09.15.2017

Trinitonian Serving Trinity University Since 1902

Volume 115 Issue 05

Rumors of shortage create gas frenzy Trinity reacts to chaotic atmosphere of San Antonio gas stations CATHY TERRACE

NEWS REPORTER Earlier this month, Texas faced extreme gas shortages and long lines at filling stations around the state. Following Hurricane Harvey, rumors spread that gas would run out. Though no evidence was supported by state and local governments, gas stations were unable to cope with the sudden surge of customers.

This craze left San Antonians in a constant search for gas, leaving people to wonder whether or not the frenzy was genuine or self-induced.

“It really has a lot more to do with social media than anything else,” said Glenn Kroeger, associate professor of geosciences.

“Refineries did shut down along the coast, but most of those refineries were back up and running in pretty short order. There are still a couple refineries east of here that are not up, but the ones down by Corpus Christi were really spared because the hurricane came in east of there, so they were back up and running a couple of days later.”

While San Antonio itself avoided the brunt of damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, many concerns were still raised over whether or not the city would run out of gas. As people flooded to gas stations, many pumps started to run out.

“Everything that I saw in the media from city officials, like Mayor Ron Nirenberg, all said that there was not a gas shortage, but so many people panicked about not having gas,” said Jennifer Mathews, professor of anthropology. “Those who would normally let their tanks go relatively empty and then fill up were going to the gas station because they were worried about running out. I even saw reports of a guy who had garbage cans in the back of his pickup truck, which is a terrible idea. The rush on the gas artificially created this perceived shortage.”

Matthews is referring to a statement that Ron Nirenberg, mayor of San Antonio, posted to Facebook and Twitter on Sept. 3. That same day, the news website mySA reported that of 630 San Antonio gas stations, 72 percent had run out of available gas by Friday, Sept. 1.

“San Antonio, I feel your frustrations and share them with you,” Nirenberg wrote.

“We’ve asked the state regulatory authorities to provide more frequent updates for the SA public, are in consistent communication with refineries ... Demand has not decreased, with our city consuming more fuel than average largely due to panic and hoarding.” continued on PAGE 3

September 15, 2017

Trinity promotes fire safety Film about dorm fire, TUPD demonstrations promote awareness KENDRA DERRIG

NEWS REPORTER A crowd of about 100 students gathered in Laurie Auditorium on Tuesday, Sept.

5, to watch Alvaro Llanos and Shawn Simons present their documentary, “After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes and Cowards.”

Llanos and Simons are burn victims from the Seton Hall University dormitory fire that occurred on Jan. 19, 2000. The fire, a product of arson, killed three of their classmates. Their documentary follows their recovery from major burns, as well as the arson investigation. Llanos and Simons’ mission in touring the country and sharing their story is to prevent such tragedies through education on fire safety.

“We do this presentation somewhere between 220 and 250 times per year. It’s difficult to talk about the most difficult time of our lives, but it’s something that we are passionate about because we don’t want it to happen on any other campus. We want people to realize the importance of fire safety, especially with the young adults who think they are invincible,” Simons said.

The majority of student attendants were first-year students and members of Residential Life, such as Ari Fletcher, a resident assistant in Witt-Winn residence hall.

“I want to learn more about what happens when people actually have fire crises because I’m an RA, and I want to learn how real people have dealt with these things,” Fletcher said.

This is the second year Llanos and Simons

A student tests out a fire extinguisher at a fire safety demonstration held in front of the Witt Center. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

have visited Trinity. Their presentation was discovered by Paul Chapa, chief of the Trinity University Police Department, at a campus law enforcement conference in Montreal in 2014.

“Llanos and Simons’ presentation was so compelling to me that I knew that this was a presentation that we had to bring to Trinity. Based on my experiences here, when fire alarms go off, students may not evacuate as quickly as they need to. If their story just impacted one Trinity student who knew when that alarm went off, it was time to get out of there, then we just saved that one life,” Chapa said.

Students at Trinity are no stranger to 5 a.m. fire alarms. Ivan Pendergast, crisis management team coordinator, asserts that even though you may think the alarm is

misfiring, you should get out of the building as quickly as possible.

“Our fire alarms sometimes go off a little more than we want them to. They’re not malfunctions, they’re undesired alarms where somebody burnt the popcorn, or somebody boiled too much water in the kitchenette,” Pendergast said. “They are very sensitive, and they will go off quickly. In any instance when you’re sitting in your room and you hear the fire alarm, get out, because that’s when the fire is going to be at its smallest. That’s when the greatest possibility of getting out unscathed and unharmed is going to be, and every moment that you delay inside the building increases the danger.” continued on PAGE 2

Ballooning project soars for data Chemistry department collects information CLAIRE NAKAYAMA

PULSE REPORTER If you’ve seen giant balloons floating into the sky on the weekends and thought you were hallucinating, your eyes haven’t deceived you — it’s just the chemistry department’s latest project.

Funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project was founded by Gary Morris in mid-2004, and involves collecting measurements of atmospheric ozone above metropolitan areas using helium-filled balloons. Data has been collected from other cities, including Houston, El Paso and Austin. Now it’s San Antonio’s turn.

“Dr. Wooten and I are co-sponsors of the Trinity Ballooning Project. We received a sub-contract award from St. Edward’s from Dr. Morris to participate over the summer

and into the fall. We’re trying to have about 30 launches over the two-and-a-half month time span to get the data for our local environment,” said Leslie Bleamaster, the science facilities manager for the Center for Sciences and Innovations and adjunct geosciences professor.

After checking the ozone predictions for the day, and depending on how high the ozone levels are predicted to be, students will launch the balloon into the atmosphere and collect data while the balloon is ascending and also after the balloon pops and the monitor is falling back to the ground.

“We normally stick to Friday, Saturday and Sunday to launch the balloons, when there’s not a lot of traffic and not a lot of people out and about. The balloon pops and then the whole thing comes down,” said Huda Syed, a senior biology major. “If someone finds it, there’s a number on the box to call, and it also says, ‘Reward: This is not dangerous.’ The device is beeping, so people do get freaked out, but if you call the number, you get a $50 reward for returning it to us.” continued on PAGE 12

Junior HUDA SYED, senior GABRIEL LEVINE and senior MALCOLM CONNER test balloons. photo by ALLISON WOLFF

DACA Dreamers’ reality: part two in immigration series

“To Be Honest” premiere looks into view of Islam

Trinity rugby team looks for action

Micaela Hoffman returns to dispel common misconceptions regarding the program.

Professors create a play from research conducted in the summer of 2016.

The club team doubled in size, seeks fans to experience niche sport.

PAGE 7 OPINION

PAGE 14 A&E

PAGE 18 SPORTS

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SEPTEMBER 15, 2017

• NEWS

Campus promotes fire safety with film continued from FRONT

Besides increased fire safety awareness through Llanos and Simons’ presentation, the university is taking steps to increase knowledge through training programs. On the day of the “After the Fire” presentation, students were given hands-on fire extinguisher training.

“On Tuesday, in front of Witt Reception, we had firefighters from the San Antonio Fire Department partner with environmental health and safety in training students on how to use a real fire extinguisher and extinguish an actual fire. In the short span of two hours we had over 71 students participate.

It was well-received. This is just a small step in getting students to understand the basics of fire and life safety,” said Ozzie Crespo, director of environmental health and safety.

Crespo’s department has added fire safety training programs to ResLife training.

“We provided a smoke-filled room demonstration for the RAs. We filled up a room with smoke, and by doing that, we gave them the experience of walking through a smoke-filled room. This was the first year we did that. I hope that’s something that will continue. We got pretty good feedback, and hopefully we can extend it out to staff and other students, as well,” Crespo said.

Chapa wanted to leave students with a piece of advice.

“The Trinity University Police Department is here to provide students with a safe and secure environment. Though we have a responsibility to respond, the students have a responsibility for their safety as well, so we want to partner with them to address these situations, and hopefully through that partnership, we can save lives,” Chapa said.

More information about fire safety and procedure at Trinity can be found at SHAWN SIMONS, one of the victims of the Seton Hall University dorm fire, speaks about his inside.trinity.edu/environmental-health-safety. experience. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

Staff

INDEX

editor-in-chief: Daniel Conrad managing editor: Alexandra Uri director of digital presence: Grace Frye business manager: Shivali Kansagra ad director: Rebecca Derby news editor: Kathleen Creedon pulse editor: Madelyn Gaharan arts & entertainment editor: Nicholas Smetzer sports editor: Julia Weis opinion editor: Julia Poage photo editor: Amani Canada graphic editor: Tyler Herron circulation director: Nicholas Smetzer reporters: Kendra Derrig, Meredith Goshell, Elise Hester, Kaylie King, Isaiah Mitchell,

Claire Nakayama, Cathy Terrace, Hailey Wilson columnists: Austin Davidson, Soleil Gaffner, Sarah Haley, Micaela Hoffman, Gabriel Levine, Ariana Razavi, Manfred Wendt, Abigail Wharton copy editors: Evan Chambless, Joshua Gain, Cristina Kodadek illustrators: Yessenia Lopez and Andrea Nebhut photographers: Chloe Sonnier, Allison Wolff business staff: Sarah McIntyre and Tam Nguyen advertising staff: Jenna Flexner, Yusuf Khan, Benjamin Milliet, Jonah Nance, Regis Noubiab, Isla Stewart adviser: Katharine Martin

News.......................................................... 2-6 Opinion.................................................... 7-11 Pulse.......................................................... 12-13 A&E.......................................................... 14-16 Sports........................................................ 17-20

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BRIEFS TUPD

Corrections

09/08/2017 12:25 a.m.

Location: Marrs McLean Incident: Fire Alarm

In last week’s issue, Inessa Kosub was incorrectly identified “Vanessa Cosub” in “Blue Star internship” on page 19.

• The illustration on page 21 for “Hester Says” was created by Andrea Nebhut.

• The dates on the special section calendar on page 16 are incorrect; a new one will be printed in next week’s issue.

09/08/2017 10:57 p.m.

Location: Thomas/Lighter Residence Hall Incident: Fire Alarm, Penal Code: Offenses Against Property: Criminal Mischief

•

Spot a mistake? Email us at trinitonian@trinity.edu and we will happily run a correction in the following issue.

Compiled by KATHLEEN CREEDON

Contact Us Editorial

09/09/2017 5:06 a.m.

Location: Dick & Peggy Prassel Residence Hall Incident: Fire Alarm

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NEWS • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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Residential Life dispels rumors of hyper-surveillance One-off warning does not imply future incidents, ResLife officials say

KAYLIE KING

NEWS REPORTER Students living at City Vista may be concerned by rumors circulating regarding the use of camera surveillance to catch students committing policy violations. Though one incident did occur this summer, Residential Life representatives say that this will not be the norm for disciplinary measures or for use of the camera footage. The students involved declined to comment on the record, but they did provide the statement that ResLife sent them in August. Stephanie Ackerman, assistant director for housing operations, verified that the notice was legitimate: “City Vista camera footage shows one of your visiting guests smoking by the pool today. As you are aware, as of Aug. 1, 2017, Trinity University is a tobacco-free campus. … As a City Vista resident, you are responsible for your guests at all times.

Students found in violation of any policies will be subject to fines, conduct proceedings, and possible removal from the facility. Please know that should your guests continue to break policy, your status as a resident could be jeopardized. Please consider this email a warning.”

ResLife says that they will not continue to monitor surveillance footage in an attempt to discover policy violations.

“There was only one incident. … I don’t know how that’s turned into a widespread concern,” said Melissa Flowers, director of

The residential life staff clarified that no unusual methods of surveillance are being used to keep an eye on students living at the City Vista apartment complex. illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

Residential Life. “That was due to the fact that we weren’t on the property at the time of the alleged violation. We had a property management company called Greystar, who oversaw the facilities prior to the acquisition and assisted us with the transition process. … Their policy is to not intervene in moments like that, but just follow up in writing. They saw a student smoking, and with a small dog by the pool, and we responded in writing because we weren’t there. It’s not the norm.”

The surveillance company, Greystar, no longer works at City Vista. Their last day working for Trinity was Sept. 1, and the Residential Life staff assures students that this type of action is not the usual process.

“The whole property is under surveillance for security and safety reasons,”

Ackerman said. “I think what students are thinking is that we come in every day and review footage from the whole day before, and that is just absolutely not the case.

This case was one where he was here and in the camera room in our office, and he just happened to see it.”

Students living on campus have, in the past, also received violations if their actions were caught on a surveillance camera; with the new tobacco regulations in place, City Vista residents will be held to the same standards.

“We would review footage in the event that something was damaged or missing — just something that would call our attention to need to go back and review the footage, but we won’t go back and review the footage for smoking. … The policies on campus are

identical,” Flowers said.

Still, the information came as a surprise to students who were previously unaware of the cameras at City Vista.

“If it was a private space, I think it doesn’t hurt to have a notice saying ‘You are being recorded,’ just to inform students,” said Dalton Flood, a junior philosophy major who lives in City Vista. “I would be upset if I was being recorded on my balcony, and I didn’t know. I think everyone has a certain right to privacy.”

In the face of hearing this, residential staff hopes to mitigate the rumors that have been circling around and reassure students that the one-time incident is not how infractions are normally handled. If you have any questions, you can email reslife@trinity.edu or stop by the Residential Life office.w

Crisis fueled by rumors Business school budget concerns unfounded

Many San Antonio fuel stops ran out of gas due to a high demand after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. photo by KATHLEEN CREEDON

continued from FRONT

Nirenberg has addressed the crisis, saying if people revert to their normal habits of filling up, the crisis will resolve itself.

“I am listening and, as much as I would like to impose restrictions, which we have urged retailers to observe, that authority lies within the state government, not local municipalities,” Nirenberg wrote. “Though we are told by the oil and gas companies that the distribution should normalize, we are asking anyone who can do so to take

alternative transportation, carpool or work from home. Let’s be considerate and help our city get back on track.

Many stations were left empty as people filled large gas tanks and cans as well as their vehicles. The stations in town are not equipped to support that level of demand daily.

“On average, most of the time, gas tanks are half full — some are almost full, some are almost empty,” Kroeger said. “But if, all of a sudden, all of those thousands of cars need to be full, suddenly you need twice as much gas, and stations are going to run out. As soon as a few run out, people start panicking, and then you get people who grab 55 gallon drums and want to fill that up. People panic very easily and they don’t always behave rationally.”

