked myself in college is, “Is this worth it?” Is it worth it to spend money on this off-campus food? Is it worth it to stay up an extra hour to watch the next episode? Is it worth it to go out tonight when I have a test tomorrow? And I’ll be real

with you, more often than not, the answer is a wholehearted, “Yes.” And while this may indicate the need for some more in-depth soul searching and rumination on my self-control, I’ve chosen to instead focus on the next best thing: drinks.

The St. Mary’s Strip is hopping with cool and trendy bars, both new arrivals and San Antonio classics. For this exercise the editorial staff picked three bars that serve drinks at three different price points for me and advertising director Rebecca Derby

to visit and decide which bar was the most ‘worth it’ for college students.

Below, you’ll find our thoughts on the drinks, atmosphere, price and more at the three selected bars: Faust Tavern, TBA and Chisme. Take a look and decide for yourself.

FAUST TAVERN Faust Tavern proudly promotes itself as the “Scummiest bar on the Strip.” Inside patrons find B-rated horror movies on the flat-screen TV, a fully cloaked skeleton seated next to the door and intricate wall decorations that complement the overall macabre environment.

We approached the bar and ordered the two most popular cocktails: the cucumber margarita and the Moscow mule. At five and six dollars respectively I was excited for a refreshing and relatively inexpensive cocktail.

We moved outside, which seemed to sit halfway between someone’s backyard and a beer garden. The cucumber maragarita was fantasic — cool, refreshing and sufficiently alcoholic. The Moscow mule, on the other hand, was entirely overpowered by the ginger involved in making the drink.

Grace: Worth it! Cheap and great for groups.

Becca: I would not go back.

TBA TBA was deserted when we arrived. It took about 10 minutes to get the bartender’s attention. So, I’ll be honest, we did not get off to a great start. But then we had the cocktails.

Becca ordered the South Flores, a gin drink with hibiscus, lemon and mint for eight dollars and I ordered the Ginger Snap, a lemon vodka drink with ginger ale and bitters for nine dollars.

What we really liked about TBA was the atmosphere. It felt very cozy and intimate without being overpowering. The music was great, too. In our time there we heard songs by Fleetwood Mac and Siouxie and the Banshees, two classic artists.

While TBA exceeded Faust in terms of atmosphere, it lost for me with the drinks.

Grace: Eh, not my favorite.

Becca: Good drinks, but it took too long.

CHISME We stumbled on a deal at Chisme. Not only do they have a happy hour, but Tuesdays are just happy days — that means five dollar drinks and free chips and queso all day.

We ordered the St. Mary’s Sangria, a summery mix of passionfruit, grapefruit and hibiscus tea, usually priced at eight dollars, and the Chismosa, a take on the classic pina colada usually at 10 dollars. Chisme had the most upscale vibe of the three stops, and is definitely somewhere I plan to make my parents take me the next time they visit.

Overall this was the best place to eat, drink and share gossip between friends. We loved Chisme Grace: This is so worth it on a Tuesday.

Becca: By far the best place of the night. photos by GRACE FRYE

ADVERTISEMENT • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

13

Trinity Diversity Connection Presents

Thanksgiving Dinnner TUESDAY

6:30PM | SKYLINE (Coates) Join TDC for a nice thanksgiving dinner! We will be accepting nonperishable food items for the

Kayla Mire Food Drive

Nov 2017

14

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

FOOD, DRINK & NIGHTLIFE

In pizza we crust KAYLIE KING | NEWS REPORTER

Pizza Classics, a restaurant close to campus that is beloved by the Trinity community, recently received an 88 out of 100 on its health inspection. Pizza Classics management refused to comment on the rating. Students have mixed opinions on the low ratings.

Charles Robles, food service director at Aramark, explained the importance of health inspection ratings.

“It’s the safety of the food that you’re eating — that’s probably the most important thing,” Robles said. “It’s very important, because whenever you go to new establishments, [the rating] could tell you what’s going on that you don’t generally see. Sometimes the front of the house is cleaned up really nice, but the back of the house, where the food is actually being produced, could be a nightmare.”

Robles highlighted the fact that Mabee Dining Hall and the Commons have historically received very positive health inspection ratings.

“Historically, we’ve always done really well,” Robles said. “The Commons does really well too. So far we’ve never had any food issues.

The last six months I’ve been here, we’ve had two inspections, and both have been in the high nineties. Not only do we get health inspections, we also get internal inspections too.

EcoSure does audits on us, as well as Aramark does their own internal audits on the operations.”

Some of the violations at Pizza Classics include: food items being

stored less than six inches off the floor, the establishment did not have valid permit and toxic materials were not properly labeled. However, many students still prefer Pizza Classics over Mabee, despite Mabee’s much higher health inspection rating.

Layna Hayes, sophomore, visits Pizza Classics about once a month and doesn’t really mind the low ratings.

“I think their safety violations are pretty wack, but there have been worse,” Hayes said. “I don’t really think this changes my opinion.

Their pizza still tastes good, and I haven’t gotten sick. I hope they improve though.”

Madeleine Walshak, sophomore economics and environmental studies double major, also visits Pizza Classics about once a month.

“I mean, I feel like as a healthy American, it should affect my opinion, but honestly it probably won’t because I’m a poor college student, and I can’t afford to care for my health in that way,” Walshak said. “I know I’m still going to [go there].”

Mary Bajomo, sophomore biochemistry major, was shocked by the inspection score but doesn’t think that most students will care as much as she does.

“I personally really care about the inspection score because my siblings have been hospitalized for serious food poisoning before,” Bajomo said. “However, I think that people don’t pay that much attention to the inspection score because the perceived risk of eating from a

Popular restaurant Pizza Classics draws crowds of Trinity students daily with its cheap eats. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

place with a subpar inspection score doesn’t seem that great compared to the benefit of being able to eat from food that significantly tastes better than Mabee’s food.”

Caroline Varela, first-year biology major, has already visited Pizza Classics several times during her few months as a Trinity student.

Her opinion of the restaurant was not affected by the low rating because of the low prices at Pizza Classics and the restaurant’s proximity to campus.

“88 is still passing,” Varela said.

“The inspection rating of 88 out of

100 doesn’t really seem that bad.

Plus, the food at Pizza Classics is so much better than Mabee that I think most students would take a poor inspection rating for better food. If the inspection score at Pizza Classics was significantly lower, like failing, then I think kids might be a little more hesitant. But until something horrible happens at Pizza Classics, I think kids would still pick pizza over Mabee anyway.”

Jessica Jennings, sophomore urban studies major, was surprised to find out about the low rating at Pizza Classics, but also believes that

most students will still prefer it to the food at Mabee.

“I eat Pizza Classics close to twice a month,” Jennings wrote in an email interview. “It’s a cheap and accessible way to get vegan pizza and everyone at Trinity loves it. I’m very upset by the ratings. I think for college students who have been frequenting Pizza Classics probably since their first semester on campus without any real instances of food poisoning or anything like it, the health concerns seem much less pertinent than the variety and taste concerns that people complain about from Mabee daily.”

Let’s taco ‘bout El Milagrito GABRIEL LEVINE | OPINION COLUMNIST

The men of OMEGA PHI frequent local restaurant El Milagrito. This relationship between the fraternity and restuarant owners has existed since the refounding of the Greek organization in 2011. photo provided by DANIEL DAHLINGER

One of the ways in which Trinity students get to know San Antonio is through the city’s numerous restaurants, many of which are locally owned. Over four years of personal experience and interclass word of mouth, individual students, as well as campus clubs, create traditions of going to specific locations. One such tradition is the ongoing love affair between the Omega Phi fraternity and Mexican

restaurant El Milagrito Café, “El Mil” for short.

Located at 521 E. Woodlawn Avenue, El Milagrito is conveniently just south of campus by the St. Mary’s strip and has been serving Tex-Mex food since 1969.

The relationship between El Milagrito and Trinity students actually predates its relationship with Omega Phi. Amador Montoya, the manager at El Milagrito, recalls

first seeing lots of Trinity students around 2005.

“I noticed more Trinity students and most of them were Omega Phi and the soccer team … I watch the Spanish and the Premier League and they liked that a lot,” Montoya said.

The relationship between Omega Phi and El Milagrito likely suffered a downturn when the fraternity folded in early 2011, but swung back up soon after.

“The involvement with El Mil began after the refounding of the fraternity [in late 2011] … As soon as I started rushing the fraternity my freshman year I heard about it,” said Samy Abdallah, senior history major and Omega Phi member.

The renewed relationship was so intense and passionate that a framed Omega Phi jersey now hangs on the wall in the restaurant.

“The jersey got hung up there my first semester, sophomore year.

We all loved this place and we all know the owner, Amador, well. He says ‘hi’ a lot to us when we come in and always greeted us with a lot of warmth and friendliness. We asked him if we could give him the jersey to frame at the restaurant because we wanted him to know that we always want to be a part of his establishment and he was more than happy to agree,” Abdallah said.

