02.17.2017

Trinitonian

Geoscience department

Faculty spotlight

Kevin Livingston of the biology department shares his life goal.

The geoscience department is currently searching for new faculty members.

PAGE 3 NEWS

Volume 114 Issue 19

The 15 month renovations to the Bell Center are finally underway.

PAGE 8 PULSE

PAGE 15 SPORTS

Serving Trinity University Since 1902

B-Cycle comes to Trinity After years of planning SGA announcing new B-Cycle station

BY PHILLIP McKEON

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

We are the champions Swim and dive teams defend conference title

NEWS REPORTER After several years of planning, Trinity University is implementing a B-Cycle station. The acquisition of the station has been an initiative of SGA since 2014.

B-Cycle is a city-wide program that provides bike rental kiosks at various locations around San Antonio. Users can rent bikes and return them at any B-Cycle location. SGA members hope that the program will encourage students to get out and experience the city.

“Part of the goal is to give people the opportunity to get outside of the Trinity bubble and go out and explore the city of San Antonio. I think it hopefully will. It gives people more of an option other than getting in a car because that’s not an option for everybody, not everyone has access to a vehicle. So this will give them an alternative.

People can take a day trip with their friends on their bikes, which can be more fun than going in a car anyways,” said Nick Santulli, SGA president.

Santulli explained how B-Cycle has been a continuous initiative passed down the line of SGA presidents.

“President Evan Lewis wanted to bring another transportation option to Trinity’s campus, and that was right around the same time that the B-Cycle program was really something up and coming and was really starting to become something cool,” Santulli said. “Due to licensing issues with the B-Cycle company, that’s why it’s taken so long to get it started.”

Evan Lewis, former SGA president and the person responsible for initiating the program, expressed excitement that the project was finally being completed.

“I am really excited to hear that B-Cycle is finally coming to campus. Having a B-Cycle station on campus will promote sustainability and encourage students to break out of the Trinity bubble and explore San Antonio,” Lewis said.

The B-Cycle program also stands to benefit Trinity students by providing an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

“The program will provide Trinity students with another option for transportation that will be kind of unique just because bikes have the potential to be more fun if you’re planning some kind of outing, not to mention they’re way more eco-friendly.

I think the value of B-Cycle will continue to grow as the city of San Antonio becomes more bike friendly and the city continues to develop in areas outside of just downtown and the riverwalk. B-Cycle is expanding it’s network, so people will be able to bike to areas like St. Mary’s for instance, soon enough,” Santulli said.

Santulli went on to list some of the popular San Antonio spots students can explore through the network of B-Cycle locations.

“You can drop off these bikes anywhere in the B-Cycle network, and you have to check

Bell Center

BY JULIA ELMORE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A B Cycle station, like ones located throughout San Antonio will soon be available on the Trinity campus. photo by CLAUDIA GARCIA them in at a station every hour. So a lot of them are downtown, and they’re working on expanding a lot, so you can think of areas like the Pearl and Brackenridge Park, for instance,” Santulli said.

Joseph Khalaf, SGA vice president, explained that the B-Cycle station is being subsidized by a federal grant.

“The actual retail value of the station is close to $70,000, but a federal grant is going to be paying for the majority of it, so SGA is allocating a portion of the Student Activity Fee to pay for the rest of the cost of the station, which is about $15,000,” Khalaf said.

SGA will be distributing free bike passes throughout the semester, Santulli explained.

“The typical rate is about $12 a day, and we haven’t decided if we’re going to try and get a subsidized student rate, and that may be in the works, but we’re also going to be giving out 500 free bike passes over the course of the semester. We think students will be particularly excited about that, and that may drive business for the B-Cycles, at least at first. So SGA will be giving those out, and we may try and use them to incentivize certain events in the future as well,” Santulli said.

It was the moment they had been waiting for. A year of hard work was all coming down to this. The Trinity University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams stepped up to the plate — or rather the block — and swept the SCAC conference meet, defending their titles as reigning champs.

The women’s team had won the meet 13 consecutive times before, so it would seem that the Tigers would go into the competition confident they had the win in the bag. However, they faced some unexpected challenges in the weeks leading up to the championship.

“About half of the girl’s team, including me, actually caught the flu before we were supposed to leave, so we were a little worried that we would feel tired and slow during our races,” said Erin Crooks, sophomore.

The team also lost some valuable seniors.

“We graduated five point-scoring seniors last year, and Colorado College was definitely going into the meet ready to knock us off,” said Meg Chase, junior.

Despite their uncertainty, the Tigers blew their competition out of the water. Junior Lindsay Hagmann was a standout, winning the 50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle, in which she set the conference meet and open record. She was named Women’s Swimmer of the Meet.

The Men’s Swimmer of the Meet also hailed from Trinity. First-year Jacob HurrellZitelman earned the honor after winning the 1,650 and 500 yard freestyle events and the 400 yard individual medley.

“I was seeded to win all of my events, but that didn’t mean I had no pre-race anxieties.

It was definitely a prideful relief after I accomplished what I did,” Hurrell-Zitelman said. “It made me realize I can compete with the best, which is a good feeling.”

The divers also had an impressive showing.

Sarah Kate Mrkonich won the women’s one-meter diving competition, while Chad King placed first in the men’s three meter.

A number of other Trinity divers medaled.

Senior Mollie Patzke placed third and fourth on the three- and one-meter events and expresses excitement for the next meet that the whole team shares.

“To be a part of the swim and dive team is really special. It’s a dynasty and there’s pressure to preserve the streak,” Patzke said.

“I think that serves as extra motivation. It’s awesome to be a part of.”

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17, 2017

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Corrections The photo of the men’s basketball game in the February 10 issue was miss attributed to Osvaldo Veloz. It was taken by photographer Henry Pratt.

In the February 10 issue the caption of the womens basketball game miss names Micah Weaver as Micah Owens.

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NEWS • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

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Geology department begins search for new professor to fill vacated role

Faculty seeking among qualified candidates to offer students new research opportunities

BY KATHLEEN CREEDON

NEWS REPORTER

The geosciences department is giving students the opportunity to give input about the candidates that may replace the Herndon Distinguished Professor. This allows students to offer feedback that may influence the direction of the department in the coming years.

Four candidates will be coming in the upcoming weeks to give presentations about their research and to engage with geoscience majors on campus. The department has been searching nationwide since the fall semester.

“We had a whole lot of applicants from across the country — it’s a national search — and the idea is that the person has to be a full professor before they’re even eligible for the position. We narrow the applicants and chose four to come to campus,” said Benjamin Surpless, professor in the department.

Because the candidate will be filling an endowed position, the search is much more complicated than the search for a junior faculty member would be. The candidates are all full professors that have their own research programs in place.

“We’re hiring someone who is already a professor, and we have to attract them from what is already a good job by convincing them that this is a better one,” said Glenn Kroeger,

interim chair of the department.

Because the professor will be coming from another institution and with well-established research, the geosciences department will highlight the features of being part of Trinity STEM faculty.

“Our department has been giving degrees for 50 years, we have a very substantial national reputation in terms of the quality of our graduates that go on to graduate programs, we have the availability of shared equipment with other STEM departments, and we have many resources in terms of research and finances,” Kroeger said.

In determining who will fill the position, the department is focusing its search on the availability of student research and how the professor will interact with students.

“Out of all the things we’re looking for in a candidate, what is most important to us as a department is what kind of research they will bring that Trinity students can be involved with,” Kroeger said.

Just because a professor has developed research, the department is more concerned with whether the professor will make students active participants in their research, and whether their research will help generate senior theses, presentations and papers.

“In the case of an endowed chair like ours, we’re looking for someone who already has a well-established research program, but has also demonstrated the ability to involve undergraduates with that research and is willing to come to a place where they won’t have graduate students,” Kroeger said.

All students are welcome to attend the presentations that these candidates will be

giving; however, not many non-majors do.

These presentations give students and faculty the opportunity to see what the professor’s research focuses on.

“In terms of curriculum and research, we have to think about where we want the department to go in a decade or two because this person is going to be here at least a decade, if not 20 years,” Kroeger said.

Currently, there are no professors at Trinity who focus entirely on environmental studies; there are a few who have connections to it, but there are none who have focused on it their entire career. This vacancy offers an exciting faculty addition.

“Our belief is that the future of geoscience, not just at Trinity but globally and nationally, is going to be more involved with things like climate change and water-environmental issues, so we’re looking for someone whose research specialty and teaching abilities are in that region,” Kroeger said.

The candidates will meet with more than just the students; other faculty members and administration are involved in the hiring process as well.

“The candidate comes on campus and meets with everyone in the department individually.

They meet with people in administration and people in other departments, too,” Surpless said.

Although the decision ultimately lies with administration, the department emphasizes the importance of student feedback in the process. Along with the presentations, there will be a lunch with each candidate and a small group of geoscience majors.

“A talk is formal, and of course the students meet the speaker before, and there’s time after for questions, but an hour and a half lunch is a chance for a small group of students to talk about all kinds of things with no faculty around,” Kroeger said.

Students see the importance of this, too.

Personal discussion like this allows students the opportunity to discuss research and teaching methods on an informal level.

“I think, unlike most universities, so much of the education experience at Trinity is great because of the interaction between the professors and students. It’s important that students and potential professors are able to communicate effectively,” said senior Brendan Powers, a geoscience major.

Normally, the budget only allows three candidates to come to campus. However, because the department takes student input so seriously, money was taken out of the department to fund a fourth candidate. The department has looked at the applications and has interviewed the candidates over Skype, but they want to see how the candidates will react with students.

“We have a group of students who have agreed to go to all of the candidates’ talks. We will solicit input from all of the students, but the nice thing about the group is that we know they will have seen all the candidates and will be able to provide comparison,” Kroeger said.

The candidates for the position will come over the course of the next few weeks, and the department hopes that, by spring break, they will be in the position to make an offer and begin negotiating.

Health club starts The organization seeks to expose students to the practices and nuances of globalized medical services

BY MONTY McKEON

NEWS REPORTER

Global Health Initiative seeks to help people who are interested in seeing how healthcare can affect a variety of communities, according to Ella Oduguwa, the group’s president.

“I want Global Health Initiative to be something that embodies going out into different communities, working with those communities, and seeing what we can bring back to Trinity. It’s an organization that’s meant to help people that are not only pre medicine, but who are interested in doing humanitarian or aid work, or who are interested in getting involved with these organizations,” Oduguwa said.

Oumoul Setamou, secretary for the Global Health Initiative, explains that the group is meant to be a way for students to explore the different aspects of health and healthcare around the world.

