Trinity Spotlight

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Fostering Inclusion: Students and Staff Discuss Legacy of Rev. Stephen Nickle


By Ruthie Rubin

The Rev. Stephen Nickle is retiring from Trinity University at the end of this month, after 18 years of service as the university chaplain.

Nickle and his wife, Catherine Morell-Nickle, the beloved coordinator of Student Accessibility Services here at Trinity, will be moving to Tacoma, Washington this summer.

After the move, Nickle plans to spend the summer exploring his new home of Washington and spending time with his children who live on the West coast. In the fall, he will go back into the role of a student at Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, where he will have a year long residency in a clinical pastoral education program. He will be learning how to have a chaplain/pastoral presence in a hospital setting, working with patients, their families and care takers.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Jennifer Henderson: Journey of Following Passions



By Marina Schweitzer

People told her she would never work in Washington DC again, but Jennifer Henderson was determined. The determination helped her land another DC job that she thought might actually help people.

Henderson brought that same kind of determination to Trinity University in 2002, when she joined the faculty in the Department of Communication. Sixteen years later, she has become a full professor and the department chair, and has taught an array of classes including mass media, media law, media ethics, advertising, and communication capstone.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Joseph Shotland: From Playing to Coaching Basketball at Trinity



By Emily Bae

Coach Joseph Shotland is a Trinity University alumnus whose life has been largely about the game of basketball. In 2010, he came to Trinity University and walked onto the basketball
​court to be a shooting guard. He described his role as bringing energy to the team. He graduated with a Bachelors in English in ​2014 and later graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching at Trinity University.

Knowing that he could not play basketball forever, he still wanted to be a part of the sport. One of his favorite aspects of basketball is the team component and he enjoyed the leadership qualities needed for basketball. He therefore thought of coaching.

Shotland approached Cameron Hill, head coach for Trinity women’s basketball, in his junior year of college and asked if he could help with the team.​

Simone Washington: Brings Activism to Trinity’s Campus


Simone Washington, center, was key in organizing Trinity's
involvement at the March for Our Lives in San Antonio.
(Photo by Julia Weis)
By Julia Weis

If you’re a student involved on Trinity’s campus in some way, then you probably have run into Simone Washington at least once. The sophomore is active in the Student Government Association (SGA), Black Student Union, and Trinity Progressives. She has been active on campus for as long as she’s been at Trinity.

Washington, 20, organized Trinity's first ever Activism Fair as a part of the university's celebration of the Martin Luther King Week. The fair, held on January 18, showcased about a dozen activist organizations from San Antonio, such as MOVE San Antonio, RAICES and Haven for Hope, encouraging students to volunteer off-campus.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Dr. Bladimir Ruiz: ​Decade-Long Commitment to ​the Madrid Program



By Sophia Scearce

Launched in 2005, the Madrid Summer Program has enabled hundreds of Trinity students to experience a summer of learning and interning in Spain’s capital. At the center of the program is Dr. Bladimir Ruiz, associate professor of Spanish at Trinity University.

“There is something about creating a space that is not only a physical space in a classroom, but that allows for an interaction that is deeper than just sharing knowledge,” said Ruiz regarding his experience educating students in Madrid.

​Ruiz has led the program for the past 9 years and is about to lead it for the 10th time in May. ​Through his decade long ​involvement with the Madrid Program, Ruiz emphasized the importance of learning outside the classroom. “I think what these programs are providing us with is the opportunity to have the classroom in the country and in the city, and to have the city as a classroom.” This kind of immersive learning outside the classroom also attracted many students. 

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Jacob Hurrel-Zitelman: Trinity Student Turned “Coffee Guy”



By Paige Johnson

Jacob Hurrel-Zitelman has established himself across campus as the coffee guy. He can be found using his own handheld brewer and beans wherever he is, just to avoid Starbucks. When he’s not brewing coffee, Hurrel-Zitelman stays busy any way he can.