Montoya confirmed the warmth of the relationship between both the current members of Omega Phi and past Trinity students.

“I have seen different generations and I became friends with many of them. I still have customers from past generations,” Montoya said.

The members of Omega Phi continue to eat at El Milagrito frequently, said Nick Morrison, a senior chemistry major and Omega Phi member. Members can often be seen at the cafe in small groups.

“O-Phis will typically go in small groups. We will cater breakfast tacos

for our third round rush event, typically,” Morrison said.

“We do group lunches other places sometimes but El Mil is the place that we frequent the most,” Abdallah said.

This loyalty to El Milagrito doesn’t just stem from tradition.

“We go there because the food is amazing and the service is fast and friendly. The prices are great for college students,” Abdallah said, who also remarked on the convenience of the restaurant’s proximity to campus.

Indeed, the Omega Phi’s have a common preference for certain menu items. Both Abdallah and Morrison mentioned the huarache, chilaquiles tacos and chilaquiles plate as favorites, though some members are completionists.

“There are others who are determined to order a different item off the menu every time they go,” Morrison said.

The preferences of the fraternity are well known to the restaurant, too.

“Huaraches. Tortas. Chilaquiles.

All the time,” Montoya said.

The Trinity community’s close relationship with El Milagrito stretches back more than a decade and Omega Phi has forged an even closer relationship that seems set to endure, despite the numerical bounty of excellent Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in San Antonio.

“O-Phis will go elsewhere, but they will always come back to El Mil,” Morrison said.

FOOD, DRINK & NIGHTLIFE • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

15

Is a picture really worth a thousand calories?

EVAN CHAMBLESS | COPY EDITOR GEORGIE RIGGS | A&E CONTRIBUTOR

Have you ever driven halfway across town for a subpar, overpriced, yet maddeningly appealing food item that Instagram seduced you into buying? It’s an experience that most of us have probably fallen victim to at one point in our digital-age lives.

We, your critics of foodie culture du jour, are here to assess the pros and cons of ‘gramming cuisine by reviewing some of the most popular San Antonio insta-locations.

that was obscured by one of the many groups of young people, making a good picture virtually impossible. The real star of the show, of course, was watching the process of making the dish, which, while satisfying, would ultimately be too redundant to release into the all-consuming rolled ice cream void of social media. If you haven’t seen those videos, where the fuck have you been?

FAHRENHEIT 32 Hype: An ice cream dish, originating from Thailand, which is frozen flat, shaped into rolls and covered with sauce and toppings Price: $5.99. Steep for what’s essentially a small bowl of ice cream.

Taste: A diverse selection, but none were standout flavors, especially considering how hard it was to eat the over-frozen, densely sweet rolls of ice cream. Evan got the signature combination entitled “Mint 4 Each Other,” which was essentially a lot of chocolate and cloying artificial mint flavoring.

Georgie got the taro ice cream with blueberries and condensed milk.

Both were pretty difficult to finish since the consistency amounted to frozen condensed milk. Two out of five double taps from both.

Vibez: Walking into Fahrenheit 32 on a Friday night could be likened to walking into a post-high school football game ice cream social.

Hordes of 14-year-olds lined the observation glass between the store and the chefs preparing the rolled ice cream, phones posed for the perfect social media video. Like cows up for slaughter, we were crammed into community seating while we waited for our ice cream to appear from the chaos of the insta-posturing in front of us.

Grammability: The sole decoration on the millennial minimalistic walls was a tiny mural

KUMA Hype: Hong-Kong style egg ‘bubble’ waffles filled with ice cream and covered with a colorful assortment of sauces and toppings.

Price: $7.50. Pretty steep, but includes a myriad of topping options.

Once we got our waffle concoctions, we realized the amount of food was way too much for one person. If you can make a compromise, definitely split this with your friends.

Taste: A diverse selection of quality ice cream flavors and toppings. Evan got peach ice cream topped with fresh strawberries, toasted marshmallows and condensed milk. Four out of five double taps from Evan. Georgie got matcha (green tea) ice cream topped with mochi, mixed berry Pejoy and ube sauce. Four and a half out of five double taps from Georgie.

Vibez: We actually had to come here twice because the first time was on a Friday night, and the line circled around the entire strip mall.

We returned early on a Saturday afternoon, and there was only a handful people inside so the wait was a reasonable five minutes. The location, a 20-minute drive from campus, is about the size of Einstein’s with a quarter of the seating options.

Grammability: All of the pictures we observed on Instagram were positioned in front of the sky- blue wall in the corner by the entry door for Kuma. If you are

willing to fight a group of high schoolers as ice cream melts down your palms, then the picture may be worth it for the grammy.

ART OF DONUT Hype: Really big donuts. Nutella.

Dry cereal. That’s literally it.

Price: $2–$4. Quite a lot for what, again, is just a donut.

Taste: Depends on your expectations for artistry in donuts.

Evan got the “Chipmunk,” which was slathered with nutella and coated in jagged pieces of Ferrero Rocher.

While this may be her description of a perfect boyfriend, the cinnamon in the dough and the weight of the chocolate and hazelnut was cumbersome at best.

Two out of five double taps from Evan.

Georgie got the Blackberry and Lime, which, to use Evan’s signature word, was a bit too “cloying.” However, like Topo Chico, the twist of citrus was a welcome respite from the sugar. Four out of five double taps from Georgie.

Vibez: The neon sign on the wall says “Donut Kill My Vibe,” and while we want to respect that, we, as the voice of democracy on this campus, have a journalistic duty to the truth.

According to Evan, it was lackluster at best, cloying at worst. But Georgie just missed the vibez of Fairview, the coffee shop that preceded Art of Donut in the same location. Honestly you would have a better experience at Dunkin’.

Grammability: At the end of the day, it’s just a donut under mason jar lights. If you have to do it, do it for your tummy, not for the Grammy.

Look, if you want normal stuff posing as fancy stuff by being covered with more stuff than usual, go no further than your Instagram discover page. We found, perhaps to nobody’s surprise, that these trendy pop-ups cater to visual appeal, but not always to quality olfactorial experience.

Sidewalk Symposium

“What is your favorite restaurant around San Antonio?”

David Menchaca, Junior English major “The Last Slice kind of near the airport. ... It’s around the same price as Pizza Classics, Kelley Anne Flint, Junior biochem major “Soluna has the best enchiladas ever. We go there all the time, and I also love their shrimp tacos.”

illustration by ANDREA NEBHUT and TYLER HERRON

You're Invited To...

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On tapa the world: Gaffner on traditional Spanish food SOLEIL GAFFNER | OPINION COLUMNIST

Trinity students enjoy traditional Spanish tapas. photo provided by SOLEIL GAFFNER

While in Spain, I have tried my fair share of Spanish cuisine. I’ve learned that seafood, olive oil and pork are incredibly popular in most Spanish foods. Unfortunately, I’ve finally hit that wall where I really just need something greasy and unabashedly American. But I’ve come to love the food that I’ve eaten so far, and I decided to ask my fellow Trinity in Spain students — and faculty — who are here with me what their favorite meals have been so far.

I’ve learned that we have some daring tasters in our group, but overall, we’ve come to love what the Spaniards love.

Starting off with the most popular and wellknown Spanish foods is our very own Trinity professor of modern languages and literatures, Bladimir Ruiz. At this point in his life, having spent over seven summers and now almost one full semester in Spain, he is a Spanish food expert.

“The tortilla de patatas [Spanish potato omelette] is probably the most common plate.

It is the one that they make every day in every single bar and restaurant in Madrid. It is comfort food for Spaniards and now for me while in Spain … plus I love carbs,” Ruiz said.

When you hear the word “tortilla,” you probably thought of the traditional Latin American tortilla that we are so used to having in San Antonio. However, tortillas in Spain are actually more like fluffy omelettes, the most common being the tortilla de patata. The main ingredients are eggs, onions and potatoes. There isn’t any bread involved, but the traditional recipe can be changed up to include more diverse options. Ham is a very popular ingredient, and I’ve even seen shrimp and shellfish — not my favorite, to be honest.

Seafood, however, is well known for being incredibly fresh and delicious in Spain. Over its long history and heavy Mediterranean influences, Spain has developed an extremely diverse and inventive seafood cuisine. Eliza Ozden, a senior Spanish food taster, has become partial to some popular seafood dishes over the past two months.

“Paella de mariscos [shellfish] is my favorite, especially when I travel to the coast of Spain and the seafood is fresh. Madrid doesn’t have the best paella, so I’m very excited to travel to Valencia next week and get a taste of the real thing,” Ozden said.

Paella is one of the most popular and worldrenowned dishes to come out of Spain. Its rice base gives cooks many different avenues of exploration to create the perfect paella concoction. Valencia, on the eastern coast of Spain in the autonomous community Comunidad Valenciana, is considered to be

the originator of the modern-day paella. In Valencia, you can find paella cooking in every restaurant on the block. In reality, paella is not the easiest dish to make, but the varieties it comes in are endless.