“Global Health Initiative started as a way to expand our interests in terms of how we view healthcare. There’s a medical club on campus, which is great, and they do a lot of stuff like visiting hospitals and seeing how medicine is practiced here in the US, but we thought there should be an outlet to examine a wider array of healthcare issues. You know, it’s important to understand power dynamics between doctors and patients and insurance and the cultural values of medicine. It’s reexamining the way we look at healthcare in

the West and how people around the world see it,” Setamou said.

Global Health Initiative, Setamou explains, aims to help people understand that there are multiple dimensions of healthcare beyond simply the practice of medicine.

“I come from a medical background, my mom is a doctor and seeing how she’s interacted with healthcare after coming to this country was much different than what she was used to. I took classes with Dr. [Alfred] Montoya and we talked about some of the differences between Western and Eastern medicine, and being from Western Africa, it’s very clear that there are some big differences both in how we practice healthcare and how we view health. I think it’s very important for people to understand that health is not one dimensional. We should all seek to understand health outside of this biomedical framework that says to just treat the body while ignoring and therefore demeaning the spiritual, mental, emotional, and social factors that go into being healthy and how we treat health,” Setamou said.

Christianna Ellard, a sophomore who is working on developing a global health major, explains why it is so important for Americans to think of health in more complex terms.

“I think that, as Americans, we have a tendency to be in this bubble. We don’t always understand some of the dramatic issues beyond America. As someone who wants to work for the CDC eventually and travel the world as an infectious disease specialist, I think it’s important to understand different cultures and how they live and learn because this can help us track diseases and understand how they cycle internationally,” Ellard said. understand global health, we continued on page 4

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 •

NEWS

Recycling the water Global health club Trinity collaborated with SAWS in 1999 to establish the water recycling program used today through campus

BY KATHLEEN CREEDON

NEWS REPORTER

In 1999, Trinity started irrigating the campus with recycled water. The switch came about after the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) began an initiative that ultimately made better use of wastewater in an attempt to conserve drinking water.

At the time, SAWS was implementing many recycled water towers throughout San Antonio, including the one just north of campus. Both institutions saw Trinity as a perfect model for this new recycled water system.

“In the late 1990s, it became apparent that the Edwards Aquifer would become more restricted, so the SAWS Board of Directors and the city decided to diversify water supplies.

One of the most ready ways to reuse water was this highly-treated effluent,” said Anne Hayden, SAWS communications manager.

Although the idea of using effluence to irrigate the landscape may seem dangerous or unsanitary, the water goes through a long process of cleaning to ensure that it is safe.

“It’s a step away from being drinkable and is considered river water. It lies within 100 feet from the outflow source, is completely potable, and considered a great option,” Hayden said.

The water is drought-proof and unrestricted.

For these reasons, many find it to be the best option for landscaping among other things; these places include most of the golf courses in San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, USAA and Microsoft’s data storage plant.

“At the time, the Trinity administration was just beginning their commitment to sustainability, so they thought this would be a good place to start,” said Mindy Morales, computer aided design (CAD) technician of the campus planning and sustainability department.

As water started to get scarcer, SAWS began to implement this system of recycled water.

The plan has since been carried out in other institutions like Trinity, golf courses and parks throughout San Antonio.

The recycled water is only used for irrigation and can be beneficial in the summer time or in the case that the city experiences a drought, when water is more carefully conserved out of necessity. Many San Antonio residents are given a specific date and time that they can water when the aquifer levels are low, but since Trinity uses recycled water, there are no such

restrictions on the usage.

“When we have a campus this big, it’s impossible to water everything one day a week, so this allows us to keep the landscape evenly watered. This ensures us that, even during drought, we can at least keep the landscape alive,” Morales said.

The piping for the recycled water must be completely separate from all other piping to ensure there is no chance for crosscontamination. Because of this, new purple piping was put in, which took nearly the entire summer of 1999 to complete.

“There were a few areas that we couldn’t get right away, but we added those later on. There’s only one spot on campus that’s not covered: the Ruth Taylor courtyard. It’s completely surrounded by buildings, so it’s impossible to get special piping put in there,” Morales said.

Regular water is used there instead. The recycled water on campus is transported from Dos Rios, a water processing plant south of town. After it’s processed, the water looks clear and has no smell.

“Rather than dumping the water back into the river, SAWS started shipping it back up here,” said Richard Reed, professor of environmental studies.

Although some speculate that the water is harmful, chlorine is added to kill any bacteria that is in it. There is also concern that the water may be harmful for vegetation.

“The golf courses are the ones who monitor their grass the closest, and they don’t report any problems. My gut on this is that there is little or no change in the foliage, the landscaping,” Reed said.

However, Reed does mention the concerns he has with trace elements in the water.

Although the water is treated to kill bacteria in it, other things exist in it that may or may not be harmful.

“They can kill the bacteria. There’s no live bacteria, but what does exist in this water that I think we should pay attention to are heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and a whole range of trace elements that you don’t take out of the water. There’s a reason they don’t want this stuff to go back into the river,” Reed said.

Trinity’s efforts to conserve can be seen as a step towards creating a more eco-friendly, sustainable campus. However, there is much more to come.

“It’s a result in change of attitude; it’s a combination of the commitment that Trinity made, but also a generational change. I find that students are immensely more likely to be conscious with things like recycling,” Morales said.

Trinity will continue to use this recycled water for irrigation on campus, and SAWS intends to spread the initiative to other companies and institutions similar to Trinity in the San Antonio area.

The sort of recycled water that flows from our water falls and fountains originally comes from SAWS treatment plants such as this one photos provided by ANNE KENNY HAYDEN

continued from page 3 “In order to understand global health, we have to understand the forces behind it. If you don’t understand the social environment and the infrastructure there, you’re just not going to understand the crux of what’s happening,” Ellard said.

Because the world is becoming increasingly interconnected, it is important for people to start thinking of health in global terms, Oduguwa explained.

“The world is shrinking, you know, so it’s imperative that we start thinking about different countries and different areas because this issue is going to have huge impacts especially in our lifetimes on how we treat health. Everything is interconnected, so I think it’s important that people are more involved in health care system because a lot of times healthcare can be a determining factor relating to people’s positions in society.

Diseases are social. There are some diseases that predominantly affect the poor, there are

some that predominantly affect the wealthy, even if it’s more rare. I want us to go into a variety of these communities and observe how these diseases can affect people, especially in terms of social factors like gender, age, sex. I want people to be more aware of how these things can affect people,” Oduguwa said.

Students should consider joining Global Health Initiative if they have any interest in learning about health around the world.

“Anyone who is interested in learning about health, critiquing health, anybody interested in knowing more about health in other parts of the world should consider joining us. It’s important for young people who are interested in science to understand that health isn’t one dimensional. The way we see health in the west is that we oftentimes just see the body as a subject. I think it’s important to be aware that there are so many other dimensions to this concept of health, and i think it’s very important to examine these other ways of looking at the issue,” Setamou said.

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COMMENTARY Have an opinion? Want others to hear it? For a chance 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.

EDITORIAL It’s that time of the semester when we all feel like we’ve lost our motivation to do anything: the dreaded secondsemester slump. Classes seem to drag on, papers seem endless and even things you once found fun and exciting seem to have lost all appeal. Winter break has come and gone and the next big break is still a month away.

It strikes all years equally. Seniors are feeling the long stretch until graduation, juniors just don’t care anymore, sophomores are realizing they still have half of their college careers ahead of them and first years have lost the drive they came to college with.

Even the Trinitonian staff has succumbed to this college phenomenon.

Articles seem to take years to write, deadlines are forgotten and even editorials feel like pulling teeth.

While it’s easy to fall into a pattern of putting off assignments and opt to stay in bed instead of going to class, we would like to remind you to keep pushing forward. Spring Break is right around the corner, the weather is getting warmer and we still have several exciting Trinitonian issues coming up.

So keep your chin up and push on.

Opinion

The importance of empathy

BY SIMRAN JEET SINGH

FACULTY CONTRIBUTOR

Let me start by stating the obvious — there’s a lot going on in our country right now.

One of the toughest challenges in moments like these is the tension between wanting to be helpful and feeling helpless. So many of us want to do something, yet we feel paralyzed because we’re not sure what we can be doing to support those who need it.

No matter where you fall politically, there are some core principles on which we can agree. For example, we can all agree that there are people suffering in the world around us and that, as people who enjoy privilege, we have at least some responsibility to help relieve their suffering.

One of the advantages of being an old person like me is that you collect all sorts of experiences that help you identify what’s effective and useful. One of the things I have learned about myself is that there are plenty of good organizations out there doing good work, and it’s relatively easy to plug into them. I encourage you to do so.

In my experience, one of the most difficult things of civic engagement is to prepare oneself before getting involved. We often forget that how we approach something can make the difference between our actions being fruitful or fruitless. Allow me to offer two pieces of wisdom on how you can prepare yourself as you go out to serve your communities.

Open Your Mind I’m not so naïve to think that ignorance is the root of all evil and that all our problems would be resolved if people were more educated. I understand that our society’s problems are deeper and more sinister than that.

That said, understanding the issues about which you care the most will help you understand the complexities involved with each. Opening your mind to the issues will help you move beyond your personal perspective and to see the issues more holistically.

I’m not just emphasizing learning because it’s in my contract. I mean, it is, but that’s not the point. What I’m trying to stay here is that knowledge is power, and that the most effective and powerful change often comes from those who understand the issues at hand.

Let me say this — opening my mind was probably the greatest lesson I took away from my time as a Trinity student. This process transformed my life, and it’s a development that I have cherished ever since.

Open Your Heart One of the hardest things to do in moments like these is to set aside your ego and to recognize that you are working to serve those who need your support. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that you are a great person for setting aside time and energy to help others. It’s easy to make your engagement about yourself.

From my perspective, one’s actions are most powerful when they are done for and with

community. Empathizing with the other, putting yourselves in their shoes, truly caring about those whom you don’t know as well — this is the process of opening your heart.

It’s a challenging proposition, especially for millennials who are more used to sharing random snap stories on @TUSnaps than making themselves vulnerable with strangers.

Opening your heart comes with a lot of risk. But believe me, it also comes with immense rewards.

It can change your entire mindset as you approach those you are trying to serve, and it can make the difference between a rich experience and a poor one.

At the end of the day, I am not here to tell you what to do or what to believe. As a member of the faculty, and as an older brother (Uncle? Grandfather?), I see my job as trying to give you the right frameworks to engage with the world in a thoughtful and purposeful way.