People were urged not to swarm stations.

“This was an event that was driven by more demand than supply,” said Richard Butler, alumni engagement coordinator and recently retired professor of economics. “Don’t panic in future events — that makes it worse, and also the rush for gas emitted way more air pollution than necessary.”

For those who ran out of gas, many alternative ways of transportation are available across the city. From VIA city buses to local BCycle stations, individuals were able to travel where they need to go without using a car.

“I have never ridden a bus in San Antonio in 30 years until last Friday … but the new transit center they opened at North Star Mall has made it more efficient and workable,” Kroeger said. “I may take the bus more in the future — it takes longer, but it’s unbelievably relaxing.”

Danny Anderson denies claims of cut funding ISAIAH MITCHELL

NEWS REPORTER In the wake of certain shifts in the business department, some students have been concerned that the administration is neglecting or cutting the budget of the school, and the ramifications that could occur as a result. Some fear that new projects in the department, like the business analytics and technology major, would be stunted in their development.

The nationally ranked business school has lost a slew of professors in recent years, including the former dean Paige Fields and professor Mike Wilkins, who left the university last May, as well as other professors before them. As a result, students like senior business major Vikram Patel expressed worry that unique projects within the school would become onedimensional.

“The entrepreneurship program here at Trinity is very special to me as well,” Patel said. “If there is not a formal business school, it could hurt the prospects who are attracted to the entrepreneurship program here.”

Danny Anderson, president of the university, responded to such rumors by saying that there’s simply no truth to the idea. He explained that former dean Fields and professor Wilkins moved to a different

university in response to better offers, not because of budget cuts; another professor who left had simply fallen ill; other faculty were only on temporary appointments, which, he reminded students, is the nature of academia.

Anderson went on to unequivocally put to rest any notions that the business school is in any danger, saying that the program is proceeding normally, especially in light of the accreditation audit. continued on PAGE 6

DANNY ANDERSON, president of the university, appointed ROBERT SCHERER (above) as the interim dean of the business school. photo provided by ROBERT SCHERER

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

NEWS

Campus reacts to Trump’s rollback of DACA University issues cautious statement; students on both sides speak out and offer opposing perspectives KATHLEEN CREEDON

NEWS EDITOR On Sept. 5, President Trump announced that he would rescind the Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in six months. In response, Danny Anderson, university president, announced his support for policies that protect DACA recipients, and student groups have begun a conversation about Trump’s decision.

The program allows immigrants who arrived in the United States illegally as children to live, work and go to school without fear of deportation. Following Trump’s announcement, many students and faculty on campus expressed concern for the roughly 800,000 young adults who will be eligible for deportation by April of 2018.

“The basic notion, of course, is that, if you are here illegally, the country can deport you, but there have been people who were brought here as children or at a young age and have no memory of their country.

They don’t speak the language,” said David Crockett, professor of political science.

DACA was created by an executive order during the Obama administration. Because of this, some criticize it for not offering a permanent solution to its recipients, though it did offer them temporary security from deportation.

“This is something we can change.

We just have to be diligent and be perseverant.”

AUBREY PARKE SOPHOMORE AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN CRISIS INITIATIVE

“It doesn’t give the target population a lot of long-term stability and security in their status. It was always dependent on Hillary Clinton winning the election.

You don’t want a policy to be contingent on the whims of American voters,” Crockett said.

The university has maintained the privacy of its students, whether they are DACA recipients or not. Multiple Trinitonian reporters reached out to campus administrators including Sheryl Tynes, vice president for student life, and Eric Maloof, vice president for enrollment engagement.

In separate email conversations, both Tynes and Maloof offered the following university statement: “The Trinity community supports the fundamental values of belonging and inclusion and offers our support for DACA and these individuals who are part of the fabric of college life across the United States. Trinity does not speak publicly about the status of individual students or share other detailed information. We are true

Students rally support for DACA recipients and their families off campus last Thursday. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

to our practices of treating our students in caring ways and support individuals in our community who feel vulnerable or unsafe.”

When asked about how DACA’s repeal would affect the policies and procedures of TUPD, Paul Chapa, chief of police, offered only this: “TUPD will not be impacted by any action taken regarding DACA.” Students responded quickly to the DACA rescission. The International Humanitarian Crisis Initiative (IHCI) teamed up with Trinity Progressives and Trinity Diversity Connection to spread awareness on campus. The groups tabled in Coates this Wednesday and Thursday to urge passersby to call their representatives.

“The reason we’re doing the ‘Call Your Reps’ is we want to rally and inform and make statements, but we also want to have an impact. Because DACA is a federal policy, we need to make sure we’re reaching for impact on the federal level, and the best way to do that is contacting your representatives,” said Aubrey Parke, sophomore and volunteer coordinator of IHCI. Parke said that getting in touch with the politicians who are elected to share your voice is the best way to ensure that DACA protections become permanent.

“It’s not helpful if you have five people calling, but what we’re going to be doing at the tables is looking up people’s districts, so they’re calling their representatives and say[ing] that they’re actually a voting constituent,” Parke said. “It is impactful if you can get large enough numbers of calls, at a high enough volume that shows it’s actually important to voters. It’s a strengthin-numbers kind of thing.”

Parke urges students to stop by the table or call representatives on their own time and to question whether or not they think this issue is important to them.

“This is something that we can change. We just have to be diligent and be perseverant.

I think it’s a good enough reason, if there’s something good that you can do, that in and of itself is a good reason to take action no matter what your age,” Parke said.

Corinne Pache, professor of classical studies, appreciates the responsibility that many students have undertaken to spread awareness and become more connected, not only with the Trinity community, but the San Antonio community as well.

“I’ve never seen the students as engaged in the political process as they have been in the past few months,” Pache said. “I

have a feeling that students used to be a little disconnected, both from the political situation in the country but also from our surroundings, but I think that’s changing.”

Judith Norman, professor of philosophy, agrees that the future belongs more to students, who still have the opportunity to mold it and to take advantage of their privilege to affect it positively.

“It’s not just our voice; it’s also our ears.

Because Trinity students are not necessarily in the front lines of people being impacted, because I think for a majority of students, the question isn’t ‘How can I protect my own?’ but ‘How can I help others?’ The first step is to listen,” Norman said.

Although many progressive groups on campus are being outspoken about this topic on campus, they’re not the only ones.

Tigers for Liberty (TFL) met on Tuesday to listen to George Rodriguez, an immigration lawyer, explain the benefits of DACA. Maddie D’iorio, a first-year TFL member, attended the meeting and expressed her support of open discourse on campus.

“I think [discourse] is really important, especially when people have opposing views, they are not able to express those viewpoints, and it’s really easy to say what you view. People might get offended or get mad at you,” D’iorio said. “Understanding different viewpoints is the entire point of

“It’s not fair that we’re paying our tax money to support an illegal immigrant.”

EMMA MCMAHAN FIRST-YEAR MEMBER OF TIGER FOR LIBERTY

going to college.”

Some students defend Trump’s repeal of the program. First-year TFL member Emma McMahan explained how the defense of DACA revolves around its fairness to others.

“People who support DACA say we need to put morality into it, but conservatives do put morality into it, it’s just a different kind of morality,” McMahan said. “So, they talk about fairness, that it’s not fair for kids who don’t choose to come here. But it’s also not fair that we’re paying our tax money to support an illegal immigrant.”

Crockett hopes students will overcome their differences and discuss the policy and the importance of the separation of powers in our constitutional system.

“It’s very easy for people to quickly divide up into competing tribes that are pro- or anti-Trump,” Crockett said. “And on the anti-Trump side, it’s very easy to quickly default to saying he’s a racist xenophobe, and I don’t think that’s helpful for the conversation.”

For those interested in supporting DACA, contact aparke@trinity.edu, or visit raicestexas.org. For those interested in discussing the opposing view or for those looking for more information about TFL, email tigersforliberty@gmail.com.

D IEVP EER DE

Want to read more about this topic?

Check out our Opinion section!

Read our editorial on PAGE 7.

Delve into the facts with staff columnist Micaela Hoffman on PAGE 7.

See both sides of the immigration issue on PAGE 8.

NEWS • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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Trinity names James Bradley first CIO New hire brings expertise, leadership to Chief Information Officer position KENDRA DERRIG

NEWS REPORTER James Bradley became Trinity University’s first chief information officer (CIO) on Aug. 28, ending a national search led by Danny Anderson, president of the university.

“I’ve only been here two weeks, and I can already tell you that the culture of this university is fantastic, the people here are wonderful, and there is a focus and an intensity about taking care of the students and providing an environment for your goals to learn and grow that is really wonderful to work as a part of,” Bradley said.

The new CIO position was created in conjunction with the new vice president for strategic communications and marketing, a role recently filled by Trinity alumna Tess Coody-Anders. Charles “Chuck” White, professor of psychology, had held the title of vice president for information resources, marketing and communication until this July.

With the advice of the faculty senate and an outside administrative audit, Anderson made the decision to split White’s role into two focused portfolios.

“At one point, the librarians reported to White, IT reported to him, and marketing

reported to him. I had multiple pieces of information that made me think that Trinity would be far better served by people who had deep expertise in each of these areas,” Anderson said.

Bradley was selected from a pool of over 130 applicants following a nationwide search.

Diane Saphire, associate vice president for information resources, and Arturo de los Santos, associate director of information technology services, co-chaired the committee, which comprised representatives from across the university, from faculty to admissions staff.

“The goal was to have all the different parts of the university that rely on IT to be present at the table and think, ‘What do we need in a person to help us accomplish our goals?’”

Anderson said.

Anderson also spoke of the university’s vision to be technologically up-to-date, both in the classroom and in faculty and student research.

“Many universities put all of their emphasis on thinking about classroom technology, instructional technology, and other universities may put all their emphasis on behind-the-scenes technology that’s running the university computer systems, making sure that checks get written, bills paid. I feel like we really need someone with the breadth of experience to help us do both,” Anderson said.

“The other thing I know is that there is a real hunger among some faculty members who like using technology in their research, and when they think of blending their teaching and supervised research with students, the easier it is for them to have new technology available, the better. It’s really important for faculty

members to have opportunities to experiment with technology.”

Anderson and the committee selected Bradley for his extensive experience in the information technology departments of other universities, his leadership ability and his broad vision for Trinity’s future. Saphire noted Bradley’s passion for high education as a major factor in her decision as part of the search committee.

“Jim is highly focused on students, faculty and staff, and on the educational experience that Trinity provides. While he left higher education for a brief stint in industry, he is excited about being back in higher [education] where his passions lie,” Saphire said.

After working at Tulane University and the University of Houston, Bradley expressed his enthusiasm for taking an active role in developing Trinity’s technological scene.

“One of the things I love is the way President Anderson talks about the school, ‘to be the leading example for a 21st century liberal arts university,’” Bradley said. “You can take an IT job and they don’t really want you to do very much except be quiet, sit in the corner and not cost them too much money. I think Trinity wants IT to be an important part of moving the academic enterprise forward, an important part of the administrative operations in the organization and also something that we can leverage to improve the reputation of Trinity nationally.”

Bradley listed a few places where Trinity’s IT could improve but remains focused on supporting faculty, staff and students.

“There’s a lot of opportunities to do infrastructure work, to make faster networks,

better wireless, to deal with things like business continuity and disaster recovery. But at the end of the day, the mission of the university is really the faculty mission of instruction, research and service,” Bradley said.

Bradley’s communication skills were one of his traits that was addressed by members of the committee as a significant aspect in his appointment.

“One of the things that I really enjoyed about Jim Bradley in particular is that he is a good speaker, but also a good listener,” Anderson said. “He’s a good speaker in terms of being able to tell you what is happening in the field, but I’ve also heard him listen to people who weren’t convinced and engage in a very meaningful, personal conversation with them. I think that fits Trinity well — someone who’s able to be articulate about where we are going and how we can get there, but someone who’s also open to listening and responding to questions that people have.”

Saphire also advocated for Bradley as an excellent communicator.

“I think what particularly made him stand out in the field of outstanding candidates was his communication skills. He is friendly and approachable and has a collaborative, teamoriented management style,” Saphire said.

Bradley had a message for Trinity students.

“I’m very happy to be here and I will be an advocate for what your needs are in the technology space. I’d be delighted to meet with anybody who wants to talk to me, because if I don’t hear what your concerns are, if I don’t hear the things that matter to you, then I’m not as able to deliver what it is you need,” Bradley said.

Changes made in study abroad program Political science department faces forced to alter courses offered KAYLIE KING

NEWS REPORTER Trinity’s political science department has recently undergone some changes with its study abroad programs, leaving students with one less option for travel. The changes will affect students this coming spring, particularly seniors who were hoping to study abroad in Berlin.

In the spring semesters of 2015 and 2016, the political science department offered two faculty-led study abroad courses: Global City Berlin and Criminal Justice: The Hague Program. Both counted as spring classes.

“In 2015, both Dr. Aloisi and I offered faculty-led study abroad courses — hers to The Hague in the Netherlands, and mine to Berlin,” said Peter O’Brien, professor of political science. “They were very successful, so we repeated them in 2016. In 2017, Dr. Aloisi went on academic leave, so we offered one course. In the meantime, the department of political science decided to make some changes whereby we’re offering more fourcredit courses, and that means that we teach fewer courses than we traditionally did.”

The office of academic affairs assessed this change and decided that one study abroad course per spring semester would be best for the department moving forward. As of now, the courses will alternate each spring.

This coming spring, The Hague course will be offered and the department will offer the Berlin course again in 2019.

“The consequence for students who want to go on study abroad is that there’s one less course available from the department of political science,” O’Brien said. “Danny Anderson has stated that it’s our goal to increase the number of students going on study abroad from 40 percent to 60 percent by the time of graduation. How do you do that if you’re reducing the number of courses in study abroad?”

Katsuo Nishikawa, professor of political science and director of the center for international engagement (CIE), explained the reasoning behind the study abroad change in the political science department.

“We’re starting a new model and we have a limited number of faculty,” Nishikawa said. “We’re producing an educational experience. Either it’s the classroom, or it’s the classroom and study abroad. There’s lots of different forms of study abroad — most of them are good, but some of them are on the light side when it comes to academics, and that’s something that we worried about.

We want these experiences to be things that have lasting effect on our students. We know classrooms are effective — if you don’t go abroad and you just come to our classrooms — our Trinity grads are pretty good. As we branch out and try to do more, we have to be careful not to undercut what we do well, which is the classroom.”

