The Trinity Perspective | Winter 2018

WINTER 2018

Worldwide Window

Trinity’s researchers, advocates, and interns connect San Antonio to the outside world

Nia Clements ’22 Biochemistry and molecular biology major; entrepreneurship minor Nia Clements ’22 is well on her way to curing cancer, and she hasn’t even finished one semester of college. After seeing her grandfather pass away from gastric cancer in two short months, Clements began researching a cure at age 13, taking inspiration from her face wash. She hypothesized that since sandalwood oil kills the bacteria that causes her acne, it would also kill the bacteria that causes gastric cancer.

Indeed, Clements’ research has shown that sandalwood oil does kill gastric cancer cells and can survive in a stomach-like environment, making it a viable cure. She has also seen the same promising results with oral, throat, and breast cancer. Her research has taken her to competitions and presentations around the world, including the White House

To read more about Clements’ work, visit gotu.us/niaclements.

Science Fair, and a feature on the cover of a national magazine.

At Trinity, Clements is taking it one step further and not only researching

the cure, but also packaging it.

Having already made a pill with the sandalwood oil, Clements is minoring in entrepreneurship and living in Entrepreneurship Hall to develop a gum and a mouthwash, too. Because at Trinity, we don’t wait: we do.

The Trinity Perspective magazine is produced quarterly. Through these pages, explore the many facets of life at Trinity University and get to know the students, faculty, and staff that call Trinity home. With the vibrant city of San Antonio as a backdrop, discover the many benefits and opportunities our community has to offer. We invite you to read these pages to explore some of the many ways we make a great education possible, then visit our 125-acre campus to see it firsthand.

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Email us at admissions@trinity.edu and we’ll get it answered.

THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS Trinity University One Trinity Place San Antonio, Texas 78212 admissions@trinity.edu www.trinity.edu/admissions 1-800-TRINITY

ABOUT TRINITY Trinity University is a private, residential, co-educational institution with an undergraduate focus. So, what does that mean? It means that we focus on YOU—connecting you with the best possible resources, caring faculty members, committed staff members, and other world-class students destined to have a positive impact in our community.

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Flipping the Script

By Jeremy Gerlach

“You put this family in danger.”

“You’re not coming home.”

“You’re on your own.”

Each word is laced with venom, cutting deep. And while Julia Grace Palmer ’19 knows they’re just part of a Trinity-produced theatrical production about AIDS and HIV stigma, remembering that these words are real gives them an even heavier weight.

In the production, AtticRep’s End Stigma, End HIV/AIDS, Palmer plays a daughter trying to share good news with her family: after

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Trinity uses forum theater to fight stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS

years of fighting HIV, she’s now become HIVundetectable, a major treatment milestone that means she can’t pass on the virus.

But her family—a father, mother, and two brothers—still rejects her, refusing to even let her touch any food or plates in the house for fear of contracting the virus. This scene draws from a Trinity research project on actual abuse endured by HIV-positive people.

“This kind of stigma still is the biggest issue HIV patients face,” says Palmer, a political science major. “It keeps people from getting tested, and it keeps them from getting care.”

But Palmer’s performance isn’t meant to

be a tragedy. The Trinity production, led by professors Robert Huesca, communication, and Roberto Prestigiacomo, human communication and theatre, draws from a technique called forum theater, which gives the audience a chance to flip the script.

Fellow performer Rohan Walawalkar ’20 says this means performing every scene in the production a second time. Then, audience members can demand changes in actors’ behavior, replace characters themselves, or even create new ones.

“The first go-round, you’ll see a person being oppressed, and everyone in the room is highly

I never understood the power of theater until I saw this.

on edge. You can taste the tension in the air,” Walawalkar says. “But we perform every scene a second time, and the audience can intervene.

And once that first person breaks through, there’s just this cascade of people wanting to make changes.”

While this performance technique is an invaluable way to spark dialogue, location has been just as important a factor for the Trinity group. Rather than staying within the comfy confines of the Attic or Ruth Taylor Theaters to put on their play, the team has performed in treatment clinics, shelters, and similar spaces before crowds full of HIV-positive people throughout San Antonio, Huesca says.

“We’ve had people shouting at us, ‘That’s not what happens; that’s not what HIV-undetectable means,’” Huesca recalls. “And that leads to some unbelievable moments.”

