Comments on: Trinity takes step backwards in Community involvement…

By: falcon

falcon — Sun, 06 May 2007 17:29:41 +0000

It should come as no surprise that Trinity’s been barring itself from the Community. they’re building bigger buildings every year in order to keep them out, no need for fences when the buildings are much bigger. I don’t blame them though becuase Hartford has not been a model for society. I remember the neighborhood that is now the Learning corridor. it wasn’t much, but it wasn’t the greatest neighborhood. after the Learning corridor, you have the hospitals so there are no locals living there.

The mere fact that the faculty doesn’t approve of this speaks volumes since they themselves don’t live in Hartford with the exception of one professor who lives right off of the campus.

By: kerri

kerri — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:38:12 +0000

I have never understood the “campus” mentality– that of living on this island without any dealings with the outside world. Of course, when I was in college, I commuted, so I never had that option of cutting myself off.

It seems so irresponsible and anti-education. What better way to apply theory then to get some practical, hands-on experience in the community that one lives in?

Their ice rink is another example of this. It’s been promoted as something Trinity is offering to the community, by allowing a few hours of open skate. Yet when I went there about a month ago, the place was closed up with no hours posted. Nothing. I contacted someone by email later and he told me that the place would reopen in the Fall.

How convenient, to force the rest of the world to operate by whatever schedule system the college is on. So, for the next few months, what does that building contribute to Hartford?

By: Ken Krayeske

Ken Krayeske — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:41:32 +0000

As someone who has worked extensively with Joe Barber, Trinity’s Community Outreach Coordinator, I understand the hard work Joe has put in at Trinity to bridge the gap between the students and the city.

This unfortunate vote undercuts the work Joe is doing. Beyond that, Trinity’s budget cuts are hurting this goal. For the past three years, Trinity contracted with me to organize and lead a bicycle tour of Hartford for incoming freshman.

It was a successful endeavor that happened for years before I was involved with it. Georgette Yaindl of the old Connecticut Bicycle Coalition led the ride for years. City Councilman Bob Painter had done the ride with us, and addressed the students.

Joe informed me a short while back that the ride would not be occurring in August 2007 because of budget cuts.

The bike ride was a small part of the community service orientation for incoming freshman, and that entire slate of programs, which included volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and other places, has been slashed.

So Trinity is really pulling back here, and it is unfortunate. Thanks for the reporting Luis. How can we convince a private entity that it needs to reach out further when it is as fiscally strained as it is? How do we reach the Trinity students more effectively?

Questions I wish I had answers to.