Bye for Now!

Student reporters listen to TPR reporter Paul Flahive during class
(photo by Josie Liu)

Dear readers,

As of Friday, May 24, the last story of the spring 2019 season of The Roar was published.

The Roar will hibernate until its next season, spring 2020. Big shout out to the following student reporters for their hard and great work of producing stories for The Roar, and please don't forget to check out their story behind stories on our podcast: Jackson Beach, Makenna Bentley, Jillian Cready, Erin Crooks, Luke Dias, Sophie Dwyer, Alexandra Gereda-Gordon, Colton Hawkins, William Hinman, Abigail Holland, Kadarius Lee, Samuel McWhorter, Ian Nielsen, Meredith Peckham, Nick Smetzer, Miranda Smith, Matthew Thomas, Mark Tindall, and Isabella Weston.

Thank you very much for all the support! See you next season!

Stumberg Winners Gear Up for Their Summer Adventure

By Matt Thomas and Mark Tindall

In March, five student entrepreneur teams from Trinity each won a $5,000 prize in the first round of the Stumberg Venture Competition. That is not the end of the story, but the beginning of a new adventure.

With the $5000 seed money, the five teams will stay on Trinity campus over the summer to participate in the Accelerator Program, working 40-hour weeks with pay of $10 per hour (in addition to the prize money). Each team has a unique business idea, for-profit or non-profit, which they hope to further materialize through the summer program.

Conservative Students Striving to Have a Voice on Campus

The homepage of The Tower

By Will Hinman

In 2017, Manfred and Jonah Wendt, then Trinity sophomores, distributed flyers advertising an upcoming talk by conservative filmmaker, Dinesh D’Souza. Taking issue with D’Souza’s provocative conservative ideology being put on display at Trinity, some students collected the flyers and appended them to the Wendts’ dorm door with a variety of handwritten additions. The notes ran the gamut from politely critical to simply rude. Taking the notes as harassment, the Wendt brothers filed a complaint with Trinity University Police.

Receiving coverage in not only the Trinitonian, but also the SA Current, the Rivard Report, and even the far-right outlet, Breitbart, this incident was one of the most public examples of the disparate political views on Trinity’s campus.

Trinity Female Athletes Dominating Male-Dominated Sports

By Abby Holland and Makenna Bentley

Victoria Trabysh, junior psychology major from Amarillo, Texas, found a passion for boxing after her senior year of high school. She found inspiration in her favorite professional female boxers Ava Knight, Mikaela Mayer and Claressa Shields, and dreamed of one day becoming a boxer like them.

“A lot of people think of combat sports, boxing in particular, as violent, but I don't see it as that at all,” says Trabysh. “I see it as a way to express yourself. In a lot of ways it gives me confidence.”

Trabysh has a rigorous training schedule. Going to the gym five to six times a week and training one to two hours each day. She is typically one of the few females to box at her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) gym and does so with pride. “As hard as it is being one of the only girls, it also kind of motivates me,” she says.

Student Research Bringing Attention to Campus Accessibility

The path leading to the only entrance to the Coates Library.
Click here to view 360 degree photos (photos by Nick Smetzer).

By Nick Smetzer

As summer approaches, plans are being made to renovate portions of Trinity's upper and lower campus. While standard updates to older buildings may be welcome, students, faculty and staff at Trinity have been making a particular effort to improve campus accessibility.

Graduating senior Cathy Terrace, majoring anthropology, has spent her last year at Trinity studying the campus’ history with accessibility, and has noted several areas that pose particular challenges to students.

“Students with mobility impairments who can’t take stairs, for example, are denied easy access to a lot of areas on campus,” said Terrace. An example is the Storch building. "You have to physically leave the building if you leave either half of the basement floor of Storch.”

Latin Jazz Series Showcasing Unique Sound of San Antonio

By Miranda Smith

In the past three months, the Latin Jazz Brunch Series has provided a stimulating experience to both its musicians and listeners.

The event is sponsored by San Antonio’s jazz radio station KRTU based at Trinity University and is coordinate by Henry Brun, a KRTU radio show host.

Brun, 58, was first captivated by jazz while living in Puerto Rico as a boy. He began professionally performing jazz at 11. Since then, he has played around the world, and has performed with his award-winning band for nearly 30 years. For the past 10 years, he has also hosted a Sunday afternoon radio show on KRTU called "the Latin Jazz Brunch."

TEDxTrinityUniversity Strives To Bring Conversations about Knowledge

By Luke Dias

Last school year, Rohan Walawalkar, currently a junior majoring in pre-med anthropology, founded TEDxTrinityUniversity, as a way to keep Trinity students interested in learning broader knowledge.