And not all of these moments involve shouting.

During one performance, an audience member witnessed a scene where a man berates and then abandons his devastated younger brother—just diagnosed as HIV-positive—at a medical clinic.

Intervening, the audience member stepped in for the actor playing the older brother, and simply kissed the younger brother on the forehead.

“I never understood the power of theater until I saw this,” says Walawalkar, who plans to work in the medical field. “With forum theater, I could see these same techniques working to improve patient experience in hospitals and clinics.”

For a student who came to Trinity “expecting to be in a lab all day,” Walawalkar says he “can use an experience like this to connect the humanities to the medical field.”

Those connections also strengthen Trinity’s relationship with the community, says Chiara Pride ’20, an anthropology and political science double major who is the president of PRIDE, Trinity’s LGBTQIA student organization.

“To see Trinity students, who some people might think are isolated or that we don’t have to worry about HIV, to see that we are recognizing the stigma in the community is going to open up the conversation around HIV,” Pride says.

While the performances concluded in the summer, Pride and Walawalker are still pursuing individual research projects, funded by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, relating to the production. Pride is examining models of structural vulnerability and structural competency in clinician and patient interactions, while Walawalkar is focusing on forum theater’s

This is real life, this isn’t just a story: this is something you have a part in. Here, you can make a difference if you stand up for something that you saw was going wrong.

potential to reduce stigma. Palmer is exploring the barriers to HIV care faced specifically by the Latino community.

For Palmer, doing this type of research at Trinity means her work doesn’t end when the script comes to a close.

“I’m interested in social justice and community involvement, but I never thought I’d have a chance to combine the two,” Palmer says. “This is real life, this isn’t just a story: this is something you have a part in. Here, you can make a difference if you stand up for something that you saw was going wrong.”

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MADRID SUMMER PROGRAM

Room for Growth Trinity students connect Spanish entrepreneurs to investment opportunities in Texas

By Jeremy Gerlach

This summer, Antonio Pedraza III ’19 hopped on a 5,000-mile flight to Spain for Trinity’s Madrid Summer Program.

As part of the six-week experience run by Trinity’s Mexico, the Americas, and Spain (MAS) program, Pedraza and 17 classmates interned for Spanish companies, took classes led by Trinity faculty, and spent their evenings immersed in Madrid’s vibrant culture.

But Pedraza wasn’t expecting to be called on to help an official San Antonio economic delegation open a door for Spanish investment in the Alamo City.

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“We went from being in a classroom to being in a room full of CEOs,” Pedraza says. “I’ve never been in a room with that many high-ranking people, and we got to make connections with all these Spanish companies.

We helped these companies in Madrid see there is commercial potential in San Antonio.”

The Texas delegation, launched as an investment promotion mission to Spain, included Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Brooks, and San Antonio

We went from being in a classroom to being in a room full of CEOs. We helped these companies in Madrid see there is commercial potential in San Antonio. startup hub Velocity Texas. These players met with Spanish industry leaders in the fields of cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, private equity, and transportation, pitching San Antonio as an attractive entry point into the U.S. market.

A major draw for San Antonio is its host of young, bilingual entrepreneurs who can help these international businesses set down roots in Texas. Ideally, these entrepreneurs are wellversed in San Antonio’s startup culture, but also have international experience in Madrid.

Sound like anyone you know?

Trinity University was invited to become an official part of the delegation, says finance and decision sciences professor Eugenio Dante Suarez, because it could help the Texas team drive this point home: Trinity and San Antonio

can offer a talented labor pool to Spanish startups looking to expand to Texas.

The MAS Madrid Summer Program already matches students with Spanish companies in Madrid for six weeks, Suarez explains. Now, the program is poised to offer participants an innovative twist: This fall, these students get to keep working for their Spanish companies from right here in San Antonio.

“This delegation has opened the door to a new model of experiential education,” Suarez says. “Our students continue to work on their projects when they return home, thus providing a seamless landing for their companies when they expand their operations to San Antonio.”