“I get really antsy when I do not have something every single second of the day,” said Hurrel-Zitelman, 20, who studies entrepreneurship and marketing at Trinity. “I’m very ambitious and I want to keep doing something all the time.”

He is the founder and owner of Quick Sip Coffee, a company that sells specialty cold brew across San Antonio.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Marisa Kwiatkowski: Investigative Reporter Who Broke the USA Gymnastics Sexual Abuse Story


Marisa Kwiatkowski having a conversation with Trinity students 
(The Roar photo
By Jacob Rossitter

Marisa Kwiatkowski, who recently visited Trinity University, is an investigative journalist for the Indianapolis Star, a daily newspaper in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2016, Kwiatkowski, along with a small team of investigative reporters, broke the story of USA Gymnastics covering up female gymnasts’ allegations of sexual abuses by several coaches. At the time, two former gymnasts came forward to accuse the team doctor, Larry Nassar, of repeated sexual abuse of female gymnasts. Kwiatkowski and her colleagues followed up with the Nassar story. Since the publication of their stories, more than 250 people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Nassar.

On Wednesday, April 11, Kwiatkowski gave a talk to around 100 Trinity students and faculty about her experience investigating the USA Gymnastics story, as well as other of her investigative pieces. Her talk demonstrated how having a voice can make a difference, and how investigative journalism can give voice to the voiceless.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Alumna Applied Knowledge Learned at Trinity to Educate Her Own Children


By Joy Camp 


Christi Shaw couldn’t wait to finish school and move on with life outside of college.

Finishing her studies at Trinity University in only three and a half years, she graduated in 1972 and began her work in the state capital of Texas as an administrative assistant to Representative Joe Sage. 

In 1976, Shaw met the man of her dreams, Thomas Moorman, and they married on Dec. 20th of that year. About three years later, their first child, daughter Muffin, was born. Before she knew it, Mrs. Moorman was a mother of six.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Kelly Grey Carlisle: Searching for Personal Truth through Writing



Kelly Grey Carlisle in her intro to non-fiction class
(photo by Sarah Wysocki) 
By Sarah Wysocki 

Kelly Grey Carlisle, Trinity professor of creative non-fiction writing, searches for the truth about her past and her mother’s murder in her newly published book, We Are All Shipwrecks. Though she did not know what she would find in her investigation, she dove in to her mother’s cold case, at the time, decades old.

Many know the professor side of Carlisle--a funny, well-read and well-written woman who cares deeply about her students. Some even know a bit of her personal side--41, married, mother of two young girls, who are 6 years and 19 months old. But there’s more to the story than what is seen on the outside.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Dominic Morais, Sports Management Professor and Weightlifting Coach

By Bret Smith


Dominic Morais faced a tough choice right before he joined Trinity University in 2015. He was offered two jobs: a tenure track position at California State University at Northridge and a visiting professor position at Trinity. A Tenure track position is a long term employment, while a visiting professorship is temporary. 

Even though the Northridge offer was a safer decision, Morais went against his advisors and decided on Trinity.

“Trinity was the type of culture I wanted. It reminded me a lot of Vanderbilt in that it was a small school from a lot of standpoints,” said Morais. “I just felt like I could make an impact here, like I could be here and I could actually start changing things and I just did not feel that at all with Cal State.” Morais went to Vanderbilt for his undergraduate study.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Adrien Lavigne: Up and Coming Singer and Song Writer


By Victoria Abad


Adrien Lavigne, 21, ​also known by his artistic name Adri, is starting to build his image as a musician. The Trinity University senior is working hard to put his name out in the music world with an original and multi-style acoustic sound. He is also getting used to the attention his music has brought him.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said while fixing his hair during an interview with The Roar. “It’s my first time,” he explained, settling comfortably in the chair. There is no doubt that he will only do more interviews in the near future.​

Lavigne released his first song, "Feel Alone,"​which he wrote, ​on March 2nd on YouTube, his own website and Tunecore, a platform that allows artists to distribute their work through other online retailers such as iTunes and Spotify. 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Four Trinity Women Made it to the Nationals for Swimming Relays


From left to right: Lindsay Hagmann, Abbie Jones, Star Rosales,
and Lauren Cuda enjoy the last few practices. (Photo by Kim Jones)

By David Smith

Today, four Trinity female swimmers left for Indianapolis, Indiana to compete in the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships, which starts tomorrow.