“Often what I see happening is that people come in excited during their first semester,” Walawalkar said. "But as the semester goes on, they start losing sight of the bigger picture.” TEDxTrinityUniveristy thus became one of the many international branches of TEDx talks. 

TEDx is an offshoot of TED Conferences, the famous media organization that hosts various speeches covering a variety of topics, including science, politics, culture, and art. Unlike TED Conferences, TEDx events are hosted independently by anyone who applies for a license and agrees to follow certain guidelines.

Esports Gaining Traction at Trinity

By Jackson Beach

It’s a busy Friday in April in the CSI cube. Whirring drills, clanging metal and other miscellaneous sounds of construction pierce the air as engineering students work on various projects. Will Ballengee and Ben Gonzalez stand by patiently with various controllers and cables in hand. They are waiting for the engineering students to clear out the space so they can start playing video games.

Ballengee, a junior studying engineering science, is the president of the Trinity University Gaming Club (TUG). Gonzalez, a junior anthropology major, is the vice president. The two have reserved this space for a “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” tournament, the sixth in a series of tournaments held biweekly by the club.

Other members of the club and competitors in the event — around 20 people in total — start to trickle in, and everybody lends a helping hand in setting up. In a matter of minutes, they transform the cube into an esports hub.

Bettering Sexual Health or Mangling Morals: Debates Over Sexual Health Education on Campus

A flyer for the Clothesline Project in March

By Jillian Cready and Sophie Dwyer

On March 21, approximately 200 t-shirts were hung across the Coates Espionage. Each shirt carried a survivor’s story of sexual assault. These shirts were for the Clothesline Project, an event held by The Coalition for Sexual Justice, a Trinity student organization.

The event stirred quite some controversy on campus. Supporters lauded the opportunity of giving voice to the survivors and getting people’s attention to the problem of sexual assault on campus. Opponents, particularly Greek organizations and athletic teams, opposed the allegations of their members involving in some of these assault cases. One student was surprised the school allowed such a public, outspoken event about assault and abuse.

The Clothesline Project was but one of the latest sexual health initiatives at Trinity, and the controversy surrounding it testifies the contentious nature of sexual health education. As Trinity University progresses their attempts to address the issue of sexual health through various programs in recent years, it is debatable whether the public awareness of these efforts has also progressed, or whether these efforts have served to create an uncomfortable space for students.

Trinity's New Challenge: Helping First-year Students Start Strong

Click here for an interactive timeline of the Starting Strong Initiative
(created by Sam McWhorter)

By Sam McWhorter and Erin Crooks

In just three months, the incoming freshmen class will begin their college career at Trinity, and the university is hoping to start the Class of 2023 off on a stronger foot with the newly implemented Starting Strong Initiative.

The initiative traces back to early 2016 and Dr. John R. Hermann, professor of political science, who was responsible for writing the initial proposal.

In April 2016, the plan was chosen as the new QEP, or Quality Enhancement Plan, as part of the re-accreditation process, and Hermann chaired the initiative through its planning stages. By June 2016, the planning officially began, as the newly christened “Development Team” received funding from the Office of the President.

After Much Debate, Chick-fil-A Likely to Leave Trinity

Click here for an interactive map

By KaDarius Lee, Meredith Peckham and Isabelle Weston

The spring semester of 2019 has been marked with the debate of whether or not to remove Chick-fil-A from Revolve.

Revolve is one of the dining options in the Coates University Center. Food served at Revolve changes every day, including Luciano's, Panda Express, and Which Wich.

In fall 2018, Chick-fil-A became one of the options at Revolve. It was chosen to be included through a student survey. In other words, the majority of the Trinity’s student body voted to have Chick-fil-A as part of Revolve.

Trinity Steps Up Efforts Toward A More Diverse Campus

By Alex Gereda-Gordon

Arianna Siddiqui, a sophomore who is a Muslim, still remembers an episode happening just two weeks after she started at Trinity. A fellow student asked her how she could be part of "a religion filled with child rapists." Siddiqui was very upset and frustrated by such an anti-Muslim comment.

Along with Siddiqui, other students and staff are aware of the many challenges facing minorities on campus. Many believe that Trinity could do better at creating a more positive, diverse campus.

Cathy Terrace: Calling for A More Accessible Campus Design

By Nick Smetzer

Trinity’s brick-red campus, though may be easy on the eyes, is not very easy on the legs.

Few know this as well as senior anthropology major Cathy Terrace, who, for the last year, has been conducting research on the history of Trinity’s architecture, as well as issues of accessibility.

Flambeau Parade Attracts Hundreds of Thousands

A Star Wars themed float at the Flambeau Parade (photo by Isabella Weston)

By Isabella Weston

Close to 750,000 people lined the 2.6 mile parade route on the streets of downtown San Antonio Saturday, sitting in their lawn chairs and patiently waiting for the Flambeau Parade to start.