How you shape these frameworks is up to you, and what you actually want to do is up to you. My request for now is that you stop feeling paralyzed and start engaging with the world around you with an open mind and an open heart. That’s the only way we will begin to make progress in our communities.

Simran Jeet Singh is an associate professor in the religion department.

In six words: white women need to do more This academic year, there has been a notable improvement in the inclusion and representation of black excellence in speakers at Trinity.

We’ve been moved

by Nikki Giovanni, SARAH HALEY inspired by Michael OPINION COLUMNIST Sam, entertained by W. Kamau Bell and urged to action by Marc Lamont Hill. As I prepared to attend and respond to Michele Norris, a woman whose voice was present throughout my childhood as a co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” I planned to write for the community about a thought that has frequently come up in conversations with other students who seek to improve the racial climate at Trinity and beyond.

The thought is somewhat of a paradox: the students who attend the diverse lectures at Trinity tend to attend many of them and work to improve upon their own personal prejudices, while those who would arguably most benefit from engaging with the subject matter of race, implicit bias and civil rights do not tend to attend lectures on those topics. It’s a form of the preaching to the choir concern.

In other words, those who probably most need to have their biases corrected and addressed don’t freely choose to place themselves in settings in which that would be facilitated.

This is a problem.

I thought I would attend the lecture, make some observations and suggest solutions which would incentivize the attendance of those least likely to attend. Yet by the end of Michele Norris’ Race Card Project lecture, I knew writing that piece as a response would not only be tone-deaf to her message but in some ways antithetical to it.

Sponsored by Texas Public Radio’s Dare to Listen campaign, Norris began her Race Card Lecture with an acknowledgment of the importance of listening. Norris embodied the work of listening by starting the night off opening the floor to the audience, as the crowd was asked to yell out what comes to mind when we think of the word “post-racial.”

She heard each reply and repeated it without

judgment. She modeled good listening which invited the audience to listen intently to her in return. With this invitation extended, I set aside my ideas about attendance and listened to her lecture for the sake of listening, not trying to only hear what was useful to the opinions I entered the room with. What I took away from that approach was a hefty dose of self-reflection and a reality check on my own disposition and approach to race in America.

One of Norris’ most powerful insights through her own research and involvement with The Race Card Project was the realization that in addition to being shaped by what we talk about in public and in private, we are also profoundly shaped by silences — the things we don’t talk about. She spoke of “the weight of silence,” which she experienced in her family as well as observed other people’s stories about race. This all prompted me to begin reflecting on silence in my life, my reaction to the word “post-racial” and what my Race Card six-word story would be.

Where were the women like me who I thought would turn up to the voting booths?

Norris wrapped up the evening with a more gentle call to action than I’ve heard before: an ode to the power of the individual. She acknowledged that it can be overwhelming to think of the millions of Americans who voted for Trump, or the millions of people who choose to be silent in the face of injustice.

Instead of succumbing to this feeling of defeat and insurmountable opposition, she encouraged the audience to focus on what each of us as individuals can do. We can’t perhaps change the minds or undo the actions of millions, but we can be the one person in the room who stands up for what is just, who starts uncomfortable but important conversations with those we can touch. To me this also meant getting off my high horse from

where I had planned to sit and criticize the reams of students who don’t attend diversity events on campus, and with my boots in the mud look at myself and contemplate what individual actions I can take to better listen and share stories to break the silence.

Norris said she made a habit of taking “leftturns,” changing direction and going on a path she hadn’t before imagined for herself. So here’s my left turn into less self-congratulatory territory, starting with my six-word story for the Race Card Project: white women need to do more.

To me, post-racial brought to mind the word “myth.” I had grown accustomed to rhetoric I was immersed in, only using the word when we talk about “the myth of post-racial America,” the ways in which it is imagined and not yet realized. Yet until Nov. 8, I did not have the slightest inkling of how I myself had fell for a strain of that myth through overestimating the influence of intersectionality on white women.

Let me explain.

I thought I knew that America was not yet post-racial. I knew that racism was still prevalent both interpersonally, systemically and structurally in our society. But I unfortunately bought into a form of selfexculpatory white feminism that attributed the persistence of racism to white supremacy and patriarchy in tandem, genuinely believing that the responsibility for the unfortunate perseverance of those systems of oppression lay with not necessarily white people as a whole but more specifically white men as a social class. White women like me surely understood the importance of working collectively towards the goal of liberation from the hierarchies of sex and race that prevent people of color and all women from equality of opportunity, right? This delusion was shattered for me upon further examining exit polls in November of last year. CNN: 52 percent of white women who voted did so for Trump. Washington Post: 61 percent of white women with no college degree voted for Trump, 44 percent of white women with a college degree did too. I was shocked.

Where were the women like me who I thought would turn up to the voting booths and do their part to push for progress? As it turned out, my idea of my place in our nation’s

dynamic was wrong. I was wrong. I thought I knew post-racial America was a myth, but in viewing civil rights for people of color as having substantial common ground with civil rights for women as a class and assuming other white women would do the same, I had generated my own mythical reality.

In part, I was able to dupe myself into this through the silence Norris brought my attention to. At Thanksgiving, I am asked to hold my tongue on issues of race and I oblige.

I don’t bring up my concerns about racism to my grandmother because I’m not supposed to stress her out or cause conflict within my family. I don’t ask her about living through desegregation because it’s not considered polite dinner conversation. But that silence comes with a weight and a price.

Maybe some of us millennial white women still don’t believe it was “us” who elected Trump. The New York Times exit polling data says only 37 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 voted for Trump — maybe this does cheer some of us up about the prospect of progress down the line. But to me it also says this again: white women need to do more.

I say this especially now for white women in that youngest voting age bracket. We stand a chance of changing the way the older white women we interact with see the world and race within it. We can no longer add passively in the weight of silence on race in private spaces as that weight has formed an anchor which keeps the best and the brightest people in America down at the bottom, where their rights can be carefully and quietly legislated away. Michele Norris moved me to a place of self-reflection and evaluation, where I can take this realization of my own misinformed beliefs and put myself to the work of having uncomfortable but essential conversations about race with the white women in my life I stand a chance of being heard by. We are tasked with practicing deep listening and speaking our truths to aid in understanding our differences. We are to fight for the America we want to see even if we don’t see it evidenced in front of us.

Sarah Haley is a senior theoretical economics and environmental policy double major with a minor in mathematics.

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 •

OPINION

A message to “satirists”: do better for long, although one assumption I have is that it involves next to no time trying to understand any nuances, complaints or criticisms of the executive order. Instead, for the sake of a few meager laughs, he decides to view the issue from the standpoint of a stereotypically liberal, straight man. His character is going to Baghdad for the food, buildings, “nice” people and beautiful women, as though taking a trip to the Middle East were the same as walking through the Red Light district in a city like Amsterdam.

It’s from here that Jacobs starts his satirical diatribes on the injustices caused by the travel ban, a hinderance to his consumption-oriented voyeurism of the Middle East. He plays on the violence plaguing some of the country of Iraq and paints a portrait of the country as a barren desert riddled with veiled women, deteriorating buildings and bursts of gunfire. It’s the picture of Iraq that someone makes when their only exposure to the Middle East, apart from ISIS videos, is a movie like “An American Carol,” which I’m guessing someone like Jacobs would find hilarious.

Once a year, The Trinitonian opens its pages to satirical articles. The issue is named the Trinibonian, and it offers students gifted with the skills of wit, humor and taste the opportunity to apply them on jEFFREY SULLIVAN a written page. But in last GUEST COLUMNIST week’s issue, we hesitantly allowed the publication of a “satire” a few weeks earlier than our annual allowance. We did so after publishing a news story which covered how members of the Trinity community responded to Trump’s executive order barring travel between the United States and seven Muslim-dominant countries.

Alexander Jacobs attempted to satirize the travel ban in his piece “Spring Break,” which was published after several editors decided that the value of inclusivity was more important than powerful writing. Pestering for the privilege to represent how

a Trump supporter may view the executive order broke through the barrier that usually stops articles from being published: quality of writing.

We have a multitude of Republican and conservative voices on campus, and some seem to possess the understandable desire to have their voices and opinions represented in their university’s newspaper. It was under these wishes that we allowed for the publication of “Spring Break,” which I energetically opposed.

My opposition comes from a shared desire to feature right-leaning, Republican or conservative voices in the Trinitonian. Politics center on discussion, and without arguments and inputs from students across the political spectrum, the entire field becomes dull and monotonous rather quickly.

Yet I do not value inclusivity more than meaningful contributions. An opinion section ought to necessitate that people not only present opinions, but defend them as well. The loudest fault in Jacobs’ submission is its blatant lack of process. How his creative process runs isn’t worth dwelling on

Giving back

Trump reaps what he sows

BY BRENNA HILL and NATALIE BELEW

Donald Trump has already won one metric as president: he is the fastest president of the United States to have an unfavorable ALEXANDER PERKOWSKI rating. It’s not a OPINION COLUMNIST surprise, at least m a t h e m a t i c a l l y.

Hillary Clinton did win the popular vote by 2.8 million votes.

Now, she lost the election on account of that pesky Electoral College, but still that is a popular majority. So it is not difficult to see why his unfavorability rating would be so low. But I, for one, expected Donald Trump’s administration to have at least a semblance of a game plan coming into the White House.

Instead of this game plan, the United States has seen a failed executive order attempt to ban Muslims from somewhat random countries, a complete lack of legislation (even to repeal Obamacare) and a difficulty getting low-level cabinet posts confirmed. There is little reason to think Trump understands the proper grace needed to be the leader of a state.

He lacks the ability to keep good relations with one of our closest allies, Australia. His joint press conference with Theresa May did go unremarkably well, with a recommitment of United States’ support for NATO. Furthermore, the choice of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court has been easy to swallow for many Democrats.

Despite these victories, it is clear that many Democrats, and other left-leaning people, are becoming intensely more active in political life. Floating through activist airwaves is a document called “Indivisible,” written by former Lloyd Doggett staffers, that intends to employ and utilize Tea Party strategies to push left and liberal agendas toward Congress.

At various meetings I have attended, at least in San Antonio and Austin, there are more and more people attending with important information to share. Many people are angry or scared, and they are using political channels to communicate these fears. Recently, Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas spoke on how their phone lines were flooded with calls about the new secretary of education, Betsy DeVos. For many legislators, they are learning the truth: there are people in their constituencies who vehemently disagree with their platform, and will work to slow it, if not stop it.

