The Trinity Perspective | Winter 2016

WINTER 2016

At Home in City Hall

inity rn r T Two ts inte en yor d a u t M s io he for t Anton an of S

We are the champions!

The Trinity University Tigers won the NCAA Division III Baseball National Championship in May 2016. Trinity claimed the victory by sweeping Keystone (PA) College 14-6 and 10-7 in the best-of-three series at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wisc.

The Tigers completed the season with a 44-7 record, setting a school mark in victories. In June 2016, the team was honored by the City of San Antonio for their achievement.

The Trinity Perspective magazine is produced quarterly.

Through these pages, explore the many facets of life at Trinity University and get to know the faculty, staff, and students who call Trinity home. With the vibrant city of San Antonio as a backdrop, discover the many benefits and opportunities our community has to offer. Oh, and we may throw in our favorite restaurants around town for you to check out while visiting our 117-acre campus.

Get Connected Join the conversation:

Facebook: /trinityuniversity Twitter: @Trinity_U or @TrinityU_Admiss Instagram: @TrinityU Snapchat: leeroythetiger

Have a question for a current student?

Email our current students your questions at: AskATiger@trinity.edu Have a question for an admissions officer, faculty member, or other staff member?

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 for you? It means that we are a place that is here to focus on YOU. We connect you with the best possible resources, caring and engaged faculty members, committed staff members, and world-class students destined to have a positive impact on our community.

03

Rachel Lawson ’18

Textual Harassment

By Allyson Mackender ’17

Trinity junior tackles cyberbullying from the perspective of victim narratives

04

Since the rise of social media and text messaging, cyberbullying has been at the center of many local and national headlines. News sources report on the dangers of cyberbullying and tell cautionary tales of people being targeted via email, text message, or Facebook, just to name a few. Many of these stories have tragic endings, with young people’s lives being damaged by someone wearing the mask of a computer screen or cell phone.

It has helped me realize the power of language. The way we use language to assign things around us completely shapes our world.

Rachel Lawson ’18 is working with human communication professor Erin Sumner on “Textual Harassment,” a research project addressing cyberbullying from the perspective of victim narratives.

Lawson’s research focuses on the specific type of bullying and abuse that can occur through text messages, which the pair is referring to as “textual harassment.” Sumner conducted various focus groups that encouraged targets of cyberbullying to talk about their experience with harassment.

Transcripts from these focus groups were then given to Lawson, who is analyzing the stories to assess the relationship between harassers and targets and to discover the traits that targets assign to harassers. In order to analyze these relationships, Lawson is focusing on the language used to describe the situation.

“It has helped me realize the power of language,” Lawson said, “The way we use language to assign things around us completely shapes our world.” Hence, identifying key words used to describe harassers and

assessing the diction used in the target’s story is a significant piece of Lawson’s work.

As Lawson pores over the transcripts, she is interested in finding narratives among the stories that the targets tell.

By analyzing the transcripts from the perspective of narrative, she is able to identify commonalities among each target’s unique story. For example, Lawson said many targets claimed that “texting is not real life.” This viewpoint, while common among young adults, seems to downplay the effects of texting in ways that contradict the very real consequences that targets face when they are harassed or bullied via technology. These narratives, and the commonalities she identifies, serve as a way to prevent or change the trajectory of future textual harassment.

As a human communication major, Lawson, from McKinney, Texas, notes that analyzing text messages is crucial to her discipline. “Human communication is about relationships,” she said. “Texting is a way to create, maintain, and in these cases, destroy

relationships.” Additionally, research on cyberbullying has important implications simply because it is a fairly new phenomenon. Lawson agreed that communication through technology is a new concept, so there is not a lot of research on the subject, making her project unique and relevant to the changing landscape of interpersonal communication.

Despite her knowledge on the subject, Lawson claims she is still shocked by “just how mean people can be.” Perhaps more shocking, though, is that most of the targets knew the person who was harassing them, making the hurtful and hateful messages all the more poignant. She hopes that her research, and the rest of her time as a human communication student at Trinity, will allow her to further explore the new dynamic that texting brings to relationships.