Seniors Lindsay Hagmann and Lauren Cuda, and sophomores Abbie Jones and Star Rosales, will swim in the 4x50-yard freestyle, 4x100-yard freestyle, and 4x200-yard freestyle relays. For the first time in three years, Trinity Women’s Swimming team qualified three relays to compete at the national championship meet. 


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

New SGA President Discusses Agenda for Her Term


SGA new president Amulya Deva.
(photo courtesy of Yazmin Ramirez)
By Ruthie Rubin

Amulya Deva assumed the role of the president of Student Government Association (SGA) in January. During her one-year term, she plans to address both old and new agendas.

Deva, a junior majoring in finance and business analytics & technology with a minor in economics, is not a total new comer to SGA. Last year, she served as a SGA senator. She decided to run for the president because “I’ve learned that the best way to affect change on campus involves work over the course of multiple terms.”

In fact, one of such changes that Deva is pushing for, the Menstrual Product Initiative, was originated by her predecessor, Nick Santulli. Deva and her administration will continue to work toward increasing the number of tampon and sanitary napkin receptacles in buildings ​across campus, ​such as CSI and the library.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Nick Santulli: President of Student Government Association



Nick Santulli (first right) with SGA members at the state capitol
Photo courtesy of SGA
By Andrea Acevedo

With a single Ron Nirenberg for Mayor sticker on his left shoulder and a cheering crowd to his side, Nick Santali stood nearby, carefully reading the results of the San Antonio mayoral election. Santulli is no stranger to political rallies or gatherings.

When Santulli, junior political science major and president of Trinity’s SGA, isn’t registering people to vote or lobbying at the Texas state capitol, he is working to get Trinity students involved in their community.

He joined SGA in hopes of making greater impacts in his community and with the desire to see those changes make a visible difference. “I craved more direct action and results,” he said.


Sunday, May 7, 2017

Samsara Davalos Reyes: Shining a Light on Diversity at Trinity


By Katie Welch

Samsara Davalos Reyes standing proudly 
in front of the TDC Board in Coates.
Photo by Katie Welch
As TDC President Samsara Davalos Reyes grabs lunch at the Commons, she pauses to greet the employees, switching from English to rapid-fire Spanish. Her sunny personality and bright pink lipstick make the sophomore sociology major hard to miss.

“They’re so sweet here, aren’t they?” She says brightly as she walks away with her food in hand.

This is one thing that immediately stands out about Reyes— her optimism and desire to engage with others translates well to her role as president of the Trinity Diversity Connection. In a campus that features a primarily white student body, that engagement is especially crucial. Read more »


Thursday, May 4, 2017

Trinitones and AcaBellas Sing End-of-Year Performance


By Emma Lucero

On Monday, the Trinitones and the AcaBellas, the male and female acapella groups at Trinity, ended this school year with a joint performance in Skyline.

The groups took turns performing their favorite pieces from the semester, including “Come On Eileen” performed by the Trinitones and "Electric Love" performed by the AcaBellas. 

Members of the groups and the audience shed tears as the groups performed songs dedicated to the seniors. The AcaBellas performed a sweet version of “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana to say farewell to the seniors. The performance ended with a joint performance of “Take On Me” by a-ha.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Marcus Rubio: Trinity Alum Turned Experimenting Musician


Marcus Rubio (More Eaze) before performing
Photos by Johnna Guillerman

By Johnna Guillerman


As Marcus Rubio, 28, sets up his computer, a small crowd gathers around to watch. This Trinity alumni, who graduated in 2012, is getting ready to play a set he designed specifically for tonight’s performance.