Another reason for the shift in the political science department is that the study abroad program is in a period of experimentation, and new models are being tested.

“I’d love to see a day where two programs can go in the spring,” Nishikawa said. “My vision is that every student that wants to go abroad has that opportunity. Students who did not have the opportunity to go to Berlin should think about other opportunities. It’s also good for younger students to think about this, that these opportunities are sometimes

there, sometimes not, and they should not postpone these kinds of experiences.”

Nishikawa highlighted the CIE’s participation grant, a need-based grant that students can apply for and use towards their study abroad experiences.

“We’re really working hard to get scholarships,” Nishikawa said. “We don’t want money to be an issue. We’re going to study what happens and see what is best for all students. That’s the decision that is going to come out of here. How do we help the students that want to go abroad at the same time that we help students that are here?”

Lorene Sugars, senior anthropology and art history double major, went on the Global City Berlin trip in the summer of 2016.

“I really wanted to have some sort of study abroad experience in Germany specifically while at Trinity, but due to the rigor of completing a double major and coming into Trinity with no credit hours, I couldn’t really see myself being able to be gone a full

semester,” Sugars wrote in an email interview.

“I heard about the faculty-led programs through the study abroad office and a few of my friends, learning that one was going to Berlin, and it would only take up three weeks of my summer made this class the perfect study abroad option for me.”

Sugars had not heard about the study abroad change until this interview was conducted.

“I think that offering biyearly would have its pros and its cons,” Sugars wrote. “Mainly, I think the big con is that it could limit the amount of people who can actually take the course, due to schedules and the way many majors are structured some students may not be able to take the class in the years it is offered while they are at Trinity, or may not hear about it in time to be able to. Yet, I can also see how offering it on a biyearly basis may be helpful towards planning the trip and changes to the itinerary of different outings and excursions.”

Seniors MATT JENKINS and LORENE SUGARS enjoy some free time on Museum Island in Berlin.

Recently, the political science department revised the study abroad programs offered, alternating between The Hague and Berlin every year. Photo courtesy of EVAN CHAMBLESS

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

NEWS

10-year plan seeks to improve experience Trinity’s Strategic Plan continues to inspire the school’s staff, expand holistic learning

The university’s strategic plan and campus master plan share the intention to expand the Trinity experience, both figuratively and literally. FILE PHOTO

KAYLIE KING

NEWS REPORTER In 2013, Trinity implemented a 10-year strategic plan to be completed in 2023. The plan originated before Danny Anderson, president of the university, came to Trinity, but Anderson has since taken on the plan with excitement and motivation.

“When I looked at it, thinking about joining Trinity, I immediately saw some of the

strong points that it had,” Anderson said. “I was very excited to work on it. The key things that jump out for me is it looks at ways that you can try and think about the connections for a student between academic life and some of the co-curricular parts that go on here.”

Anderson went on to discuss some of the centers that were implemented to achieve a balance between academic and extracurricular programs.

“One of the things that they did is create the Student Success Center. It’s meant to help

any student who wants to think about the best ways they can excel. A second center that was created was the Center for International Engagement, which pulls together both academic programs but also study abroad and international student services. We want every student at Trinity to think about living in a global world and being engaged with that easier.”

Another initiative of the strategic plan was to look at ways to improve the Center for Experiential Learning and Career Success, a program that joins study and practice that offers students career opportunities.

“The experiential learning is looking at a modality that many professors use in their class,” Anderson said. “It’s probably the most common if you think about students who take science classes and go on and often work in a lab. Or if you are in theatre, you are engaged in performances. We look at ways that give students the opportunity to do the thing you’re studying with the idea that often an individual learns best by doing rather than reading more theory. That can often turn into internships, off-campus experiences, things related to jobs that students may be interested in later on.”

There are four key objectives to the plan: strengthen opportunities for experiential learning, foster ‘productive collisions’ as a defining characteristic of Trinity University, enhance students’ international engagement and awareness and maximize the educational and personal benefits of a residential liberal arts university.

“The challenge is it’s a 10-year plan,” Anderson said. “It’s important for faculty to know to not try and complete them all at once. We have to do the key actions first, and then they help support the actions that come later on. The plan is part of a series of steps in thinking about the overall future of the university.”

Anderson also expressed his excitement about the Campus Master Plan, which is part of the strategic plan.

“I love the Campus Master Plan,” Anderson said. “The thing to think about is that [the master plan] is a vision for what could happen to our campus space over the next 30–40 years. What would happen if we had a way to turn some of the parking back into green space? We know we’ve got to come up with parking solutions. The big question that most planners are using right now is how quickly do we have to move on that part of our plan?

We’re looking at the evolution in technology and more and more talk about self-driving cars and technology like that. One of the things that people are concerned about is how many parking lots or parking garages are we going to need 10 years from now?”

One particular facet of the strategic plan involves refining the financial aid process to benefit students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Eric Maloof, vice president of enrollment management, elaborated on the importance of this aspect of the plan and highlighted a balance between excellence and access for students at the university.

“Trinity is striving to enroll the strongest, most capable, most curious class that we can find and yet still maintain access to those who don’t have the resources to pay the cost of a Trinity education,” Maloof said.

“That’s something that we feel that we can achieve. We don’t want finances to be a barrier for people who gain entrance here. Since that strategic plan was written, we’ve come a long way in making that happen. How we treat students when we’re recruiting, through the financial aid process, speaks directly towards the institution’s values.”

Maloof also highlighted Trinity’s growing diversity and student quality.

“When you look at our numbers over the last few years, what you’re going to see is an increase in demand for the university, an increase in the quality of students that are coming into the university and a maintained number of diverse students,” Maloof said. “When I think about diversity, I think about broadly defined — I’m not just thinking about race and ethnicity — I’m thinking about geographic diversity, gender diversity, socioeconomic diversity.”

Deneese Jones, vice president for academic affairs, is responsible for collaboratively implementing the goals of the strategic plan with faculty and staff.

“The need to prioritize the initiatives is important to workload and efficient completion,” Jones wrote in an email interview. “Last year, Trinity adopted a Home School Tuition Model that was designed to increase students’ opportunities for study abroad experiences. It affords students from all backgrounds and experiences to have an opportunity for a transformative international experience.”

Jones also emphasized the importance of hands-on experience that Anderson mentioned as one of the highlights of the strategic plan.

“Another important part of the strategic plan has been its focus on undergraduate research. This type of research is central to our values as a university because students work directly with faculty members in the development of innovative research,” Jones said.

The strategic plan nears its half-way mark, which arrives in 2018. For more details on progress and future plans, visit the plan’s website: strategicplan.trinity.edu.

B-School BS: Rumors false continued from PAGE 3

“The department is not having funding trouble. I don’t know how rumors like this start,” Anderson said.

With the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation audit approaching, Anderson appointed Robert Scherer as interim Dean.

Anderson explained that the audit happens every five years and is routine.

The engineering science program is likewise undergoing a similar audit, and the entire university will be audited in the spring. In addition, Anderson expressed confidence in the interim dean Robert Scherer, who himself has worked for the AACSB training new deans for years.

“I’ve got a lot of white hair; I’ve been doing this a while,” Scherer said.

Scherer routinely prepares new deans to handle their responsibilities, in the past

working at conferences, workshops and seminars for the AACSB. Scherer voiced an attitude of positive determination for the university, saying that Trinity’s budgetary practices work for anything that helps Trinity become more excellent.

Scherer said that they’re paving the way for James Brodzinski, a professor at Valparaiso University in Indiana, to do a preparation visit prior to the Continuous Improvement Review (CIR), the official term for the audit. He additionally cited previous well-funded and successful projects in the business department as evidence of its uninterrupted robustness, like the research project in Japan.

Anderson, Scherer and others involved in the accreditation audit assure that the school is not going anywhere and that reports of a lack of funding are merely rumors.

LET’S HEAR YOUR VOICE.

...

Have an opinion? To be featured as a guest columnist, please submit your article to trinitonian@trinity.edu by Monday night to be in Thursday’s issue of the paper.

FROM TH E EDITOR’S DESK

Trinity’s tight lips on DACA is good and bad In early March, a letter drafted by a number of Trinity employees was spread throughout the ranks of students, faculty and staff.

Dated February 28, 2017, the document was titled “Petition to make Trinity University a sanctuary for undocumented community members” and addressed to Danny Anderson, president of the university.

“We faculty, staff, students, student organizations and alumni are requesting that the Trinity administration urgently and immediately begin the process of making our campus a sanctuary for the undocumented immigrants who are a part of both our campus and broader community,” began the document. “Undocumented members of the Trinity community with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) may be particularly at risk, given the information they provided to the government.”

A prescient observation, considering Trump’s recent announcement that DACA will be repealed, meaning its 800,000 beneficiaries could be targeted for detainment and deportation beginning in April 2018. (Check out news editor Kathleen Creedon’s reporting on the policy change in this week’s Trinitonian.)

The petition, which garnered 274 signatures, asked Anderson to engage the authors in a conversation about putting Trinity resources to their fullest potential in the service of non-citizen Americans, with due consideration to the legal constraints faced by the university.

The document suggested a number of potential actions: In cooperation with the non-profit RAICES, Trinity could outfit the chapel as a place of refuge for those in need; the admissions office could put forth an effort to recruit more undocumented students and DACA recipients; the university could establish a legal defense fund for students, staff, faculty, administrators, contract workers — e.g. dining services and janitorial employees — and others in case of detention or other need of legal assistance.

As far as we can tell, university officials never publicly engaged with the authors of the petition, nor did they pursue any of its suggestions. In a March email,

Anderson offered sympathy to the petition’s signatories, noting his own public support for legislation and policies servicing immigrants and international students. But he warned that declaring Trinity a ‘sanctuary’ may mislead vulnerable populations into believing the university could protect them from government agents.

“Trinity does not have the authority to refuse to comply with lawful government action — this includes refusing to comply with lawful action on the part of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement,” Anderson wrote.

“Five months and one DACA repeal later, we find ourselves still wondering: what are the limits of the university’s protection?”

Five months and one DACA repeal later, we find ourselves still wondering: What are the limits of the university’s protection?

How many faculty, staff and students are jeopardized by Trump’s decision? What’s our game plan in case Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes to the residence halls, and what role will TUPD play in those proceedings?

Did DACA influence student admissions? Several Trinitonian journalists reached out to university officials to find out the answers to these questions.

The administration wouldn’’t give us a count of how many enrolled students are DACA recipients; we asked Eric Maloof, vice president for enrollment engagement, and Sheryl Tynes, vice president for student life. Both forwarded us an official statement that described international students’ admissions process. Apparently, students who aren’t U.S. citizens or permanent residents — a group that seems to include DACA recipients — are counted

as international students. Paul Chapa, chief of police, only offered the brief statement that TUPD won’t be “impacted”

by Trump’s decision. Good for them! But what about staff and students?

The most concrete information we have is that the university stands by its values of diversity and inclusion. In an email sent to campus last Thursday, Anderson said he supports legislation and policies that protect undocumented Americans.

It’s hard to pass judgment on the university’s response.

We’re of two minds about it.

Journalists typically demand transparency from those in positions of power. But the value of opacity shouldn’t be discounted, either.

After all, non-citizen Americans were promised protection from deportation so long as they provided the federal government personal information about themselves and family members: home addresses, fingerprints, photographs and more. Then Trump took over the presidency.

The Guardian reports that it’s possible for ICE to get hold of the data, though rules currently prevent it — rules that might change under the Trump administration. ICE’s possession of this information might end up endangering the livelihoods of about 800,000 young adults.

It makes sense that the university would shield these numbers. If it were publicized that Trinity has a large population of undocumented students, we’d become a target for ICE investigations and those students and their families would be endangered.

At the same time, we need to know the details. Should we be on guard? Can vulnerable students count on protection from TUPD or any other university official? Will we revisit the petition’s suggestions, which seem more urgent?

And why won’t they just say what Anderson seems to have admitted way back in March?

When push comes to shove, the university can’t stand in ICE’s way.

Journalistic frustrations aside, the political student organizations have the right idea: We should call our representatives in D.C. and demand they legislate a solution.

Opinion This is DACA Dreamers’ Reality DACA

MISCONCEPTIONS AND FACTS

infographic by TYLER HERRON

MICAELA HOFFMAN OPINION COLUMNIST As a follow up to my article last week, where I interviewed a DACA recipient in San Antonio, this week I take a deeper look into what and why this is something pertinent to the Trinity community. The DACA program allows Dreamers to apply for work permits, study in school and be protected from deportation.

Eligibility is only for those who arrived to the US before the age of 16, and were younger than 31 before June 15, 2012. To be accepted into the program, applicants must be currently in or have graduated from school or be honorably discharged from the armed forces and have no felonies or significant misdemeanors. All of this must be proven through extensive documentation, which costs more than $600, including lawyer fees. Needless to say, the 800,000 DACA beneficiaries

are clearly not ‘bad hombres.’

This also means that students who are recipients of the DACA are in the hands of our current legislators, and they may not be allowed to continue to work or study if a solution is not found by March 5, 2018.

The controversy which surrounds the program stems in part from the fact that it was an executive order issued by Obama in 2012. This makes the protection fickle, as it can be denied by any president at any time — as made obvious by Trump’s decision.

But, Obama created the DACA protection after two separate occasions of Congress having the chance to pass solutions for the Dreamers by way of immigration reform. What’s to say they will find a solution now? I worry about what will happen in the next six months.

In just five years, 90 percent of DACA recipients are employed, 72 percent are in school and many juggle both. Do they sound like moochers to you? Plenty of other not-quite-truths remain in the media swamp. continued on page 9

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

OPINION

How to answer Why do we the teach-in’s regulate questions immigration?

CRISTIAN VARGAS GUEST COLUMNIST

Last Friday, I had the privilege of speaking to several students at the Senate Bill 4 teach-in in Coates University Center. Admittedly, I had not originally planned on doing so, but was given the opportunity to do so through the Trinity University Latino Association (TULA), and as a Latinx myself, I felt the need to raise awareness regarding the draconian policies that Texas had begun instituting. While I felt the teach-in to be a success, Manfred Wendt felt differently in the last issue of the Trinitonian. As he put it, “the speakers never bothered to discuss why illegal immigrants should not be punished for breaking the law.” However, this sentiment misses the fundamental reasons as to why SB4 is problematic. If Mr. Wendt is so concerned with so-called illegal immigration, I encourage him to talk to an immigration attorney to learn just how convoluted and broken the American immigration system is, or to read accounts of Central American migrants about the reasons why they are fleeing Central America.