Lawson’s research is being funded by the Mellon Initiative at Trinity University, which builds collaborative research opportunities for students and faculty in the arts and humanities.

05

Summer of Civics Trinity students intern in San Antonio’s Office of the Mayor

By Carlos Anchondo ’14

In the shadow of the San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio’s City Hall is home to Mayor Ivy R. Taylor and the 10 City Council members that represent the Alamo City.

Located at 100 Military Plaza, City Hall was also home to Tanner Kohfield ’18 and Alex Perkowski ’18, summer interns in the Office of the Mayor. Kohfield and Perkowski secured their internships through Trinity’s Arts, Letters, and Enterprise (ALE) program, a program built on the University’s liberal arts core and its business administration program.

06

Tanner Kohfield ’18

Alex Perkowski ’18

At the mayor’s office, a huge part of my every day was being able to describe and disseminate information in a meaningful way. Trinity goes above and beyond to improve writing and verbal communication skills.

AL EX PER KOW SKI

As interns, Kohfield and Perkowski gained a new perspective about the work required to make a city of 1.4 million citizens run.

Kohfield, a political science and economics double major from Austin, Texas, spent the majority of his internship preparing for the San Antonio Housing Summit on Sept. 30. The goal of the summit was to grow healthy and diverse cities where a variety of housing options exist.

In planning for the summit, Kohfield contacted speakers, drafted internal memos about agenda topics and workshops, and summarized reports about city planning.

“This internship has made me more interested in housing policy,” Kohfield says.

“Working on this project, I have talked to and heard from citizens from different parts of San Antonio, and it has broadened my perspective on who lives here, what is important to them, and where people want the city to go in the future.”

Kohfield recalls the first time he was asked to offer his opinion on the summit’s speakers list and how he initially felt nervous about sharing his thoughts.

Unease quickly turned into pride as he realized that his bosses valued his insight.

Another favorite moment came as Kohfield watched the mayor deliver a speech to the

San Antonio Board of Realtors. He says he admires her ability to address a crowd and understand the issues.

Like Kohfield, Perkowski says this internship has made him more aware of the problems faced by different segments of San Antonio. No stranger to politics, Perkowski has worked on the mayoral campaign of Mike Villarreal and the state senate race of Trey Martinez Fischer. He was drawn to this internship because he wanted to know what happens after campaigning ends and the act of governing begins.

A political science major from Spring, Texas, Perkowski spent the summer under the guidance of Andrew Solano, political adviser and Mayor Taylor’s liaison to the city council. Perkowski regularly attended council meetings and noted where members stood on the issues. He also conducted research for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), a collaboration of city, county, judicial, and law enforcement officials to address shared problems in the criminal justice system. Perkowski looked for shared interests between the CJCC and efforts by the Texas State Senate and House regarding criminal justice.

Whether he was summarizing notes from

City Council meetings or drafting CJCC memos, Perkowski says the capacity to write efficiently served him well time and again. He credits Trinity’s “writing-focused curriculum” for this skill.

“At the mayor’s office, a huge part of my every day was being able to describe and disseminate information in a meaningful way,” Perkowski says. “Trinity goes above and beyond to improve writing and verbal communication skills.”

Perkowski referenced annotated bibliographies for his first-year writing workshop and later for political science courses, noting that the ability to succinctly and accurately present information to his boss led to a relationship of trust.

As their internships conclude, Kohfield and Perkowski say that they are thankful for the ALE program and the doors it opened at the mayor’s office. All ALE interns are provided campus housing, a summer stipend, and the mentorship of a Trinity faculty member. They also earn one hour of Trinity course credit. In an industry where internships are often part-time or unpaid, both Kohfield and Perkowski recognize their good fortune.

Working for a dedicated public servant, they add, is a tremendous bonus.