The show is taking place in Austin, Texas at a bar called Beerland. Though dark and tucked away, it is filled with character. The stage is backgrounded in pink tones, and Elvis Presley busts line the walls.

Before Rubio’s turn, several other artists play sets of music in a genre that some people might not have even heard of--harsh noise. The name gives away the essence of the music, but Beerland is open to new and experimental performers.


Monday, April 10, 2017

Taylor Mobley: Chasing the Dream in Television


Taylor Mobley on the set of her show
Photos courtesy of Taylor Mobley
By Abby Tisdale

Trinity alum, Taylor Mobley, is taking “Discover. Grow. Become.”, Trinity’s motto, to new heights.

Mobley graduated in spring of 2013 as a communication major. Now, Mobley is an executive producer for "San Antonio Living," a mid-morning talk show on WOAI.

She came to Trinity wanting to pursue a theatre degree, and searched for the perfect pairing. She found that in a communication major.


Friday, March 31, 2017

Katherine Hewitt: Spreading Passion for Wellness


Katherine Hewitt at the Easting Disorder Awareness Week
earlier this month.
Photo by Andrea Acevedo and Elizabeth McEnrue
By Taylor Moser

Katherine Hewitt, the Trinity University Coordinator of Wellness, makes strides every day to make campus a healthier and more beautiful place for students and faculty alike.

Hewitt says she has always had a passion for working in public health. Before coming to Trinity, she worked as a Health and Wellness Coordinator in upstate New York. She found her way to Trinity on a mission to spread her passion for wellness and enlighten students of the significance of being healthy.

Hewitt is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and uses her education to aid her in creating a greater community of wellness on campus. On a daily basis, Hewitt not only teaches but lives by what she calls the “four pillars of wellness”-- nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and no substance abuse. She considers them “a few key areas you can be successful in taking care of your wellness."Read more »

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Joel Holmes: Football Player, Musician, and Maybe, US President


By Kate Irvin 

Joel Holmes has many different sides to his story and has not let those sides go unnoticed.
Left: Joel Holmes taking his stance in a Trinity football game.
Right: Holmes singing in the Trinity choir.
Photos courtesy of Bennet Soriano

The second-year starter at left guard on the Trinity football team also started for the Tigers as a freshman, which is not very common. He has played football since a young age and claims it to be one of his first loves. He came to Trinity to continue to playing football, but has found that Trinity offers many more opportunities.

Through the football teammates, he was introduced to Greek life and eventually became a member of the Bengal lancer fraternity. This club historically and almost exclusively has had football players as their members and is known on campus as the "football frat." Read more »

Friday, March 10, 2017

Mariana LĆ³pez Levi and Matthew Reynolds: Growing Music Talent at Trinity


Mariana LĆ³pez Levi and Matthew Reynolds
at their senior recital
Photo curtsey of Becca Bur
By Emma Lucero 

​Trinity University seniors Mariana LĆ³pez Levi​, soprano,​ and Matthew Reynolds​, baritone, gave their senior recital in Ruth Taylor Recital Hall on Saturday.

These accomplished musicians performed operatic arias, such as "O luce di quest'anima" from Linda di Chamounix, and Broadway show tunes​, such as "Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods, in front of a large audience made up of family and friends.

Among them was Liezelle Lopez​,​ 23, a Trinity alum who knew LĆ³pez Levi and Reynolds from choir and voice lessons. She thought the recital was great and very entertaining. ​

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Hailey Decker, New Editor-​in-Chief of the Odyssey Online at Trinity University


Hailey Decker, new editor-in-chief
of the Odyssey Online at Trinity
Photo by Samantha Luzader
By Samantha Luzader

Hailey Decker, a first year student​ at Trinity​ from Grapevine, Texas,​ right outside of Dallas, exudes a confidence and self-assurance that one rarely finds in an 18 year old.

After graduating from high school a year early, Decker started at Trinity when she was only 17.​ Within a year of her college life, she has already accomplished ​a lot.

