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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

Trinity University Celebrates First Diversity Week

Taste of Diversity on Friday
Photo by Samantha Luzader

By Samantha Luzader

Trinity students gathered at the Esplanade on Friday to take advantage of the great weather and great food in celebration of Trinity’s first ever Diversity Week.

The event on Friday, Taste of Diversity, showcased a variety of food from around the world, prepared by several religious and cultural groups on campus, such as the Filipino Student Association.

Lunar New Year Gala Celebrates Asian Culture at Trinity

By Nate Borchers

Sights, sounds and even smells of the Lunar New Year filled Laurie Auditorium on Friday night as 61 Trinity students danced, sang and showcased their talents in celebration of the holiday.

After being treated to Asian cuisine such as spring rolls, fried rice and satay, the audience filled Laurie Auditorium, some to see their roommates or friends perform, others to get a taste of the Lunar New Year celebration at Trinity.

“None of my family is of Asian heritage, but growing up in the Bay Area where there’s a huge Asian population, crowding China town in San Francisco to see the Lunar New Year Parade is just as much of a holiday for the rest of the population as it is for the Chinese, Vietnamese, etc.,” said Zachary Klein, a sophomore. “So in an odd way, attending tonight’s performance was kind of like going home.”