“Although her schedule is often filled months in advance, Mayor Taylor took the time to have lunch with us and we were able to have a real conversation with her,” Perkowski says. “It was so nice to talk with her and to learn about her as a person, rather than just a boss. She really is an awesome lady.”

07

Clinically Speaking One-year project emphasizes partnership of University, UTHSCSA, and San Antonio Military Medical Center Katherine Wilks draws a plan for community outreach as part of Collaborative Research Grant in San Antonio.

By Susie P. Gonzalez

Trinity University is one of three San Antonio institutions to be awarded a $150,000 Collaborative Research Grant from the San Antonio Medical Foundation to determine the effects that overweight or diabetic mothers have on the body composition of their babies.

Jonathan King, professor and chair of biology at Trinity and one of the principal investigators of the project, called it a “significant grant because it’s an important problem. Obesity and diabetes are pressing community health issues.�

During the 2016-17 academic year, as many as 10 Trinity students will be trained for clinical research for the study, to be conducted with doctors, dietitians, nurses, and research technicians at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) at Fort Sam Houston and the University of Texas Health

08

Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA).

The team will study the body composition and epigenetic code of infants related to metabolic differences and diabetes. Their work will involve community outreach, dietary education, and risk reduction for mothers and babies with one or more medical conditions such as diabetes and obesity.

King has collaborated for several years with the other principal investigators, Dr. Nicholas Carr at the SAMMC and Dr. Cynthia Blanco from UTHSCSA. Both physicians are neonatologists with an interest in the

development of healthy babies whose mothers might be diabetic.

During the one-year grant period, researchers will examine infant body composition at birth, at two months, and six months later, King said, adding that a noninvasive scanning device will be used to look at muscle and fat composition as a predictor of diabetes. About 50 babies and their families will be included in the study, including healthy-weight mothers, diabetic mothers, and obese mothers.

Trinity students will focus on developing educational materials for the mothers and their families, King said. As interns on the project, Trinity undergraduates will be able to assist dietitians in clinic to encourage mothers to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Students also will contribute to epigenetic analysis studies of blood collected from the

Left: Biology professor Jonathan King makes a point about clinical research with Trinity undergraduates.

Below: Trinity undergraduates learn how to share tips on healthy lifestyles for expectant mothers.

We are working in the shadow of a doctor but we are also working with the community.We are part of an actual project that’s helping people.

LO RE N ZO G A R Z A ’18

umbilical cords of babies after they are born.

King is exploring whether genes are “read” differently in mothers who are overweight/ diabetic in comparison to healthy weight mothers. As the project develops, students may also be involved with outreach to families on behalf of dietitians. Students in the internship are undergraduates who may be considering careers in the health professions including dietitians or clinical researchers, King said.

Several expressed enthusiasm for the project, calling it a way to implement knowledge learned in class with a concrete action plan. “It’s good to have that extra step in the learning process,” said Addison White, a junior from Allen, Texas.

“We are working in the shadow of a doctor but we are also working with the community,”

said Lorenzo Garza, a junior from Brownsville, Texas. “We are part of an actual project that’s helping people.”

Katherine Wilks, a senior from San Antonio, said being part of a medical study is valuable “now because I don’t know how many of us at our educational level and at our age are able to say we are part of this study and we contributed to it. I’m excited to be a part of this study.”

The grant, known as the Maternal Fetal Environment Alters Infantile Body Composition and Epigenetics, is one of two projects funded recently by the Medical Foundation. The other team of researchers is from Southwest Research Institute, the UTHSCSA, and the U.S. Army Institute for Surgical Research at Fort Sam Houston. That group will seek to develop a regenerative

medicine-based approach to treat chronic, non-healing skin wounds such as diabetic ulcers, which occur at double the national average in San Antonio. The goal is to develop a health care product that can effectively treat such wounds, as well as regular skin wounds resulting from surgery, other diseases and injuries like burns.

The foundation received a number of collaborative proposals, according to Stephanie Chandler, chair of the Collaborative Grant Selection Committee. “These two proposals, each addressing different diabetes issues which are unfortunately so common in San Antonio, rose to the top,” she said. “The Medical Foundation’s new grant program is intended to explore new areas that target special research and patient care strengths already present in the San Antonio area.”