Even though Spain is not known for having the most flavorful or spicy dishes — Texans beware, you will require hot sauce when traveling in this country — it still has some pretty risky dishes out there. Kevin Moss, senior Spanish food taster, has found his favorite dish to be something that most people would immediately reject.

“My favorite dish that I’ve tried in Spain is rabo de toro, or ox tail. The meat comes served on the bone covered in savory sauce and it melts in your mouth when you eat it,” Moss said.

Rabo de toro sounds like a food not meant for the faint of heart, but it’s truly a flavorful and exciting dish to try while traveling in Spain.

The meat is a refreshing respite from the pork that is served in every other dish, and it’s as tender as your favorite rib-eye steak from home.

Spanish cuisine is not the only thing different, since Spain also has a distinct eating culture. Hunter Sosby, junior Spanish food taster, explains how one of his favorite dishes is not a dish itself.

“I love going out for tapas. I think more than the food itself — which can be delicious sometimes and woefully bland others — I’ve had such great experiences going out for tapas, especially with our whole group. I think we’ve bonded so much sharing those fried squids and calamares and croquetas. It’s just such a laid back and social way to share a meal with people,” Sosby said.

The term “going out for tapas” refers to a popular pastime amongst Spaniards. Lunch is usually around 1–3 p.m., and dinner not until 9 p.m. Spaniards capitalize on this giant gap of time by gathering a group of friends and family and going out for tapas as a sort of snack. Tapas are cheap dishes that are meant to be served to and shared with a group of people. Oftentimes, if you are a large group and go out for drinks, any type of tapas will be served free of charge — one of the only free things you can get in Spain.

Tapas can range from croquetas — ham and cheese, spinach or any other type of ingredient, lightly fried and served as a ball — to potato chips, French fries or small servings of ham and cheese.

The important thing about tapas is how you enjoy them: surrounded by friends and family, having a fun, relaxed time. Tapas never fill you up, but the bonding experiences you have around the table will keep you full (at least until close to dinner time).

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Pulse

HAVE A STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD? Know a professor or student who embodies what it means to be a Tiger? Email us at trinitonian@trinity.edu to let us know about the people and events that should be covered in an upcoming issue of the Trinitonian.

In Loving Memory “My hope is that when people think of Cayley, they think of Strength, Kindness, and intelligence. I hope they realize that although she was beautiful she was so much more. She will truly be a part of this campus and her impact on people is astounding.”

– Dominique Hussain

"People always mention that Cayley was beautiful, but she was much more than a pretty girl. She was a vibrant, loyal and fiercely independent friend. Her presence was known and her absence will be noticed, and I’m sorry that no one else will ever have the absolute pleasure of meeting Cayley Mandadi." – Ariana Conway

We in Austin women's rights. We pledged Chi Beta “My marched hope is thattogether when people think offor Cayley, Epsilon NoKindness, matter if weintelliwere fighting or on the best of terms we they thinktogether. of Strength, and both be there gence.knew I hopethe theyother realizewould that although shein a heartbeat if need be. She was a wild spirit and moment to its was beautiful shelived was every so much more. She willfullest potential."

–truly Tori beMarshall a part of this campus and her impact on people is astounding.”

-Dominique Hussain

“Cayley was my childhood best friend. We met in preschool, and went to the same day care and middle school. Every time after our moms would pick us up from daycare, we'd run up to them and beg and beg to have a sleepover. Sometimes they'd say yes and that was the greatest feeling in the world. We were just inseparable. She was so smart, talented, hilarious, and outgoing. I've never met anyone as bold and unafraid as Cayley.” – Anna Wallack

"Cayley was someone that everyone noticed whenever she entered a room. She’s drop dead gorgeous but she also had this presence about her that commanded attention. She had the most amazing and radiant smile coupled with the most engaging beautiful eyes. When we went ice skating I kept falling, but she was so graceful and happy and glided on the ice so easily. She had this smile that was so contagious you couldn’t help but smile back." – Jett Birchum

She was one of my first friends here at Trinity. Cayley, Kayley Krambeck, and I were always together our first year here. She was there with me for my first music festival. We marched together in Austin for women's rights. We pledged Chi Beta Epsilon together. No matter if we were fighting or on the best of terms we both knew the other would be there in"All a heartbeat if about Cayley is she was I can say need be. She wasso a wild spirit and inescapably herself. She loved lived every moment to its fullest and was a genuinely passionately, potential. I will never forget her, beautiful soul. I have never known someone who could do half the things she did and get away with them - she was wild and incredible to be around. I love her like a true sister (not just a sorority sister), and I will miss her forever."

– Tayler Weathers

“Cayley was and will always be one of the most care free and fierce women I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Her ability to encourage my own self esteem has shaped part of who I am. I will forever be thankful for her influence on me and for our friendship. Cayley is loved enormously.”

– Shelby Kallus

PULSE

• NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

Memorializing Mandadi

19

A look into Cayley’s life provided by ANNA WALLACK

provided by DOMINIQUE HUSSAIN

provided byJETT BIRCHUM

Cayley Mandadi’s spot in the cheer line was saved for her with a bow and initialed horn at the final home game. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

KARA KILLINGER | PULSE REPORTER kkilling@trinity.edu

provided by TAYLER WEATHERS

provided by TORI MARSHALL

Parker Chapel was packed on the morning of Sunday, November 5. Pews were filled with friends, family, teammates and classmates who cared about Cayley Mandadi. Not everyone there knew each other, but all were connected by the desire to celebrate a life. Everyone held hands during the Lord’s prayer, even if they were strangers.

Mandadi’s memorial service was entirely student-organized. Dominique Hussain, sophomore and friend of Mandadi since their first year at Trinity, was the primary planner of the event. She picked the time and chose the speakers.

“I just made sure that everything was in place and how Cayley would have wanted it to be, like the right photos and the right people talking. We tried to just convey a lot of love and show what she was about,” Hussain said.

Indeed, the service was respectful and beautiful. Parker Chapel shone with its usual dark wood glow, illuminated by candles.

At the front of the room was an image of Mandadi smiling brightly into the camera.

The picture was surrounded by lush bundles of red roses, Mandadi’s favorite flower.

The service began with an introduction

by Stephen Nickle, university chaplain, who noted that when people gather together as a community during times of suffering and loss, the load is transformed — not necessarily lightened, perhaps even made heavier, but transformed nonetheless.

Next came a slide show portraying Mandadi’s life, starting with baby pictures,

moving into images of childhood and high school, and culminating in photos taken on campus, of Cayley with her Chi Beta Epsilon sorority sisters and of her with the cheer team on the football field. A few pictures got laughs — in one, a young Mandadi wore what looked like a lab coat and blue rubber gloves and held onto a duck that was almost as big as her. In another, Mandadi and a friend held “Not My President” signs at the Austin Women’s March.

By far the longest and most impactful portion of the ceremony consisted of Mandadi’s loved ones sharing memories.

The vast majority of speakers were Trinity students. They had been on the cheer team with Mandadi, had been sorority sisters, had just loved her or all of the above.

One friend remembered when both she and Madadi really wanted ice cream cake, so they drove all around San Antonio looking for it. When they finally found the cake, it was expensive and not very good, but they posted the adventure all over Snapchat anyway. Other memories included a spur-of-the-moment trip to get nose piercings, funny stories from Comic Con and Mandadi’s determination never to let a tree come between her and a friend while walking, lest the universe end up separating them. Mandadi’s spontaneity was a common theme. Most also marveled at Mandadi’s confidence, the way she lit up a room and commanded attention.

Ariana Conway, junior environmental science major and Chi Beta Epsilon member, expressed in a later interview that Mandadi was more than her physical appearance.

“Everyone always said that she’s pretty, but once you got to know her it was so plain to see

that she was more than just a pretty girl. She would do anything for her friends, and she was always happy and smiling and laughing.

I just wish more people could see that she was pretty on the inside, too,” Conway said.

Together the speakers painted a vivid picture of a loving, encouraging girl who was a bit of a procrastinator, a Star Trek fan, passionate about the Trinity community and her role in it, bold in her actions and unwavering in her support for her friends.

At the reception after the service, friends of Mandadi signed cards and wrote down more memories of Mandadi’s life on index cards, which would then be shared with her family.

Snacks were also served. Hussain explained that each snack, from mozzerella sticks to Uncrustables sandwiches, was either one of Mandadi’s favorites or a reference to a funny story involving her.

“Her personality was definitely represented,” Hussain said.

Sophomore Jett Birchum, who was close to Mandadi and spoke at the memorial, was content with how all aspects of the ceremony were handled.

“A lot of sincere things were said there. I think the people that did show up were the people that needed to be there,” Birchum said.

