This week’s edition of the Trinitonian is chock full of construction. The unintentional theme got us thinking: is there, perhaps, a method to this construction madness? Is there a method to the multiple sidewalk blocks and endless noise caused by the construction going on around campus? Is there a method to the road repairs on Hildebrand that are negatively impacting many a student’s ability to quickly get to Chipotle, Whataburger and Tomatillo’s? Is there method to the fact that the renovations to Witt-Winn only emphasize the current lackluster state of other residence halls? In the midst of all this chaos and confusion, here is the serenity the Trinitonian was able to identify.
It is no small secret that Trinity University is looking to rebrand itself. In fact, we at the Trinitonian can hardly recall a time when the administration sent out an email unrelated to the curriculum changes or to the Strategic plan. The construction of the Center for Sciences and Innovation is one piece of this rebranding. While students have never been terribly involved in the physical changes going on around campus, it is important to keep in mind that they are being done for our benefit. It is true that only a portion of us will still attend Trinity when all of the construction projects are complete, but, as the administration likes to remind us at every available opportunity, the Strategic Plan is a very long-term sort of plan. The changes made in the here and now will impact Trinity’s national presence in the future. A greater national presence will affect our ability, as Trinity alumni, to find decent jobs in our areas of study. In the end, we are willing to walk around a couple of buildings if it allows for us to have careers and healthcare instead of starting fights on Internet message boards and living in a vans down by the river.
The construction that currently prevents people from driving west on Hildebrand is kind of a rebranding of San Antonio. It’s no fun to drive on roads that bear a striking resemblance to their dirt predecessors. In fact, the terrible state of some San Antonio roads almost feels like some sort of conspiracy by major American car manufacturers to force people to buy trucks and SUVs. However, the age of conspiracy is drawing to a close. As San Antonio begins to replace its bumpy roads, people will be more apt to drive around and explore our fair city. Chances are, as these people drive around the city, they will probably stop into shops and restaurants and part with some money. Who doesn’t love good old-fashioned economic growth?
In the mean time, those of us who are stuck taking detours will have to start exploring the city. Maybe that road you’ve passed over every day for the last three years will take you to an adorable (or super masculine and hardcore, whatever you’re into) café that serves the best enchiladas. Maybe it will take you past a great park that you should start incorporating into your evening run.
As for the recent renovations of Witt-Winn (it still feels a little weird to say that all smashed together), those of you currently inhabiting any number of other Trinity residence halls (but, let’s be real, specifically, North, South, Herndon and Beze), may feel a bit neglected. However, this is a perfect opportunity to bask in the happiness of others. Positive energy transfers so easily from person to person, so, while you may have to deal with mysterious carpet stains and the occasional bathroom cockroach, be happy for your peers who get to sock skate all around their sweet new wood floors. In fact, befriend them. The only way to improve a good sock skating session is to invite a friend to join you.
In spite of the fact that most of the construction happening around campus and the city is meant to have a long-term impact, there are so many short-term benefits it provides as well. Use the start of this year to start more than a new set of classes. Explore Trinity’s campus and explore San Antonio. You might feel overwhelmed by construction, but there is excitement and adventure lurking in the strangest of places, and that, ultimately, might be the method to all of this madness.