For Donald Trump and the Republican leaders at the top, it will be necessary to avoid the public catastrophes that have characterized

GUEST COLUMNISTS

You can make your gift online at: https:// new.trinity.edu/advancement/annual-giving/ senior-student-giving or look for our table at Countdown to Commencement Feb. 21 & 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Fiesta Room.

Jeffrey Sullivan is a senior political science major with a minor in English.

many ways for things to shift. If liberals and Democrats can keep up the organizing and remember why elections and voting are important, then they may have a chance to take some seats in the midterms. Republicans and conservatives, if there are any left, need to reconsider how they will govern, both now and in the future, lest they lose all they have gained.

Alexander Perkowski is a junior political science major.

ND IE FR !

A S R NU FE BO RE

Attention, seniors! We, Brenna Hill and Natalie Belew, come to you as classmates, friends and the Senior Gift Committee Co-Chairs for the Class of 2017. It is surreal that we will be graduating in only a few short months. As we all reflect on the past four years here at Trinity, we want to take a moment to explain the importance of giving back to this community that has given us all so much. We, as seniors, are empowered to make a difference at Trinity by contributing to the Senior Gift Campaign.

What is a Senior Gift? This is a way for us, as students, to give back to Trinity. You can support scholarships for future tigers by making a gift to the Trinity Fund or you can designate your gift to a department or athletic team that has made a difference in your Trinity experience.

You’re most likely thinking, “Give more money to Trinity? Really? This place has already taken enough of my money, time, and sanity... why would I give even more?”

Hear us out... we aren’t asking for much. It might sound crazy but this is actually the time in our Trinity career when we should be giving back the most. About 83 percent of our Senior Class has not yet made any type of donation.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons to Make Your Senior Gift: It’s for a good cause. You aren’t just “giving money to Trinity.” You’re giving someone else the opportunity to receive a Trinity education. Think about your favorite faculty members, your favorite campus organizations, and the memories you’ve made on campus. Making a gift is a way to say “thank you” for all the experiences Trinity has made possible.

You get to sign a brick. If you make a class gift of $20.17, you get to sign a brick at the top of the Trinity tower during the Tower Climb, making your everlasting mark on Trinity!

We want to be #1. The highest Senior Class participation rate to date is 67 percent. We need 276 more seniors to make a gift to top that. We already know our class is the best, but let’s make it known to everyone else, too.

You can win prizes. All students who make a gift (of any amount) by March 31 will be eligible to win an awesome diploma frame!

You can donate any amount. Whether it’s $20.17 or $1, any amount really does make a difference, and we appreciate your contribution!

Okay, now that we’ve enlightened you all to the wonders of Senior Gift, it’s your turn to take action! With your help, the graduating class of 2017 can make a significant impact on campus and leave a lasting legacy for Trinity University.

Won’t you join us and give $20.17 for 2017?

Let’s make our mark!

these first few weeks in office. For a new, opposite transition of presidential power, there has been little legislation passed, or even considered. Republican legislators and leaders, who were used to not governing, are suddenly thrust into that position and are unprepared.

This is quite true at the national level, but is less true at the state level. At least in Texas, many state legislators are excited by the regime change, and look to utilizing that political capital to push forward their agenda.

The next two and four years before the next elections will be interesting. There are

But Trump supporters seem to really appreciate short-sighted simplicity. If its role in creating his presidential platform is ignored, it’s also the only way that any Republican could be pleased with the way that Trump’s travel ban, or presidency, has been implemented thus far. Whether issue is taken with the ban’s poor reference of national intelligence, poor application or its Bannonesque level of discrimination, a rational defense for this ridiculous act is sincerely needed in public discourse.

Instead of offering such a necessary view, Trump supporters like Jacobs seem content basking in the ignorant bliss of victory. Their candidate won, so it’s unnecessary to hold him, or his ideologies, to any sort of critical light. In the coming weeks, as more of Trump’s actions land on rocky ground, it’d be nice if right-leaning voices could simply do better in defending their President.

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Pulse

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT “My goal in life is to die happy.”

Kevin Livingston, associate professor of biology

AYNAV LEIBOWITZ (center) poses with her coworker JESSE CLARK (left) and boss ERIC SANINOCENCIO (right) on the field of NRG Stadium before kickoff begins at a Houston Texans game.

Photo by MICHELLE WATSON

Trinity alum scored a touchdown after being offered dream job post-graduation Aynav Leibowitz ‘16 acknowledges the impact her friends and professors had on her journey to working for the Houston Texans

BY CLAIRE NAKAYAMA PULSE REPORTER Aynav Leibowitz ‘16 is a recent graduate whose impact on the Trinity community is still discussed by peers and faculty. After majoring in communication, Leibowitz found work with the Houston Texans in

their broadcasting and digital media department, where she assists by their team updating all social media accounts and websites.

“People think that the Texans are just an NFL team, but the reality is that sports really help the community as well, whether it is through financial help or community service.

One of my favorite events was the special Olympic flag football game, where the players interacted with the kids. The two hours not only affected the players, but also gave the kids a great experience, and showed that there’s more to sports than just the actual game.” Leibowitz said.

Leibowitz traces all of her skills back to her time at Trinity.

“I loved Trinity; I think it was a fantastic experience, and I implement a lot of what I learned there into my professional life,” Leibowitz said.

Leibowitz was extremely active on campus; she was an executive officer for Alpha Chi Lambda, a sports editor for the Trinitonian and an executive producer for TigerTV’s “Not So Late Show,” where she made some of her favorite memories.

“I made it a point to bring animals onto the show; we brought two llamas and a sloth onto campus once. It was great seeing the whole crew enjoy hanging out with funny animals and take pictures with them,” Leibowitz said.

Leibowitz made a big impact in her classes as well; Andrew Hansen, an associate professor of human communication and theatre, fondly recalls her presence in his classes.

“Aynav was always up-beat, she was incredibly mature and had a sense of wisdom about her. She seemed to be very well-rounded so she could get along with all different sorts of people,” Hansen said.

Despite her dedication to school and extracurriculars, Leibowitz maintained a busy social life at Trinity as a loyal friend to many.

“No matter what’s going on, Aynav always manages to go out of her way for the people she loves. She is truly the best and most sincere friend that

anyone could wish for,” said Ronja Behrends, a Trinity alum who was Leibowitz’s Alpha Chi sorority sister.

“Aynav always reminds me that everything is a learning experience and truly takes that advice to heart.

She is the person whose advice I trust the most, and who I turn to when I need guidance or perspective.”

Leibowitz suggests students pursuing their dream careers take time to enjoy the benefits of college.

“In the real world you have to worry about paying bills, but in college you can take on a lot of crazy things and explore more. Trinity gives you an amazing platform to try a huge variety of things, so take advantage of that,” Leibowitz said.

Degree declaration isn’t majorly confusing The office of the registrar has simplified the selection process

BY JULIA WEIS

PULSE REPORTER As the spring semester has steadily persisted, it’s time for sophomores to answer one of the most stressful questions of their college careers: What should I major in?

While some students come in to Trinity knowing what to pursue, others are still figuring it out as they go. The important step towards graduation is not actually as frightening or complicated as students often think.

“Students come get the declaration form and they just follow the steps that are written out for them. The department chair will determine whether to accept them provisionally to the major or full acceptance to the major,” said Eve Christoffersen, the

graduation coordinator in the office of the registrar.

Many students think the process is just as easy as Christoffersen makes it sound.

“It took 20 minutes to fill out the forms and another 30 minutes total to talk with the chairs and get assigned a new advisor. I don’t know how it could be easier,” said Elliot Blake, an environmental studies and geosciences double major.

Students thinking of declaring their majors should be aware of required

prerequisite classes and other tasks to complete before declaration.

“You get this collection of suggested courses in different subjects, such as psychology and biology. You pick a schedule and then you write down how it applies to your path of neuroscience. Then you have to write a formal draft for it, and then that goes in front of a panel,” said Pallavi Shamapant, a sophomore neuroscience major.

Students who have already declared recommend talking to professors

and peers to gain some clarity into what the best path for you is. After seeking advice from Kate Ritson, the interim chair of the art and art history department, sophomore Emme Bettes was able to declare her double major in art history and communication without a problem.

“I’m sure the major declaration seminars clarified things; I would just advise scheduling time in advance to declare because in a large department, declaring will definitely not be as easy,” Bettes said.

PULSE • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

Trinity Tower isn’t the only bell ringing: engaged students discuss wedding plans Couples share the benefits and challenges of planning a ceremony while being in college

BY JULIA WEIS

PULSE REPORTER When some college students find love, they find it for life. On top of the regular responsibilities of being a Trinity student, those who are engaged to be married are planning their weddings and futures together, as well as explaining their decision to those around them.

“We easily clicked; I guess that is the best way to describe it. It just felt natural, like we had already known each other for years,” said Presciliana Gomez, a senior business administration major.

Gomez got engaged to her boyfriend Ryan Bernal, a senior business administration and mathematical finance double major, last May. They have a two-year-long engagement arranged, so that they won’t get married until 2018, a year after they have graduated and will have time to plan without the stress of college.

Other engaged students have found that it is easier for them to take at least a year to plan their wedding as well. Because Christian Citta, a junior business and German studies double major, is planning to marry his high school sweetheart in Italy, their wedding requires extensive planning and preparation.

The couple chose the romantic destination to get away from their hometown of San Antonio and have a deeper connection to the Catholic church. Citta explained his engagement as a next step that felt right.

TANNER KOHFIELD and DAKOTA FREDERICK look into each other’s eyes as a photographer captures the moment; this photo is one of many taken as part of their engagement pictures.

Photo provided by DAKOTA FREDERICK

“It’s different for every person. I think some people just feel ready at different times. I felt like when I did it, it was a good time, and I felt like I was ready for this step. It didn’t really matter about the logistics of getting married.

It was more about making a promise than anything,” Citta said.

Despite all of the joy and celebration that these students get from planning their special ceremonies, they occasionally must deal with some opposition or negativity from their

Deadline for McNair Program approaches The institution provides resources for minority students to pursue future academic opportunities

BY JULIA WEIS PULSE REPORTER The McNair Scholars Program is looking for future leaders from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in graduate school and summer research. Founded in honor of Ronald E. McNair, a physicist who was killed in the NASA Challenger explosion, the program is meant to support and guide students from minority backgrounds for a future in academia.

Current McNair scholars are very thankful for the opportunities this program provides.