As of now, there are no plans for future events memorializing Mandadi. Perhaps the next step for us as a campus is to let Cayley’s spirit radiate through our daily lives by sticking by our friends, our teammates and our loved ones, going on spontaneous adventures, and lighting up whatever rooms we can, even — or especially — when it’s so dark that we can barely see.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

PULSE

Black Student Union organizes field day fun

AMIRA JOHNSON, left, WOLF ROBINSON, middle and KEZIA NYARKO, right, play soccer with kids from around San Antonio at BSU’s field day on the IM field. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

Kids from San Antonio’s West and East side come together to play outside KARA KILLINGER | PULSE REPORTER kkilling@trinity.edu On the warm, cloudy morning of last Saturday, Nov. 4, excited children zoomed around the intramural field. They kicked soccer balls, shot Nerf guns at a target, giggled and tumbled around. All the while, Trinity student volunteers vigorously cheered them on.

This was the first-ever field day for children organized by Trinity’s Black Student Union (BSU). The kids were from San Antonio’s West and East sides. The ones running and playing outside ranged in age from eight to 12 years old. A group of teenagers came along later to get a tour of the school and even a demonstration by associate professor Michele Johnson in the biology lab.

In addition to providing a fun and interesting day for both age groups, BSU members hoped to convey an important message.

“I hope the kids get a good view of Trinity and see that people who look like them can go to a place like this,” said Amira Nickerson, sophomore communication and computer science double major.

Kezia Nyarko, sophomore international studies major and community chair of BSU, was in charge of organizing the event.

“At the volunteer fair, I went to go talk to the groups M.E.Y.O [Multi-Educational Youth Organization] and Boys and Girls Club East Side. Once we got into contact, it was just basically getting things approved,” Nyarko said.

Nyarko then reached out to a broad range of Trinity organizations, including cultural groups, Greek life organizations and athletic coaches. She garnered a total of about 20 volunteers for the event.

Senior neuroscience major Elizabeth Broussard got word of the field day through

one of her Phi Delta Kappa sorority sisters and decided to volunteer.

“One of my sorority sisters is a part of Trinity Diversity Connection, and so she was promoting the event for BSU,” Broussard said.

Broussard liked that the event gave kids who don’t usually get a chance to have a field day an opportunity to be outside and have a good time. Standing on the field dressed in shorts and a tie-dyed sorority t-shirt, she reported being ready for hours packed full of games.

“We just did a three-legged race, which was a lot of fun. We have Nerf gun target practice, jump roping, an egg relay and lots of other games, like hula hooping and soccer,” Broussard said.

Stacy Davidson, staff advisor for BSU, said that while community outreach has always been one of BSU’s goals, there has not been an outreach event of this scale in her three years at Trinity.

“Kezia has done an amazing job. She came up with this idea and did everything

leading up to it. That is leadership; that’s such a great sense of accomplishment for her,” Davidson said.

Davidson also commented on the rarity of an event that brings local kids onto campus as opposed to sending out volunteers.

“We know that TUVAC and a lot of other organizations have done important work out in the community, but we really wanted to bring young people to campus. We want to make higher education accessible and visible to young people in the community who may not think they have access to Trinity University,” Davidson said.

Unlike other BSU events such as the lip-sync battle, field day is not an established tradition — at least, not yet. BSU members hope the event will become an annual occurrence.

Until the next field day, there will be numerous other ways to connect with BSU including the Nov. 15 club meeting at 7 p.m. in the Waxahachie Room, which will cover topics such as the rent party and “What is good hair?” Dec. 1 at 6 p.m..

Trinity travels to Rice University for GCURS Students present original research findings and network at the DOMINIC WALSH | PULSE REPORTER

dwalsh@trinity.edu Last Saturday, several Trinity students presented their research at the Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS), which is an annual research conference at Rice University with 10 sections ranging from bioengineering to physics and astronomy.

Presentations were featured from students representing institutions across the globe as well as keynote addresses from prominent researchers.

Dany Munoz-Pinto, assistant professor of engineering science, attended the conference to support one of his student researchers. MunozPinto feels that conferences like GCURS help students break out of the ‘Trinity bubble.’

“At a certain point, you believe the only things happening are happening at your school, and it’s important to recognize that there is a world outside. These types of events are good opportunities for students to see what

is happening in other institutions, and also to share the quality of the research that we are doing at Trinity,” Munoz-Pinto said.

Hailey Taylor, a junior chemistry major, was impressed by research presented by students from other institutions.

“I really enjoyed the conference because I was able to hear about all of the cool research projects students were working on at different universities,” Taylor said.

In addition to interacting with fellow undergraduates from around the world, the day included multiple opportunities for connections with graduate students and faculty from Rice University.

“The moderators, who were Rice chemistry faculty, asked good questions and had even offered suggestions and recommendations for the students’ projects,” Taylor said.

“Conferences are an excellent experience to connect with the scientific community outside of Trinity,” said Jonathan Palmer, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major.

Taylor added that in addition to learning about new and developing research, the conference was an opportunity to network.

“Research conferences are very important to go to because you are able to not only see all the other research that people do, but the people that you do meet, you will most likely

see again. This helps you make connections with others who might help you out at some point in your research career,” Taylor said.

After completing an undergraduate degree, students face a choice between continuing their education in graduate school or entering their chosen industry.

Research helps forge connections with possible collaborators and gives students a better idea of which path is best for them, according to Munoz-Pinto.

“Research is a great opportunity for the undergraduate student to consider two options after graduation: Continuing in academia in a graduate program or going into industry, and research is equally useful for both,” MunozPinto said.

“If the student decides to go into the industry, research is considered hands-on experience, where the student is actually facing a real problem — it’s a problem that is not in a book — it’s a problem that exists in real life.

If the student decides to continue into a Ph.D. program or a master’s program, research is a good opportunity for them to polish their skills needed in the lab.”

Rachel Van Drunen, a senior neuroscience major and Munoz-Pinto’s research mentee, appreciated the opportunity to polish her public speaking skills.

“I think it gives a really good experience of practicing your oral skills and relaying information on your research, because sometimes you know what you’re doing but if you can’t explain it well, the public doesn’t understand what you’re doing. It’s important to be able to explain your research,” Drunen said.

The experience from conferences like GCURS is a unique addition to being in lab.

“It’s been really great and it gives me one-onone interaction with the professor. I’ve worked in other research labs, but it’s not as one-on-one with the PI, and you learn a lot more that way,” Drunen continued.

Given the relevance of scientific issues to many public health and environmental policy debates, clear communication of research results is increasingly important.

“I think that one of the big issues that the scientific community has is being able to communicate scientific developments accurately to the rest of the public. So, being able to learn what makes a scientific presentation engaging and easy to understand is an important skill that anyone in a scientific field should learn.

Attending this conference gave me a firm grasp on that skill,” Palmer said.

GCURS is held annually and is open to the public. More information can be found at gcurs.rice.edu.

PULSE

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• NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

United Way makes strides on campus Goals include raising over $80,00 for the organization in the next few weeks BOBBY WATSON | NEWS INTERN rwatson@trinity.edu On Oct. 25, Trinity held a Super Nacho Hour on the Coates Esplanade. The event was a more grandiose version of the university’s weekly Nacho Hour in Coates University Center. This was one of many events in Trinity’s campaign to support the charity United Way. “Starting in the early fall through the end of the year, [United Way] has a county-wide campaign.

They are partnering with various companies, institutions, academic institutions across the city, and actually [United Way] is essentially asking us to open a corporate campaign,” said Les Bleamaster, science facility manager of the Center for Science and Innovation and co-chair of Trinity’s United Way campaign board. “The money is given to United Way in an overall broader campaign.”

United Way is a national organization that researches which charity agencies are most in need, and then campaigns to fund those organizations.

Even though it is a national organization, United Way is known for contributing to the local communities that donate to it.

“94 cents of every dollar that’s given to United Way is given to an agency here in town,” Bleamaster said. “The Trinity campaign is an explicit way we can show a connection to the community.”

Trinity’s United Way campaign’s goals are to obtain 60 percent campus-wide participation in the campaign, to receive 60 leadership gifts — which are donations of $500 or more — and to ultimately raise $80,000 for United Way. Trinity’s campaign is about a month long, from midOctober to mid-November, and includes multiple events such as the Super Nacho Hour and the Day of Service, where a group of about 40 Trinity staff and faculty volunteered at Salvation Army.

It also has a continuous email campaign to inform and remind the Trinity community of United Way. HOPE Hall contributed to this campaign with an annual ‘dorm storm’ that was held on Nov. 2.

“All the members of HOPE Hall what we do is we just grab cans and we knock on every door on campus and we just say, ‘Hello, how are you?

Would you like to donate to United Way?’ And any spare change that you have in your room, some people drop bills, whatever people want to donate we’ll take it and we’ll give it to United Way,” said Tahlar Rowe, senior and head resident assistant of HOPE Hall.

HOPE Hall also does tabling in Coates to take donations. Last year, HOPE Hall raised $600 in

The United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County has opportunities to give, volunteer, and lead. More info can be found at: unitedwaysatx.org/get-involved/

United Way is a charity and support network with over 1,800 community-based chapters focused on fostering education, financial stability and health. graphic by TYLER HERRON

Marks the Spot You asked. Wellness Services Answered.