An immigration system that punishes asylum seekers for trying to escape violence lacks justice.

Regardless of the immigration debate, the most contentious provision of SB4 involves the so-called “show me your papers” clause that allows police officers to ask about the immigration status of individuals they detain or arrest. Previous laws of a similar nature, such as Arizona’s infamous SB 1070 and California’s Proposition 187, have shown that these “show me your papers” provisions lead to racial profiling of Latinos. Opponents of SB4 express concern that this provision will cause civil rights violations as American citizens are interrogated solely on the basis of their skin color or the language they speak.

Mr. Wendt’s article fails to respond to concerns about racial profiling at all. Unfortunately, the court injunction failed to prevent this particular provision from going into effect.

Thus, much of the teach-in focused on this provision and its immediate implications.

Additionally, SB4 makes it illegal for local police departments to refuse voluntary detention requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This violates the 4th Amendment by holding individuals in jails without adequate cause.

According to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), “since unlawful presence or being undocumented is generally a civil violation, local police who attempt to enforce immigration law could not legally establish the required cause, which would violate detainees’ constitutional rights.” This means localities are forced to comply even in spite of a lack of probable cause.

Furthermore, as MALDEF points

out, the law bans elected officials, local government employees and campus police officials from “endorsing policies that the state believes would prohibit or limit enforcement of immigration laws,” which is incredibly vague and violates freedom of speech under the First Amendment.

Both of these provisions have been frozen by the court injunction pending a ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Granted, these issues were not particularly addressed during the teachin as they do not yet have an immediate impact on immigrant communities, whereas the “show me your papers” provision does.

“An immigration system that punishes asylum seekers for trying to escape lacks justice.”

Furthermore, I am not entirely sure why Mr. Wendt feels the need to bring up the Kate Steinle case, but I presume he is trying to implicitly argue that harsher immigration laws protect citizens from “dangerous” immigrants.

However, a near consensus of studies have shown this not to be the case — in fact, immigrants, at best, commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens, and at worst have no statistically significant effect on crime rates. Even the libertarian Cato Institute, in an article summarizing the research done on the effect immigration has on crime —including homicide— concludes that “it is easy to focus on the horrible tragedies when somebody is murdered by an immigrant but it’s very hard to imagine all of the people who weren’t murdered because of the lower crime rates created by increased immigration.”

If Manfred had come prepared to hear our take on the immigration system, we would be happy to have that discussion at another time in another place — incidentally, details are in the works on organizing a public debate on immigration reform. However, the primary focus on the teach-in centered on the questionable legality of SB4, the ways folks could get involved in helping out affected communities, and the impact of racial profiling.

Hopefully, Manfred agrees that racial profiling is a priori morally repugnant, which would save us time explaining the reasons why racial profiling is bad.

In my speech in particular, I tried to stress the civil rights and ethicsbased reasoning behind my thinking and reminded attendees not to fall into their respective partisan silos, as anti-immigrant sentiment transcends partisan lines and has remained a part of American history long before Trump.

Cristian Vargas is a senior biology major.

MANFRED WENDT OPINION COLUMNIST

Discussions pertaining to immigration are often some of the hardest discussions one can have in politics. Often times, both sides talk completely past the other.

The conservative says she wants legal immigration, to which the progressive hears no immigration. The progressive wants more immigration and/or legalization of people already here, to which the conservative hears open borders. The progressive argues that no human is illegal, in the process ignoring the rule of law that the conservative holds dear. The libertarian wonders why we still have the nation state, to which both the progressive and conservative both respond by rolling their eyes. The progressive sides with the libertarian until the libertarian starts talking about getting rid of the welfare state. Then the conversation goes back conservative versus progressive.

“Human beings are endowed by their creator with innate dignity and certain unalienable rights.

However, the right to move into another nation is not absolute.”

Immigration discussions are very, very detailed and contain plenty of potential topics for contention. A few of the more common examples include what to do with people who were brought here as children, the children born to illegal immigrants and what to do with people of age who are here illegally. Immigration is a topic that can be talked about all day. For the purpose of this article, I will specifically be discussing why immigration is regulated. One of the most beloved progressive talking points is that “no human is illegal.” While this point sounds good when spoken, it doesn’t stand when investigated further.

The catchphrase is a gross simplification of a very complex issue. Human beings are endowed by their creator with innate dignity and certain unalienable rights.

However, the right to move into another nation is not absolute.

Immigration is a difficult topic to discuss largely due to the intersection of international relations and domestic politics. While the average citizen will understand the politics of their own country, most citizens don’t have a vast knowledge of international relations or the situations in other countries that are causing people to want to leave their home country for a new life somewhere else. Understandably, due to the tolerant culture of the United States, our strong

democratic history and our economy, many people want to move to the United States for a better life. However, just because you want something does not mean you should get it.

The United States, being a sovereign country, has a responsibility first and foremost to its citizens in the same way that every sovereign country should be responsible for its citizens. Principally among what a government is to provide is rule of law and security. In part, this means that the government should know who is in their country. This is why governments have requirements for applying to enter the country: so they can know who is in their country and who wants to be in their country. If you are not a citizen of a country and don’t apply for the privilege of entering the country, you have no right to be in the country. Simply, you were not granted that right. Thus you are committing a crime. It would be similar to entering a house that isn’t yours.

People just like your mother and father have a responsibility to control who comes into the house. We can discuss all day how many people should be allowed into the United States; that is an argument that will likely never end. But at the end of the day, for the sake of the safety and security of the country’s residents — citizens and foreign nationals alike — a nation has to be able to subject the right to immigrate to reasonable requirements. This isn’t saying that the rest of the world is filled to the brim with dangerous people. It is simply saying that we need to make sure that these people are safe before we let them in. Just like your parents asking you who is coming over.

Immigration discussions are always going to be complex and filled with an innumerable amount of nuances and special exceptions. We can talk for hours about what responsibility, if any, wealthy nations have to citizens of poorer countries, and how many people, based on what requirements, countries should allow to immigrate. However, it is much easier to have a discussion when you understand where the other side is coming from. Before we can have any of those conversations about the nuances of policy and legislation, we need to at least start by defining what we are actually talking about and why. Until that happens, we will just be talking in circles. If we don’t agree that countries have the right to place some restrictions on immigration, no other discussion about the issue will be fruitful at all.

Aside from politics, learn to talk to people instead of past them. Talking past someone is a waste of time for both of you.

When you decide to talk past someone, you are losing out of the opportunity to see the world through the other person’s point of view. Who knows? Maybe by talking to someone of the opposing view you will see the world with new eyes.

Maybe you will realize why you are right, or possibly where you are wrong. Most importantly, talk to people and at least be on speaking terms with people whom you disagree with.

Manfred Wendt is a junior political science major.

OPINION• SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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Rethink tradition DACA Dreamers for a secular life continued from PAGE 7

GABRIEL LEVINE OPINION COLUMNIST

American society is becoming non-religious at an ever-increasing rate. A 2017 study from the University of Kentucky estimated that as many as 26 percent of Americans are atheists and Pew polling has shown a rapid decline in religious affiliation, particularly among younger Americans. This decline of faith raises difficult questions about how increasingly secular Americans will live and structure their lives without the guidance of religious dictates.

“Surely, it is a contradiction to perpetuate the spiritual traditions of a religion when one knows little about its true tenets...”

to the ideal version of himself, as he would be without flaws. This isn’t so different from praying to God, Jesus or other divine paragons of perfection.

In addition to a means of personal reflection, I think that secular modifications of certain modes of prayer also offer specific utility in the modern world, as prayer did in ancient times. The ancient world was a mysterious place where weather patterns and human biology were barely understood. Prayer was a means of gaining control over this mysterious world by propitiating the all-powerful gods that controlled it. Nowadays, scientific inquiry has lifted the veil of mystery from the physical world but the vast complexity of modern society is, if anything, more mysterious to the average person today than a hurricane was to an ancient villager. It’s simply impossible for any individual to have an intimate understanding of all the private, governmental and international systems of production, transportation and service that sustain modern society. Many don’t even attempt to keep this hidden web of systems in mind and are surprised when this web fails, such as during national disasters or economic downturns.

Specific practices of prayer can help with this. I draw here from my Jewish heritage, but I’m certain there are traditions of other religions that can be equally remastered. Consider the Modeh Ani, the Jewish morning prayer, a one-sentence prayer of thanks to God for restoring the soul at the moment of waking.

From a secular perspective, there is great value in actively appreciating the ability to wake up every morning able to enjoy life. More than that, we should take the time to appreciate that we have not woken up, like those in Syria, to the sound of barrel bombs, or, like those in Yemen, to the affliction of cholera, or, like the Rohingya in Myanmar, to government soldiers shooting one’s neighbors and burning one’s village. In the process of appreciating our good fortune to not suffer these horrors, we can appreciate, at the start of our day, the social, judicial and military systems that prevent such horrors from occurring here, and how those systems still fail many citizens.

Growing up Jewish, I’ve seen these questions play out in the Jewish community. According to Pew, 62 percent of American Jews say being Jewish is primarily about ancestry or culture, while only 15 percent say it is about religion (23 percent say both). Jewish synagogues, summer camps and youth organizations have continually diluted the faith aspect of Jewish identity.

Theological study generally extends up to the Bar or Bat Mitzvah and is afterwards forgotten.

Hebrew is taught only to the point of phonetic reading ability and basic comprehension.

What, then, does it mean to be Jewish without knowledge of theology or the ability to understand Hebrew prayers? What sense does it make to marry Jewish, keep kosher or celebrate Hannukah if one has no special interest in the faith that actually makes Judaism a religion?

Many young Jews ignore such questions and simply stick with the traditions they were raised with out of a sense of familial obligation and nostalgia for youthful experiences.

Another useful practice is the saying of To me, as an atheist, that approach is a blessing or prayer before a meal, common incoherent, for secular Jews and non-Jews alike. to the Jewish, Christian, Hindu and Muslim Surely, it is a contradiction to perpetuate the traditions (and likely more). Gratitude for spiritual traditions of any religion when one sustenance is an excellent tradition. However, knows little about its true tenets and doesn’t instead of thanking God, consider the workers, think its supernatural claims reflect reality. many of them undocumented immigrants, who Luckily, non-religious frameworks exist for put back-breaking labor into picking fruits and those trying to live a good life. The works of vegetables.

Consider the scientific advancements philosophers like Bertrand Russell and Peter Singer describe rational morality and practical that have created hardier strains of plants, ethics, using secular reasoning to determine how healthier animals and the ability to transport we ought to act and what we ought to value food without spoilage over great distances.

Consider the regulations which ensure food is without defaulting to divine authority.

However, though such rational frameworks toxin-free. Consider, if one consumes meat or work well as broad prescriptions for life, animal products (as I do), the suffering that they are lacking in the day-to-day. For that, a animal may have endured so that you could secular society shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss savor the products derived from it.

This method of secular prayer can be religious traditions, which have been refined generalized to all aspects of life. Whenever you over millennia of human experience and would buy new shoes, unbox a new smartphone, ace not have been adopted so widely without some a test or start a relationship, take a moment to element of practical, daily utility. pray to the labor of individuals and the intricacy Indeed, Penn Fraser Jillette of the magician of systems that enable the great bounty of duo Penn & Teller, an outspoken atheist, has modern life. discussed how he finds a secular version of prayer valuable. Every night he reflects upon his actions throughout the day and considers how he could have been better. In this sense he prays Gabriel Levine is a senior chemistry major.

“A secular society shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss religious traditions.”

“Do you think that an illegal immigrant getting money is going to be paying taxes?” said President Donald Trump during a 2015 interview.

“Sure, some probably do, only because employers are insisting on it. But there’s very little, percentage wise. There’s very little. Probably five percent, 10 percent. It’s a very small amount [who] pay taxes.”

The undocumented pay taxes, even though they are ineligible for Social Security, food stamps and vouchers. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the number of immigrants who pay taxes is closer to 75 percent. Immigrants are issued an identification number that allows them to file income taxes without a Social Security number, though a common bit of misinformation is that they steal Social Security numbers. A third of these undocumented immigrants are homeowners, according to the institute, subjecting them to property taxes just like anyone else — which covers the cost for education. At least we let them get the education they already pay for.

In an interview in 2013, Stephen Goss, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration, said that earnings by unauthorized immigrants result in a net positive effect on Social Security financial status generally, and that this effect contributed roughly $12 billion to the cash flow of the program for 2010. 2010 is the most current estimate for summation of payroll taxes from undocumented

tax filings — estimated at $13 billion. Who knows what that number ballooned to after the DACA? Did you know, that when so-called ‘illegal immigrants’ die in our front lines, they are still only “eligible for posthumous citizenship?” So United States Citizenship and Immigration Services — you are telling me that non-citizens who fight and die for this country are not guaranteed citizenship?

I’m disgusted. Dreamers, even with DACA, are also ineligible to vote.

Many speculations fly about the real reason behind this assault on DACA, politically. “Trump is playing a tricky and dangerous political game.

If I had to guess, he intends to condition his support of any congressional DACA replacement on the inclusion of funding for the construction of a wall on the southern border,” said William Mosley-Jensen, assistant professor of human communication and director of debate. This is effectively using the lives of 800,000 young immigrants as a bargaining chip.

“They bring a renewed sense of belief in our original dreams,” said Christine Drennon, associate professor of sociology and anthropology and director of urban studies. Immigrants of any kind — DACA or not — come to this country because they believe in the American dream. They are the literal embodiment of its tenants: making a life from nothing. Immigrants choose a life of struggle here, living on the edges of a country that seems to be blind to their struggle, value and humanity.

The tarnished present of Spain SOLEIL GAFFNER OPINION COLUMNIST

Catalonia has its own language, Catalan, that was repressed during Franco’s regime.

After Franco’s regime, Catalonia began teaching Catalan in schools and started celebrating their identity once more.

Celebrating their identity, however, includes potentially becoming a fully autonomous community. In June 2017, the government of Catalonia called for a referendum which would determine whether the community of Catalonia intended on seeking independence from the government of Spain. However, on Sept. 7, the government denied this referendum, claiming that it was not permitted within the Spanish Constitution.