“As the son of Mexican immigrants who barely had any education themselves, the prospect of graduate school and research seems almost unreachable for someone like me. But the program has connected me to so many resources and experiences that I would have never thought possible,” said Cristian Vargas, a junior biology major.

The program allows these ambitious students to achieve their dreams of higher education.

“I never thought I would be doing this type of work. McNair opened a world of possibilities that I never knew existed, and for that I am grateful,” said Janett Munoz, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major.

Apart from the research opportunities, the scholars also appreciate the help they receive in different aspects of their school career.

“Just knowing that there are people on the fourth floor of CSI who are here to help is comforting, especially when the stress of the semester is beginning to build,” said Decory Edwards, a sophomore economics and mathematics double major.

The McNair Scholars Program is specifically looking for first-generation, low-income students from a minority group that is underrepresented in graduate education.

They are primarily looking for first years, but occasionally accept sophomores and in very special cases, juniors. The director of Trinity’s program, Kelly Lyons, makes decisions involving recruitment, research engagement and budgeting.

“The program is designed to provide support to students who are interested in graduate school in the hopes of making the demographics of college professors more representative of the demographics of the country,” Lyons said.

Current McNair scholars urge students who are thinking about applying to get their applications in while there still is a chance.

“This is a program that focuses on personal development and fostering support systems for disadvantaged students, which is something relatively rare these days,” Vargas said.

The application for the McNair program is due this Monday, Feb. 20, at 9 a.m. If you believe you are eligible and want to expand your options for the future, contact Lyons.

peers who think that they’re too young to be engaged to their partner.

“Sometimes our peers will ask us why we decided to get married when we’re so young or if we are worried. It is not difficult to deal with those questions. I understand why they are asking — I definitely did not expect myself to be in this situation at my age. I am just honest with them. A few peers did ask if I am pregnant. The answer is no, I just like to eat,” said Dakota Frederick, a junior Spanish,

9

political science and international studies triple major.

Frederick is engaged to her boyfriend Tanner Kohlfield and will get married this July. She is currently studying abroad in Ecuador, so the couple planned most of their wedding before Frederick left.

Students who are engaged urge their fellow Trinity peers to get to know them and their unique, individual situations before casting any judgment.

“You really have to get to know the people.

You can’t really judge from the outside. We do work really well together, but our relationship is different from other people’s because I wasn’t able to live with my parents. I would live with friends [during school breaks], so when I got together with my fiancee, his parents didn’t want me house-jumping anymore. They asked me to live with them, so our relationship grew a lot quicker for that reason. So for us it made a lot more sense because we had been living together a little over a year when we got engaged. We knew how each other worked, all the little tid bits,” Gomez said.

Frederick also found her situation to be different than what she had always imagined, but is happy with the way things have happened nonetheless.

“I want people to know that sometimes these things just can’t be planned. I am very much a planner, and I still never envisioned being married in my twenties. But I believe that when you know, you just know. I have absolutely zero doubts that I want to spend the rest of my life with Tanner, and the fact that I discovered that at age 18 instead of 28 doesn’t make our relationship any less valid. Don’t force a relationship, nor get discouraged when one ends. When you are with the right person, you will just know,” Frederick said.

Only 12 weeks left, seniors...

Pre-order your last yearbook Visit cpstore.trinity.edu to pay with a credit card or visit the Mirage table at Countdown to Commencement and we’ll add one to your student account.

Not sure if you purchased one already?

To contact us, email mirage@trinity.edu.

10

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17 2017 •

DEAN’S LIST

The Office of Academic Affairs, on behalf of Trinity faculty, extends our sincere congratulations to these Dean’s List* students: *Dean’s List students completed 15 of more grade pont carrying hours of credit in one semester and earned a 3.65 or above

Victoria Abad Jacob Mason Abajian Samy Waday Abdallah Celeste Anastacia Acevedo Zachary Patrick Vijayan Acevedo Marc Chase Acuff Paige Elise Adrian Dillon Robert Akins Christopher James Alderson Dylan Field Alexander Elyse Marie Andrews Grace Catherine Anthony Tristan Nicholas Ashton Jordan Leigh Askew Jogen Atone Victoria Christine Bahr Mary Mofopefoluwa Bajomo Annie Sirion Barahona Briauna Nicole Barrera Michael Ryan Batista Iris Margaret Baughman Jackson Henry Beach Raquel Lauren Belden Natalie Grace Belew Matthew Edward Bender Jordan Bethea Bridget Cordelia Bey Benjamin Clayton Beyt Brittney Elizabeth Blaylock Shane Stewart Bono Emily Josephine Bourgeois Hannah Elizabeth Braley Ingrid Malena Brekke Faith Allyson Broddrick Benjamin Forrest Brody Elizabeth Nicole Broussard Craig Robert Burton Joshua Aaron Butts Bridgette Nicole Butz Austin Caballero Tyler Edward Alan Caldwell Sara Anne Calvo Amanda Marie Cantu Natalie Christine Carrier Kelly Rose Carroll Allison Cahill Carter Valerie Anne Cecil Thalia Salome Cedeno Evan Angelina Chambless Yin Lok Linus Chan Jonathan Lane Chapman Margaret Thomas Chase Amanda Bo Chin Sungjin Cho Anthony Boeckenhauer Cianchetti David Ellis Clark Evan Mitchell Cofer Erina Gabriella Coffey Benjamin Andrew Collinger Miriam Lee Cone Malcolm McKay Conner Corbin Joseph Cormier Sol Ethan Courtman Alyssa Marie Craze Katie Alexia Cribb Caroline Emily Crossland Jessica Helen Cruz Natalie Wils Curran Galen Russell Curtis Rachel Mary Daniel Benjamin Wheeler D'Aurizio Samsara Davalos Reyes Alyssa Janenne Davis Kailey Rae DeLuca Lena Margaret Dennington Kendra Eileen Derrig Ian Dill Aileen Teresa Domann Quinn Carlisle Duncan Horst Reiter Evans Lindsey K Farley Sarah Anne Farrell Alexandra Paloma Levy Faust Molly Jondro Field Malcolm John Wayne Fox Emily Elizabeth Frederick Dakota Shebli Frederick Katherine Danusia Freeman Emma Claire Frieze

Kathryn Elizabeth Funderburg Miles Preston Fuqua Holly Jane Gabelmann Theodore Jones Gajewski Daniela Carolina Galarza Claudia Alejandra Garcia Simone Rochelle Garcia Nicole Marie Gardini Taylor Leigh Garza Benjamin Christian Garza Alexandra Elizabeth Gereda-Gordon Isabella Marie Gilson Elsa Maria Goettsch Melendez Brian Christopher Goll Benjamin Cruz Gonzalez Alexandra Elena Gonzalez-Van Wart Sarah A Gorban Meredith Gibson Goshell Kristen Elise Graham Caroline Lemoine Grand Maxwell Aden Granger Madelaine Julia Griesel Rachael Marie Hafer Kiley Cate Haftorson Lindsay Nicole Hagmann Connor Andres Hahn Madeline Kay Hanes Rachel Nell Hanes Elizabeth Marie Hanna Guy William Harris Thomas Michael Harvell-DeGolier Gibson Duncan Hatch Samantha Rose Heffner Victoria Anne Henderson Emily Anne Herbert Jenna Rene Hetsko Jordan Elizabeth High Mackenzie Lee Hill Brenna Lynn Hill Zoheb Hirani Martin T Hoang Micaela Vittoria Hoffman Taylor Brishae Holloway Madeline Prindiville Hopps Grace Mychal Horn Richard Max Hu Robert Byrd Hure Russell Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman Kate Alice Irvin Meredith Ann Jackson Julia Riva Jameson Mica Elizabeth Jarocki Kit Malaran Jaspe Matthew Thomas Jenkins Jacob Houlihan Jesielowski Evan Mathew Johnson Paige September Johnson Kate Pauline Jones Abigail Renee Jones Katherine Lane Jones Matthew John Jones Jennifer Grace Jussel Zoe Leigh Kaffen Aamuktha Reddy Karla Caroline Chandler Kelleher Mary Kathryne Kelly Bonnie Elizabeth Kenkel Brendan Jay Kennedy Madeline Loree Kennedy Frances Jeanne Kennedy-Long Kara Anne Killinger Danielle Nicole King Morgan Lee King Sage Elaine Klinger Abagail Nicole Kluetz Jordan Dunn Koeller Joseph Tanner Kohfield Kelsey Rebecca Kohler Nicholas Ferenc Koplyay Gavin Henry Korsan Constantine Alexander Kouldukis Duncan Charles Kraft Hana Lee Kruger Kristina Michelle Kummerer Coleman Wyatt Kvapil Walker Emmit Lands Kathryn Ylona Langemeier Hannah Margret Larson Rachel Kathryn Lawson

Hoang Minh Le Joshua S Lee Andrew Shedrick Leeds Dinda April Lehrmann Molly C Lenihan John Armstrong Lewis Bowen Li Ellen Wen-Kai Liaw Weiyu Lin Maggi Danielle Linker Abigail Rea Lipe Szu-Yun Lo Camila Londono Molina Matthew Robert Long Matthew Richard Love Emma Gabriela Lucero Juan Antonio Luevanos Allyson Starr Mackender Emily Catherine Magness Edwin Joshua Manton Daniel Tian Matthewson Brooks Edward Mays Molly E McCullough Ciara Siobhan McDaniel Erin Elizabeth McGee Collin Michael McGrath Katherine Anne McNamara Julia Meitz Mary Martha Meyer Hill Vail Chase Miesfeld Isaiah Manuel Mora Rolando Gerardo Morales Kevin Patrick Moss Gabriella Gamuchirai Mudekunye Claire Helena Munro Natasha Sai Raju Muppala Reese Aaron Murphy Kody Brian Nace Clarisse Marie Nakayama Rishika Nallapareddy Andrea Nicole Nebhut Caroline Amanda Neelley Elizabeth Grace Nelson Ha Phuong Ngoc Nguyen Nhi T Nguyen Tiffany Diem-Suong Nguyen Amanda Hoang Nguyen Tam Minh Nguyen Amira Karima Nickerson Christina Marie Nielsen James Tucker Norris Maria De Los Angeles Olalde Estefania Oviedo Canales Aubrey Grace Parke Krushiben Brijukumar Patel Ethan Joshua Payne Joseph Russell Pecoraro Alexander Kajetan Perkowski Safa Thanhtue Phan Jessica Louise Phillips Nathaniel David Pigott Brooks Cameron Piper Nicholas Anthony Pittner Julia Lauren Poage Camille Hollan Potts Ryan Juichien Pu Jacob Alan Pursell Gabrielle Gina Racz Hanna Elizabeth Rafferty Brianna Marie Ratliff Emily Anne Rech Ryan Todd Reusch Ariel Nicole Reyes Miguel Angel Reyes David Seth Richards Nathan Daniel Richter Anna Denise Rigodanzo Thomas Russell Ritthaler John Daniel Rivara Diana Warden Roberts Natalie Renee Rochen Loretta Velle Rodriguez Alexsandra Patricia Rojas Sterling James Root Juan David Rueda Ruano Kristen Elizabeth Rundstein Khaniya T Russell Kendall Kroh Rymell Jemima Regina Sackey-Addo

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AE &

Andrew Puzder withdraws, heads off to eat a hot, sexist burger The potential Secretary of Labor, also known for his Carl’s Jr. franchise commercials involving sensual mastication by sexy models, decided to not try to become the Secretary of Labor. Woo.