Brought to you by Katherine Hewitt.

A: Women who have sex with women (WSW), can have mouth-to-genital, mouthto-anal, hand-to-genital, or toy-to-genital interactions. Although WSW have lower risk of being diagnosed with certain STI’s than their heterosexual counterparts (i.e.

HIV), there are still some risks involved.

Infections can still be passed in a number of ways, including through skin-to-skin contact, contact with vaginal fluids or menstrual blood, and through shared use of sex toys.

The STIs that WSW are at a higher risk for include: bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, genital herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), pubic lice and trichomoniasis.

However, the conversation would be different if one partner had any previous sexual contact with a male partner. Dental dams create an effective barrier that helps to prevent

different organizations, which is really good,” said Rojan Shrestha, first-year student and HOPE Hall resident.

“I think a good Trinity University participation in the campaign shows that we are connected to the community at large,” Bleamaster said.

Trinity’s campus invites volunteerism, and any contribution to the United Way campaign or other charity groups is greatly encouraged.

“There’s never too much volunteering,” Rowe said. “I feel like everyone should be doing it, and I think President Anderson and campus leaders do a great job making sure that we know that volunteering is the best thing to do to give back to our community.”

Trinity’s United Way campaign will be taking donations through the upcoming weeks, and

How do I get involved?

S EX

Q: Safe sex between two females? How? What precautions?

only one night of fundraising.

This year the organization is doing two nights of ‘dorm storm’ in hopes of doubling the amount they fund raise. Every dollar HOPE Hall raises is matched by Danny Anderson, president of the university.

The United Way Campaign exemplifies the volunteering community on Trinity’s campus.

Student organizations and staff have shown continuous contributions to United Way. APO, Trinity University Volunteer Action Committee and HOPE Hall all dedicate their efforts to support the community that has become their home.

“I really enjoy [volunteering], I think it’s a great opportunity. I think what [United Way] does is really good. They work with a bunch of

bacteria, viruses and other pathogens from spreading during oral sex. A good method is to apply a water-based lubricant to the vulva or anus, which can help keep the barrier secured, reduces friction and enhances pleasure. In terms of placement, make sure the dam is covering the vulva or anus, allowing for oral stimulation of these areas without coming into contact with bodily fluids or skin. Since a dam serves as a barrier between partners, it only needs to be held in place (by either partner), not stretched or held tightly over the skin.

You could also make your own dam using non-microwavable plastic wrap, or a powder free latex glove. You can cut open a glove in place of a dam, or cut off the three ‘middle fingers’ of the glove to allow the thumb and pinkie ‘fingers’ to act as a barrier method for digital penetration.

Things to keep in ming: Always check your chosen barrier for holes or tears before using it, only use one side of the dam. Don’t use

How do I donate?

Students can donate in CSI 253 with their Tiger Card, or with their Trinity account at: ecommunity.unitedwaysatx.org/crm/ Start.jsp?accountNumber=3640 Others can help at: unitedwaysatx.org/give/

the same dam on multiple parts of the bod.

Dams are only for one-time use. Dams aren’t intended for insertion. Keep water-based lube on hand when using a latex dam.

Wash your hands or wear gloves for digital penetration, as well as washing sex toys before and after use. You might also choose to use a condom to cover the toy when in use (and use a new one if you swap with a partner).

Remember that both dams and condoms are available for free in Health Services located, in Myrtle Hall.

Q: What are some tips for communicating boundaries and desires with a partner— long-term or casual?

A: Only you know what’s on your mind, so unless you express yourself, the other person is only left guessing. Communication is always key to a healthy relationship, and the physical part of it is no different. It can be uncomfortable being completely open when it comes to talking about sex, even with a girlfriend or boyfriend. Still, it is important to push past that and let them know what you like, what you don’t like or if you don’t want to go any further. Encourage your partner to be open as well because it takes practice and patience.

In additional to expressing yourself, when you show the other person that what they say matters to you, they will be more likely to trust you and listen to you in return. Sex and intimacy are strongly affected by how both people feel, so it really pays off to create a positive atmosphere.

As for physical boundaries, take your time and don’t rush it if you’re not ready. Getting

physical with your partner doesn’t have to happen all at once if you’re not ready.

In a healthy relationship, both partners know how far each other wants to go and they communicate with each other if something changes.

There isn’t a rulebook that says you have to go so far by a certain age or at any given time in a relationship, so take things at your own pace. Also, you don’t owe your partner anything, meaning just because your partner takes you out to dinner, buys you a gift or says “I love you” doesn’t mean you owe them anything in response.

It isn’t fair for your partner to claim that you don’t care about them because you won’t “go all the way.” Even if you’ve done it before, you are never required to do it just because your partner is pressuring you.

Remember, “no” means no. Just because you felt comfortable with something at the beginning of a relationship doesn’t mean that you have to stick with that forever.

You can communicate with your partner if things change. The reverse is also true: here may be something that you’re not OK with at the beginning, but with time and trust, you become comfortable with it. Both you and your partner should feel free to openly talk about your changing needs and wants.

Boundaries are all about respect. You and your partner should know what is too far in all aspects of your relationship so that both of you feel safe.

Special thanks to goaskalice.columbia. edu and loveisrespect.org for their assistance answering these questions!

AE &

Disney barred from several movie awards

After Weinstein scandal, list of men accused of sexual assault grows

The National Society of Film Critics and other groups have disqualified the studio from many events after it attempted to silence critics.

It seems Harvey Weinstein’s misconduct was not just a Hollywood fluke, as men and women came forward against figures like Brett Ratner and James Toback.

diwali

SASA’s celebration of South Asian culture delights with dancing and more GEORGIE RIGGS A&E CONTRIBUTOR griggs@trinity.edu Saturday, Nov. 4, the South Asian Student Association (SASA) celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, with its annual performance. This year’s celebration, comprised of dance, song, acting and tons of food, told the origin story of the iconic Indian landmark, the Taj Mahal.

The skits detailing this history provided interludes between dance performances, but they also served to educate viewers on an important piece of Indian history. The story of the Taj Mahal included all of the historical drama Trinikids may have come to expect: royalty, romance, 14 children and O-Phi fraternity members testing out their comedic chops. A sparse voiceover of the dialogue accompanied the O-Phis and other participants miming the story of emperor Shah Jahan and his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Mahal — spoiler alert! — died while giving birth to their 14th child and a mourning Jahan decided

to build a mausoleum in her honor, calling it ‘Taj Mahal.’

“Every year we have a meeting in the spring semester before Diwali brainstorming ideas for the theme,” wrote Aroosa Ajani, president of SASA, in an email interview. “In my time here we have have many themes: provinces of India, Bollywood by the decade, the story behind Diwali and this year’s story of the Taj Mahal. We try to incorporate elements of South Asian history and culture to entertain and educate audiences.”

These skits definitely delivered both, as audiences laughed throughout the mostly

(TOP) Top Naach, Trinity’s Bollywood dancegroup, performs for Diwali. (BOTTOM) All performing groups featured during the show gather on-stage to close out the festival. A this year’s Diwali featured people of all backgrounds celebrating South Asian culture. photos by AMANI CANADA

light-hearted scenes, but left the auditorium with a more intimate understanding of the Taj Mahal. Not surprisingly, the night mostly comprised of fast-paced, Hinduinspired dances. However, a welcome amount of singing was present with vocal performances by the Trinitones and Aamuktha Karla.

“Having song, dance and vocals was great because we got to see a variety of talents,” Ajani wrote. “It is important to me to incorporate the Trinity community into our show, and being able to use different performance mediums only makes our narrative stronger.”

Part of what made the night so enjoyable was this variety aspect, with multiple elements of performance at once.

Along with the part-educational, parthumorous acting from the O-Phi’s, the song performances diversified an already entertaining night of dance.

“I feel like we had a very good mix,” said Sneh Lalani, public relations chair of SASA and co-captain of dance team Top Naach.

“We tried to connect with the audience and we tried to have a fusion by involving different people, like the O-Phis.”

The majority of the music involved in the performances was from Indian artists, with the exception of the Trinitones’ a capella performance. Both of the Trinitones’ performances were in English.

While performed and received well by the audience, the performance was also a reminder of how rare nights dedicated to honoring minority culture traditions are at Trinity. For a small campus, the variety of performances dedicated to Indian culture was a welcome change.

“From the first time I participated I understood the show’s ability to bring people from many different backgrounds together and celebrate South Asian culture,” Ajani said. “I have been so honored to serve on the board and as president to continue and growth this tradition. It is a great time and it brings our campus community together. While it’s a large production to take on, the final product is priceless every year.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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How multi-talented students maintain momentum Those involved in several creative groups find ways to thrive with workload

AUSTIN DAVIDSON A&E CONTRIBUTOR adavids1@trinity.edu

Everyone at Trinity University is busy.

Whether this is due to school, athletics, extracurriculars, Greek life or maintaining a social life, none of us seem to have enough hours in the day to get everything we want done.

