On Thursday, May 9, the student affairs from Trinity gathered in Skyline lounge to celebrate current faculty and previous legends. The event hosted a number of previous Trinity student affairs faculty members as well as a small group of students over lunch.

Many of the previous members in attendance were addressed as legends for having contributed to the department for years. Among those in attendance were Coleen Grissom, Margaret Farris, Thurman Adkins and several more.

Current dean of students and vice president for student affairs, David Tuttle created the event to host Pete Neville the previous director of student activities at Trinity.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to pull together some of the old guard if you will, that worked with Pete over the years when he was here,” Tuttle said.

Within the department of student affairs, the Pete Neville Award is given to outstanding staff members and their contributions for that year. Several award-winners were in attendance at the lunch. The department will begin changing with Counseling and Career Services leaving student affairs, the lunch additionally served as a final celebration for the department.

“It’s the last hurrah for student affairs as a division. We’re making this kind of the final student affairs event. Because student affairs is changed to student life and how the strategic plan has changed it,” Tuttle said. “This is fortuitous timing to be able to have a ceremonial end.”

Tuttle also noted the benefit of having previous faculty present at the lunch with current faculty as the department prepares for the upcoming changes to Trinity Tomorrow.

“It’s really a chance for friends to catch up, it’s a chance for the current staff to meet some of these people who built what we have here,” said Tuttle.

During the lunch different legends spoke to the department as well as the students in attendance, giving out advice and sharing favorite Trinity memories.

Pete Neville advised the department of student affairs and noted how lucky the department is and what it is like to work at Trinity University.

“We typically I think in a student affairs environment where people care for each other is evident, here today. And so I guess my word of wisdom is that we are so privileged, to work in this kind of environment and not everybody gets to do that,” Neville said.

Neville also added one last piece of advice to the current department of Student Affairs and all the faculty in attendance, noting the great privilege.

“It’s a matter of great privilege and I guess I’m thinking about it because I often forget. And so I advise this: Don’t forget about the privilege you have and the people you work with,” Neville said.

Debra Kimbell, another legend, recalled a favorite memory from when she was working at Trinity for the department of student affairs.

“There’s one time I’ll never forget. I was off campus somewhere, away from Trinity, and somebody asked me where I worked, I told them Trinity University. And they said “˜What do you do there’ and I said “˜Well I work in student affairs’ and they said “˜well aren’t you lucky.’ And then I said “˜I am'” Kimbell said.

The department celebrated it’s previous years of work with student affairs and will begin making changes for the strategic plan. The changes will start soon with the relocation of the Counseling Services and Career Services from the second floor of the Coates University Center.