Pedraza’s experience can offer a glimpse of what this Trinity-led partnership will look like in the future. For his MAS internship this past

summer, Pedraza interned with Soyríonansa, a gourmet fish packing company. Soyríonansa— part of parent company the European Institute for Entrepreneurship (EIE)—wants to expand to gourmet grocery stores in Texas. So this fall, Pedraza serves as the company’s boots on the ground, helping Soyríonansa make its pitch to local stores in San Antonio through communication and PR ventures, advertising, and other avenues.

“I even brought back some cans of the product with me so I can show it to store owners,” Pedraza adds.

Pedraza says he also received offers from multiple other companies within the EIE framework to continue working in San Antonio this fall. For a student who was just expecting to return home from Spain with memories, a new Facebook album, and a fresh update to his resume, that’s not a bad way to spend the summer.

“Being part of this MAS program has been so much more than we all expected,” Pedraza says. “Before I came to Spain, I couldn’t see myself doing this—being an entrepreneur, being a professional. This opened my eyes to what it takes to succeed out there in the real world.”

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#1

g win o r t-g erica s e t fas in Am city

14th

and e r u t l u C y in a t i v i t a e Cr nity u m m o C Vibrant

best place to live in U.S.

300

e hin s n f su r o s day a yea

No Car? No Worries!

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There are plenty of ways to get around San Antonio. n VIA buses run right by campus and offer student semester passes for $38. n Get a ride on demand

miles of Riverwalk paths connect cultural & historic sites

with Uber or Lyft. n Rent a Zipcar, conveniently located on campus. n Use Trinity’s student shopping shuttle on select Saturdays to go to Super Target and North Star Mall. n Take a bike for a spin through SWell Cycle, a bike sharing program across San Antonio that has a station on campus.

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San Antonio is often known for having a small-town feel, though it is the seventh-largest city in America.

This combination allows you to enjoy the perks of a close-knit residential campus while having a world of opportunities—and fun—right outside your doorstep.

Trinity’s campus is a stone’s throw from the heart of downtown San Antonio, which allows the Trinity community to experience everything from First Friday Art Walks to Fiesta celebrations to farmers markets at the Pearl. San Antonio is home to many teams, attractions, and events that bring millions of people to the city to celebrate local culture.

In 2018, San Antonio was named the No. 1 fastest-growing city in America. Our economy is booming thanks to our medical, biomedical and biotechnology, energy, manufacturing, tourism, technology, and military sectors. The quick expansion of our city means more opportunities for you to dive into different cultures, explore various career paths, and never get bored.

69°F

●

●

average temperature

6

minutes from San Antonio International Airport

10

days of Fiesta (a citywide party with more than 100 events)

3

miles from downtown San Antonio

Big City. Big Fun. Unwind from the school week and venture off-campus to enjoy all San Antonio has to offer! n Take a walk in Brackenridge Park, just across the street from Trinity, named the No. 1 “Best Thing to do in San Antonio.” n Explore four art museums within five miles of Trinity—and all offer free admission to students! n Take a walk on the wild side at the San Antonio Zoo, located less than a mile from campus.

Get a history lesson by visiting the Alamo, as well as four other historical Spanish missions that make up a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Canoe on the Guadalupe River, hike at Enchanted Rock, and float on the Comal River with Trinity’s Outdoor Recreation trips. n Dust off your cowboy boots for the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, the top large indoor rodeo in the nation.

Marvel at the latest Broadway musical at the historic Majestic Theatre, or breathe in the sounds of the symphony (Trinity students get discounts on tickets) at the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. n Pick out a new plant or a tasty treat from the farmers market at the Pearl, just five minutes from Trinity. The Pearl is an old brewery reimagined into a complex with shopping, restaurants, a jazz club, movies and yoga on the lawn, and the Culinary Institute of America. n Root for the home team with four professional sports teams: the fivetime NBA champion Spurs basketball team; the Triple-A Missions baseball team; the Rampage hockey team; and the FC soccer team.

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Aisle Be Darned ALE internships give Tigers a taste of life inside Texas’ Republican and Democratic parties

By Jeremy Gerlach

These days, America’s political divide can seem more contentious than ever. But Kathryn Langemeier ’20 and Travis Boyd ’20, who spent their summers interning for a Republican U.S. senator and a Democratic Texas state representative, respectively, have a different take. “My internship actually left me more optimistic for the future,” Boyd says. “I know it’s 2018, and everyone has the same reaction when I say that about politics, but it’s true.”