While the normal and, some might say, sane student should take 15 hours, the majority of students pile on the workload — they pack their schedules with 18 hours, retain membership in three student organizations, play intramural sports on the weeknights, all while having the constant pressure of homework. This is an insane amount of work, but some people are even busier than that.

This week I had the pleasure of sitting down and talk with two members of the music and theater community at Trinity: Alex Bradley, a sophomore chemistry major, and Nico Champion, a junior human communications and theater double major.

Both of them are incredibly busy individuals, so in the short amount of time I had with them, I asked them what it was like to handle such crazy amounts of work, combined with rehearsals for their respective

musical groups and keeping a healthy and happy mind and body.

Austin Davidson: So guys, how many groups are each of you a part of, in addition to how many hours you are taking?

Alex Bradley: Well I’m taking 18 hours this semester and probably 18 for the rest of college. This semester I’ve been in three theater shows, one of them going on right now, “Into the Woods.” I’m also an officer and teacher for the Swing Bums dance class and I am in the Trinity Band, but due to “Into the Woods” and its rehearsal schedules and chemistry, I was unable to do [band] this semester. But I’ll be doing that next semester for sure.

Nico Champion: I’m also taking 18 hours this semester and — let me see if I can remember how many — APO, Mu Phi, Trinitones, Residential Life, Trinity tour guides, Chamber Singers and Trinity University Players Society.

AD: Wow, that’s a lot. Have you felt that this semester has been your busiest yet?

NC: Yeah, it’s been a pretty full couple months. I also directed two shows before I did “Into the Woods” and I’m currently also in two other shows that we’ll be performing after “Into The Woods.” So it’s a lot of theater, which means on one hand it’s a big workload with rehearsals till midnight and 12-hour rehearsals on Sundays — but theater is something I love doing so it’s not like the workload is arduous or painstaking.

AD: What has been the most taxing class or activity for you two?

AB: Theater. The rehearsals eat away four hours at night and take a whole day on the weekends. It’s worth it, but it’s a lot. I miss

Kendall Walshak wins the Rosalind Philips Competition NOELLE BARRERA A&E INTERN nbarrera@trinity.edu

Trinity is full of talented singers, but the Rosalind Phillips Vocal Excellence Competition singles out the best of the best. Kendall Walshak, junior psychology major, won first place in this year’s competition. Walshak, a mezzosoprano, sang “In dem Schatten meiner Locken” by Hugo Wolf, “Where Corals Lie” from Edward Elgar’s “Sea Pictures” and “Faites-lui mes aveux” from Charles Gounod’s “Faust.”

“I didn’t really know how to react to be honest, I was just super excited. It was just really cool, and an honor to be able to win. Out in the audience I had so many supporters, like my family was all there, and my voice teacher and some of my colleagues were there. It’s just super fun to be able to perform for them,” Walshak said.

Singing five songs was a challenge, but Walshak rose to the occasion.

“I was able to rehearse [the songs] a lot with my voice teacher, with the accompanist, and during our studio time.

We were given time to perform for our colleagues, and that was a really good experience. It helped me to feel really confident in myself and my abilities to be able to do that yesterday,” Walshak said. “I do plan to just have music always there in my life. I always want to be part of a choir.

I love choir, I love performing. I don’t know if I will make it my livelihood, but it will always be a part of my life.”

Shane Bono, senior business analytics and technology major, took second place. A tenor, Bono sang “My Heart is Like a Singing Bird” by Hubert Parry, “Chanson Triste” by Henri Duparc and “Bester Jüngling” from Mozart’s “Der Schauspieldirektor.”

Bono has been involved in choir since seventh grade, so performance was the culmination of many years of musical practice.

Many of the songs required students to act as the character who is singing. Luckily, character acting comes easily to Bono, who has been in many theater classes. Bono is a business major, but he has considered using his musical skills with Cirque du Soleil.

“I think backstage, waiting to go on and sing, most of the emotion was, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that we’re starting! It’s 2:56 and we’re starting in four minutes!’

And then Emma went out to sing first and then we were all, ‘Oh my gosh! I can’t believe that we’re actually starting this!’, so it was really freaky in that sense. It was a lot of buildup to singing, and then the actual singing was just a blur,” Bono said.

Ethan Jones, first-year music major, enjoyed the performance.

“I could tell that each one of them worked really hard on the songs that each of them played, and it was just really cool getting to hear fellow Trinity students tackle these challenging pieces of music and do it well,” Jones said.

This annual event honors Rosalind Phillips, professor emeritus in Trinity’s music department who taught voice from 1961–1989. The 2017 Rosalind Phillips Vocal Excellence Competition showcased talented Trinity singers, and provided a space for students and faculty interested in music to support their peers.

illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

playing the tuba and I’m excited to go back next semester to the band.

NC: “Into the Woods” or theater in general.

With rehearsals, I’ve had to cut back on how much I’m a part of the Trinitones which has been really unfortunate, but luckily I’ve still been able to be a part of the Chamber Singers and go to the competition with them.

AD: With everything that you guys do, what advice would you give to a first-year or a fellow musician who wants to do it all?

What lessons have you learned from this semester?

AB: I’d say balancing your work and working efficiently are key to surviving a busy schedule. I try not to work on multiple things at once since it means I won’t be doing the one thing well. That’s why I’m not doing the band — I wouldn’t have enough time to really do it well. So I guess I would say balance the work you have and make sure that you do it well.

Also, make time to relax and just watch a movie or an episode of something, or you’ll go insane.

NC: The biggest thing that helps me is my Google calendar — it keeps me in check and on schedule. If I keep my calendar up to date, then I can plan out when to eat, sleep and when I have to time to just relax and try not to stress about the 8,000 things I have to do. Also, make sure you prioritize your time and energy on what is needed. So just keep organized and try to make sure you give yourself time to keep a healthy mental state.

These two guys, like all of us, lead jampacked lives. They balance school, theater, music and life, all while maintaining a healthy mental state. While not all of us can perfectly organize a Google calendar or crack the code on how not to distract yourself with YouTube videos, we can all learn from them that it is possible to do it all and still enjoy what college has to offer.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“Waking the Green Tiger”: China’s green movements ABIGAIL WHARTON A&E CONTRIBUTOR awharton@trinity.edu

A massive collaboration of 14 academic departments brought an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a leading Chinese journalist to campus for a conversation on environmental movements in China.

On Thursday, Nov. 2, the EAST Program — short for East Asian Studies at Trinity — hosted a screening of “Waking the Green Tiger” in Chapman Auditorium. Director Gary Marcuse and writer Liu Jianqiang answered questions afterwards.

The film, released in 2011, follows the joint effort of farmers, activists and journalists to prevent the construction of a massive system of hydroelectric dams on the Yangtze River. The resulting reservoirs of hydroelectric dams flood crucial ecosystems and swallow precious farmland, displacing entire villages built around agriculture.

Popular images from China don’t always depict lush countryside. Media is often inundated with urban landscapes, smoggy skies and everyday commuters wearing surgical masks. China is notorious for air pollution, coal consumption and mass manufacturing.

Marcuse’s film shows the viewer that the “industry first and environment second” ideology is a cultural remnant of Mao Zedong’s industrial philosophy that “man must conquer nature.”

The institution of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law in 2004 gave Chinese citizens the right to impact the processes going on around them for the very first time. Under this law, long-term environmental impact must be assessed before breaking ground on any major construction project.

Writer of “Waking the Green Tiger” LIU JIANQIANG discusses the goals of the documentary. The film itself focuses on the rising amount of green protests in China, and the successes and challenges that such movements and the people who form them encounter. photos by ALLISON WOLFF

This legislation allowed for cautious optimism by the general public and gave citizen-run environmental groups the opportunity, theoretically, the right to work in the surrounding communities and raise awareness for potential environmental impacts.

The documentary introduces us to prosperous rural communities who stand to lose everything if they are displaced.

Villages that have been relocated were given inadequate compensation and launched into poverty. Organization and communication had to occur quickly to save the farmland these villagers had worked in for generations.

“Waking the Green Tiger” ends on a triumphant note. Many villages were able to prevent the construction of hydroelectric dams and preserve their way of life through ceaseless activism and demonstrations.

Environmental articles in the Chinese press number in the hundreds of thousands, and

thousands more environmental groups have been founded to hold the government accountable for damage control and sustainable growth.

The collisions between government and environment, however, are far from over. Journalists risk losing their jobs or consequences as severe as prison time if their work crosses an unspoken line.

According to Marcuse, every five or so years a new round of proposals crop up for multiple new dams. Successful activists and demonstrators have to circumnavigate heavy police presence and diffuse tensions with armed soldiers.

“This success is very rare,” Jianqiang said after the screening. “There was another demonstration against a dam in the Yunnan province. It was cracked down on [by the government], some people were killed, and the huge dam project went forward anyway.”

This seems to leave a bleak prospect for any kind of activism, but Marcuse quickly offered up some interesting numbers.