The parade marks the second Saturday of Fiesta every year, featuring hours of progression of themed floats, dancers, live music, and bands all clad in light-up costumes. It is one of the most popular Fiesta events.

This year’s parade did not disappoint the hundreds of thousands of spectators. The festivities kicked off with the Fiesta Fun Run, where several hundred runners of all ages dressed in costumes and ran through the streets where people cheered them on.

Matthew Adair: Finding a Community through Campus Ministry

By Will Hinman

Matthew Adair, 22, sits in the living room of his City Vista apartment and smiles. Nearly a month ahead of his graduation, Adair reflects upon the time he’s spent as a member of Trinity University’s InterVarsity chapter.

Over his four years at Trinity, he’s become easily recognizable around campus as the tall, curly-haired student who’s quick with an enthusiastic greeting and a kind word for whomever he might run into.

For students involved in InterVarsity, an inter-denominational Christian campus ministry, Adair is even more recognizable. Fellow InterVarsity leader Savannah Schatte, 21, describes Adair as “a staple member” and someone who models “what it looks like to be present with intention.”

Emily Daum: From Trinity Athlete to Trinity Coach

By Colton Hawkins

Emily Daum has had a successful career not only as a student athlete for Trinity University, but also as the head coach of men's and women's cross country teams.

Daum started her running career when she was in high school. At Trinity, she continued to shine as a cross country runner. She made it to the Nationals as a freshman in the steeplechase, and became an All-American during her undergraduate years at Trinity.

Forum Held on the Chick-fil-A Debate

Speaking of...Chick-fil-A forum on Wednesday (photo by Miranda Smith)

By Miranda Smith

Wednesday evening’s “Speaking Of...Chick-fil-A” forum drew a huge crowd of Trinity students, staff, and faculty. Nearly 100 people filled up the Waxahachie room.

The focus of discussion was whether or not to continue including the fast food chain as part of the Revolve at the Coates Center.

Dean of Students David Tuttle moderated the evening’s discussion. He explained that the event is “supposed to be a free marketplace where students can come and share ideas about issues; this is a chance to have their voices heard."

Ryan Hunter: The Cream Dream

By Isabella Weston

Ryan Hunter, a senior and native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, came to Trinity University seeking a business degree, and fell in love with art instead.

It all happened during a spring break trip to Croatia and Budapest during his junior year. He was so inspired by the street art that he couldn’t help creating some of his own. 

The piece of art he created, dubbed “The Cream Dream,” depicts a waffle cone filled with a bouquet of colorful flowers, some of which are “melting” like ice cream.

Aliza Holzman-Cantu: Building A Stronger Community with Trinity Parents

By Luke Dias

It took more than 20 years, but Aliza Holzman-Cantu eventually found her way back to Trinity.

Cantu, 48, is the director of parent giving and engagement at Trinity and has been at this position for three years. Originally from Brownsville, Texas, she received a bachelor’s degree in communications at Trinity in 1992, followed by a master’s degree in teaching from Trinity in 1994. Since then, Cantu’s career path has always connected to Trinity in one way or another.

Kievan Boudreaux-Bostic: Spreading the Message of Positivity

By Jillian Cready

Kievan Boudreaux-Bostic used to upload rap songs he made to online streaming services and then delete them, as he was embarrassed that his friends would notice. Not anymore.

Having been writing music since he was 10 years old, the Trinity University junior has come a long way. He has just released his latest album, “Priority,” on all major music platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify.

“Kiev has been amazing to work with. Our creativity flows effortlessly when we’re together in the studio,” say his producer, collaborator, and friend, Richard Herrera. “Priority” was the first album they collaborated. “We’re transparent with each other on every subject from edits, effects, to royalty rights. I enjoy seeing us both evolve as artists and creatives.”

Lauren Turek: Bring History Alive in the Classroom

By Meredith Peckham

Dr. Lauren Turek is a professor of American History at Trinity. She holds a reputation for being one of the “cool” professors, as she does her best to make learning an immersive and enjoyable experience.

“I have always loved history,” says Turek as she launches into a childhood story about visiting historical sites in New England.

Her love of history is manifest in all the degrees she has received: from the bachelor’s degree to the doctorate degree, they are all in history.

Eva Pohler: Best-selling Young-Adult Novelist and Trinity Professor

By Jackson Beach

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Eva Pohler starts her day early.

She pops out of bed and rushes to Trinity to teach an 8:30 a.m. special topics course on innovation & entrepreneurship. After that, she has an hour-long window to sort through student essays and other graded materials before rushing off to teach a persuasive writing class. Following that class, she heads home and uses the rest of her day to either market her past novels or make progress on her next one.