Explaining the current political climate, however, Thompson said, “Spain has come from a burdensome past to a tarnished present.”

This issue is not so simply solved by opposing political parties. Even with the increased independence of an autonomy, there are Spaniards who do not want to be a part of Spain.

This is the tarnished present that Spain has come to and must learn from.

Let’s tie this back now. Spain is not a ‘young’ country, yet Thompson often spoke of how Spain is still young due to its recent past. “Spain is still growing up — just how analysts say the United States is still coming to terms with its troubled past,” Thompson said.

Taking into account the relatively young United States, in our current climate, the term “troubled past” is more than accurate. Spain is not incredibly different from the U.S.: we both have a troubled past that is continuing to haunt our tarnished present. But both of these countries has shown that we bounce back, no matter how messed up our past is. Both the U.S. and Spain are coming together to solve their respective problems that any young country would have.

To be honest, the biggest culture shock for me isn’t the referendum for Catalan independence.

It’s actually just that Spain doesn’t refrigerate their eggs.

This week on Soleil’s Adventures in Spain, I realize how grateful I am that I was able to experience study abroad through Trinity.

The program organizers, Trinity’s own Bladimir Ruiz, Rosana Blanco-Cano and Katsuo Nishikawa, among others, scheduled a busy week for our traveling seminar. We spent two or three days in the south of Spain. Our non-stop walking history tour of Spain was incredible, and definitely the best cure for our jet lag.

I wasn’t aware of how grateful I was to have this educational bonding seminar until I arrived back in Madrid for IES Madrid’s orientation.

While Trinity’s orientation was taking us to several historic landmarks and explaining the significance and interculturality of Spain, IES Madrid sits everyone in an auditorium for hours at a time to talk about safety and class schedules.

I don’t blame the program — their job is to keep us safe during our time abroad. But sitting in a cold auditorium and listening to them explain how pickpockets will rob you of everything you own for two hours is incredibly boring.

One part of the IES Madrid orientation I truly engaged in, though, was their Diversity and Inclusion speaker. Owen Thompson is a journalist whose talk was about a blend of the ‘Old’ Spain and the ‘New’ Spain.

From 1939 to 1975 (give or take a few years), Spain was under Francisco Franco’s autocratic rule, which largely prevented Spain from partaking fully in the development of the rest of Europe.

“The Kingdom of Spain is Past meeting Present in a very crucial junction,” Thompson said during his talk. The past he’s talking about refers to the history of the Franco regime. The present that he refers to is another complicated issue that is currently being debated.

Spain has 17 autonomous communities that function under their own set of constitutional laws and also follow Spain’s federal constitutional Soleil Gaffner is a junior communication and Spanish double major. laws. One of these autonomies is Catalonia.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

OPINION

Trinity alum discusses impact of going Greek

JEREMY ALLEN, bottom left, poses at the 2016 Greek U leadership retreat. photo provided by JEREMY ALLEN

JEREMY ALLEN GUEST COLUMNIST My Trinity journey began as an eager 18year-old, unsure of my major, my future or what people meant by “the magic stones.”

Between navigating classes, meeting new hallmates and exploring the food scene in San Antonio, there was a lot to learn.

This may sound familiar. One thing that clicked immediately, though, was the sense of community that I had never before experienced.

Even as a brand new first-year, I found myself surrounded by students, faculty and

staff that genuinely cared about my success and well being. Fast forward four years to graduation, and my sense of community and belonging had grown exponentially in large part due to one thing: Trinity’s Greek life.

I came to college, like many of our members, not initially interested in Greek life. Around October of my first year is when I dipped my toes in the recruitment waters. I had friends who had attended events for weeks, and they finally convinced me to give one a try. One weekend, some fraternity members invited us to grab a late lunch. “Perfect,” I thought, “I could go for some food before hitting the library.”

My Texas friends informed me we were headed to The Salt Lick in Driftwood —

considered by many the original mecca of Texas barbeque. Long story short: I had the best brisket of my life and had an absolute blast along the way.

As the semester progressed, I found myself attending more and more of these recruitment events. It became apparent that Trinity fraternities didn’t operate in the manner so often stereotypically portrayed in the movies.

For one, the organization’s events didn’t center around alcohol. Instead, we’d attend concerts, float the river, play frisbee, watch football games, grill unhealthy amounts of meat and yes, even occasionally study.

I had the chance to connect with over 40 members that, to this day, I still consider the most diverse group of people I have ever met. There were varsity soccer players and swimmers sharing a meal with philosophy majors and amateur musicians. Those who grew up on real-life Texas ranches exchanging stories with environmental activists from the Pacific Northwest. Friends that laughed together, grew together and challenged each other. ‘Brothers’ with diverse upbringings and life experiences.

“Now this was college,” I thought. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I was hooked. I joined Kappa Kappa Delta in the spring of 2004, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

As I look back over a decade later, I have realized something amazing. As a member of this community, I have formed friendships that will last a lifetime and I have collected memories that would require lifetimes to forget. I became a part of something bigger than myself. Those swimmers I met as a first-year? One is now a practicing attorney;

the other a practicing physician. The amateur musicians? Both now professional with ongoing careers that have included performances at Red Rocks Amphitheater and the South by Southwest music festival.

Greek community alumni include doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and politicians. The vast majority would jump at the chance to help out a fellow brother or sister — even one they had never met.

This Sunday marks the beginning of the fraternity and sorority recruitment process.

You are likely to hear more than you ever imagined about “brotherhood” and “sisterhood.” You will attend formal and informal events. Camping trips, lunches, tailgates and more await you in the coming weeks. Friendships with active members will surely form, but also take the time to learn more about the organizations themselves.

What are that organization’s values? How involved are their alumni? What leadership opportunities are available? Every one of our 13 organizations has something to offer and membership can be a life-changing event.

Ask any of our nearly 500 current active members and they will likely agree. Ask any of our thousands of alumni, and you are likely to hear a story somewhat similar to mine. Come February, the fraternity and sorority community will likely welcome between 150 and 200 new members. Will you be one of them? In ten years, will you share a similar story? There is only one way to find out.

Jeremy Allen is the Assistant Director for Fraternity & Sorority Life. He graduated from Trinity in 2007.

OPINION • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

Fight the power, not each other CAMILLE REYES FACULTY COLUMNIST

Progressives — people who care about social justice — have a public relations problem of our own making. After more than 20 years practicing and studying public relations, I know a crisis when I see one. We have forgotten our goals concerning human rights, and instead we’re hyper-policing language and identity. We are busy filling up our metaphorical prisons, sealing our mouths shut lest we say the wrong words, while the actual imprisonment of the ‘have nots’ — immigrants and black men spring to mind — continues unabated.

“We have forgotten our goals concerning human rights, and instead we’re hyper-policing our language and identity.”

It is easy to expose the absurdities of turning clumsily worded questions about where a person is from into racist remarks or playing cultural judge and jury.

I’m thinking of the white owners of a taco truck in Portland, Oregon who were recently drummed out of business for cultural appropriation.

So-called ‘liberal’ frenzies miss the structural elements of racism or ethnocentrism. While we — the 99 percent who do not hold this country’s wealth — are busy fighting amongst ourselves over the provenance of a taco, we are missing the systematic ways that our government and multinational corporations work in concert to maintain the status quo.

Meanwhile, those in power capitalize on the language fatigue that people feel on both sides of the political spectrum. Having established common ground and swayed public opinion, they further inflame divisions by suggesting that identity — race, class, gender and more — has no place in politics.

Even prominent academics on the left have suggested that women’s issues, for example, should be pushed to the background.

Just because we have a problem with censorship in left-leaning circles, does not mean that socalled identity politics are the problem. We need unity around difference — a paradoxical path,

but a wise choice. One’s identity opens the door to empathy, an absolutely necessary quality for healing divisions and for creating functional government at any level. This does not mean that a wealthy, straight, white male cannot understand the plight of a poor, lesbian, black woman.

On the contrary, ending identity politics would mean an erasure of difference, rather than an acknowledgement and a struggle for understanding. Not talking about intersectionality will only make our divisions wider, as will any hyper-policing of the language used for discussion.

Context and empathy are critical for social harmony and excellent public relations.

In short, there is a trend among liberals to take what amounts to poorly expressed questions or assumptions about a person’s identity, and turn them into trigger-warning minefields.

I find this trend completely frightening because I recognize it as one of the keys to fascism, American style. Our collective and symbolic imprisonment will not come from an orange-topped despot, but rather from neighbor policing neighbor. In other words, censorship at the grassroots level effectively kills freedom of speech — no Big Brother required.

“Context and empathy are critical for social harmony and excellent public relations.”

And it is possible, despite what some on the left claim, to talk about structural inequalities through the lens of identity.

Feminists in the late 1960s coined a great phrase: the personal is political, meaning to separate private from public or political is a false dichotomy, one that leads to great harm.

The trick, again, is to talk about difference in a way that builds empathy rather than isolation.

This means talking about the big picture issue — whether it’s the education system or campus politics — in a way that does not erase difference, but rather seeks to understand the larger problem through difference.

It means keeping the conversation going and not playing whack-a-mole with the ‘wrong’ words.

Camille Reyes is an assistant professor in the communication department.

11

Shape up, CSI: Creative aesthetics are crucial to scientific inquiry GABRIEL LEVINE OPINION COLUMNIST

The Center for Sciences and Innovation (CSI) is generally a beautiful building. The glasswalled labs, open walkways and streaming sunlight pair with a modernist design that makes CSI the centerpiece of campus tours.

However, for all the apparent beauty of the building’s design, the art inside it is remarkably hit-or-miss.

Specifically, the hallways outside the third and fourth floor chemistry labs and the first floor computer science department are filled with garish, vapid posters that seem like the first results of a Google image search of “cool science art not made by scientists.” I’m all for teaching computer scientists what atoms are, but it does no good misinforming them with a picture of the Bohr model superimposed over a desert landscape. We’ve known the Bohr model is wrong for 90 years! Surely it wasn’t too hard to find an artistic depiction of an electron cloud instead.

The real tragedy of the low quality of the wall art in CSI, though, is that it misses out on a key opportunity to counterbalance the clean, sterile elements of CSI’s design. On some level, these minimalist elements make sense. When people think of science they think of sterile, white, gleaming labs. This popular conception is not unfounded. Clean, sterile conditions are necessary for lab environments that hope to make accurate discoveries about the nature of the physical world. These physical conditions can also improve the work efficacy of those who work in laboratories, eliminating outside distractions.

However, I think that this approach is misguided and enables some small increase in research efficiency at the expense of the sequestration and isolation of scientists from the real world. When a workspace has no reminders of anything besides the work done in that workspace, the mind falls out of the habit of considering things beyond the workspace. Those who already focus the bulk of their mental efforts on their work will be even less likely to consider external factors. True, many scientists do research with the goal of making discoveries that can improve the lives of others. However, this type of goal is, in a certain sense, both shallow and narrow. A goal of creating new drugs, software or mechanical systems that can improve lives is very different from deeply understanding how science is influenced by and interacts with other fields and society and politics writ large.

This shallow notion of science cannot be allowed to occur within the scientific community.

Already, scientists tend to cluster

illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

and self-isolate. Most Americans are startlingly ignorant of the conclusions and methods of science and most know few, if any, scientists personally. Recently, there has been an encouraging resurgence of scientific interest in politics and activism but, from what I’ve seen, many prominent scientific figures have fairly sophomoric understandings of the nuances of policy and overestimate the power of science to give answers about how government should be run. In short, they abandon the rigor they’ve applied to the study of their scientific area of expertise once they consider issues outside that area. Why is this?

“Science is practiced, interpreted and implemented by people, and people are fallible.”

Part of the reason is that scientific education often focuses on the tools of science without any meaningful examination of the history, philosophy, politics and purpose of science. Science does not exist, and is certainly not funded, for its own sake. Many pursue it out of a sense of curiosity about the natural world or a desire to help people, but funding comes from governments because governments realizes, or used to realize, the power that comes from scientific excellence.

Moreover, the view of scientific history is often sanitized. Has

science been a substantial, if not the most substantial, contributor to the global increase in quality of life in the last few centuries? Certainly.

However, scientific discoveries and their implementation are not always beneficial, and brilliant scientists are not necessarily good people. Consider Philipp Lenard and Johannes Stark, German Nobel Prize laureates in physics who both supported the Nazi government and an anti-Semitic idea of physics called ‘Deutsche Physik’ that rejected the works of Einstein as ‘Jewish physics.’

Science is practiced, interpreted and implemented by people, and people are fallible, even if they have Ph.D.s. Simultaneously, science wields immense power and authority.

If scientists are to have such power, they have a corresponding responsibility to look beyond their labs and the beneficial applications of their research and consider, with the same rigor applied to their research, the hard questions about scientific history and how science and scientific developments can be misapplied or have unintended negative consequences.

This responsibility also extends to the necessity of training young science majors to consider these questions. This can be achieved partly through more rigorous mandatory seminar classes, but another option is more passive. The environments in which professors and students study science should be designed to reflect the history and contemporary context of science.

Much like the mural that enwraps the Coates Library stairwell, the art that adorns the walls of our science building should be rich, meaningful and depict science in all its manifestations.

Gabriel Levine is a senior chemistry major.

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.

Say hi to the Comp Sci tie-dye guy Sousaphone player and tiedye aficionado discusses the evolution of his signature look and how novices can achieve the look MEREDITH GOSHELL PULSE WRITER

Horst Evans is a junior computer science major and a sousaphone player for Tiger Stand Band. He’s also the tie-dye king of Trinity University.

Ever since he was in early middle school, he has solely been wearing tie-dyed shirts; we asked him why. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Meredith Goshell: How did you get into tie-dying t-shirts?

Horst Evans: Tie-dyed shirts are honestly pretty cheap. You can get cotton shirts for like $5. We usually do these giant dying things so the dye is usually spread out amongst everyone, and it’s cheap and fun. I got hooked in elementary school, and then my dad knew this guy who does it professionally, so we all got kind of hooked on it. My grandparents do it, too.

MG: So it’s a family affair then?

HE: Yeah, we have family pictures where the whole family is in tie-dye. My dad gets these cotton button-down shirts for work and he’ll dye them and go to work in them. My aunt lives in Round Rock and she’ll drive down and then family friends and work friends will come down. It’ll usually be a whole-day thing.

My mom also will sometimes do big batches because she likes to make baby clothes and stuff, for when her friends have children. We also will sometimes make towels for gifts and stuff.