“Dear White People” picked up by Netflix The controversial film returns as a ten-episode season on the streaming service, adding to the growing Netflix-only list

NABEEHA VIRANI A&E WRITER

Netflix’s new series “Dear White People” is causing uproar and backlash on social media, and is leading some users to cancel their subscriptions because they think

the show is “racist.”

The show is based off of the movie with the same title. Justin Simien created, directed, wrote and produced “Dear White People,” which premiered in 2014. The film is a satirical comedy-drama that’s about racial tensions at a predominantly white university.

It follows the lives of Samantha White, a biracial student who hosts a radio show also called “Dear White People,” Lionel Higgins, a black, gay student trying to fit in and Troy Fairbanks, the dean’s son who’s under pressure from his father to become a lawyer and not let white people’s perceptions influence him. The film’s climax is during a Halloween party in which many students show up in blackface.

“Dear White People” won multiple awards and received positive recognitions from critics. However, Netflix’s trailer for the show is producing a more negative response among some of their viewers.

The series’ trailer was uploaded on Feb. 8.

It currently has over 3.8 million views and over 300,000 dislikes. The comments under the trailer provided insight as to why some people felt so strongly about this unreleased spin-off show.

Some felt that the show perpetuated racism by its title. “That’s right guys, generalizing an entire race is ok as long as it’s done to white people!” YouTube user MR_MCNUGGETS said. “Way to further racial tensions,” user TheSuperQuail said.

Others were racist themselves. “Dear Muslims, stop blowing yourselves up and flying planes into buildings. Dear black people, stop killing people and living in section 8 housing and robbing liquor stores,” user John Grimes said.

Furthermore, people have been tweeting pictures and screenshots of emails they received from Netflix after cancelling their subscriptions. #CancelNetflix was also trending on Twitter.

Interestingly enough, it seems that the people who are furiously advocating for Netflix to be cancelled are missing the point. Their problem isn’t with Netflix.

Their problem is with the title of the show and being called out. Sure, not all white people are racist. The point of the show isn’t to stereotype an entire race, as MR_ MCNUGGETS believes.

In a blog post, Simien defended the title of his movie and the new show. “A show called ‘Dear White People’ forced the characters in the film (as well as audiences) to ponder questions alongside an uncomfortable feeling that their very identities may essentially be mere responses to mainstream white culture’s preconceptions of them.” Furthermore, by focusing on a college campus, Simien captures what it’s like to be a minority who is faced with microaggressions and demonstrations of more outright racism.

Racial tensions in the country haven’t decreased since “Dear White People” was released three years ago. More people are aware of these tensions and either want to help better society and understand their privileges and positions or ignore these issues because these problems don’t relate to them.

In Simien’s now-deleted Facebook post, he stated, “To see the sheer threat that people feel over a date announcement video featuring a woman of color (politely) asking not to be mocked makes it so clear why I made this show […] I want those who are chronically unseen in the culture to feel seen.

And I want those willing to extend empathy to experiences unlike theirs to understand their humanity more deeply.”

Like it or not, the controversy surrounding “Dear White People” will continue when it is released, on April 28 with 10 thirtyminute episodes.

Nokia 3310 to return, become only surviving artifact of incoming nuclear apocalypse The famous indestructible cell phone, a saint among memes, will be modernized and released at $60 soon enough.

Improving requires nothing but “yes!”

San Antonio improv friendly to newcomers and veterans alike You can find improv all around San Antonio at places like C o m e d y Sp o r t z , Studio 185, and even on campus at the MICHAEL MILLER hands of Fiscally A&E WRITER Responsible and The Carefree Radicals. Now, if you already know you like it, and you’re looking to try it out, most Sunday nights at the Overtime Theater you can find an improv workshop to walk in on.

Last semester, by suggestion of a couple friends, I went to a workshop and the next thing I knew, it’d become a weekly pastime.

The experience was awkward, challenging, fun and exciting — overall, a completely engaging activity. The skills you learn in improv are applicable to the day to day conversations you have.

I don’t know the ins and outs of improv.

No, this is an article about what it can do for someone who is willing to say ‘yes.’ Yes, this may be a cliche — even the whole plot of a movie starring Jim Carrey, but it was all I really knew about improv, and it really can be helpful. For example, when you chose a character or action, you must commit to it and stand by it. Improv has been a sort of biweekly therapy. I show up with however I’m feeling and just let it go and become whoever I must.

The people at these workshops are old and young, men and women, loud and quiet, teachers, actors and students.

The workshops are generally exercises and games that aim to work on different communication skills by imposing limitations on your physical and verbal options. During my first workshop, we focused on getting comfortable expressing emotions, communicating.

A part of that is embarrassing — many of these games force you to do things you

would never do in real life.

The numbers game stands out most in my memory: two people go up on stage and can only speak in consecutive numbers, but still have to convey a full conversation. This restriction focuses your attention and efforts into the emotion and intention of what you are saying rather than the words themselves — which serves as a testimony to how much we can say without words.

Most recently, Tina Jackson and Dan Grimm, who recently relocated to San Antonio from Chicago, expertly led our class. During this workshop, we worked on playing from assumptions, where you assume a relationship and act on it without stopping to explain the context - much like we do in real life. Internal edits, where, without mentioning, you and your partner must become different characters in a new scene as smoothly as possible; and Tag-outs, like a real-life Family Guy cutaway, you have people from outside the scene step in momentarily to provide . The whole lesson really emphasized committing to a character with strong values and emotion, and making firm decisions as that character.

Communication, with both the audience and your scene partner, are critical as well.

I cannot tell you what I’ve specifically learned from doing improv, but I know it’s helped. I feel more comfortable meeting people, I’m developing a bank of characters for whenever they may be needed, and I’m more affirmative. Everyone should try improv, even if it’s just once — it’s something that ought to be experienced.

And if you’re worried you’re going to embarrass yourself, you’re right. Go to a show and see for yourself, not everything is done well, but it’s all part of it.

And that’s the interesting thing about improv: failure isn’t just built-in, it’s a crucial part of the learning process. If you’re looking for good improv, check out troupes like Kismet, Tina and Dan’s improv duo; Missed Opportunity, an all female troupe featuring several current and past Trinity students; or First Time Offenders, “The improv group at Trinity University.”

All of them post regularly about events on Facebook so make sure to check it out and get involved.

Review: “David Brent: Life on the Road”

BY JACOB ROSSITER A&E WRITER Nearly a decade and a half after the airing of the original (British) “The Office,” Ricky Gervais returns. He reprises his role as David Brent in “David Brent: Life on the Road”.

The movie is available on Netflix, departing the show’s previous format of running on television. Fifteen years after his appearance in the documentary, David now works as a sales rep for a bathroom supply firm. Disillusioned with his current life and career, he is desperate to regain the fame that came with what he is convinced was a wildly successful series.

He decides to take an unpaid leave from work, borrow money from his pension, and go on tour with a handful of bandmembers who for all intents and purposes want nothing to do with Brent, all in an attempt to get a record deal and live out his lifelong dream of becoming a famous musician. What follows is a hilarious yet at its core quite sad look at

a man who desperately wants to be liked, but whose actions repeatedly result in him putting his foot in his mouth and making a fool out of himself.

One must keep in mind that this film, and the BBC series that preceded it, is terribly British. Understand that I mean this in both the best and worst ways. British comedian Stephen Fry, when once asked about the differences in comedy between America and England, explained that “we want to play the failure … all the great British comic heroes are people who want life to be better and on whom life craps on from a great height”.

David Brent truly believes that life owes him a career as a Rock Star. Tragically, he is the only person in his life who remotely sees this as a possible reality. I would say a good third of the film is devoted to Brent performing a handful of the some of the most bizarrely terrible songs I’ve heard in awhile. A few standouts include “Equality Street,” “Native American,” and “Please Don’t Make Fun of the Disableds”

(note: the last song is not a typo, here we have David imploring his listeners to stop ridiculing “disableds” as he calls them). A sample: “Ohh please don’t make fun of the disableds … [t] here’s nothing funny about those...Whether mental in the head or mental in the legs”.

After a rendition of David’s “tribute” to Native American people — he affectionately describes them to “[s]oar like an eagle, sit like a pelican” — one of David’s bandmates sums up Gervais’s character. He says: “I don’t think there’s any real racism on David’s part. I just think he doesn’t quite get it, does he?”

This is the essence of Brent’s stupidity. There’s no malice or ill will in David Brent, rather has a painful lack of self-awareness coupled with a constant need to be loved by everyone around him. The brilliance of Gervais’ performance is that as the film progresses, the viewer can see the clown makeup running off, so to speak.

Each time Brent makes a joke that falls flat or gets humiliated, the character’s smile becomes more forced and the laughter more nervous.

The film is not perfect. The viewer is meant to believe that the film is a low budgeted documentary of sorts. However, the movie is dominated by clearly high budget aerial and steadicam shots throughout the entire film.

If the filmmakers set out to paint a realistic looking mockumentary, they seriously would have benefited by trying to make the movie look lower budget.

The joke here is that Gervais’ character is a about as “famous” as it’s possible to be when one was once the star of a docu-series that followed the middle manager of a small paper supply company over fifteen years ago. Why , then does the film look so polished?

Overall, this is a very dark comedy that will make you laugh through all of the cringes.

People who missed Gervais’s loveable-yethorrible character on the British Office will still enjoy his antics fifteen years later. The performances are fantastic throughout and the film stays alive, never getting too caught up in itself while trying to be funny.