Boyd and Langemeier are recipients of Trinity’s prestigious Arts, Letters, and Enterprise (ALE) internships, a program that gives humanities majors fully paid summer positions in a variety of firms, political offices, and nonprofits. Boyd, a political science and history double major from Houston, interned for State Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio), while Langemeier, a political science and economics

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double major from Houston, interned for U.S. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn ’73 (R-TX).

As ALE interns, both Langemeier and Boyd were integral, fully paid staff members who developed real career skills. Langemeier helped her bosses create a “heat map” for Cornyn’s staff to track their appearances and events throughout his district, which stretches from San Antonio to the outskirts of El Paso. For Bernal’s office, Boyd planned small business tours, worked with government software systems, and conducted policy research.

Beyond developing these skills, Boyd says he

also learned a valuable lesson from the people working across the aisle. At his first committee meeting in Austin, Boyd remembers trying to get his bearings in the expansive state capitol, but still looking like a “lost puppy.” Even though he worked for a Democrat, a group of friendly Republican staffers came to his rescue, showing him the ropes.

“I don’t want to say we put our politics aside—and obviously I disagreed with those people on what the best solutions are for our government—but everyone was kind and well meaning, and we all realized it’s better to disagree than to be rude,” Boyd says.

“In any job you have...you’re going to meet people who have a difference in perspective,” Langemeier reiterates. “But you need to be able to listen, to talk to them, and to find a way to work with them.”

Ultimately, Boyd and Langemeier say the real draw of an ALE internship isn’t just developing problem-solving skills, but finding the will to solve those problems alongside people who might not agree on how to solve them.

“The point isn’t to be right,” Boyd says.

“The point is to make things better, and to do that together.”

Visit Campus Trinity In Focus open house programs welcome all prospective students and their families.

See our campus and learn about our curriculum, student life, application process, and financial aid options.

Financial Aid Application

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019 Visit gotu.us/tif for more information or gotu.us/visit for other visit opportunities.

Trinity Admission Application Deadlines APPLICATION DEADLINE

N OT I F I C A T I O N DEADLINE

DEPOSIT DEADLINE

Early Decision II (binding)

Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

Early Action II

Jan. 1

Mid-Feb.

May 1

Regular Decision

Feb. 1

Early April

May 1

Financial aid applications should be submitted by your corresponding admission deadline but no later than Feb. 15, 2019.

To be considered for the full array of resources available, Trinity requires the following applications:

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Trinity’s school code is 003647.

CSS Profile

Find more information at

gotu.us/apply

Trinity’s school code is 6831.

OTHER SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINES: Storer & Tillman Scholarship for Developing Christian Leaders This scholarship is open to students who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to developing their leadership skills in the context of their faith. An application is required.

APPLICATIONS DUE JAN. 1, 2019 Find more information at gotu.us/storertillman.

Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science Award

Fine Arts Awards

Trinity’s most prestigious scholarship, this award is for students who intend to major in a STEM-related field and provides a fulltuition scholarship and a $5,000 research stipend to engage in undergraduate research. To be considered, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and do both of the following by January 1: apply to Trinity University under an Early Decision or Early Action (I or II) decision plan and submit the Semmes scholarship application online.

Trinity’s fine arts departments offer merit awards for students who demonstrate exceptional talent in art, music, theater, or debate. Each department has their own audition, portfolio, interview, and application requirements.

APPLICATIONS DUE JAN. 1, 2019 Find more information at gotu.us/semmes.

Find more information at gotu.us/fineartsawards.

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9:1 student-to-

QUICK FACTS

faculty ratio 100% of faculty hold doctoral or terminal degrees

Private, residential, co-educational, undergraduate-focused Founded in 1869 6 minutes from San Antonio International Airport Located in America’s 7th largest city

2,480

125 acre campus

located in a residential neighborhood

from downtown San Antonio 6 minutes

Follow us on social media!

LeeRoyTheTiger @TrinityU

@Trinity_U or @TrinityU_Admiss

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/trinityuniversity

www.trinity.edu

undergraduates from 44 states and 63 countries 8% international students A D M I T T E D S T UDE N T P ROF IL E Fall 2018 Entry Term

3.67

30.6

1370

A- grade average

29-33 mid 50%

1300-1440 mid 50%

average GPA

average ACT

average SAT