MG: So, we know that you love tie-dye shirts, but do you ever tie-dye anything else?

HE: Yeah. In middle school, I had a whole outfit. You can get those canvas shoes and

bend those up and dye them. I had canvas shoes, socks, shorts, underwear, shirt, a button-down shirt over that and one of those floppy canvas hats.

MG: Where do you buy your white shirts?

HE: Target or Walmart. Usually, I get 100 percent cotton shirts. You can get a 50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester blend and those will work. You can do full polyester, but the thing with poly is that it will bleed down and kind of fade it into more pastel colors, so with fifty-fifty you can get really cool effects.

If you’re into the cool bleed-down effects, full poly is great.

MG: How about your dye?

HE: We usually get our dyes from this place called Dharma Trading Company. They supply dyes and we find theirs to be, like, not garbage. If you buy them at Walmart, you’re probably going to get bad dyes. So, Dharma is more expensive, but they’ll give you actual colors and they’ll stick a lot better, so you need less. So, in a way, you’re kind of saving money.

Dharma also has really great recipes. You need this stuff called soda ash and urea water, and you put the urea water in with the dye to reduce clumping. Soda ash helps the dye stick to the cotton.

MG: Can you walk through the process of tie-dyeing your shirts?

HE: We usually have a bucket in our shed filled with little jars filled with powder, with little dyes. So, the day before the big dye, we’ll spend the evening before filling up the jars with a mixture of urea water, regular water and the dye. We’ll fill up a big tub with soda ash. Usually, we’ve already bought the shirts, unless we have any lying around. The cool thing is, if you have paint stuff on the shirt, that won’t get dyed. You can usually preserve that under the dye. You’ll soak the clothing for about five minutes in the soda-ash water. After that, you’ll take it out and do the tying part.

You can do different patterns, like spirals or starburst. Usually, you want to rubber band

HORST EVANS proudly wears one of his hand-made tie-dye t-shirts by the Fountain. photo by ALLISON WOLFF

it how you’re going to dye it. For a spiral, you pie wedge. You put different colors on the different wedges. Once it’s all tied up, we usually have these plastic carpenter things that we’ll dye them on so that it doesn’t bleed.

MG: Do you have any tips on how to best dye a shirt?

HE: So, when you dye, you want to get it really good. A lot of rookie mistakes include just dyeing the outside, and it looks pretty, but when you unfurl it, it’s like 90 percent white. So you really want to open the cracks and soak it. When you flip it over and can see the color coming through, that’s when you know you did it well.

Trinity Ballooning Project soars for data continued from page FRONT

Though the launch itself takes only a few minutes, all the equipment must be tested during the preparation phase, which takes place inside the labs.

“We use helium tanks to fill up the balloons, so that takes a little bit of time, and setup takes a little bit of time. Over here in the lab, we’re testing the battery of the ozone [sonar device], whether or not the radio is transmitting frequency and data to us and the frequency of the ozone [sonar device] too,” Syed said.

The ozone sonar and radio sonar devices are linked to each other via a microprocessor, and the data is immediately transmitted to the computers at Trinity.

“The radio sonar on there transmits the data in real time to our computers, and that’s all we actually need, so we don’t have to be able to recover the box,” said Zachary Wooten, who graduated this spring with a degree in mathematics. “But it’s very expensive, so it saves money if people return it. There are probably dozens just lying around San Antonio.”

For now, the program at Trinity is solely collecting data, which will then be analyzed

and interpreted by students at St. Edward’s University. From what data has been collected so far, however, San Antonio need not worry.

“For the most part, Dr. Wooten, myself and the students are really just providing an additional data set for the St. Edward’s students, who are doing the number crunching and modeling and interpreting,” Bleamaster said. “But one of the things I learned from this is that San Antonio’s air is pretty good and clean. Even though we’re a potential ozone accumulator or generator, our levels are pretty low, comparatively speaking.”

As the project is planned to be long term, and has been going on for some time, more data will be collected in the years to come, presumably in other large cities around Texas.

“I think they intend to continue the project, and I spoke with one of the workers yesterday who said that the TCEQ has been very happy with the study and the results that they’re getting. It’s funding-dependent, so as long as there’s funding, they will continue to collect data for the project, and I think they’ll probably stay focused on metropolitan areas. That’s where ozone tends to build up, as a direct result of pollutions and car emissions and things like that,” Bleamaster said.

Trinity Ballooning project surround one of the balloons used to collect ozone data. Photo by ALLISON WOLFF

PULSE • September 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

13

New student auditing group encourages genuine improvements in the classroom Tigers as Partners meet with classes once a week to provide feedback and advice for future improvements of the class

CLAIRE NAKAYAMA PULSE REPORTER

At the end of the semester, students fill out an evaluation form for each professor, explaining what they liked about the class and what the professor could improve on. For some students, however, this is a semesterlong job. The Tigers as Partners (TaP) program, which began in the spring of 2017, now has 10 students who sit in on classes and meet with professors once a week in order to provide their insight on how well their class is operating.

The program was created by Sophia Abbot, a fellow for collaborative programs, and is based on the Students as Learners and Teachers program at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. The program is designed to help faculty improve and evolve their class over the course of the semester in order to make it as efficient and productive as possible.

“They do regular observations and they’re not enrolled in the class, but they’re giving regular, genuine student feedback on what’s happening, as well as offering a general student perspective on what they’re saying in the classroom,” Abbot said.

The students participating in the program are put in a class that they’ve not taken themselves and in a department they aren’t majoring in, so that there are no biases for a student who is familiar with the course or subject.

One of the program’s students, Michael

Several members of TaP discuss events and developments at a meeting . photo by ALLISON WOLFF

Paniagua, is a junior anthropology major who joined the program because it aligned with his current and future interests.

“It sounded like something that I would be personally interested in, because later on in life I would like to become a professor myself. So I would love to see this inside view of what it’s like to teach, and at the same time I care about giving back to the education system, to refine it for others,” Paniagua said.

When it comes to giving feedback to professors, the group reflects it seemed daunting and intimidating at first. The realities of such a task are now far from it.

“If a professor decides to participate in this program, then they are acknowledging that

there are things they would like to improve on that they may not know about,” Paniagua said. “There really isn’t any criticism so long as you’re not outright insulting the professor.”

The partnerships are for a wide variety of courses and departments, such as education, theatre, urban studies and even the first-year experience courses.

The group also meets once a week to discuss the progress in the classes as well as give each other advice about the progress of their classes.

“If I’m running into a problem, or a professor wants to change something but doesn’t know how, I can come to these guys and be like, ‘Hey, this is an issue we’re having in the class. What do you guys think about

it?’” said Natalie McCray, a junior sociology major who has been in the program since its inception. “Then, they can pull from their own experiences from their partnerships or other classes they’ve taken, and it just gives a good range and variety of responses to an issue that a professor might have.”

Students who are enrolled in the class can also come to the partners and discuss any problems or issues they might have in the class.

“We’re like the liaison between the students and the professors, so we’re in this weird position where we’re not strictly students of the class, but we still have that relationship with the students, and we also have a personal relationship with the professor,” McCray said.

The program will continue in the years to come. Eventually, the program may even expand so that even more professors will have the opportunity to get assistance on how to optimize the students’ experience of the course.

“My ultimate goal is that every professor on campus that wants to do this has an opportunity to do this, and hopefully that eventually every professor on campus will have participated at least once,” Abbot said.

The program allows for growth on both all ends of the academic spectrum. Audits benefit from experience, professors benefit from input given on their classes, and students receive a more positive classroom experience.

“I will definitely continue to be a TaP consultant so long as the position is available for me. I greatly value the opportunity to help professors improve their teaching. I think student-teacher interactions are important for improving the class environment, and for me and my career goals I think it is personally fulfilling,” Paniagua said.

Campus car advice Students on campus offer helpful tips and strategies on and off campus for dealing with inevitable vehicle troubles.

CLAIRE NAKAYAMA PULSE REPORTER

Every year, over 220 million people get flat tires in the United States. The average American household spends 1.5 percent of its annual income on car maintenance. So, when you’re one of those people and have car problems at Trinity University, what should you do?

“I had a flat tire and it was really a traumatic experience for me because I don’t do cars and I don’t deal with them. I really don’t know [how] to deal with them,” said Nkolika Nweke, a senior psychology major. “So, I immediately called my dad and I found a nail in my tire and really had no idea what to do.”

College students all over the country find themselves in this situation. If your car is still drivable, one option is to find your local car dealership and take your car in to have a professional look at the issue with you car.

Some, such as Discount Tire and the American Automobile Association, will assist you for free in exchange for a membership fee.

“I drove over to Discount Tire and they fixed it for free, so that was really nice,” Nweke said. “If you ever have a flat tire and you’re a member at Discount Tire, they’ll fix it for free.

I drove on the flat and I made sure to use the slow lane and take side roads instead of main highways. My biggest advice [is] to always check your tires if you ever hear a hissing noise because your tire is probably flat.

Another option that a lot of people utilize

is simply asking a friend for help. If it’s an easily solvable issue, such as a car needing to be jumped, contacting a friend can be an easy and free way to fix the situation.

However, it is important to note that you can permanently ruin your car if these procedures are done incorrectly.

“One time, I parked in [the] Mabee parking lot by the baseball field,” said Jake Blankenship, a senior finance major. “There was a young couple that [was] having car trouble and asked me if I knew anything. I checked it out and it was pretty obvious that their battery was dead.

Luckily, I had some jumper cables in my car so I helped them jump-start it.”

Trinity University Police Department is another resource for students on campus.

They supply a non-emergency, 24-hour service number that students can call for assistance.

“If it is a battery issue you can call us and we can bring a jump start kit to your location,” said Daniel Chapa, TUPD sergeant. “We then have you sign a waiver and help you recharge your battery. Also, the university offers a Zip Car rental.”

However, some students have expressed reservations about TUPD and their services for students.

“While I know that Trinity University Police Department is a resource, I probably still would not use them in the future,” Blankenship said. “TUPD has been known to be slow to respond to calls and I feel as though I can usually solve the problem myself.”

Additionally, these tips are primarily for minor car problems on campus. If you believe your car to be having serious problems, it is always best to err on the side of caution and take your car to a local mechanic to have it examined.

CAR PROBLEMS? CAR SOLUTIONS

graphic by TYLER HERRON

AE &

“It” breaks records at the box office

“It” sends professional clowns into crisis

Based on Steven King’s novel of the same name, “It” has had one of the most successful opening weekends in horror movie history.

The World Clown Organization has urged its members to prepare for an increased fear of clowns following the movie’s release. Life is weird.

“To Be Honest” examines San Antonio’s view of Islam

Faculty use research on perception of Muslims to create play ARIANA RAZAVI A&E CONTRIBUTOR

Trinity professors brought an audience of more than 400 into the McNay Art Museum last Thursday for the premier of “To Be Honest,” a play that grew out of research conducted in the summer of 2016 led by three Trinity professors: Sarah Beth Kaufman, Habiba Noor and William Christ.

The research, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and completed in tandem with students through the Mellon Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, explored San Antonio’s honest perception of Islam during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Hanna Niner, Savannah Wagner and Iris Baughman — all Trinity graduates as of this May — worked with junior Matthew Long to conduct 172 interviews.

The group gathered San Antonians’ candid views about Islam. Testimony ranged from strongly anti-Islamic views to more sympathetic opinions of the Muslim community. Since this research was relevant to current U.S. social issues, Kaufman and Noor wanted to release the data they collected from this research because, after President Trump’s election, anti-Islamic sentiment grew stronger.

LOPITA NATH, left, and TAHIR NAQVI, professor of sociology (right), in “To Be Honest.” Naqvi is the husband of Habiba Noor, researcher and playright for the project. photos by CHLOE SONNIER

They decided to deliver the research in a creative way: instead of a typical academic article, they constructed it into “To Be Honest,” directed by former Trinity theatre professor Stacey Connelly.

This research was inspired by “The Laramie Project,” a play taught in the Social Justice First Year Experience course. Like “The Laramie Project,” this play is basically a montage of interviews.

“I sent it to Dr. Kaufman saying, ‘This is the Laramie Project,’” Noor said.

At that point, they knew they had to do this. They wanted people to listen to the responses and capture the state America was in after Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ controversy.

Noor had dedicated her doctoral research to studying Muslim communities.

“It’s not about the religion. It’s about this dividing point,” Noor said.

These San Antonians’ honest perception of Islam brought uniqueness to this issue since San Antonio is a blue city in a red state. Niner, Wagner,

Baughman and Long were able to bring quality to this research by interviewing people of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.

The controversy of this religion brings up other topics, like immigration and what it means to be an American, which can be seen in the play. “To Be Honest” demonstrates that this issue is not a partisan one. As Noor pointed out, there are prominent liberals like Bill Maher who are anti-Muslim.

But how can we cure this negative perception of Islam? The answer is not simple. Many people have tried to educate themselves on what the religion is, but sometimes this worsens their alreadynegative perceptions.

“Why do you have to know what it really is to give someone respect?” Noor said.

The group believes that the honest solution to this problem is mutual respect of people’s humanity. One of the goals of the play is to remind people that we are all human at the end of the day. They also want people to reflect on this issue since it’s not a conversation that most people have.

As of now, the play and its creators are receiving good press for the message they’re spreading. The San Antonio Express-News reported on them a couple of weeks ago, and they recently talked on Texas Public Radio about their play. This 70-minute production was a success, as the venue went over-capacity — McNay staff told the Trinitonian that about 15 late arrivals had to be turned away at the door.

The show will be presented on campus in the Stieren Theater on Oct. 15. The academics-turned-playwrights hope to bring this play out of San Antonio, and are currently trying to receive grants to take it to other cities.

From left to right: junior JULIA PALMER, OCTAVIO DE LA PENA, senior YESENIA CABALLERO and sophomore ALEX BRADELY performing a live action reading of “To Be Honest.” The actors’ staged reading was able to fill the auditorium to capacity; McNay staff estimated more than 400 in attendance. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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This year’s Lennox Seminar: What you need to know A rundown of the upcoming series of lectures concerning love and sex in Rome ABIGAIL WHARTON A&E CONTRIBUTOR

This Tuesday marks the beginning of Trinity’s 2017 Lennox Seminar Series entitled “Love, Art, and Power in the Roman Empire”. Through November, lecturers from different universities will speak on topics relating to themes of power and love within works of literature and art left behind by the Roman empire.