09

Esperanza Proud

Above: Sosby works with the intern group at Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

Sophomore spends his summer working for social justice and marginalized groups

By CARLOS ANCHONDO ’14

On a hot summer day in July, Hunter Sosby ’19 found himself driving from the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center to San Antonio’s International Airport. As Sosby merged with traffic, he turned to a fellow intern with excitement, a realization coming to his mind.

“We are picking up a minor celebrity,” Sosby said.

“This is awesome.”

Sosby was meeting transgender Latina activist Bamby Salcedo, a speaker in the Esperanza’s arts programming series. Salcedo, a Mexican immigrant to Los Angeles, had come to San Antonio to share about her work fighting for the rights of transgender immigrants. Listening to Salcedo’s speech opened Sosby’s eyes to the realities of the immigrant trans community in the U.S. Originally from Wimberley, Texas, Sosby learned of the Esperanza through the arts, letters, and enterprise

10

(ALE) program at Trinity. The program is based in the University’s liberal arts core and business administration program. Besides the arts programming series, Sosby reviewed the SA Tomorrow planning effort to ensure that the initiative reflected the interests of the Esperanza community. He and the other interns drafted a 30-page response to the SA Tomorrow plan, later meeting with San Antonio City Council staffers.

That same summer, the Esperanza interns saw their proposed modifications integrated into the updated SA Tomorrow plan. While reviewing the plan, which aims to address an influx of more than 1 million individuals to San Antonio by 2040, Sosby garnered a greater respect for areas of the city he had never visited prior to his internship. Although his internship is over, Sosby plans to continue volunteering at the Esperanza.

Visit Campus Trinity In Focus open house programs are open to all prospective students and their families. This program is an excellent opportunity to take a comprehensive look at our campus and learn about our curriculum, application process, and financial aid options.

Financial Aid Application Trinity University recommends submitting your financial aid applications by your corresponding admission deadline.

Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016 Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017

Trinity Admission Application Deadlines APPLICATION DEADLINE

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

DEPOSIT DEADLINE

Early Decision II

Jan. 1

Mid-Feb.

Mar. 1

Early Action II

Jan. 1

Mid-Feb.

May 1

Regular Decision

Feb. 1

Early-Apr. May 1

To be considered for the full array of resources available, submit the following applications by Feb. 15, 2017.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Trinity’s school code is 003647.

CSS PROFILE 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

Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science Award

Fine Arts Awards

Our most prestigious scholarship, this award is for students who intend to major in a STEM field and provides a full-tuition scholarship and a $5,000 research stipend to engage in undergraduate research.

Submit your application for admission and the Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science Award. Students must apply Early Decision II or Early Action II to be considered for this award.

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

APPLICATIONS DUE: JAN. 1 More info online: gotu.us/semmes

More info online: gotu.us/fineartsawards

11

9:1 student-to

QUICK FACTS

faculty ratio

117

acre campus located in a residential neighborhood

97% hold doctoral or terminal degrees

Private, residential, co-educational, undergraduate-focused Founded in 1869 10 minutes from San Antonio International Airport Located in America’s 7th largest city

2,338

undergraduates from 48 states and 44 countries 7% international students

77% live on campus

SAT Middle 50%*: Critical Reading: 580-690 Math: 580 - 680 Writing: 560-670

7

minutes from downtown San Antonio

Apply Trinity University accepts both the Common Application and the ApplyTexas Application for undergraduate admission.

Learn more about applying to Trinity University online at

www.trinity.edu/applynow Both merit scholarships and need-based financial aid options are available.

Have a question for a current Tiger?

Send us an email at AskATiger@trinity.edu to get the inside scoop on student life at Trinity.

ACT Middle 50%*: 27-31 *Range identifies the middle 50% of Trinity’s enrolled students. 25% of enrolled students scored above this range; 25% of enrolled students scored below this range.