As the seasons change, so do student trends. From popular drinks at Starbucks and the various ways we listen to music, to increasing curiosity about the alarmingly knowledgeable forms of AI, the trends of college students can be quite unpredictable.

Trend #1: Rock Climbing
Trinity students are starting to hop on the rock climbing and bouldering trend. Rock climbing and its close cousin, bouldering, which is roughly defined as rock climbing on smaller walls without ropes, have been on the rise over the last few years. Most Trinity climbers go to Armadillo Boulders, the closest bouldering gym to campus.

Leah Dooling, undeclared first-year, began rock climbing a few years ago but has noticed an increase in popularity since beginning her journey at Trinity. After starting at Trinity, Dooling has met many Trinity students with a similar passion for rock climbing.

“I noticed there were a lot more people who went climbing, which made it easier to go more often,” Dooling said. “I think the trend will continue as the community grows because the environment at climbing gyms is super social and fun.”

Trend #2: The Sally
The next trend that has marked Trinity’s culture this year is “The Sally,” a custom drink from Starbucks, named after Trinity senior Sally Wyma, that has become a cult classic. Wyma first began ordering the drink in the Fall of 2021, and the infamous drink continues to be her go-to.

“I don’t know how to feel about it sometimes because people will say, ‘haha you’re famous,’ but I find that hilariously wrong,” Wyma said. “I’m just a creature of habit who loves coffee.”

“The Sally” is a brown sugar shaken espresso with a pump of dark caramel and sweet cream. Although “The Sally” has been around for a while, there has been a notable rise in its popularity over the past year. The baristas on campus have become accustomed to this trendy order. Starbucks barista Kionna Dow and supervisor Julian Castillo say they make nearly 110 Sallys every day.

John Perkins, first-year psychology major and music minor, first heard about “The Sally” from one of his upperclassmen friends. Perkins hopes the trend of Trinity-specific Starbucks orders stays alive next year.

“I’m hoping the next Starbucks trend involves a hot drink,” Perkins said. “Or at least has a fun name like ‘The LeeRoy’ or something.”

Trend #3: ChatGPT
Another trend that has been circulating is the infamous large language model, ChatGPT. ChatGPT can provide detailed answers to any prompt asked by the user. ChatGPT was initially released in Nov. 2022 by OpenAI and quickly became a leading form of entertainment and knowledge for many college students.

Insiyah Yusufali, junior psychology major and business minor, uses ChatGPT for everyday tasks as she finds it to be accessible and convenient. ChatGPT has even entered many classrooms.

“I had to trick ChatGPT to give me a false answer for my Info Systems class,” Yusufali said. “I had a lot of fun with that.”

Trend #4: Stanley Cup or Hydro Flask
A trend that has spilled in from beyond the boundaries of Trinity is the water bottle mug that has caused mass debate, the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup was created in 2016 but didn’t begin garnering popularity until relatively recently. Across campus, you can spot many students grasping the handle of their Stanleys.

Olivia Predmore, sophomore environmental studies and business double-major, involuntarily hopped on the Stanley Cup trend after receiving one for Christmas. Although Predmore didn’t plan on participating in the trend, she has found the Stanley Cup’s features to be useful.
“It’s nice because it fits in car cup holders.” Predmore said. “You can also take the straw out and turn the lid so you can sip out of it.”

Different water bottles have been circulating in and out of style for the past few years. Most notably, the Hydro Flask, another iconic water bottle, has maintained popularity for years. Many reusable water bottle users have migrated to the Stanley Cup with its current rise in popularity. However, Predmore stands firm in her support for the Hydro Flask, as she finds it to be more convenient.

“The Hydro Flask isn’t really a trend, it’s more of a lifestyle,” Predmore said. “I love it.”

Trend #5: Over-Ear Headphones
Over-ear headphones have also been on the rise on campus. While most students used to wear earbuds like AirPods, many have transitioned to their over-ear counterparts.

Alexis Aguallo, sophomore finance and political science double-major, thinks the recent rise in over-ear headphones can be attributed to social media platforms like TikTok.

Although people have different preferences for over-ear vs. in-ear, Aguallo believes they serve different purposes.

“I will typically wear headphones while studying in loud places and earbuds for walking around campus,” Aguallo said.