Intense transformations in Mediterranean life were seen throughout the first and second centuries A.D. due to a consolidation in imperial control. The historical records of these two centuries are fraught with war, uprisings, political drama and philosophical exchange. The famous political regimes of Caligula, Claudius, Nero and Hadrian rose and fell with their fair share of blood and assassinations. The Colosseum opened for the first time. The Empire reached from Jerusalem to Southern Britain.

But why this, and why now? At the beginning of September, the San Antonio Museum of Art opened a new and unique

exhibition: “Antinous, the Emperor’s Beloved: Investigating a Roman Portrait.” The show centers on a single marble portrait of Antinous, an attractive young man that was favored by the emperor Hadrian. After drowning in the Nile River, he was deified by the emperor.

Though all that remains of this marble statue is the head, Antinous seems to be portrayed as a Bacchus-like figure. You don’t have to be HUMA alumni to see something more than brotherly affection at play.

The first lecture comes from Carolyn Vout, a fellow and university reader in Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge. On Sept. 12, Vout spoke at the San Antonio Museum of Art on the topic of sexuality. Using art, Vout can reconstruct the nature of Rome’s sex life and draw connections between the history of empire and the history of sexuality.

On Oct. 2, Craig Williams will give a lecture in the Fiesta Room on a rather peripheral type of narrative, one that deals with the impulsive characteristics of the time. Animals falling in love with human beings necessitates discussion on the implications of power, love and humanity.

Williams is a classics professor from the University of Illinois.

Also from the University of Cambridge, Tim Whitmarsh will speak at Trinity on the relationship between Hadrian and Antinous on Nov. 6. Whitmarsh is a professor of Greek culture and is renowned for his research in Greek novels and literature.

Molly Swetnam-Burland will close out the seminar on Nov. 27. A professor

illustration by YESSENIA LOPEZ

at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, Burland specializes in Roman material culture as well as social history.

Her lecture will discuss the role of Egypt in Augustan Rome after the Battle of Actium, a confrontation in the final war of the Roman Republic that allowed Octavian to take power over Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

The Lennox Seminar Series is a Trinity tradition that brings in speakers from across the globe to promote discussion and to take an indepth look at a topic from multiple angles and disciplines. This year, students have an altogether unique opportunity to see art first-hand in the museum before joining in the conversation with experts in literature and history.

Classics professor gives his take on not-so-classic films AUSTIN DAVIDSON A&E CONTRIBUTOR

If you haven’t had a class with Benjamin Stevens, assistant professor of classical studies, get into one as soon as possible. Additionally you should try to go to all of his movie nights, held Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the Richardson Communication Center, and listen to his expert and intriguing analysis of great movies.

So far, this year hasn’t seen the release of any stand-out sci-fi movies, but a few coming this fall and the spring of 2018 could ease the pain of having to watch any more summer blockbusters. To receive some expert insight into where the sci-fi genre is going and how Hollywood has impacted it, I talked to Stevens.

Austin Davidson: The new “Blade Runner” movie, are you excited for it?

Benjamin Stevens: I am excited for it. I

love “Blade Runner”. I have screened it for my courses for a long time and, while I was at Bryn Mawr College, I had the chance to do a public screening of director Ridley Scott’s “Final Cut” in 2007. It was amazing. So you could say I have a lot riding on this movie being good, or me enjoying it. I love the film as a cinematic exercise, but not as a story. Its source material is much more creative and interesting and less heavy-handed. But the movie is beautiful visually and it’s a vehicle for a dense vision of what the future could be.

Based on the trailers I’ve seen, with its very interesting and beautiful shots, the movie stands a chance of being very good.

The director is also one I really love, Denis Villeneuve. His last two movies, “Arrival” and “Sicario,” are each masterful and emotionally powerful pieces of film.

AD: I definitely agree with all of that.

What about “Thor?” You could say that’s one of the movies Hollywood is relying on to make up for its weak summer. I, myself, am pretty skeptical of it. It doesn’t look like anything new and could really be just more of the same Marvel superhero formula they

BENJAMIN STEVENS during his weekly movie group. Stevens analyzes popular films, discussing their connections to classical works and themes. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

have been spitting out these past five years.

BS: I take that point, that the movie does look like it’s par for the course plot-wise, and I think that’s due to the film having to be part of the Marvel cinematic universe. And it has to be that way due to them all having to lead up to the big one, “Infinity Wars” and the “Infinity Gauntlet.” I can’t say that I’m looking forward to that, because Thanos really looks silly and kinda goofy. But, specifically with the “Thor” franchise, it has a nice combination of a sense of wonder that you find in science fiction with the level of technology turning into magic, and of boyish humor that brings the movie back to Earth.If the director combines that sense of magic and humor while also not taking it too seriously, I think it could be good. I’m looking forward to it.

AD: Do you think that the direction that Hollywood is taking science fiction is positive or that there are new things being added to it movie-wise? Or do you feel like they are rehashing or digging stuff up?

BS: Well, we started with two examples of franchises, or at least of shared universes. But we could certainly think of examples from the last couple years of independent sci-fi films, and by independent I mean in the studio process and in terms of not being part of a shared universe. But those independent scifi films are superb and rather successful, like “Arrival,” “Her” and “Ex Machina.”

AD: Do you think Hollywood is trying to bring some new traditions into the fold, or is it like they have a folder of the five they always use and they refuse to shy away from it?

BS: If we are talking about Hollywood, then yes, there are a handful of story types that do get tossed around over and over and, in terms of drawing on cultural traditions like the Greek and Roman classics, it’s not clear to me that there is a conscious, collective attempt to break new ground.

Like, here is an example of a movie failing to successfully draw on classical traditions: “The Mummy.” A film like “Wonder Woman,” makes the attempt to draw on ancient traditions and from those traditions

focalizing on a woman hero or at least a woman protagonist.

And for various reasons I think “The Mummy” was not successful but, particularly to your question, I think the movie failed because of the ham-fisted way it hoped to draw on this alleged ancient tradition. This movie was also Universal Studios’ attempt to jump-start a monster universe, to rival Marvel and DC, and, as you could see with their first attempt, it was a disastrous failure.

AD: Yeah, I agree. Well, another big movie coming out this year is the new “Star Wars.”

It’s has people either over the moon or beyond mad. What’s your take on the newest installation of the intergalactic franchise?

BS: The most recent two movies left me sort of cold and unmoved, emotionally. And I had the very strong feeling that in both films, certain aspects of the story or certain characters were highlighted and drawn out more instead of being left to the dust like they generally were. An example would be in “Rogue One,” the story of Jin’s father deciding to leave the empire and be a farmer. I wanted a whole hour on what led up to that decision and his life as a simple farmer. And I wanted less of the gap-filling to bridge the two films.

I just kept feeling like the story we were being given was crucial to the plot but not essential to my emotional investment in the franchise or its characters.

Talking to Dr. Stevens is like talking to a humble library. He’s a limitless fountain of knowledge and care, a person everyone should try to speak to at least once. While I mainly talk to him about movies and sci-fi, he knows equally as much about almost anything else.

As Dr. Stevens said, there is hope for sci-fi and movies in general. The masses are starting to demand better movies and it seems that Hollywood is listening, leaving room for more films like “Arrival”, “Big Hero 6” and “Wonder Woman.”

“Vote with your feet,” as Stevens says. Don’t allow Hollywood to take your hard-earned bread and your valuable time on less-than-stellar films.

This interview has been edited for length.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Members of Greek life raise money for Houston

Trinity students organize fundraising concert to raise money for hurricane relief

Burgers to raise money for the cause. Many students showed up in support of this cause and part of the proceeds went to Harvey HELP, a relief fund providing emergency aid to students affected by the hurricane and separated from their families by the disaster.

“Between

ARIANA RAZAVI A&E CONTRIBUTOR

In response to tragedy, Trinity’s students have come together to support those affected.

On Aug. 26, Hurricane Harvey struck the coast of Texas, causing major damage to the cities of Rockport, Corpus Christi and Houston. The flooding in Houston especially caught the nation’s attention, as the fourthlargest city in America closed all its major highways because they were under water.

According to the New York Post, the flood was so detrimental that it literally pushed the Space City into the ground by two centimeters.

The hurricane cost an estimated $190 billion and caused at least 70 deaths, earning

Senior CONSTANTINE KOULDUKIS, one of the event organizers, performs in the concert.

Kouldukis is both a musician and a member of Iota Chi Rho. photo courtesy of DEREK HUDSON

a spot on the list of America’s 10 deadliest storms. People lost their homes, cars, pets and loved ones, and thousands had to evacuate from their homes with the help of helicopters, boats and even jet skis.

Almost a quarter of Trinity students are from Houston or the surrounding area.

Athletes such as J.J. Watt, who has raised over $30 million towards helping Harvey victims, and celebrities including Kevin

Hart, who started a $25,000 challenge to help raise money for the cause, have helped Houstonians become hopeful that the city will bounce right back.

These charitable efforts inspired social fraternity Iota Chi Rho (I-Chi) members Daniel Conrad and Constantine Kouldukis, who decided to collaborate with the social sorority Sigma Theta Tau to organize “Rock for Relief,” a benefit concert at Big Bob’s

Sophomore KAYLIE KING performs at the event. King was one of the many student performers to lend their talents towards benefiting hurricane victims. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

these students and donations from sales and fraternity alumni, approximately $1,000 was raised.”

This fundraiser did not just include juicy burgers and locally brewed beer, also student musicians. Gathered in the patio, Trinity students enjoyed their meals while Trinity students performed.

Abby Kluetz, a junior, kicked off the event by playing covers as well as her own songs.

“Some of my family members did suffer from the flooding so I am here to support them and others who have been affected,” said Kluetz.

Kluetz is from the greater Houston area of Cypress, and sang on stage in order to assist her loved ones. While, luckily, her own neighborhood did not suffer too much from the flooding, she is aware of how devastating this storm was to her neighbors.

Kouldukis, a senior I-Chi, followed Kluetz’s set with an acoustic performance of original songs and a cover of “Edelweisse.” Lamonte Brooks, a sophomore, sang as he strummed his ukulele. Senior Daniel Rothschild performed original electronic music before sophomore Kaylie King, a Trinitonian news reporter, took the stage and played an acoustic guitar set. Senior Sigma and Houston native McKenna Parr sang before Raghad Akrouk, a senior, performed the night’s last show.

Besides these Trinity students, Cooper Smart, a San Antonio rock artist, also contributed to the benefit concert.

Over 60 students showed up to the relief concert. Between these students and donations from sales and fraternity alumni, about $1,000 was raised.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN • Volleyball at the Trinity Fall Classic Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15–16 • Women’s Soccer vs. University of Dallas, Friday, Sept. 15, 6:00 p.m.

• Men’s Soccer vs. University of Dallas, Friday, Sept. 15, 8:00 p.m.

Sports

Women’s soccer suffers record-breaking loss Tigers maintain optimism for rest of upcoming season, recovering for Harrison’s 100th career win

Junior midfielder CHELSEA COLE races across the field, with senior JORDAN BETHEA and sophomore KRISTEN CANEPA close behind. The Tigers beat the Spartans 6-0. Photo by ALLISON WOLFF

ELISE HESTER

SPORTS REPORTER In an upset over Labor Day weekend, the Trinity women’s soccer team lost to Chris Newport University in their first game of the season. The game, which took place at the Atlantic Orthopaedic Tournament in Virginia Beach, Virginia, saw a 0-0 draw through two halves and the first overtime. In double overtime, the CNU Captains scored, claiming victory over the No.5-ranked Tigers.

“It was an unlucky goal,” said Jordan Bethea, senior defender. “A series of unfortunate mistakes. It’s never just one thing that leads to a goal.”

The Tigers could very well see the Captains later on in the postseason, as CNU was a tough team that presented a challenge to the typically formidable Tigers.

“They were very physical, very tournamentworthy,” Bethea said. “It’s better to lose now than in conference — not that we ever want to lose.”

Hannah Booher, senior midfielder, echoed Bethea’s sentiment.

“We worked hard the whole game and had our opportunities and we could have won.

It’s just especially hard when you know that you did everything you needed to and it just didn’t come through for you,” Booher said.

“It can show you where your weaknesses are and we know that we are motivated to work on those weaknesses.”

Despite the loss to CNU, the Tigers came out strong against Virginia Wesleyan University. In a hard-fought first half of play, senior forwards Julia Camp and Colleen Markey both scored.

“It wasn’t a very pretty game, but we wanted it more, especially after losing,” said Chelsea Cole, junior midfielder.

“It’s like hitting them in the mouth and then knocking them down. You just can’t get back up from that.”

HANNAH BOOHER SENIOR MIDFIELDER

Near the end of the first half, VWU earned a free kick, which they translated into a goal.

However, thanks to a strong Tiger defense and senior goalkeeper Kalli Douma, the Tigers ended the game with victory after a scoreless second half.

“We possessed the ball more in the second game,” Bethea said.

Players attributed the victory to a more aggressive approach to the game as well as a heightened desire to win.

“It was more of a mindset,” Cole said.

The next day marked the home opener for women’s soccer, as the Tigers faced off against the Sul Ross State University Lobos for a Labor Day matchup. Within nine minutes of taking the field, the Tigers had six shots on the board and succeeded in raising the score to 1-0 with a goal from junior forward Halleanne Dure, assisted by Camp.

“We had the goal of being ruthless, so in a sense we gave them a hard time across the

field. As a team we were determined to work for a win,” Dure said. “Following through on the original shot on goal, and always striving to make sure that the ball goes dead.”

This past weekend, the Tigers again returned to the pitch to face the Aurora University Spartans. The game was dominated

by Tiger offensive control. Trinity delivered a series of beautiful goals, beginning with Bethea’s game-winner 16 minutes into the first half.

“Whenever you get a pretty early goal, any goal in the first half, it’s kind of crushing to the other team cause you know they have this uphill battle to go through now,” Booher said.

The first half continued with two goals from Booher, with assists from Dure and Markey.

“It’s like hitting them in the mouth and then knocking them down. You just can’t get back up from that,” Booher said.

Markey continued to shine in the second half, giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead by tricking the goalkeeper out of the box and scoring on an open goal.

Senior midfielder Julia Kelly headed a free kick into the net with an assist from Booher, bringing the score to 5-0.