12

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 •

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Donald Trump is the latest, greatest president to fix SNL FEATURED SHOW

KRTUesday: Live Rooftop Broadcast Join KRTU on a rooftop on 6th Street in Austin on Tuesday, March 14th, during the South by Southwest festival (SXSW), for a special edition of KRTUesday - Indie Overnight’s live broadcast concert event series! KRTU Indie Overnight is accepting applications from San Antonio bands to perform at the live broadcast event.

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EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY CONOR OBERST April 6th, 8pm March 14th, 8pm Paper Tiger Paper Tiger 2410 N St Marys 2410 N St Marys HIP HOP ORCHESTRA March 19th, 7pm Tobin Center 100 Auditorium Circle

NEW MUSIC

Saturday Night Live is in the midst of a ratings bonanza, and it’s all thanks to Donald Trump. This season is bringing in SNL’s highest ALEJANDRO CARDONA viewership in almost 20 years, and sketches A&E WRITER featuring Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy are social media pandemics with tens of millions of online views.

For a president with an obsession with ratings, numbers, and the general yugeness of things, the success of SNL is a slap in the face. He does little to hide it, regularly tweeting to let the world know that SNL is the “worst of NBC.” Other shows have profited too. Late Night with Stephen Colbert, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and The Daily Show have all enjoyed an increase in ratings, particularly among younger audiences. Trump’s extreme unpopularity and scandal-prone presidency are breathing life into political satire.

The Trump administration’s indictment of the media as liars and “the opposition party” has brought political comedy back to an almost bygone era. In a time where comedians are used to getting away with breaking almost every social norm, this new, thin-skinned White House is making presidential impersonation a national sport.

Mocking the president to get laughs is only a few decades old.

For the majority of U.S. history, pretending to be the president was seen as insulting to the office and the public. When humorist Will Rogers impersonated president Calvin Coolidge in a 1928 radio broadcast, the backlash was massive. He issued an apology to the president and the offended public, and in 1930 the White House’s issued an official stance against mimicking the president on air — not the most effective tactic against political parody.

Fast forward to 1962, when Vaughn Meader published a light-hearted comedy album impersonating John F. Kennedy and his family. “The First Family” was the fastestselling pre-Beatles album, won Album of the Year at the Grammy’s, and made it all the way to J.F.K. himself. The accuracy, audacity and subversive nature of the album made it feel fresh, and absolutely daring as a televised comedic product.

Although the Kennedy assassination made political impersonation run cold for a couple of years, the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s impeachment soiled the highest office in the land, swinging the door wide open for comedians to make fun of powerful men.

By the time SNL came on the air in 1975, blatantly mocking elected officials was not just permissible, but a popular hobby.

Soon, the political sketch as the cold open became a staple of SNL, and often the most talked-about part of the night. At their best, impressions like Chevy Chase’s bumbling Gerald Ford or Dana Carvey’s womanizing Bill Clinton would blend with our idea of

Do you need a HOUSE?

the politician himself, and become cemented in our cultural imagination.

This ability to sway public perception is known as “the SNL effect.” Sarah Palin’s poll numbers plunged after Tina Fey’s perfect mimicry, and some have pointed to Will Ferrell’s take on Bush as a lovable idiot as memorable enough to help Bush’s run against Gore.

For the most part, the excitement for SNL’s political humor has been chiefly reserved for election years. When the public’s opinions are still malleable, and the stakes feel real, a poignant take on a candidate can cut through the noise and deliver a truthful, rousing message. But for the most part, the normalizing effect of widespread political humor has diminished the perceived risk and cheekiness of the performances, making them commonplace — rather than celebrations of free speech.

Enter President Trump.

His administration’s blatant adversarialism towards the media is creating the exact environment that SNL and other humorists need to thrive. There is real danger, real subversion, now that the White House gets red-faced whenever the cast nails an impression. And all that Trump’s tiny tweeting thumbs do is kindle the flame he fears so.

Nobody knows how the SNL effect will affect the president in the next four years, but one thing is certain: whatever campaign promises he keeps or breaks, Trump definitely made SNL great again.

“Meet the Press” Find out what the editors of the Trinitonian have to say about current events and pop culture trends.

What do you think Beyoncé will name her twins?

“Lemon and Lime”

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Have a question for the editors? Tweet us @Trinitonian with #TUMeetThePress

Sports

Miracle on Ice FEB.

17

It’s perhaps the most mythologized game in American sports history. In 1980, the USA men’s hockey team defeated the USSR 4-3 in the semifinals of the Winter Olympics. The USSR had won 6 of the past 7 gold medals, and consisted largely of experienced, professional players. The Americans, on the other hand, were mostly amateurs, and were the youngest team in the tournament. The USA’s victory remains a hallmarked, cinematic moment for patriots and sports enthusiasts alike. This may be the most notable part of the victory’s legacy — the romantic, fictional sensation that has come to define it.

On the left, senior starting pitcher KATIE GLOMB is pictured during her windup. On the right, junior SABRINA NIETO, usually an infielder, pitches after entering in the 5th inning. photos by OZVALDO VELOZ

Tigers fall in season opening doubleheader

BY SHELBY DeVORE

SPORTS REPORTER

After several weeks of running through the same grueling warm ups and running through high intensity drills, it was time for the Tigers to take the field and start their season. On Tuesday, February 14th, the softball team opened their season with a doubleheader against University of Mary-Hardin Baylor.

Despite the blustery wind and bitter cold, they stepped up to the plate.

Despite their best efforts, the home team lost both games to the Crusaders.

“With these being our first games of the season, I thought that our team did a good job of playing together,” said junior outfielder Sara McCarty. “Even though it didn’t go our way, we are still positive and we know now what we need to work on to move forward and be successful.”

In the first game, neither team did started off well. There were no runs or hits until UMHB scored their first run in the bottom of the third inning. It was not until the seventh inning that Trinity scored two runs and UMHB three more. Senior Katie Castillon lead the team in pitching, while sophomore shortstop Devon Potter and first year third baseman Adrienne Edwards scored the Tigers two runs. The final score was 4-2.

The Tigers’ defense didn’t allow UMHB to score any runs until the fifth inning, when the Crusaders scored a potentially backbreaking seven runs. Pushing through, the Tigers scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning, which UMHB countered with three more runs in the seventh inning. The final score was 10-1. Senior Katie Glomb was the Tigers’ starting pitcher. In the fifth inning, junior Sabrina Nieto took over.

Sophomore third baseman Rylie Goldwait scored the Tigers’ lone run, after junior shortstop Rebecca Berreth plated her with a sharply hit single.

“I think we played well, the outcome was not in our favor

but these are also our first games,” said senior second baseman Hilary Hoffman. “As a team we were very talkative and had high energy on the field. We did a great job of starting strong and finishing strong.”

Although they had hoped for a better result, the team will continue to stay positive. Their high energy cheers and constant encouragement to each other allowed them to fight despite the lopsided scoring.

“To prepare for the next game we are going to work on our hitting and clean up small things to solidify our offense and defense so that it can be as good as possible,” said sophomore Leah Rubio.

Despite their disappointment, the team hopes to continue to develop their skills and come together. Tuesday was just start of many more games to come. They will play their next games at home on Tuesday, February 21st, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. against the No. 1 ranked team, University of Texas at Tyler.

“She’s a great shooter, so obviously going into [the shoot off] I was pretty nervous cause she’s definitely beat me several times and vice versa. We both kind of go back and forth in shoot offs,” Riddle said, “It’s always an intimidating moment.”

Both Barringer and Riddle hit the first pair of targets.

“No matter how competitive you are at [shooting] you always wanna see everyone else doing their best,” Riddle said, “I would never want to — and most people that shoot are very similar like — they would never want you to shoot poorly, like they wouldn’t they wouldn’t want to beat you because they got in your head or like they wouldn’t want to beat because they like made you lose, they would wanna beat you at your best.”

At the second pair, Barringer missed the first target and hit the other.

“Shoot offs are very nerve racking for everyone,” Riddle said, “If you’re confident that you’ve practiced enough, that you know what you’re doing that helps calm you down.”

If Riddle hit both targets in the pair, she would be crowned the winner of the ladies skeet shooting.

“I could talk about mental game for ever,” Riddle said, “There’s this theory that if you think about the word ‘no’, anytime you put ‘not’ in your head, and then say something like ‘don’t miss,’ that’s gonna put the word ‘miss’ in your head and then that’s gonna be in there so it’s always supposed to be positive reinforcement and positive thoughts so it’s like ‘keep your head down, do this, do that, hold your gun here.’ It’s all about staying positive and trying to be relaxed and I’m a very positive person so that helps me in the shooting world.”

Riddle, with the prize in her sights, shot both targets, making her the winner and ending the quick but tense shoot off.

“As soon as I won and I walked off the field I was relieved but also very happy,” Riddle said, “A lot of the members we took to the tournament were very new like this was their very first tournament they had ever shot with us, so that was very cool to like be able to bring back some success for the team.”

Riddle and the rest of the team will continue to have victory in their sights as they compete throughout the season.

“The more you experience, the more difficult situations you put yourself in and learn how to work through, the better you get,” Riddle said, “That’s I think what separates really good shooters from great shooters.”

If interested in trying trap and skeet, Riddle recommends students take the PE class. Many students from the class have gone on to compete with the team.

With victory in her sights, junior hits the mark

BY ELISE HESTER

SPORTS REPORTER The Trinity trap and skeet team competed Feb. 4 and 5 in the Lower Midwest Conference Championship at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. The event, hosted by the Association of College Unions International Clay Target Program, saw 148 competitors from 12 colleges across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. The three part competition involved trap, skeet and sporting clays, in which shooters shot targets with shotguns. In skeet shooting, shooters aim at stationary targets from different areas. In trap shooting, shooters stay in the same place while the targets move. In sporting clays both targets and shooters move. After registration and safety briefings, competition begins, in which each shooter aims her shotgun at 100 targets for each category. The shooters are scored based on how many of the 100 targets they hit.

“The actual shooting is easy, but hitting them all the time over a long period of time, that’s the hard part,” said junior Diana Riddle, “the hard part is being consistent.”

In the common occurrence of ties, the winner is decided by a sudden death shoot off, in which a competitor takes an aim at a pair of targets more difficult than those in the first round, after which her competitor does the same until one misses a target the other can hit.

“You can’t really become a consistent winner if you’re not good at shoot offs,” Riddle said.

Riddle scored 97 out of 100 targets, tieing with and entering into shoot off with long time competitor, Melissa Barringer of Schreiner University.