Heather Haynes Smith: Advocating for Inclusion in Education

By Sophie Dwyer

Out of sight, out of mind. That’s the philosophy some educational administration applies to students who have disabilities. Assistant professor of education Dr. Heather Haynes Smith is working to rectify that situation, through teaching inclusion and universal design of learning, which allows students of all levels of ability to learn.

Smith teaches an array of classes regarding education for people with disabilities, including Understanding Learners with Exceptionalities, Learning Disabilities & Behavior Disorders, and Reading Difficulties with Diverse Populations. “Engaged citizenry is what I try to do," says Smith. "I want everybody just kind of weighing in, and being a part of this, and we’re all going to get to a place together."

Annie Wise: Varsity Basketball and Tennis Player

By Abby Holland

Sophomore Annie Wise always dreamed of playing her two favorite sports in college. Her dream came true at Trinity.

Wise is one of the few dual sport athletes at Trinity, playing for both Trinity’s women’s basketball and tennis team. “It’s really important to have a blessed unrest about who you are as an athlete and to understand that it’s really humbling to get to be apart of two teams,” she says.

SGA Weighs in on Chik-fil-A Controversy

By Will Hinman

Should or should not Trinity take Chik-fil-A out of the Revolve? The SGA had a debate about it on Wednesday.l

The discussion didn’t come up until toward the end of the meeting. After other businesses were dealt with, SGA President Ty Tinker told the senate that he had set aside the last few minutes of the meeting for a discussion on Chik-fil-A. Quickly the counsel came to life.

Dave Smith: Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger

By Mark Tindall

Dave Smith went straight from graduating from college to working for the same college, and from playing for a team to coaching the same team within one year.

Graduating from Trinity in 2003 and becoming the full-time pitching coach in 2004, Smith, 39, has been the pitching coach for Trinity baseball for 16 years, the same team he once played for as a pitcher. During his coaching tenure at Trinity, the baseball team won a national title in 2016, after having made the program’s first NCAA College World Series the year before.

Daniel Martinez: Trinity University Head Strength Coach

By Matthew Thomas

The multiple championships that Trinity took home every year are not just won during the competitions, but start with training, and that is where Daniel Martinez comes in.

Martinez became the coordinator for Trinity’s Sports Performance Center (SPC) and the head strength/conditioning coach in 2017. He customizes workout plans for all Trinity athletes based on their specific sports, and supervises the workout sessions of each team.

Camryn Thompson: Unrelenting Passion for Dancing

By Makenna Bentley

Picture this. Lights in the Laurie Auditorium begin to dim. A group of dancers run on stage in black baseball jerseys, and hip hop begins to play. A sudden rush of excitement erupted as the crowd begins to cheer, and the dance begins: sharp clean hits followed by rolling moves. That's right, you are watching Trinity University's only hip hop dance crew, Loon-E.

Camryn Thompson, a junior Political Science major, would be among the dancers. She has been dancing with Loon-E for two years now and participated in many performances including Black History Showcase and Tigerthon.

Adam McGuire: Newest Addition to Trinity Football Coaching Staff

By KaDarius Lee

Adam McGuire, a Baytown, Texas native and 2015 Texas Lutheran University graduate, has embraced his role as one of the newest Trinity Football coaches.

Officially joining the coaching staff last semester, McGuire's job involves setting up daily morning workouts for the players and recruitment. “I do a lot of recruiting, getting ready for camps that we have coming up, and talking to guys we plan on staying in contact with throughout next season to make sure we have grades for them on the front end, so that in the fall it is a lot easier,” McGuire describes his role.

Cameron Hill: Embracing Failure to Win

By Sam McWhorter

Cameron Hill is a husband, a father to two sons, 11 and 10, and a sneakily good pool player. Oh, and he’s also among the best active coaches in NCAA Division III women’s basketball.

He’s certainly in the conversation as far as regular season feats are concerned, with the best win rate (.812) per season in D3WBB history during his seven seasons with Trinity. Bring it up to him, and he finds a characteristically logical way to deflect: “Wins can be scheduled, if I’m being honest with you.”

Maximillian Armitage: An Aspiring Artist

By Erin Crooks

Looking for a new artist to add to your playlist on Spotify? Well, a fellow Trinity student might just be your guy. Maximillian Armitage, a freshman and going by the stage name of “maxgotthetracks,” is an up and coming artist. In just 3 years, he has managed to self produce numerous tracks and create a presence on SoundCloud and Spotify.

When he was 16, Armitage, a Houston native, began watching Battle Rap videos on YouTube. Inspired by freestyle videos, he began to rap over available tracks.