“I think we go in with the same offensive strategy every game, no matter who we’re playing. We know what we can do well, we can pass the ball, we can play with each other and we can make connections well and that’s how we work our way to the goal,” Booher said.

Despite having a clear victory, the Tigers continued to take shots, and in the 80th minute of play Dure scored on an assist from junior forward and midfielder Katie Peth.

“The game is not over until the final buzzer. As a team and individually we are very determined to show our opponents who we are and how we play, so that goes until the final buzzer,” Dure said. “Katie Peth assisted me on the goal and she did a great job of finding my feet and the gap between the defenders.”

The game also marked head coach Dylan Harrison’s 100th career win as a collegiate head coach. The Trinity soccer alum was presented with a commemorative game ball

by Bob King, director of athletics.

“We all signed a ball for him,” Booher said, “After the game me and Julia Kelly tried to throw Gatorade on Dylan, but he put a stop to that.”

Dure was enthusiastic about contributing to her coach’s achievement.

“It was a honor to be part of the team that helped Dylan reach the goal of 100 wins,” Dure said. “As a coach, Dylan challenges me to be a better player every time I take the field.”

The game ended with a score that, despite being astonishingly high for the sport of soccer, is a typical representation of the Tigers’ offensive capability. The women proved that despite one unfortunate pre-season loss, the team has not lost the luster with which they have shined year after year. With a score of 6-0 over Aurora and 5-0 against Concordia University on Monday night, the message was sent loud and clear: Trinity women’s soccer is back and they are force with which to be reckoned.

You can see the Tigers take on the University of Dallas this Friday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. at Paul McGinlay Soccer Field.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

SPORTS

Athletics director discusses ballin’ on a budget

How does Trinity allocate funds and donations across the athletic teams throughout the year?

HAILEY WILSON

SPORTS REPORTER Being a college athlete has its perks. Trinity University athletes get to travel out of state for tournaments, play and practice in state-ofthe-art facilities and wear some of the coolest uniforms in college sports. But after watching our athletic teams fly to states all over the country, spend the night in hotels, have team dinners and wear Nike apparel from head to toe, one might ask the question: Where is all of this money coming from?

To an outsider, it might be hard to understand how the money within the athletic department operates. Despite what some might think, a ton of effort goes into the allocation of funds across the board.

“We try to develop a competitive travel budget for each sport in order for each team to be ranked in their respective NCAA region and to develop a strong strength of schedule,” said Bob King, director of athletics.

This will be King’s 25th year directing Trinity athletics, and his administration has helped enhance Trinity’s tradition of athletic excellence.

The budget is planned a year in advance, so head coaches and staff are already working on proposals for the 2018–2019 school year.

Each November, the budget proposal is presented to the university and they discuss goals and objectives for each team.

Each team’s budget differs due to scheduling requirements put in place by the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association

(NCAA). Each team has to budget around the mandates put in place by these organizations.

Travel costs are the most challenging to put together in the budget proposal.

The budget has to account for number of travelers, airfare, bag charges for the flights, ground transportation, meals and lodging.

Although these costs are tough to plan for, the university also has to pay the costs for home games, including referees, table workers, supervisors and more. Teams and coaches also need money for recruiting trips, uniforms, equipment and gear. No special preference is given to any individual team.

“It’s difficult to compare budgets from team to team, because scheduling requirements for the conference, regional play, and postseason competition vary greatly. Travel costs and equipment costs also vary because of the size of the teams,” King said. “Our goal in the budget process is to develop budgets that will enable each sport to accomplish the goals and objectives of each team. The head coach of each sport is involved in the budget proposal process.”

Previous success of each team does not play a factor into the budget process. While each team does begin with a level playing field, donations do help each team meet their needs.

“Alumni, friends and others may donate throughout the year to an individual sport or area, but the fundraising letter is the only thing we do from the overall department. As to why some teams receive more donations, my best guess is that the teams who are more active with their individual groups of friends, family and alumni tend to get more donations.

Illustration by Andrea Nebhut

Sometimes, success also results in unsolicited donations as well, but we also encourage those individuals to work through the Development Office when they give,” King said.

Student athletes all have their own take on their team’s budget, but they are thankful for what their teams receive.

“I think it’s all about how you manage it, and our coaches do a great job of managing it,” said senior Kate Irvin of the women’s basketball team. All of Trinity’s athletic teams receive Nike uniforms,

practice apparel, shoes and more. Taylor Kim, a junior on the men’s basketball team, is excited for the season’s travel.

“We do get to go to a lot of cool places this year,” Kim said. “We’re going to Oregon and Chicago this year, and we do eat out pretty well.”

Trinity teams are also notorious for traveling to play some the best talent in the country.

This year, our teams will be traveling to several states, including California, Louisiana, Oregon, Illinois and Virginia.

Trinity rugby team looking for action Club sport growing and becoming more professional this year in order to prepare for a fresh season JULIA WEIS

players for the San Antonio Rugby Club and they come and help us out, totally on their own will. They help us out tremendously.”

SPORTS EDITOR After doubling the size of their team, the Trinity University rugby team is looking to bring the intensity to the field this year.

The club sport is not widely known around campus. In fact, if you’re unfamiliar with the sport most popular in the former English colonies, it can be hard to differentiate from American football.

“You wear no gear, just a mouthpiece.

When you get tackled, you gotta keep going. There’s no stopping once the ball hits the ground,” said Damian Sambrano, vice president of the rugby team.

“The fans in rugby are just about as crazy, die-hard as they come.”

AUSTIN GIESELMAN TREASURER

“When you get tackled, you gotta keep going.”

DAMIAN SAMBRANO VICE-PRESIDENT

DAMIAN SAMBRANO, pictured left, practices for the upcoming season. Photo by ALLISON WOLFF

Rugby is also known for having more action and intensity in their games than football.

“I’d say the main difference is that in football, it’s often stop and start. But rugby is more like soccer, where there’s continuous play and there’s no down time in between things happening. It’s constant action,” said Dayton Ames, president of the rugby team.

“It has everything that all sports have. You have to kick the ball, like you would in soccer.

You hit people. You jump for the ball, like you would in basketball. It combines a lot of different aspects of sports. I think a lot of people would gravitate towards it, but it’s just not very widely advertised here in America. I think it has everything that Americans love about sports.”

Ames played football at Trinity for two years before joining the rugby team. He now steers the team with Sambrano, and is working to restructure the team for the 2017–2018 season.

“We just about doubled our team from last year, which is pretty awesome,” Sambrano said.

The rugby team added about 20 new members this year. This influx of players is helpful for them in building a ‘fifteens’ team, where they have teams of 15 players against one another, playing 40-minute halves.

Trinity’s team plays fifteens in the fall and winter, and ‘sevens,’ a faster-paced version with a more selective team, in the spring and summer. While the team hasn’t made an

official schedule for home and away games yet, they hope to play many of the 13 rugby teams in their conference, such as Abilene Christian University, University of Texas at San Antonio, Sam Houston State University, Rice University and more.

However, they couldn’t do all of this on their own. Trinity’s rugby team is able to receive coaching through their partnership with the San Antonio Rugby Football Club.

“They’ve helped us get our start and they provided us coaching last semester,” said Austin Gieselman, treasurer of the rugby team. “They’re continuing that this semester, and in turn, some of us go and play over there.

So it’s just several guys who are our coaches are

Anyone looking to get into rugby should know that the team culture is something unique.

“It’s extremely tight knit. And although it’s not as popular as maybe soccer worldwide, the fans in rugby are just about as crazy, die-hard as they come,” Gieselman said.

“I’ve experienced it firsthand. No matter where you are in the world, if you play rugby and you meet another rugby player, you instantly have that connection and you’re just buddy-buddy. When I was studying abroad in Japan this summer, I played on a team at the university and I could not understand anything that they were saying. But when I was like, ‘Rugby!’, they were like, ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’” The rugby team is planning to play their first big home game mid-November, and they want to see as many Trinity students out there as possible.

They don’t have a date set yet, but watch out for flyers and advertisements around campus as November nears.

Even if you have no idea what rugby is or have never seen a game, stop by for a bit to support your Tigers. You just might like what you see.

SPORTS • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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Men’s tennis travels to coast to rebuild post-Harvey Teammates group up with the River City Community Church and Trinity Oaks nonprofits HAILEY WILSON

SPORTS REPORTER Whether students have been personally affected by Hurricane Harvey, or know of a friend, classmate or teammate that has been affected, it’s very clear that the disaster has caused a great deal of heartache and grief across the Trinity University campus.

Despite the distress this event has caused, many Trinity students have taken this opportunity to do their part and help those in need. On Saturday, Sept. 2, the Trinity University men’s tennis team made a trip to Aransas Pass to help clean up areas that had been affected by Hurricane Harvey.

With the assistance of the River City Community Church and Trinity Oaks, a non-profit organization that uses outdoor recreation to give back to the area, the team aided in alleviating some of the destruction caused by the storm.

“I had been planning to incorporate a community service project into the very beginning of our season this year, so that was already on my mind,” said head coach Russell McMindes.

McMindes is part of River City Community Church, which reached out to him confirming that he could plan a relief trip to Aransas Pass.

“These are some incredible people who know what it means to serve others.”

RUSSELL MCMINDES MEN’S TENNIS COACH

“When the hurricane hit, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the opportunity we needed to take advantage of,” McMindes said.

McMindes launched the effort, aided by his tie to San Antonio’s River City Community Church. The 16 team members loaded up a van at 4:15 a.m. and embarked on the 165-mile journey toward Aransas Pass.

“It was great helping people who needed help, even if the work was strenuous,” said McKenna Fujitani, a sophomore from Honolulu. “Everyone on our team donated supplies that we brought down.”

Once they arrived, the team began to clean alongside other volunteers. The debris was awful — there were trees that had been uprooted and houses that had been destroyed.

“We went to people’s houses to help them clear all of the debris from their properties … chainsaws, fence cutters and Bobcat [skid loaders] had to be used to clear the destroyed trees,” Fujitani said.

The team was divided into work crews led by the church, and they hauled away trees that had been blown down.The Tigers had to get consent from homeowners before providing a helping hand, but residents of the area were beyond thankful for their assistance. The team also helped move supplies in and out of the local church.

“It was a really good experience for me because I had never done any charity like that before,” said Tilden Oliver, a junior communication major. “It allowed me to see what it’s like for people who have a lot less than me. The people we were helping out were all on welfare and some of their houses were partly destroyed. It was a lot of work and exhausting, but the whole time I was happy that I was making a difference. The event just gave me a lot of perspective on what we have compared to the majority of the world.”

“It was a very moving experience for sure,” McMindes said. “We talked about how rough the day was and how bad the mosquitoes

TOP: The Tigers and volunteers. BOTTOM: First-year LARS WIIK and junior TILDEN OLIVER help clear trees. photos provided by RUSSELL MCMINDES

were. But then we discussed how at least we got to drive home, sleep in air conditioning, take a warm shower. The people we helped were stuck in the middle of it.”

McMindes and the rest of the men’s tennis team want to show appreciation and thanks to River City Community Church and Trinity Oaks for allowing them to join their relief efforts.

“These are some incredible people who know what it means to serve others,” McMindes said.

The men’s tennis team wasn’t the only group to reach out to those in need. At the Trinity National Invitational on Sept. 1–2, the volleyball team collected donations that would go to the San Antonio Food Bank and Texas Diaper Bank. The team raised over $500 for the cause.

Quin Patterson, Trinity’s equipment manager, put together a box of t-shirts and sweatpants and sent them to the University of Houston.

Coaches from all teams came together and donated what they could. The women’s golf team created a fundraiser in which they are allowing friends, family and fans to make pledges for each of the birdies they make at their fall tournaments.

Hurricane Irma has already began to wreak havoc across the southeastern United States, and the storm is expected to be just as deadly as Harvey. Keep an eye out for more opportunities on campus to help victims.

20

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 •

SPORTS

The Division I teams we cheer for

What teams do Trinity students support when our own sports just aren’t cutting it?

ELISE HESTER

SPORTS REPORTER With the start of college football season, a few questions are lingering in the air alongside the lofting scents of grilled meat and cheap beer. First, is Texas back? Second, where did Texas go?

Answers: No, and down the toilet.

Don’t at me.

Here at Trinity, there are other questions related to Division I college sports. First, what Division I teams do Trinity students root for when they watch Division I college sports?

And second, why do they root for those teams?

Sam McWhorter, a sophomore majoring in communication, roots for the University of Texas’s football team, University of California, Berkeley’s basketball team and for the baseball team at the University of Connecticut.

“I cheer for UT football because I was interested in football when I was younger and that’s when I lived in Austin,” McWhorter said. “In basketball, Cal-Berkeley because they are really close to Oakland, where I lived in the middle of my childhood.

“I also root really irrationally for University of Connecticut baseball because I lived in Paris for a year and that was the only team they showed on television,” McWhorter said.

Nathaniel Prete, first-year accounting major, roots for Louisiana State University’s teams.

“My mom went there and her side of the family lives there,” Prete said.

Kevin Owens, sophomore business and Chinese double major, has hometown pride for the University of Kansas.

“I cheer for the Kansas Jayhawks,” Owens said. “I was born in Kansas and my sister went to Kansas.”

Johnny Kassis, senior business marketing major, is a University of Southern California fan.

“I’m from LA. That’s the LA team,” Kassis said.

Matt Jones, senior finance and communication double major, watches the University of Texas, the University of North Carolina and Stanford University.

“I’m from Austin, I started watching North Carolina when I was young and I like [Stanford football’s] Andrew Luck,” Jones said.

Samy Abdallah, senior history major, has family ties to the University of Arkansas.

“I watch University of Arkansas ‘cause my sister went there,” Abdallah said.

Hunter Straka, first-year finance major, roots for the University of Arizona.

“I live in Tucson, Arizona,” Straka said.

Kristen Canepa, sophomore accounting major, has some friends on the Los Angeles soccer team.

“I watch UCLA soccer. I know a lot of players on that team,” Canepa said.

Gavin Huse, junior business major, is a University of Oklahoma fan.

“I watch Oklahoma because my cousin played there, and my family’s from that area,” Huse said.

So is Patrick Kaltenbacher, senior business analytics and technology major.

“Both my parents went to OU,” Kaltenbacher said.

Coleman Kvapil, junior business major, is another UT-Austin fan.

“I’m from Austin. My parents went to UT,” Kvapil said.

Look for more of Hester’s interviews in next week’s Trinitonian.

Graphic by Tyler Herron