Decker​ is the current editor-in-chief of the Trinity division of the Odyssey Online​, a national media platform where college students all over the country can write about ​a wide range of topics from politics, pop culture to college life.


Friday, February 17, 2017

Joshua Poole: From World Record Breaker to Presidential Inauguration Staff


Joshua Poole showing the campaign Tshirt
Photo courtesy of Joshua Poole
By Matt Barnes

Before even beginning his college career, Joshua Poole, 22, set two world records in the sport of competitive shooting. His story of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities continues into the political sphere, as he was the only student from Trinity to attend the 2017 presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.

Poole, of Crawford, Texas, is a senior in Business Administration and a minor in Spanish at Trinity University. One day, he received a phone call that changed his life. “In about Mid-June of 2016, I got a call from someone at Giles Parscale, a San Antonio based marketing firm, asking if I was interested in working for the Trump for Presidency campaign. Of course I said yes and was packed and ready to go within hours.”

He became one of only 10 interns at this marketing firm for Donald Trump’s campaign.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Renowned Filmmaker Tells Story of the Beginning of His Career as a Trinity Student


By Nipuni Gomes
Molina and his crew working on Revelation
Photo courtesy of William Molina

Filmmaker William Molina, ’84, was among Trinity’s last cohort of film majors when, 36 years ago, the university’s Department of Journalism, Broadcast, and Film was in the process of dropping the film component and turning into what is known today as theDepartment of Communication.

Now an award-winning cinematographer, Molina traced the beginning of his career to his freshman year at Trinity when, although with a limited budget and resources, Molina persevered with a whole lot of passion and determination. Read more »

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Young Entrepreneurs at Trinity University


Cole Evans rehearses his lines for an Under Amour
entrepreneurship commercial in Trinity’s
Center for the Sciences & Innovation
Photos by Nate Borchers 
By Nate Borchers

When Cole Evans started college at Trinity two years ago, he already had in mind a business idea.

“Coming into college I really knew that I wanted to pursue a business degree mainly because how seriously I was taking the idea of launching Plova,” said Evans. Plova is Evans’ vision of a chewing gum that can replace brushing teeth, designed for businessmen or students on the go who don’t have time to brush teeth.

Evans took this idea to the Cupid’s Cup-Under Armour Entrepreneurship Competition, hosted at the University of Maryland last year. Competing with more than 500 businesses and despite being by far the youngest team, Plova made it to the finals. Read more »

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Callum Squires: Passion for Soccer and Beyond


Callum Squires playing soccer for Trinity 
Photo by Nate Kizla
By Davis Mathis 

Callum John Drysdale Squires has a name that couldn’t allow him to show his Englishness if he wanted. So how did this Englishman end up in San Antonio, Texas for college? The answer is soccer.

He wanted to keep playing soccer.

“America is crazy about college sports. It’s just such a big culture here, which is weird because no one cares about college sports back home,” says Squires, a junior majoring in German Studies. “They aren’t really even a thing. So when I wanted to keep competitively playing the sport, America was the logical choice.”

Saturday, May 14, 2016

TUPD Officer Laura Hernandez

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Professor Jenny Browne, the Newly Named San Antonio Poet Laureate, Talks about Trust in Her Creative Process



By Nancy Li

Seated in her office which was littered with various books, papers, and bumper stickers that carried phrases such as "Obamanos" or "united we art," English Professor Jenny Browne found inspiration for her poetry practice in all corners of life. 

Browne, interested in what she called the "music of language," says, “Poetry is about paying better attention, to both the outer and inner landscape. It helps me to be awake, aware of the hook of the language, feeling, or image that might spark a poem.”