Nathan Tuttle: Writing His Own Trinity Story

By Alex Gereda-Gordon

Nathan Tuttle is the Residential Life coordinator most of Trinity students know, but might not know much about.

Yes, he is son of Dean of Student David Tuttle, but that is only a small part of his own Trinity story.

Local Professionals Discuss Diversity in Business with Trinity Students

Diversity in Business roundtable on April 4 (photo by Mark Tindall)

By Mark Tindall

Delta Sigma Pi and Trinity Diversity Connection (TDC) hosted a Diversity in Business roundtable on Thursday.

In fact, roundtable discussion was not the original plan. The organizers had planned a panel discussion with eight speakers, but about 20 local business representatives came. The organizers then decided to put the local professionals and about 30 students into small groups for roundtable discussions.

SGA Deliberates on Several Campus Improvements

SGA meeting on April 3 (photo by Luke Dias)

By Colton Hawkins, Erin Crooks, Matt Thomas, Luke Dias and Isabella Weston

At the SGA meeting on Wednesday, senators contemplated several areas of improving campus life at Trinity.

Changes to the upper campus was part of the discussion. The senators agreed that more furniture and sitting areas are needed there. Currently, there are only some benches and white chairs. “We have received a $1,000 donation that we hadn’t even known about,” said SGA President Ty Tinker. He hoped to use this money to add more chairs and tables around campus to create a more “community vibe.”

The senators also talked about adding more lighting to the upper campus since it gets rather dark in the late night. Students could feel unsafe with the dimness and not enough emergency poles.

Immigrant Lawyer Discusses Issues with U.S. Immigration System

Erica Schommer gives a lecture on representing immigrants
in Texas (photo by Nick Smetzer)

By Nick Smetzer

The immigration systems in the United States is laden with various problems, from historical bias to contemporary challenges, immigrant lawyer Erica Schommer told an audience at Trinity University on Wednesday.

Schommer said the U.S. has a “history of exclusionary motives,” which has contributed to the shaping of the nation’s immigration policy and its flaws. She outlined how politics and policy were once used against immigrating Catholics, Asians and Jews, before recent political discourse turned towards demonizing immigrants from Mexico and Central America.

Sara Heridia: Advocating for Philanthropy

By Miranda Smith

Despite only being in her junior year, Sara Heridia is already planning her financial contributions to Trinity. In fact, she can often be found encouraging other students to do the same.

A Political Science major, Heridia, 21, is the associate director of philanthropy and service of the Student Ambassadors at Trinity. Her job is to promote university donation among current students. She believes that increasing charitable gifts to Trinity will help make attendance more affordable and accessible to a larger number of students.

“It’s important that we encourage students to give by reminding them that someone invested in them, which will eventually give them the salaries they earn in their future careers,” Heridia says. Herself a recipient of institutionally-based aid, Heridia acknowledges that her ability to attend Trinity is almost entirely due to the generous gifts of donors.

Tigers for Life Hosts Lecture About Biology Research

Gabriela Rennebeck talks at the Tigers for Life meeting. 
(photo courtesy of Tigers for Life)

By Jackson Beach

Tigers for Life, Trinity's student pro-life group, met on Thursday to hear biologist Gabriela Rennebeck talk about embryonic development.

Rennebeck has a doctorate in biological sciences from the University of Texas at Austin and works as the laboratory coordinator in several biology courses at Trinity.

She discussed the latest findings of her research, which involves examining the quaking gene in zebrafish embryonic development. Rennebeck noted that the quaking gene found in zebrafish is also found in humans and her research is part of a larger movement towards personalized medicine.

Greek Council Poised to Promote Sexual Justice and Diversity

Students gathered at the Greek U leadership retreat
on March 22 (photo by Jacob Tingle) 

By KaDarius Lee

At their first meeting of this year on Monday, Trinity's Greek Council discussed collaboration with university and city organizations to promote sexual justice and diversity on campus.

Ten members of the Greek Council Executive Board as well as two representatives from each sorority and fraternity on campus attended the meeting. Tayler Weathers, communications chair for Greek Council, said Trinity University’s Coalition for Sexual Justice and the San Antonio Rape Crisis Center "are interested in collaborating with Greek organizations in order to help in the fight for sexual justice on campus."

These organizations have reached out to Greek Council about collaborating and having a sit down with organizations to discuss how to raise awareness and tackle sexual justice issues on campus.

Saturday Morning Experience Lets Children Showcase Learning

The Saturday Morning Experience fair
(photo by Colton Hawkins)

By Colton Hawkins

The parking lot behind the Coates Library along Hildebrand Avenue was abuzz Saturday morning with booths, music, children, and Trinity students, as Trinity’s Department of Education held the Saturday Morning Experience Market and Educational Fair.

