#Great Trinity Experiment: Inspiring Learning for the Future

Trinity University President Danny Anderson
welcomes participants of the Great Trinity
Experiment on Thursday
Photo by Dana McLaughlin

By Dana McLaughlin

The entire Trinity University campus was buzzed with excitement as students, faculty and alumni participated in the Great Trinity Experiment on Thursday, as a significant part of the celebratory events leading up to the inauguration of Dr. Danny J. Anderson as the 19th president of Trinity University.

This experiment put students, staff and alumni at the front of the classroom, reversing the traditional teaching role for one day.

There were 23 mini-courses selected out of 40 proposals submitted by students, staff and alumni, on topics ranging from the evolving face of homelessness, coding basics, Japanese anime, to drumming. About 200 people signed up to attend these 50-minute courses.

#Great Trinity Experiment: Students Teach Class on Homelessness

Junior Rebecca Prager collects ideas 

from the class about ways to help homeless people

Photos by Nate Borchers

By Nate Borchers​

Trinity​ University ​juniors Rebecca Prager, Jay Stracke and senior Ana Ruiz reversed the conventional​teaching-learning structure​and became the professors on the causes and solutions of homelessness. At least for one afternoon.

The mini-course they taught, “The Evolving Face of Homelessness,” challenged more than 20 attendees, including Trinity faculty and students, to rethink the perception of homelessness, as part of “The Great Trinity Experiment” on Thursday.

In an activity called “Cross The Line,” participants of the class moved into different areas of the room designated “Yes”, “No” or “Unsure” in response to a series of statements, ranging from general ones such as “I was born in Texas,” to more complicated ones like “I believe homelessness is something that we can end forever.”

#Great Trinity Experiment: Trinity Students Fascinated by Fictional Writing

A student imagines characters for an exercise
 during the creative writing mini course.  
Photo by Robert Smith

By Robert Smith

Creating fictional characters, turns out, has a lot to do with understanding real people, as attendees of a Great Trinity Experiment course learned on Thursday.

The course, Building Believable Characters in Creative Writing, was designed and taught by two Trinity alum, William M. Razavi (’95) and Jack Bonner (’02).

Though many English and creative writing students, as well as a few alumni, were in attendance, the talk focused on more than just literature.

#Great Trinity Experiment: Trinity Students, Faculty and Staff Enjoy Drumming

By Nancy Li

On a stage usually occupied by music majors and professional musicians, a group of first-time drummers filled the recital hall with sounds and rhythms of djembe and conga drums.

These drummers were about 50 Trinity students, faculty and staff, all of whom had little experience with drumming, who came to the Ruth Taylor Recital Hall on Thursday to attend the mini-course, Drumming with your hands: An Introduction to Drumming.

Claire Steinman, a sophomore majoring in Communication, was very excited to be here. “It’ll be fun. I just wanna bang on things.”

Trinity University President Leads Day of Service

Volunteers at Lamar Elementary School
Photos by Sara McCarty 

By Sara McCarty

Dr. Danny Anderson, Trinity University’s new president, spent Saturday morning raking leaves and helping with landscaping at Lamar Elementary School, as part of the Trinity Gives Back community service day.

Instead of his normal attire of suit, Anderson was wearing jeans and the "uniform" of the day, a maroon Trinity Gives Back T-shirt. As soon as he arrived at the elementary school, he went straight for the gardening gloves and began raking.

Lamar Elementary, which is in Trinity’s neighborhood, is one of a dozen locations around San Antonio where volunteers, including Trinity students, faculty, staff and alumni, spent the day doing various community services.