“There are approximately 50,000 demonstrations a year throughout the country,” Marcuse said.

These demonstrations consistently see support from both rural agricultural villages and urban middle class citizens.

“One of the most impressive things they can do, is what they do when they feel like it,” Marcuse said.

Ecosystems that were stripped to dirt and bedrock during Mao Zedong’s industrial revolution have since been reclaimed by public replanting initiatives.

Endangered species have been documented and protected. Wind turbines are installed at a rate of nearly one per minute.

Green movements are on the rise in China, but not without immense struggle.

Trinity Wind Ensemble hits a homerun with Fall Concert NOELLE BARRERA A&E INTERN nbarrera@trinity.edu

Trinity’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble Fall Concert was a musical game of baseball. It may sound strange to compare a major league sport with a symphony of bassoons, oboes and saxophones, but the Fall Concert used notes and melodies to conjure a world of classic Americana.

The concert, conducted by James Worman, began with “Early Light,” composed by Carolyn Bremer. I enjoyed how this song combined high pitches with lower ones, building up to a crescendo of melody, with a glockenspiel providing percussion throughout.

After this song came a quartet of Maryland pieces composed by Jack Stamp. These pieces were augmented by a vocal accompaniment from assistant professor of music Jacquelyn Mattava, opera singer and accomplished concert artist. The first two songs, “At the Edge of the Choptank River” and “A Maryland Road,” felt nostalgic and charming.

The third song, “On Chesapeake Shores: A Fisherman’s Sonnet,” added some comedic relief.

The lyrics told the story of a lifelong fisherman who only wants to go to heaven if he can be reassured that he can fish there: “If there’s fishing in that other land, I shall not hesitate to go alone ... So if to fish be not of heaven’s worth, then may I, with the meek, be left on Earth!” Even as the lyrics were more down-to-earth in this song, Mattava’s vocals remained beautiful.

The final song, “The Sires of Seventy-Six,” was darker in content; the lyrics were reminiscent

and mournful for soldiers who “nobly dared the thunderbolts of war” in times past.

“Chester,” composed by William Schuman, was introduced by Worman as a “two-for-one” because Schuman’s song, part of his “New England Triptych,” was based on the work of one-eyed composer William Billings. Worman says that Billings as quite the character.

“He had one leg shorter than the other, only had one eye, there were questions about his ability to perceive any need for personal hygiene, cursed like a sailor,” Worman said.

Regardless of his idiosyncrasies, Billings’ musical gift shined through Schuman’s music.

The song was very energetic, with sparse

periods followed by frenzied instrumentation. I appreciated the vitality this song brought, and the dedication that the ensemble must have had in order to learn it.

Morton Gould was one of the composers responsible for the widespread popularity of ‘band music,’ the type of music that you can hear marching bands play at modern sporting events. Although Gould composed music for a variety of venues — Broadway, film and ballet were just a few of his numerous specialties — he always believed music should be for everyone.

In an interview for the New Yorker magazine in 1953, he said “I’ve always felt that music should be a normal part of the experience that surrounds

Trinity’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by JAMES WORMAN, performs its fall concert. The songs played followed a classic Americana theme. photo by STEPHEN SUMRALL-ORSAK

people. It’s not a special taste. An American composer should have something to say to a cab driver.” Coming out of an era where composers were known for their elegance and class, this egalitarian view was revolutionary. Gould’s “Ballad for Band” was played very well. Like with the other songs, moments of quiet were paired with ones of great intensity.

Finally, the event concluded with John Philip Sousa’s “National Game.” Sousa is famous for his skills as a composer and conductor, and his successful leadership of the United States Marine Band. John Philip Sousa was especially devoted to baseball. A pitcher himself, he composed “National Game” for the 50th anniversary of baseball’s National League. This song felt very cheerful and lighthearted.

Maggie Lupo, first-year English major and flute player, said that “Chester” had been the most popular song with the audience. Her own favorite songs? “ ‘Early Light’ and ‘Chester’ [because] they both have a lot of energy, they’re both really fun to play, and I really like the melodies,” Lupo said.

Lupo also described the difference between performing for a collegiate and a high school one.

“The music itself is not necessarily any harder or easier, it’s just the level of preparation is different,” Lupo said. “You only rehearse four hours a week total, and there’s a lot more music, so there’s more emphasis on getting things down and working on them outside of class.”

I’ve never been a baseball fan — or marching band enthusiast — yet the music played by the Wind Ensemble appealed to me; the songs were playful and fun, and reminded me of strolling outside in a crowded park. Overall, this was a great performance, and I’m excited to see what the Symphonic Wind Ensemble has in store next.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN • Cross Country at NCAA Regionals in Newport News, VA, Nov. 11 • Men’s Soccer vs. University of Texas at Tyler, Saturday, Nov. 11, 5 p.m.

• Volleyball at NCAA Regionals, Saturday, Nov. 11

Sports

Trinity athletes sprint to the playoffs

Men’s and women’s soccer teams score at SCAC conference; volleyball continues on despite loss JULIA WEIS | SPORTS EDITOR jweis@trinity.edu While most Tigers were relaxing or doing homework this weekend, some athletes were busy winning championships and advancing to the NCAA playoffs.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams won their SCAC conference championship games on Sunday and are excited to continue on to the playoffs.

“It’s a huge achievement, not just to win our sixth straight regular season title, but to win our sixth straight SCAC tournament title too.

Each of the last five times we’ve had to beat the host institution in either the semis or the final, so battling adversity and coming out the other side with trophies is a huge achievement,” said Callum Squires, assistant coach for the men’s soccer team. “We have all the talent needed to go all the way and win our second national championship. But equally, the margins for error are so small at this stage that we really have to concentrate and believe that we can keep progressing through the rounds.”

The men’s team has consistently been ranked No. 2 in the nation for several weeks now. They will be hosting the first two rounds of the playoffs for the NCAA Division III Championship this weekend on Nov. 11 and 12. On Saturday, the team will face the University of Texas at Tyler at 5 p.m. If they win, they’ll advance to the second round on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. Come out and support your Tigers as they aim for their next national championship!

The women’s soccer team also prevailed in their conference game, and will be headed to the playoffs this weekend. The women had a phenomenal season, maintaining a winning streak of 18 games and winning their ninth consecutive conference title.

Meredith Licata, senior forward, scored the winning goal of the conference game against Texas Lutheran University.

“It was such a great feeling to win SCAC again, it always feels like a lot of hard work paid. I was so glad I was able to help the team win, it was a close game and I’m just happy we got the job done. We are hoping to play our best [at the playoffs] and make it as far as possible. I think we have an incredible team and really have a chance to have a great run,” Licata said.

The No. 9 nationally ranked team will play the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor this Saturday, Nov. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at HardinSimmons University, and the next round will be played on Sunday.

Both of the soccer teams have continued their successful seasons year after year, but not without countless hours of dedication.

“This is a really special group of young men and we couldn’t be happier with the way they’ve carried themselves throughout this year. We’ve battled hard together on the field and there’s a real union in the locker room right now. All our guys are bought in and focused on doing the jobs we need them to in order to win,” Squires said.

The Tiger volleyball team also heads to their NCAA playoffs this weekend. While they did not win their conference match against No. 1-ranked Colorado College, the Tigers are excited for what the postseason will bring them.

“Of course we were disappointed that we didn’t win conference, but throughout this season and especially at conference, we proved to ourselves that we can compete with

TOP: Men’s soccer players KELLEN REID, left, CHRISTIAN SAKSHAUG, middle, AUSTIN MICHAELIS, right, sprint to the goal.

MIDDLE: SARAH MULLENS, center, bumps the ball to teammates MAGGI LINKER, left, AVERY TUGGLE, middle-left, and KIRBY SMITH, right.

BOTTOM: CHELSEA COLE races forward, with JORDAN BETHEA and KRISTEN CANEPA close behind. photos by ALLISON WOLFF

everyone in Division III and we have a lot of confidence going into the playoffs,” said Kirby Smith, senior outside hitter.

As Smith nears the end of her final year on the team, she looks forward to competing with her teammates.

“I have enjoyed playing volleyball all four years, but our team this year is the best team that I have ever been on. No matter what happens, I think this has been a great season to end on because of how much fun it has been to play with such a talented group of

athletes,” Smith said. Send your support to the No. 4-ranked Tigers as they hit the road to Georgetown for the NCAA Regionals.

Stay tuned for coverage of the results of men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball next week.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

SPORTS

Dig deep: Sarah Mullens Get to know the junior volleyballer beyond her stats

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SARAH MULLENS, junior defensive setter, gets in the zone at a game. photo by ALLISON WOLFF

ELISE HESTER | SPORTS REPORTER ehester@trinity.edu At Trinity, junior Sarah Mullens has found her people, the trusted few to whom she can fully open up. For the rest of us though, the talented defensive hitter remains a mystery; a quiet introvert with a dark, sarcastic sense of humor and an untold story.