Dozens of students, in first through eighth grade, from San Antonio schools set up booths to showcase what they have learned about in class throughout the year, such as the environment and animal life. Students also came up with products related to their learning that they can sell to people, such as games or crafts that help protect the environment.

TigerThon Doubles Donation from Previous Year

TigerThon participants holding a sign showing the final amount of fund raised
(photo by Ian Nielsen)

By Ian Nielsen

The second annual TigerThon raised more than $14,600, doubling the $7,213 raised last year. The fundraising culminated in a five-hour-long dance marathon event on Saturday, held in the Calgaard Gym.

The event alone raised $10,150, exceeding its fundraising goal. Plus money raised before the event, TigerThon was able to set the new record. All proceeds go directly to the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

Trinity Holds Vigil for Christchurch Victims

Members of the Trinity community gather at the 

Murchison Bell Tower for the vigil (photo by Jillian Cready)

By Jillian Cready

About 100 Trinity University students, faculty, and staff gathered at the Murchison Bell Tower on Wednesday for a vigil to honor the 50 lives lost last Friday at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Trinity’s Chaplain Alex Serna-Wallender and a few faculty and staff members, including Trinity’s Director for Diversion and Inclusion Alli Roman, started the vigil by speaking about how this tragedy affected Muslims worldwide. Members of Trinity’s Muslim Student Association read a few phrases from the Quran and reflected on how death is understood in the Muslim community.

Béatrice Coron Speaks on Creating Art by Cutting Away

 Béatrice Coron showing a paper cut art piece (photo by Nick Smetzer)

By Nick Smetzer

French artist Béatrice Coron demonstrated a peculiar way of telling stories: paper cutting, during a presentation on Tuesday at Trinity University.

“There are a lot of ways to cut paper, as there are a lot of ways to tell stories,” Coron told a small crowd of Trinity students and faculty at the Ruth Taylor Recital Hall, as part of the Stieren Guest Artist Series.

Having lived all around the world in places like France, Egypt and China, Coron’s unique personal history mirrored the distinct traditions of her unorthodox art form.

Students Warned of Drunk Driving Ahead of Spring Break

A totaled truck (photos by William Hinman)

By William Hinman

As students walked through the Coates Esplanade on Thursday, they were met with cautionary reminders of the dangers of irresponsible alcohol consumption, including a totaled red pickup truck.

A sign attached to the truck told a chilling story of a drunk driver hitting this red pickup, killing the mother of the family, and injuring the father and two children. At the bottom of the sign, printed in all caps and bold typeface, a line reads: DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.

That was the main message of the event, hosted by TUPD. The Alcohol Awareness event featured free lemonade, hot dogs, and “cop corn,” as well as vendors such as the San Antonio Police Department, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission, The Rape Crisis center, and the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness.

New SGA Committee Aims to Improve Relationships with Cultural Groups on Campus

SGA Diversity and Inclusion Committee meets on Thursday 

(photo by Alex Gereda-Gordon) 

By Abby Holland and Alex Gereda-Gordon

The Student Government Association (SGA) Diversity and Inclusion Committee met on Thursday evening to discuss measures of bridging the disconnection between Trinity student cultural groups and SGA.

“One of the main purposes of this committee is to make SGA more for the students,” said Taylor Volzer, Class of 2020 senator and head of the committee. “Right now there is a lot of miscommunication and SGA is missing a lot of issues on campus. A purpose of this committee is to be on the forefront and stop some of these issues from happening in the first place.”

One of these issues is unequal funding for cultural groups compared to that for other student organizations.

Mardi Gras Celebrations Animate the River Walk

River parade at the River Walk (photos by Luke Dias)

By Luke Dias

San Antonio is no New Orleans, but still had a blast with Mardi Gras, as thousands of people participated the annual Bud Light Mardi Gras River Parade and Festival on Saturday at the River Walk.

Now in its 10th year, this year’s event supplied over 40,000 bead necklaces, far more than previous years, according to Loren Reyes, the sponsorship sales director of the San Antonio River Walk Association. This nonprofit organization hosts 26 events at the River Walk annually, including the Mardi Gras celebration.

The highlight of Saturday’s event was the river parade, where the tour floats were decorated in the green, yellow, and purple Mardi Gras colors, and took two laps around the River Walk.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg Leads Fitness Council Meeting

Mayor Ron Nirenberg addresses the Fitness Council on Thursday
(photo by Sophie Dwyer)

By Sophie Dwyer

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg attended the Fitness Council meeting on Thursday in Trinity University’s William H. Bell Center.

