JAN. 16: Winter weather shuts down Trinity campus
A severe winter storm warning was issued for the greater San Antonio area on Jan. 15, 2018. The storm brought freezing rain, sleet and snow, and the university canceled classes and closed offices for the day of Jan. 16. as well as the morning of Jan. 17. All campus activities, practices and events were canceled as well.
JAN. 31: Trinity implements new sorting policy for recyclables
Campus Planning and Sustainability began the process of transitioning residence hall recycling bins to a dual-stream recycling program. Instead of separating paper, cardboard, aluminum and plastic, students are now able to recycle aluminum, plastic and glass in one bin. The program also introduced glass recycling into residence halls.
JAN. 31: Trinity reaches milestone in becoming a National Historic District
On Jan. 22, the approval Trinity’s application to become a National Historic District was made public. The final designation was granted in mid-June.
FEB. 22: BCycle celebrates first birthday to little fanfare
BCycle, a San Antonio-wide bike share now called SWell Cycle, celebrated its first year at its on-campus location.
FEB. 26: Aramark beats out competitors for dining RFP
On Feb. 26, Trinity announced that its request for proposals (RFP) for a new dining service provider had come to a close and that the RFP committee had chosen Aramark over two other services that submitted proposals. The Aramark proposal included adding a Steak ‘n’ Shake, Starbucks and sandwich shop on campus, allowing students to take food to-go from Mabee Dining Hall and adjusting the meal swipe program.
MARCH 1: T-Prog brings Bernie Sanders to Trinity
Trinity Progressives (T-Prog), in conjunction with Our Revolution Texas, brought Vermont senator Bernie Sanders to campus to speak to students on March 9. The event also featured Ohio state senator Nina Turner and Jim Hightower, the director of Our Revolution.
MARCH 22: TU establishes Event Review Committee to screen future speakers
An interoffice committee was created to prepare for events on campus, especially events created on short notice. The role of the committee is to advise and mentor student organizations.
APRIL 5: Trinity community reflects on Parscale video
An alumni spotlight of Brad Parscale, class of ’99 and Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, sparked controversy throughout the Trinity community. The video, part of Trinity’s Alumni Spotlight series, was made last year, when Parscale was speaking to a class about entrepreneurship.
APRIL 20: USOs request $636,961.84 for next year’s budgets
At the annual University-Sponsored Organization (USO) budget proposal meeting, Student Government Association (SGA) allocated more than half a million dollars of the student activity fee to the student groups.
APRIL 22: Trinity seeks new internal legal counsel
In January, president of the university Danny Anderson announced the creation of a committee given the responsibility of finding its first in-house legal counsel. The counsel would facilitate legal oversight of the university and provide training to staff and faculty members on issues including compliance with employment law and Title IX.
AUG. 15: From CUC to CSC: Coates construction completed, building renamed
The university made official the completion of the Coates Student Center (CSC) renovations. Talk of the renovation began in 2013, but progress was delayed due to the development of the Campus Master Plan. The renovations took place primarily in the spring and over the summer, and the budget for the project was $3.2 million.
AUG. 15: Students + Startups to expand nationally
The Students + Startups summer internship program plans to expand its reach in 2019, opening applications to students from other institutions.
AUG. 15: Trinity welcomes largest, smartest first-year class
Trinity prepared to enroll a record 695 first-year students this fall. The class is the university’s most academically impressive class in recent years, with an average GPA of 3.6, an average SAT score of 1339 and and an average ACT score of 30.1.
AUG. 23: College Consensus places Trinity on top
College Consensus ranked Trinity University first on their list of “Best Colleges and Universities in Texas” and 49th on their list of “Best Colleges and Universities” this July, leading to an outpouring of student and faculty celebration online.
AUG. 23: First-years went up; the tower came down
A portion of the exterior of the Trinity Tower fell to the ground during New Student Orientation as students ascended the tower to shake the president’s hand, leading to the evacuation of the area due to safety concerns. However, there were no structural elements involved. The tower climb was rescheduled.
AUG. 25: Triniteers fraternity returns to campus
The Triniteer fraternity will return to campus this semester for the first time since 2015. The Triniteers, one of the oldest fraternities on Trinity’s campus, were put on probation in fall 2015 after failing to follow the requirements for re-chartering set in 2013.
AUG. 29: TFL joins Young Conservatives of Texas
Tigers for Liberty (TFL), Trinity’s only conservative student organization, relinquished their independence this summer to become a chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, a statewide organization with chapters across universities that work to shape Texas politics through education.
SEPT. 03: Alumni donation to fund food for off-campus parties
Jeff Ramsey, a Trinity University alumnus, made a donation to the university this July that will be used to provide food at off-campus parties.
SEPT. 12: Second best in the West: Trinity’s 26-year streak broken
In September, Trinity lost its 26-year streak as No. 1 in the U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) “Best Regional Universities in the West.” After a change in USNWR’s weighted methodology, Santa Clara University was ranked No. 1 and Trinity as No. 2 with scores of 100 and 99 respectively.
SEPT. 29: Department of Sociology and Anthropology celebrates 75th anniversary
The department of Sociology and Anthropology celebrated its 75th anniversary this year with a weekend full of presentations, speakers and receptions aimed at current students.
OCT. 03: Stumberg snafu leads to an additional $10,000 prize
Quick Sip, a specialty cold brew coffee company, left the Stumberg Competition with the $25,000 grand prize. However, PATCH, a pill bottle that tracks whether patients take their medication and sends the information to clinical trial specialists, was incorrectly named the overall winner after accepting their fan favorite award. After the grand prize check was taken from PATCH and handed over to Quick Sip, PATCH was given an anonymous donation of $10,000 to continue with their business.
OCT. 04: Greek organizations spend half of alumni donation food fund
Starting this fall semester, students have been able to request reimbursements for food at off-campus parties through Greek Council. As of Sept. 28, nine requests for reimbursement have been approved, totaling $795 of the $1,500 semester budget.
OCT. 04: Tobacco 21 Ordinance takes effect in San Antonio
The Tobacco 21 ordinance took effect in San Antonio on Oct. 1, 2018. The ordinance increased the age for sale of tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 within San Antonio city limits. The ordinance does not apply to municipalities within the city limits, such as Alamo Heights.
OCT. 19: Overheard at Trinity post causes trinicat debate
When junior Abbi Bowen posted a photo of a mauled bird carcass on the Overheard at Trinity Facebook page, she sparked an ethical debate.
OCT. 19: Study Abroad adds 11 new programs
The Center for International Engagement added 11 new study abroad programs and six more countries to visit over this past summer. These additions include summer programs, semester programs and Beyond the Classroom experiences led by Trinity faculty.
NOV. 02: The search continues: Future assistant director for Greek life position still unknown
Despite inviting two candidates to campus, the future assistant director for Greek life remains unchosen. A student, staff and faculty search committee has been searching a new assistant director for Greek life, a position currently held by Jeremy Allen, since early September, right after he announced his departure.
NOV. 08: Trinity students react to midterm elections
This year’s midterm elections ended with a Republican majority Senate, a Democratic majority House of Representatives, Ted Cruz as senator and Greg Abbott as Texas governor. On the local level, Will Hurd won in Texas House District 23 and Chip Roy won in Texas House District 21. Additionally, San Antonio Proposition A failed, while Propositions B and C passed.
NOV. 11: Tynes takes over Coalition for Respect
Sheryl Tynes, vice president for Student Life, took the helm of the Coalition for Respect, replacing David Tuttle, dean of students. The sexual assault awareness group has been on hiatus this semester as they reevaluate their strategy following a lack of student engagement.