Amidst the whirlwind that includes family, kids, teaching, and multiple other commitments, Browne always finds a time to write and process her thoughts. “I sit down and try to say something honest, precise, and maybe even interesting,” she says. Read more »

Monday, May 2, 2016

Ryan Gray Named D-III Baseball All-American and Pitcher of the Year




By Trevor Griffin

Ryan Gray, Trinity baseball’s left-handed pitcher, was recently named Division III Baseball America Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

A Tucson, Arizona native, Gray, 21, knows how to keep his cool on the mound and has showcased his skills over the past three years on the baseball team. He finished last year with a flawless 8-0 record while being credited with two saves. In addition, he pitched 67.2 innings with a 2.00 ERA, leading the team in strikeouts by fanning 75 batters over the course of the season. Read more »

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Trinity Graduate the First Social Media Coordinator for the Spurs


Megan Julian checks her work phone
Photo by Taylor Shelgren
By Taylor Shelgren

Megan Julian has two phones with her at all times. One of them is her personal phone and the other is for her job, where all the social media accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat, for the San Antonio Spurs are hooked up.

Julian, a San Antonio native and Trinity graduate in 2013, is the Social Media Coordinator for the Spurs Sports and Entertainment, a job she has held since October 2014. The 25-year-old is also the first person to ever work this position for this company, thanks to the social media boom in recent years.

“It is crucial for sport teams at the professional level to have social media accounts,” says Julian, especially when considering the potentially endless audience that social media can reach all over the world. Ten years ago, Julian’s job wouldn’t have even existed. Today, social media have become a huge part of branding, marketing, and connecting with the public, and Julian is the social media voice of her company. Read more » 

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Trinity Students Spend Spring Break in One of the World’s Top Geosciences Labs


Joshua Hernandes and Bethany Rysak in the
geoscience lab at Stanford University
Photo by Kathleen Surpless
By Nate Borchers

Bethany Rysak and Joshua Hernandez, two Trinity University students, went to California for the Spring Break.

But no, they didn’t get sun bathing on the beach. Instead, they submerged themselves in the geosciences laboratory at Stanford University.

In the lab, one of the world’s most advanced fallibilities of its kind, Rysak, a sophomore, and Hernandez, a senior, both majoring in geosciences, studied rock samples from sunny California’s Sierra Nevada mountain chain. So perhaps Rysak and Hernandez can still check off the “exotic location” box for their Spring Break.


Saturday, March 19, 2016


Inside Trinity's Softball Team: Rebecca Berreth

By Sara McCarty

For two consecutive weeks recently, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference named Trinity softball player Rebecca Berreth Hitter of the Week.

Berreth earned the title for the weeks of February 29 and March 7 for her outstanding statistics. So far this season, which started on February 19, she has had 22 runs batten in, three homeruns, while sporting a .487 batting average.

Off the field, Berreth also stands out as a student athlete taking on a demanding major, neuroscience.


Read more »



Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Trinity Junior Sets Spurs Halftime Competition Record at $1,100

Zachary Treu poses with Silver Star
dancers at last Wednesday's game
Photo by Callum Squires
By Dana McLaughlin

Zachary Treu celebrated his 22nd birthday with friends at the San Antonio Spurs home game against the Houston Rockets last Wednesday.

The Spurs came away with a win, and so did Treu, a junior at Trinity University. He won a $1,100 HEB gift card after setting an all-time high record for the HEB Beach Ball Mania halftime competition.

Treu said it was incredible to be down on the court. “I was also shaking pretty bad when I first got down on the court,” recalled Treu. “However, once I caught the first balloon I kind of just dialed in and felt pretty comfortable after that.”

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Trinity Sophomore Performs in California with Improv Group


Sarah Jacobs
Photo by Abby Stigler
By Abby Stigler 

Sarah Jacobs, a Trinity University sophomore, spent her winter break in California performing with a San Antonio improvisational group.

The six-member Alamo City Improv performed at an Upright Citizen’s Brigade Club, among other places, in Los Angeles. UCB is the improv group that launched comedian Amy Poehler’s career.

They performed 10 shows in eight days. Jacobs’ favorite part of this experience? “Having really funny people laugh at [my] jokes and being surrounded by fellow improvisers,” she says. Or, in the words of Jacob’s group member, Jeremy Zenor, 36, “I wasn’t sure how they would respond, we got the Texas jokes, but everyone was so supportive.”

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