He met with around 40 representatives from various foundations, fitness organizations, and companies, as well as dieticians, wellness coordinators, health app creators, and disability advocates. The discussion centered on ways of improving wellness services in the city, including physical activity, nutrition, and mental health.

“We should be talking policy-healthy policy,” Nirenberg said at the meeting. Attendees talked about various wellness initiatives such as introducing workplace recess, policies on purchasing healthy foods for employees, and making outdoor spaces safer so people feel more comfortable being active.

Trinity About to Hire Title IX Coordinator

Coalition for Sexual Justice held their first meeting. (photo by Jillian Cready)

By Nick Smetzer, Jillian Cready and Mark Tindall

Trinity University is in search of a new Title IX coordinator, said members of Coalition for Sexual Justice at their first meeting on Wednesday. 

With the new hire, the university will have someone especially equipped and devoted to handle Title IX-related issues, such as investigations of sexual misconducts, outreach, and policy making.

“Right now, Title IX is being handled by people without it in their job description,” said senior Hannah Braley, a leader of the coalition, formerly known as the Coalition for Respect. “It’s a lot of work, and we feel as though students’ needs aren’t currently being met.”

SGA Discusses Funding and Bringing Scooters to Campus

By Makenna Bentley and Samuel McWhorter

SGA did not approve funding for the Henna Night, for now, but pushed forward the discussion of bringing Trinity branded scooters to campus.

At the SGA meeting on Wednesday, Muslim Student Association (MSA) presented proposal for funding for the annual Henna Night, featuring performances, traditional costumes fashion show, and free food.

Maggie Cheatham, senior Psychology and Art major, was a volunteer for last years fashion show. “Each piece in the show was more beautiful than the next. I had a wonderful opportunity to wear a hand sewn piece from Nigeria,” she said.

Trinity Hosts First Ever Solidarity Summit

The First Solidarity Summit at Trinity
(photo by Alexandra Gereda-Gordon)

By Alexandra Gereda-Gordon

Nearly 80 students, staff, and administrators filled the Fiesta Room on Friday to attend the inaugural Solidarity Summit hosted by Trinity’s Diversity and Inclusion Office (DIO). 

This brand new event was created to increase awareness of diversity issues on campus and for students and faculty to come together to support one another.

Joshua Anaya, a first year student at Trinity, decided to attend the event to find out “what kind of action we can take as students to take accountability and embrace more solidarity on our campus.”

Trinity Women’s Basketball Loses Heartbreaker to TLU in SCAC Championship

Trinity Women's Basketball Head Coach Cameron Hill addressing the players
 during the SCAC Championship game (photo by Joshua Moczygemba)

By Samuel McWhorter

There was an air of inevitability late in the fourth quarter for the Tigers, verging on a storybook second straight comeback win. And then they lost.

On Sunday, third-seeded Texas Lutheran University managed to hang on in their home gym for their first SCAC Championship since 2014 by a final score of 68-62. The first-seeded Tigers trailed by 15 points at one juncture, and they never seemed out of it.

Sixth Communication Day Highlights Student Work

Networking reception of the sixth annual Communication Day

(photo by Makenna Bentley)

By Makenna Bentley

At the sixth annual Communication Day on Friday, current Communication majors were put into the spotlight together with the alumni.

This year’s Communication Day, an event hosted by the Department of Communication celebrating the Communication major by inviting its alumni back to Trinity, added a new program: student work showcase.

On the fourth floor of the Richardson Communications Center, home to the department, about 30 projects done by Communication majors, ranging from short narrative films, video games, podcast, sitcom, documentaries, to multimedia journalism, were on display in the computer labs.

Lady Tigers Win 16th Consecutive SCAC Swimming Championship Title

From left: Caroline North, Ashley Ward, Paige Johnson and Mabel Fowler at the award podium.
(photo by Erin Crooks)

By Erin Crooks

Just as the Tigers are fast on land, they also dominate in the pool. After a long and successful season, Trinity University women’s swim team took home on Saturday the title as SCAC Champs for the 16th year in a row, beating long-time rival Colorado College by 102 points in the final meet. 

Trinity men’s team came up short to rival Southwestern University and finished 2nd, losing their 7-year winning streak.

The fourth and final day of the 2019 SCAC Swimming & Diving Championship Meet started off with a bang, as junior Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman captured gold in men's 1650-yard freestyle, being the first SCAC swimmer in history to win the event three times in a row.

Trinity Students Cheers on Street2Feet Race

Street2Feet participants pass
Flores Street on Saturday.
(Photo by Meredith Peckman)

By Meredith Peckham

At 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, more than 30 Trinity University students queued up along Flores Street in downtown San Antonio, to cheer on participants of the Street2Feet 5K running race.