QUICK FACTS Name: Diana Riddle Year: Junior Major: mathematical finance and economics Hometown: San Diego, California Favorite professional shooter: Kim Rhode Trinity student to switch lives with for a day: Andrea De Leon, my little [in Sigma Theta Tau].

Why? I would definitely want to be someone athletic, because I am not. Also I love her so much. She is so smart, so funny, so talented, so kind and I could speak mega cool Spanish.

14

WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 •

SPORTS

Baseball back in action Tennis keeps on swinging

BY HALEY McFADDEN

SPORTS REPORTER

Coming off of an NCAA Division III National Championship, the Trinity baseball team is back and ready to compete. The team started their season this past weekend with a three-day tournament in Jackson, Mississippi, where they achieved their first two victories of the season.

Last year, the Tigers had an incredibly strong season. In addition to going undefeated, they won the first-ever national championship in Trinity’s baseball in history. This season, the Tigers have a target on their back, as many people watch to see how the new team will rise to the occasion of having lost a majority of their competitive team to graduation. The Tigers, however, are not too bothered by this, knowing that in order to be successful they must focus.

“Although defending the title is definitely in our scope, we need to focus on one game at a time. I can’t think of any goals that we have set for the season, but right now, our objective is to get better and better everyday so we can have a successful postseason,” said Jake Martin, a sophomore outfielder.

Despite having a young team, the men are still a talented group, much of which is a result of their past success helping them draw talented first years who are able to contribute to the team, sometimes right away.

“As a freshman, Trinity was appealing for several reasons. First, our program has been successful, and is one of the top teams in the nation. Also, the team are truly amazing guys, and have made the transition to college easy.

We push each other, but bond in the process,” said first-year infielder James Tatum.

The team started the weekend with a 6-2 loss against University of Texas at Tyler. The Tigers came out strong during the game, scoring both their runs in the first three innings, but faltered towards the end with a hitless final three innings. However, the Tigers came back strong later that day with a decisive 11-5 victory against Millsaps College. The team started with a 4-0 lead, and while Milsaps battled back, the Tigers responded with three more runs, effectively scoring a victory.

The next day the Tigers split their games again, winning 4-2 against Maryville University (Tenn.) and then losing 10-6 against Belhaven University. The Tigers led the Maryville game until the fourth, when the team tied up the score. The Tigers responded by keeping Maryville scoreless for the remainder of the game, only allowing them to get one hit. In the Belhaven game, the Tigers once again began strong, leading 3-0, but struggled to keep the momentum throughout the rest of the game.

A three-run homer by Belhaven scored their final, and clinched their victory.

The Tigers’ Sunday game against Berry University was close, with the Tigers leaving with a 5-4 loss. The Tigers had a strong third inning, scoring three runs, but in the end it was four unearned runs that gave Berry the lead and the eventual victory. Despite any losses, the team is still strongly focused on future games, and is ready to work on improving the young team as much as possible.

“Being our first games with basically a new team, we played hard and never let up. To improve, we simply need to play smarter,” said Scott Walters. “I think the younger class has stepped up well. I think a key element is the amount of competition for each position which really pushes everyone to work harder.”

BY HALEY McFADDEN

SPORTS REPORTER

Trinity men’s and women’s tennis are well into their seasons, with both performing well. Each is undefeated against their fellow Division III schools, and have shown promise in both singles and doubles competitions.

The women’s tennis most recent matches ended in great success, with the Tigers taking home a 9-0 win against McMurry St. University, and then another 9-0 shutout against Hardin-Simmons University in a round-robin style tournament. Both the doubles and singles teams were victorious, with doubles group Marie Lutz and Zoe Kaffen taking home the No. 1 spot in a 9-8 match, while Liza Southwick took the top spot in singles. The Tigers are currently No. 23 in the nation.

With a history of success, the women’s tennis team brought in a large recruiting class. This young team is looking forward to working on developing the confidence and skills necessary to become as successful as possible.

“As a team I think that we need to continue to play each team with confidence whether it’s a Division I team or Division III especially since we are a young team with the majority of players being freshmen,” said first year Mary Kaffen. “When I visited Trinity I really liked the upperclassmen on the tennis team. They put in a lot of effort to make us enjoy our visit at Trinity. ” The men’s team has also had a strong season opener, with a current 2-0 record against Division III schools, and a 2-2 record overall.

The team’s most recent matches ended in a 7-0 loss against Abilene Christian University, and a 9-0 win against Hardin Simmons. The men,

despite their success, have struggled with some early-season injuries, but are hoping to use their depth to continue succeeding while the older members get healthy.

“The other teams we have played have been very strong teams that have challenged us.

One thing that is a bit hindering is that both of our senior captains are not healthy to play.

Hopefully they will be soon,” said first year Jordan Pitts. “As a team, we need to train hard, and work together if we want to be successful.

We have the potential. As an individual, I need to make sure I am staying focused every match, and being there for my teammates.”

One unique aspect of Trinity’s tennis program is their ability to play teams outside of Division III. These teams are made up of scholarship athletes, and get far more perks to play than Trinity athletes. Thus far, the men’s team has competed against Division II schools such as St. Marys University and Division I school ACU, while the women’s team has gone head-to-head with Division I school University of the Incarnate Word. While these teams present challenges for the Tigers, they are confident that getting to face off with different talent will help them in the long run.

“Playing Division I and Division II teams give us a whole different style of play that makes us elevate our game,” said sophomore Wilson Lambeth. “We don’t see that kind of talent in Division III play so it makes us play our best.”

Both teams are excited to work towards a championship, knowing that while rankings are nice, only the end of the season counts.

“We have a deep team this year so we expect to go far in the NCAA tournament. We’re not regarded as a top 5 team but I know our guys will compete hard,” Lambeth said.

SPORTS • FEBRUARY 17, 2017 • WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM

15

Bell center renovations are underway

BY SHELBY DeVORE

SPORTS REPORTER

As students began returning to campus to start their spring semester, they were welcomed by a gated parking lot and machines ready to revamp the athletic center. For years, students have been hopeful about the new changes and eagerly awaiting the project. Finally, the time has come and sections of the Bell Center are undergoing construction.

The 15 month project will consist of new locker rooms, a newly enhanced gym, a weight room and a cardio room with brand new equipment.

“What I’m most excited about is the new weight rooms and the new cardio room,” said Julie Jenkins, head volleyball coach and associate director of athletics. “We have had to use limited space in the past for both. The old cardio room was in a dance studio which wasn’t ideal. And our current weight room is overcrowded, so it will be nice for our students to have two weight rooms.”

Although it was started later than anticipated, the goal is to have the student performance center’s changes completed by the end of the semester which will consist of new weights and a larger space for students to workout. The locker rooms and Sam’s Gym, which will be renamed to Calgaard’s Gym, are scheduled to be finished before the beginning of next summer.

What most students are most looking forward to is the new, two-story fitness center that will be located at the front of the Bell Center. The area will have more space for more activities and brand new weights, weight machines and cardio machines.

A dance studio will be included so students can do more group exercises along with a study room, where students can utilize their short break before or after practice or their workout.

One challenge athletes have faced is the tight, compact weight room and being able to utilize the space to help reach their full potential. Bigger teams such as football, in particular, struggle to fit all of their players in the space and are limited to the amount of weightlifting any given individual can partake in during their practice.

“I’m looking most forward to the new athlete weight room,” sophomore football player Gavin Huse said. “It’s something that we use almost on a daily basis both in and out of season. It

will hopefully help us individually reach our physical potential and ultimately the team.”

The Bell Center is not only a place where students workout.

It is a place that represents the successes that the school has had over the years. In the 2015-2016 season, Trinity won 12 out of 18 SCAC championships. They also have been the winners of the Presidential Trophy for their athletic accomplishments for five consecutive years.

“The Bell Center is already a great facility and is being made better,” associate director of Athletics for Facilities and Event Management Seth Ashbury said. “This renovation enhances our campus community’s ability to improve health and wellness. It also becomes a show piece for recruiting students, much like the CSI renovation.”

Despite the frustration that students and faculty have towards not finding a parking spot or having to walk around the entire parking lot to get to the Bell Center, it is constant reminder about the final product will benefit everyone at the university.

Renovations at the Bell Center commenced at the beginning of the semester and will go on for 15 months. photo by OZVALDO VELOZ

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WWW.TRINITONIAN.COM • FEBRUARY 17 2017 •

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The President's Volunteer Service Award is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and is administered by Points of Light. Through a shared mission of inspiring more to answer the call to service, the President's Volunteer Service Award celebrates the impact we can all make in bettering our communities and our world.

The PVSA recognizes United States citizens and permanent residents of the United States who have completed the required number of service hours over a 12-month period.

Bronze, Silver, and Gold designations are awarded depending on the number of hours served. For individuals aged 16-25, 100 hours of service earn a Bronze designation, 175 hours of service earn a Silver designation, and 250+ hours earn a Gold designation.

Awardees receive a President’s Volunteer Service medallion, a personalized certificate of achievement, a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States, and, most importantly, the honor and esteem of being recognized as a national role model by the President of the United States.

At what point in your life did you start What is it that you value about engaging in community service? community service?

In elementary school I began to engage in community service at my elementary school as well as at events with my mom.

How do you find time to serve 200+ hours over the year?

I generally do a majority of my service early on Saturdays, when I probably wouldn’t be doing too much else!

I also volunteer one or twice a week at House of Teens and the Guadalupe Community Center at their After School Program, causing both events to be a regular part of my schedule.

With whom do you serve (i.e., selfguided or as part of an organization)?

Emily Lupo, Gold Level status for volunteering more than 250 hours in 2016.

Where do you typically serve?

I typically serve at House of Teens, an after school program for students in grades 6-12, and at local animal shelters. I also do a variety of different service projects with San Antonio Parks and Recreation and the San Antonio Food Bank.

I do find some service opportunities by myself, but I do a majority of my service with TUVAC (Trinity University Volunteer Action Community) and Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed service fraternity on campus.

I value being able to have a positive impact on my community as well as seeing other members of the community work together.

It is such a rewarding experience to see so many different people so passionate about serving others.

It is also an amazing feeling when I am volunteering and passersby stop to thank myself and anyone else I am serving with for what we are doing.

What are your future plans and how do you see community service fitting in to these plans?

After college, I hope to serve with the Peace Corps and eventually work for a non-profit.

Doing community service now has allowed me to engage with a variety of different non-profits in and around San Antonio.

Are you looking to get involved in service?

Are you already involved and have questions about tracking your service hours?

Email us at tuvac@trinity.edu for more information and to sign up for our weekly newsletter!