She grew up in Aurora, Colorado, and started volleyball at eight years old, with her mom as her coach. Even when she played for other coaches, each time she made a mistake she would look up the stands at her mother.

The 5A-state MVP now serves as defensive setter for the Tigers, earning numerous SCAC accolades.

Yet, after all her years on the court, Mullens finds herself looking to the stands.

“Even now in college, I’ll find myself glancing up at my mom and my mom will give me a tip and I’m like, ‘Damn, this has been a long time coming,’ ” Mullens said.

Mullens’ mom, a Clemson volleyball alumnae, has always had high expectations for her children.

“My whole life, it’s been me trying to match her and me not quite getting there.

She was a National Merit Scholar and I’m a National Merit Commended Scholar. She got a 34 on her ACT, and I got a 33,” While her mother, who earned a 4.0 GPA as an engineering major on a full athletic scholarship, excelled in math and science, Sarah is passionate about reading, writing, art and music.

When told her family wouldn’t be able to afford Trinity’s tuition, Mullens put her English abilities to real-world use, winning the Trinity Tower scholarship, something she counts as her greatest collegiate accomplishment. Despite her passion for English, Mullens decided her sophomore year to pursue business.

She describes a tearful phone conversation in which her mother gave her some advice. “‘Your entire life, you’re gonna have things you don’t wanna do,’ ” Mullens said.

At her family’s suggestion, Mullens plans to attend law school after graduation. Still, she recognizes her responsibility in choosing her own path.

“I’ve been trying to be able to find the fine line between being able to do the things I love in a way that makes other people happy.

But, at the end of the day, I’m gonna be left with my own decisions and if I make those decisions for someone else, I’m going to be unhappy,” Mullens said.

Trinity has been a place of growth and discovery for Mullens. She let go of the idea of being everyone’s friend, and focused on planting deep roots with people who understand her.

“A lot of people have the misconception that you need to have a lot of friends in order to be fulfilled. What I was finding is a lot of those friends I didn’t actually connect to. It was more just small talk, so now I’m a lot more comfortable having a few close friends,” Mullens said. “It’s so hard to find people that understand you and are willing to take the time to understand you especially when you’re not one of those people who shows everything at once. It takes a lot of time to get to know me and for me to be fully comfortable around someone.”

Those few close friends are teammates Amelia Roden and Jessye Castro, with whom Mullens can talk about anything.

“I don’t have any problems voicing my opinions. I don’t have to manipulate how I’m feeling to go with what they’re feeling cause we can just be very honest and I feel the same way about — this is stupid, but me and [my boyfriend] Trevor, I have never had to try to be anything other than what I feel and I think that’s really important,” Mullens said.

Despite all her growth, volleyball remains the one constant in Mullens’ life. Yet, she knows it won’t always be that way.

“That’s also part of maturing. Knowing you only have a finite number of times to step out on the court and trying to take advantage of those times. I’m confident that I can make the right decisions about things now.

The decisions we’re making now are gonna start becoming more and more permanent,” Mullens said.

Mullens currently leads the Tigers with aces and digs, and is in the top-10 Trinity leaders of all time, but just because you know her stats doesn’t mean you know her story.

SPORTS • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

27

The art of the Trinity football comeback Players explain the strategy behind the phenomenon that this team manages to keep pulling off SAUL MALEK | SPORTS REPORTER smalek@trinity.edu With six minutes and 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter, it seemed as though the Trinity Tigers were doomed at home.

All the momentum belonged to Chapman University, as junior receiver Jason Isabel capped off an 80-yard drive with a 57-yard receiving touchdown, making the score 3521 in Chapman’s favor. After about a quarter’s worth of no scoring, the Tigers began what would go down in Trinity history as one of the greatest comebacks ever, finishing with senior linebacker Mitchell Globe’s 63-yard fumble recovery touchdown in overtime on a remarkable strip sack from senior defensive lineman Jacob Blankenship.

Globe described the Chapman victory as his favorite comeback of the season.

“It was our first major comeback and showed our resilience as a team … it was also the game that I returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown to win, so I won’t forget that,” Globe said.

As the Tigers somehow ground out another victory from behind, fans were left awestruck — and maybe even puzzled — as to how the Tigers prove time and time again that being down in a game does not equal being out.

For Tiger athletes, a key component in any comeback victory is team chemistry.

“Team chemistry is everything. If you don’t have team chemistry, then you can’t work together to make the comeback. Comebacks are created by all 11 guys on each side of the ball working together and serving one another, or in the wise words of Coach Urban, ‘Just doing

Head football coach JERHEME URBAN, center, talks to the players. photo by ALLISON WOLFF

your 1/11,’ ” said Tommy Lavine, sophomore wide receiver.

The team’s chemistry this season has been apparent in a comeback win over Rhodes

College on Oct. 7, 40-34 in overtime. The Tigers rallied together to come back from a 34-24 deficit with only four minutes and 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Globe also commented on the power of teamwork.

“When you’re trailing in the game with time dwindling out, you rely on the trust of your teammates and coaches that much more. It starts with a belief that the game can be won, and then it needs be vocalized on the sidelines and in the huddle. This belief and energy spreads like a wildfire on our team because of how close we have gotten as teammates this year due to the culture our coaches and players have created. Once you have a roster filled with guys that absolutely believe we can and will win, big plays are made,” Globe said.

All wins feel good, but for Tiger players, those comeback victories tasted a little sweeter.

The sense of teamwork is something that can’t be beat.

“We would like to play with the same intensity all the time, but naturally when you are behind it makes you want to play even harder,” said Kievan Boudreaux, sophomore linebacker.

The locker room vibe following a Tiger comeback victory is like no other, as players and coaches celebrated a well-fought victory.

“The scene usually involves our linebacker, Mitch Globe, on the aux accompanied by some bad singing and even worse dancing. We all enjoy celebrating after every win. ... I guess the difference in comeback wins is that we sing a little bit louder,” Lavine said.

The Tigers took home a decisive victory over Austin College over the weekend with a score of 49-35. The team looks to build on the performance as they close out the season.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, they travel to Georgia to take on the defending SAA champions, the Berry College Vikings.

A balancing act: The life of a student athlete Column: How do students find the time to juggle school and sports on top of their social lives?

HAILEY WILSON | SPORTS REPORTER hwilson@trinity.edu Wake up. Go to class. Grab a quick lunch as you run to practice. Leave it all out on the field for a good two or three hours. Drag yourself to the lib. Go to sleep. Repeat.

I know. You’ve heard it a million times.

You’ve read a thousand articles on The Odyssey, you’ve come across meme after meme on Facebook, and you’ve seen all of the jokes that flood Twitter. But, I’ll say it anyways.

Being a student-athlete is really tough. But being a student-athlete at Trinity? That’s a whole new ballpark of tough — no pun intended.

Student athletes sacrifice so much day in and day out, and in the grand scheme of things, these sacrifices are often overlooked.

Now, this isn’t to say that students involved in other clubs on campus don’t work hard. I’m totally one to give credit where it’s due, and most students on campus are involved in some sort of extracurricular activity. Whether it be Greek life, on-campus jobs or other student organizations, Trinity students spend a lot of time on activities outside of class, which does deserve recognition.

But few, if any, organizations on campus require the mental and physical toughness that athletics demand.

First and foremost, in order to be a studentathlete at Trinity, you have to have solid time management skills. If you don’t, chances are you’ll fall behind very fast. Trying to balance practice schedules with office hours, project deadlines, group project meetings, adequate rest and some sort of social life is close to impossible.

We are often forced to choose between sleep and those extra 10 minutes of study time; eating lunch or getting to practice early to stretch; and going to hang out with friends or catching up on sleep.

This doesn’t even include our weekend schedules. For softball, we have four games each weekend. Each game lasts about two hours.

So, including warm up time, the team spends seven to eight hours on the field both days of the weekend, leaving a slim amount of time to do homework, eat meals and socialize with friends. This also doesn’t include weights and conditioning and extra personal work we do on the side. Needless to say, we’re pretty busy.

“Few, if any, organizations on campus require the mental and physical toughness that athletics demand.”

Student-athletes also face unique pressures from various parties. Expectations are high from coaches, teammates, parents, professors and ourselves. Coaches and teammates expect us to be performing at our best at all times. Whether it’s at practice or during a game, we’re expected to leave it all out of the field, court or course.

Parents will be parents, and like coaches, always want and expect us to perform at our best. Professors expect our best performance in the classroom, and unfortunately sometimes fail to recognize all of the other academic and athletic demands that we face.

Finally, the amount of pressure we put on ourselves is unreal. We’re constantly analyzing our performance on the field and in the classroom, just adding to the pressure we feel from everyone else.

With all of that being said, I wouldn’t trade my chaotic schedule for anything. Having the opportunity to receive such a top-tier education and play a sport that I love is something that I will never take for granted.

Trinity has allowed me to broaden my mind, meet some of my best friends and represent my school in ways that I could have never imagined.

illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • NOVEMBER 10, 2017 •

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