The race began at 8:00 a.m. with the starting line on West Houston Street. More than 1,000 people registered to run, including 40 homeless individuals who had trained for months for this 5 kilometer race, according to Stree2Feet co-founder Elizabeth Rosenblum.

Street2Feet provides exercise programs for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Antonio, as a way of building healthy body and spirit. “This race is a fundraiser and an extension of Street2Feet,” said Rosenblum. She noted that both homeless and settled individuals participated.

Poet Presents A Love Letter to Blackness

The poet Kai Davis reads her poems in the Skyline Room on Thursday.
(Photo by KaDarius Lee)

By KaDarius Lee

Trinity University’s Black Student Union hosted a spoken word night on Thursday, featuring the poet Kai Davis, as part of the Black History Month.

About 30 students gathered in the Skyline Room to hear Davis present her love letter to Blackness.

An African American queer woman, Davis mostly deals with the complex issues of race, gender, power, and sexuality in her work.

Trinity Student Directs Powerful Performance of "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom"

The two vampire lesbians, La Condesa (left), and Madeleine Astarte (right),
played by Aria Gaston-Panthaki and Sophia Elsadig respectively, casting a spell.
(Photo by Kathryn Gore)

By Sophie Dwyer

Trinity Theatre brought the off-Broadway show Vampire Lesbians of Sodom to campus over the weekend, directed by Trinity junior Sarah Bastos, a Theatre major.

The show focuses on the never-ending lives of two lesbian vampires who continue to meet at different points through time, and how their relationship evolves. While the show contains plenty of comedy, the core meaning lies in the emotion of characters spending eternity as marginalized individuals.

Originally written by American playwright and actor Charles Busch in 1984 with a $36 budget and first performed in a bar, the show’s spirit spoke to Bastos. She said she chose to direct this piece because she “figured that this would be a really fun, really campy, really interesting play to direct.”

2019 Spring Career Fair Sets Attendance Record

Spring Career Fair in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Career Services)

By Matthew Thomas
Trinity students flocked to the Spring Career Fair at Laurie Auditorium on Wednesday, setting a new record of 362 participants, the highest thus far for a spring career fair.

The students, most of them seniors, met with representatives from 49 employers, including USAA, Trinity Real Estate Finance, and Valero.

Career Services normally plans the fair three to four months ahead of time, meeting with the companies and putting the fair into motion, said Katie Ramirez, the associate director of Career Services. The goal was to “make sure that it is a diverse group of employers and that it’s not just representing one major or industry,” said Ramirez.

Health and Fitness Day Brings a More Holistic Approach to Wellness

Dr. Claudia Kypuros from TU Counseling Services (right)

and Melissa Woodul, sophomore Russian major (left),

with Leeroy at the Fitness Day. (Photo by Abby Holland) 

By Abby Holland

Mental health and physical well-being go hand in hand and are equally important. That was a key message of this year's Health and Fitness Day, held on Wednesday.

This event has been a part of Trinity’s campus for nearly 20 years. The theme for this year was “How do you Rec?” While in the past the event primarily focused on physical well-being, this was the first year the event included additional aspects on the wellness spectrum.

The Fiesta Room transformed into an active, health hub, filled with vendors from Trinity clubs and organizations, as well as local organizations. Among them were San Antonio Eating Recovery Center, San Antonio Walks, and Trinity University Counseling Services.

San Francisco Meditation Teacher Visits San Antonio

Howard Cohn's public lecture on Friday, Feb. 1. (Photo by Miranda Smith)

By Miranda Smith

Veteran yogis and meditation newbies alike gathered at Friends Meeting House Friday evening in anticipation of Howard “Howie” Cohn’s lecture, “Celebrating the Three Jewels: Awakening, Truth, and Community.”

Cohn is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in the San Francisco Bay area and has been their senior teacher for more than 30 years. He is known for leading Vipassana meditation, also known as Insight or Mindfulness meditation.

Trinity Kicks Off Sesquicentennial Celebration with Community Service and Big Party

The Wild Bunch Band, featuring Asst. Professor of Scenic Design
Scott Neale on harmonica, plays for festival guest. (Photos by Jackson Beach)

By Jackson Beach

Carnival rides, corn dogs and a capybara greeted guests of the TU150 Kickoff party on Friday evening. The party celebrated the official beginning of the year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Trinity University, founded in 1869.

Despite cloudy skies, hundreds of Trinity students, staff, faculty, and alumni gathered to enjoy festivities on a campus transformed into an amusement park.

The lawn near the Storch Memorial Building served as a petting zoo with critters of various shapes and sizes, including a llama and a porcupine. Tents serving agua fresca and an assortment of skewered treats dotted the grounds near the Miller Fountain.